These Birthday Cake Mini Muffins are soft, fluffy and filled with colourful sprinkles for a fun birthday option! Made with plain Greek yogurt, applesauce, and maple syrup, they have that classic vanilla birthday cake flavour in a mini muffin format. They’re perfect for birthday parties, classroom celebrations, or simply adding a little extra fun to snack time and lunchboxes.
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I made these for my daughter to take to school for her 5th birthday and they were such a hit! I wanted something that felt fun and special, but was also easy to make, pack, and serve. These mini muffins were perfect, basically a little birthday cake in muffin form, without the frosting or extra mess.
Table of Contents
Why You'll Love These Birthday Cake Mini Muffins
- Soft and fluffy: Greek yogurt and applesauce help keep the muffins nice and tender.
- Fun and festive: Plenty of colourful sprinkles make them feel like a little birthday celebration.
- Easy to make: Simple ingredients and no frosting or decorating required.
- Perfect for little hands: The mini size is easy for toddlers and kids to pick up and eat.
- Great for celebrations: Perfect for birthdays, classroom treats, parties, or anytime you want to make a fun snack!
Ingredients for Birthday Cake Mini Muffins
Here is what you'll need to make these fun birthday cake mini muffins!
- Plain Greek yogurt: Helps keep the muffins soft and adds a little richness.
- Unsweetened applesauce: Adds moisture and natural sweetness.
- Maple syrup: Adds sweetness without making the muffins overly sweet.
- Unsalted butter: Adds flavour and helps give the muffins a tender texture.
- Eggs: Help bind everything together and give the muffins structure.
- Vanilla extract: Gives that classic sweet birthday cake flavour.
- Almond extract: Just a little adds that familiar funfetti-style cake flavour.
- All-purpose flour: Forms the base of the muffins.
- Baking powder: Helps the muffins rise and stay light.
- Baking soda: Works with the yogurt to help give the muffins a soft, fluffy texture.
- Dash of Salt: A small amount helps balance and bring out the other flavours.
- Sprinkles: Add that fun birthday cake look - sprinkles always make things a little more fun! We love these naturally coloured sprinkles from Pure Foods.
See recipe card for quantities.
How-to-make Funfetti-Style Birthday Cake Mini Muffins
Here is an overview of how to make the recipe, or you can scroll down to the recipe card for the full details.
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and lightly grease a mini muffin tin or line with parchment paper mini muffin liners.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the Greek yogurt, applesauce, melted butter, eggs, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and almond extract until smooth and well combined.
In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir gently until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
Fold in the sprinkles.
Spoon the batter into the prepared mini muffin tin, filling each cup just to the top. Add a few sprinkles on top.
Bake for about 12-14 minutes, or until the tops are lightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Tip: Once you add the sprinkles, fold them in just until distributed. Overmixing can cause some of the colours to bleed into the batter.
I recommend lightly greasing or spraying a silicone mini muffin pan with non-stick spray to help prevent sticking. Parchment liners also work well, but I found the muffins stuck quite a bit to regular paper liners.
Substitutions
- Butter: You can use melted coconut oil or a neutral oil instead, but I do find butter works best for these muffins!
- Maple syrup: I've also tested this recipe with brown sugar and they came out really well. A slightly different texture, but still fluffy.
- Almond extract: You can leave this out if you don’t have it or prefer not to use it. The muffins will still have lots of vanilla flavour. (But the almond extract does help create that classic birthday cake flavour!)
Variations
These are specifically a funfetti style mini muffin, and if you're looking for other mini muffins, you can check out these Pumpkin Oat Mini Muffins, or these Prune and Apple Baby Muffins.
Equipment
- Large bowl
- Medium bowl
- Whisk
- Spatula to fold in sprinkles
- A cookie scoop can be helpful for dishing out the batter, but a spoon works as well
- Mini muffin pan (24 mini muffins) (I love this silicone mini muffin pan I recently got!)
Storage
Let the mini muffins cool completely before storing them in an airtight container.
They can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days. For longer storage, keep them in the refrigerator for up to 4 to 5 days. Just keep in mind that refrigeration can make muffins a little firmer or drier over time.
These also freeze really well! Once completely cool, transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze for up to 2 to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or warm briefly before serving. For best quality, I’d freeze them as soon as possible rather than waiting until they’re a few days old.
Toddler Tip
These birthday cake mini muffins are a fun, easy option for sending to preschool or kindergarten for a birthday celebration. Their small size makes them easy for little hands to manage, and they’re also an easy way to add a little extra fun to a regular lunchbox or snack!
FAQ
Yes! These muffins are a great make-ahead option for birthday celebrations at preschool or elementary school (or for packing in a school lunch). Bake them the night before and store them in an airtight container once completely cooled.
Classic rainbow jimmies (these are the rod shaped sprinkles) work really well and give these muffins that fun birthday cake look. I prefer them over very small nonpareils, which can bleed more easily into the batter.
Absolutely! Their mini size makes them easy to pack in a lunchbox for daycare, preschool, or school. Pair them with fruit, yogurt, cheese, or another favourite lunchbox food for an easy snack or lunch addition.
Recipe
Birthday Cake Mini Muffins
Equipment
- 1 Large bowl
- 1 medium bowl
- 1 Whisk
- 1 Spatula helpful for folding in sprinkles
- 1 mini muffin pan 24 mini muffins
Ingredients
Wet ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
- ½ cup Greek yogurt plain
- ½ cup applesauce unsweetened
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract pure vanilla
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
Dry ingredients
- 1½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- dash salt less than ¼ tsp
- ⅓ cup sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease or spray a good-quality silicone mini muffin pan with non-stick spray. A silicone pan works especially well. Parchment liners can also be used, but avoid regular paper liners, as the muffins tend to stick quite badly to them.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the Greek yogurt, applesauce, melted butter, eggs, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and almond extract until smooth and well combined.
- In a medium bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and stir to combine.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir to combine.
- Gently fold in the sprinkles, reserving a few to sprinkle on top.
- Divide the batter evenly between the mini muffin cups, filling each one just full.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until the tops are set and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
- Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Sprinkles: Rainbow jimmies work best in these muffins. Nonpareils (the small round ones) can bleed more easily into the batter. We love these naturally coloured sprinkles from Pure Foods.
- Don’t overmix: Stir the batter just until the flour is incorporated to help keep the muffins soft and fluffy.
- For school or daycare: If you’re sending these for a birthday celebration, check your school or daycare’s food and allergy policies first.
- Storage: Store cooled muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Freezing: Freeze in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
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