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    Home » Simple Vegan Recipes » Breakfast recipes

    Birthday cake granola

    Last Modified: May 13, 2022 by Becky Striepe

    Disclosure: This post may contain Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. See my Privacy Policy for more details.

    Recipe Video Print
    birthday cake granola parfait with yogurt in a glass. It has a candle on top! (text overlay)
    spoonful of birthday cake granola and yogurt
    birthday cake granola parfait with yogurt in a glass. It has a candle on top!
    image collage showing the uncooked granola in a bowl, stirring it on a baking sheet, and in the mixing bowl with sprinkles added

    Make your breakfast dreams come true with crunchy, colorful birthday cake granola! You only need seven simple ingredients to make it.

    birthday cake granola parfait with yogurt in a glass. It has a candle on top!

    Y'all, I am extremely pumped to share this recipe! It was inspired by a pricey bag of birthday cake granola that I picked up at the grocery store. The concept was so smart and simple, I just new I could concoct a homemade version for less.

    Jump To:
    • What does it taste like?
    • Recipe notes
    • Finding vegan sprinkles
    • Substitutions
    • How to serve and store the granola
    • Birthday cake granola

    What does it taste like?

    Birthday cake granola has a light vanilla flavor with a hint of almond. It's sweet and crunchy, with crisp rice cereal and sprinkles bringing texture to the table.

    If you're not a fan of almond, you can simply use more vanilla extract instead, but I feel like it really gives this recipe a special flavor that evokes a slice of birthday cake.

    Recipe notes

    The technique for this recipe is based on my apricot ginger granola recipe. The baking time on this recipe is a bit less, because you're going for a lighter flavor.

    To start, make a simple sauce, toss it with rolled oats and crisp rice cereal, and bake it low and slow. Baking granola takes about 45 minutes, but the wait is so worth it. And this recipe makes the house smell amazing!

    oats, rice cereal, sprinkles, and sauces on a wooden table

    For this granola, the sauce is a mix of oil, maple syrup, vanilla and almond extracts and just a tiny pinch of salt. Whisk those together, then toss them with the oats while the oven preheats.

    Now, spread the oats mixture onto a baking pan, making sure to spread it out across the whole pan.

    image collage showing the uncooked granola in a bowl, stirring it on a baking sheet, and in the mixing bowl with sprinkles added

    You're going to cook your granola in three 15-minute rounds of baking. Every 15 minutes, you give the oats a very thorough stir. You want to move the oats from the outside of the sheet to the middle and vice versa, so everything cooks evenly.

    After baking, let the granola cool for 10 minutes in the pan before tossing it with vegan rainbow sprinkles!

    close-up of the baked granola, ready to add sprinkles
    This is what the granola looks like when it is done baking.

    Finding vegan sprinkles

    What isn't vegan about sprinkles?

    A lot of conventional sprinkles are coated in confectioner's glaze, which is made from bugs. EW!

    Confectioner's glaze gives sprinkles a glossy finish.

    spoonful of birthday cake granola and yogurt

    I've had good luck finding vegan sprinkles at regular grocery stores lately, though! Sprinkles that are labeled as "natural" often don't contain confectioner's glaze. You know you've got a contender if the sprinkles have a more matte finish as opposed to a glossy one. Just check the ingredients!

    Worst case, you can find vegan sprinkles online. There are some very cute ones!

    Substitutions

    For gluten-free, just make sure that your rolled oats and rice cereal are gluten-free. Crisp brown rice cereal is fine, as well.

    You can use agave nectar in place of the maple syrup, if you prefer. It will alter the flavor a bit, but it will still be delicious!

    If you don't like almond or don't want to buy almond extract, that's no problem! You can omit it and just use another ¼ teaspoon of vanilla instead.

    How to serve and store the granola

    Once it has cooled completely, store your granola in an airtight container in the pantry, just like any other cereal. It will keep for about a week, if you can resist eating it all the day you make it.

    Serve this anywhere you'd use plain Jane granola! I like it with a splash of vegan milk for a quick breakfast. or sprinkled on top of a smoothie bowl.

    It's also great layered with vegan yogurt to make a pretty breakfast parfait. Stick a cherry on top, if you want to get really fancy!

    birthday cake granola parfait with yogurt in a glass. It has a candle on top!

    Birthday cake granola

    Make your breakfast dreams come true with crunchy, colorful birthday cake granola! Serve it with your favorite plant milk or with yogurt, parfait-style!
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Breakfast, Snack
    Cuisine: Vegan
    Keyword: birthday cake granola
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 45 minutes
    Cooling time: 10 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 218kcal
    Author: Becky Striepe

    Ingredients

    • 2 tablespoons oil
    • ⅓ cup maple syrup
    • 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
    • ¼ teaspoon almond extract
    • pinch of salt
    • 2 cups rolled oats
    • 1 cup crisp rice cereal
    • ⅓ cup vegan sprinkles

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 250° F
    • In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, maple syrup, extracts, and salt until they're evenly combined.
    • In a large bowl, toss together the maple syrup mixture with the oats and rice cereal. Spread the mixture out onto an ungreased baking sheet.
    • Bake for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes, so your granola cooks evenly. When you stir, make sure that the oats around the perimeter of your pan get pushed to the middle, because otherwise they will burn. Let the cooked granola cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes.
    • Toss the cooled granola together with the sprinkles. Store in an airtight container in the pantry until you're ready to eat.

    Video

    Notes

    It is so important that you spread the oats out evenly and stir them every 15 minutes. The oats on the outside will cook faster, so moving things around makes a huge difference in your results.
    The cooked granola will keep for about a week in the pantry.

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Facts
    Birthday cake granola
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    218
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    7
    g
    11
    %
    Saturated Fat
     
    1
    g
    5
    %
    Trans Fat
     
    0.02
    g
    Polyunsaturated Fat
     
    2
    g
    Monounsaturated Fat
     
    3
    g
    Sodium
     
    26
    mg
    1
    %
    Potassium
     
    103
    mg
    3
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    35
    g
    12
    %
    Fiber
     
    3
    g
    12
    %
    Sugar
     
    13
    g
    14
    %
    Protein
     
    4
    g
    8
    %
    Calcium
     
    16
    mg
    2
    %
    Iron
     
    1
    mg
    6
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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    About Becky Striepe

    Headshot of Becky Striepe in front of a teal wall

    Hi there! I'm Becky Striepe (rhymes with sleepy), and I love using gadgets and shortcuts to create easy vegan comfort food recipes for busy people. Whether you love your Instant Pot, your air fryer, or just love delicious plant-based meals, stick around. You'll like it here.

    Learn more about me >>>

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    About Me

    Glue and Glitter
    Hi! My name is Becky Striepe (rhymes with “sleepy”). I love using gadgets and shortcuts to create easy vegan comfort food recipes for busy people. Whether you love your Instant Pot, your air fryer, or just love delicious plant-based meals, stick around. You'll like it here. → READ MORE

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