Birthday Cake Muffins (With Sprinkles!)

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Get festive with my easy, homemade birthday cake muffins inspired by the Little Bites party cake muffins recipe! These fluffy treats, dotted with sprinkles, and made with all natural ingredients, are a wholesome choice for breakfast and delicious enough for parties. Perfect for kids, but honestly, adults love them too! 

I love this fun birthday cake muffins recipe! They are the perfect fusion of fluffy cake-like texture and portable convenience, making them a hit at any birthday party or a delightful surprise for your loved ones.

Whenever I make these muffins, it feels like a celebration! Made with pantry staples, it’s great for getting my kids involved in the kitchen. They’re always motivated to help out when they’re getting a sweet treat at the end of it!

You’ll notice that my muffins don’t have any frosting, but trust me, you won’t even miss it. Their fluffy texture and colorful sprinkles make them a hit at any gathering.

I’ve served them at birthday parties, for a breakfast or brunch treat, for an after school snack, and more! They are so tasty, I guarantee they will please even the pickiest eaters in your family.

And if you love these muffins, you might also enjoy my cranberry orange muffins and peanut butter muffins too!

Latest Recipe Video!

🥘 Ingredients

You likely already have everything needed to make mini confetti muffins stocked in your kitchen. All you need are some simple pantry ingredients!

All-Purpose Flour: I like using all-purpose flour for this recipe because it provides the structure needed to make the muffins. You can use other flours like whole wheat flour, oat flour, or whole wheat pastry flour when making these happy birthday muffins. Just keep in mind the texture of the muffins will change slightly, and the muffins may be darker in hue. If you change the flour, I recommend testing for doneness at around the 10-minute mark. For a gluten-free version, use a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour with xanthan gum added.

Baking Powder & Baking Soda: Use both to ensure the muffins rise properly while baking.

Sugar: I used granulated white sugar to sweeten this treat. If you’re in a pinch, you can use brown sugar or coconut sugar, but it will change the moisture, color, and texture of the muffin slightly. For an added sugar-free option, you can omit the sugar, but the muffins will taste more like a biscuit.

Salt: This enhances the overall flavor of these birthday cake muffin bites. If you forget it, it tastes like something’s missing.

Milk & Greek Yogurt: Dairy adds moisture and ensures the muffins are soft. Use your preferred milk and yogurt, but I find whole milk and unflavored yogurt to be best. For a dairy-free version, I recommend non-dairy milk and vegan yogurt. Alternatively, you can use applesauce instead of the yogurt – start with 1/4 cup and increase if more moisture is needed.

Melted Butter: This enriches the flavor and helps bind the batter. Make sure it cools a bit before adding it to the batter. For a vegan option, use vegan butter.

Eggs: This acts as a binding ingredient. The muffins come out moist and fluffy. For an egg-free version, I suggest flax eggs.

Pure Vanilla Extract: I love the flavor of vanilla in this birthday cake muffin batter! Vanilla also helps enhance the sweetness of these muffins, without needing extra sugar.

Sprinkles: This adds a rainbow effect that makes these funfetti muffins festive. I like using naturally colored sprinkles to avoid artificial colors. However, if you prefer a brighter, more vibrant look, feel free to use standard sprinkles!

🔪 How To Make Birthday Cake Muffins

Watch the video above to learn how to prepare my sprinkle birthday cake muffins with ease. Then follow these detailed instructions to ensure your muffins turn out perfect every time! My helpful tips will guide you through each step.

Prep & Combine Dry Ingredients: First I preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (176 degrees Celsius). In a mixing bowl, I whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt until well combined.

Combine Wet Ingredients: In another large bowl, I whisk together the milk, yogurt, eggs, vanilla and melted butter.

Mix Wet And Dry Ingredients: Then I’ll pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently stir to combine. Be careful not to over-mix to keep the muffins light and fluffy.

Add Sprinkles: Gently fold in ¾ of the sprinkles into the batter, reserving some to top the muffin batter before baking.

Add To Muffin Tray: I evenly divide the batter between a mini muffin tray and I always like to sprinkle the reserved sprinkles over each muffin.

Bake, Cool & Enjoy! Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean and the muffins are lightly golden brown. I allow the muffins to cool in the tray for 5 minutes before removing and cooling completely on a cooling rack.

📖 Variations

Mix-Ins: I love adding all kinds of mix-ins to these delicious birthday cake-flavored mini muffins! Some of my favorites include mini chocolate chips, blueberries, strawberries, chopped almonds, chopped walnuts or pecans, or a little bit of orange zest for additional flavor.

Toppings: While my recipe doesn’t include frosting, for a more decadent feel, pipe vanilla icing on top with additional sprinkles. You can also use a cream cheese frosting or add a drizzle of chocolate or caramel sauce on top. They’ll taste better than the funfetti muffins from Little Bites!

Vegan: Use vegan butter, a flax egg, vegan yogurt and a plant based milk. You can also use applesauce instead of the yogurt – I recommend starting with 1/4 cup of applesauce and increasing if you need more moisture.

Make Regular Sized Muffins: To make 12 standard size muffins, I recommend increasing the baking time to 15-16 minutes (or until an inserted toothpick or skewer comes out clean).

🍽 Serving Suggestions

Always cool the muffins completely before serving. These work for all occasions, no matter the time of day! Here are some of my favorite ways to serve them:

Breakfast: Enjoy them as a sweet morning treat with a warm mug of coffee. My kids typically love these birthday party muffins with a tall glass of cold milk or plant-based milk.

Snack: This party muffins recipe also pairs well with oat milk hot chocolate or this cinnamon-flavored healthy hot chocolate. For a more adult version, I like to serve them with a mocha latte, Biscoff latte, beetroot latte, or a golden latte.

Dessert: I love serving these as little “cakes” when I have people over – they’re great with individual scoops of vanilla ice cream for everyone in attendance.

🫙 Storage Directions

At Room Temperature: Once the muffins have cooled completely, I transfer them to an airtight container and store them in a cool dry place for up to 4 days.

In The Fridge: To extend the shelf life, I’ll also store them in the fridge where they will keep for up to 7 days! Let them come to room temperature on the countertop before serving.

To Freeze: Once the muffins have cooled, I’ll transfer them to a freezer safe container and store them in the freezer for up to 1 month. To defrost, I just leave them out at room temperature until they have thawed, then I’ll warm in the microwave for 10-20 seconds until slightly warmed through.

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