Dairy-Free 1st Birthday Cupcakes

Turning one is a right of passage for kids and with that tends to come an overwhelming amount of sugar.

But, as a Certified Nutrition Coach, I'm telling you it doesn't have to!

Use up the extra ripe bananas on your counter and instead of going the traditional route for a first birthday smash cake, opt for something with less sugar and healthier ingredients: sugar-free, dairy-free smash cake. 

The Healthy, Dairy-Free Smash Cupcakes

Ingredients You'll Need

Ripe bananas: the softer the bananas are the better they will mix and the sweeter the first birthday cake will be!

Dairy-free yogurt: any non dairy yogurt should work to keep the smash cake light. The exception of this is Greek yogurt. It would be too thick for the flour base and make the batter too dense.

Coconut water: just adding a little bit of extra hydration to the batter. Regular filtered water will work in a pinch.

Eggs & egg whites: any eggs you have will work but know that using a flax egg probably won't. You need the eggs to bind the flour.

Oat flour: store bought or you can make your own. Know that the finer flour you use the better the texture of the cake.

Almond flour: learn the difference between almond flour and almond meal. Almond flour will make the cake less chewy.

Baking powder: this helps the cake rise without adding too much air.

Maple flakes: some people want a bit more sweet as they're serving other guests. Maple flakes are a great way to do this but are completely optional.

Step By Step Photos

Texture Of The Cupcakes

Whether you are making this first birthday recipe into cupcakes or a full cake, the texture of the recipe is soft! Thanks to the bananas and coconut yogurt, the smash cake comes out light and soft.

Furthermore, I wouldn't say it's overly fluffy but it is soft enough for kiddos to mow down on!

 

How To Color The Frosting

For these healthy smash cupcakes, I opted to use natural coloring options instead of dye. 

Thus, for these particular cupcakes, I used beet crystals for the pink and blueberries for the purple. Having made them since I personally like to use any of the following:

• beet crystals (not beet powder)
• freeze-dried strawberries(pink and sweeter)
• dried blueberries powder (purple ish)
• spirulina (blue-green)

Likewise, you can always color the frosting with traditional methods like dye (these natural food dyes are really great), or learn to make natural food dye. 

 

Choosing A Sugar-Free Frosting

I've frosted these dairy-free smash cupcakes multiple ways and the below options are my favorite:

• coconut whip frosting
• dairy-free cream cheese frosting

That said, I'll be the first to admit that while I prefer the coconut whip frosting in flavor, it doesn't "pipe" onto the cake or cupcake as nicely.

The coconut whip will also melt if it's at room temperature for more than ten or so minutes. Basically, it's "finicky".

The cream cheese frosting, however, pipes onto the cupcakes in a traditional manner. There is a lot of dairy and lactose-free cream cheese on the market so grab whichever suits your preference. 

If you don't want to go a traditional color but prefer chocolate topped cake instead (which looks really pretty sprinkled with maple flakes!), opt for my healthy chocolate frosting instead. You can control the texture by adding in more or less almond milk and it's one of my kids' favorites for cookies and cupcakes.

Note that if you want to make the cupcakes more indulgent for the adults, drizzling them with dairy-free caramel sauce definitely takes them up a notch!

How To Store The Cupcakes

The smash cake itself is fairly light. However, once stored in the fridge it will firm up a bit. 

Unfortunately, both of the icings need to be refrigerated somewhat.

So, you can either make the sugar-free cupcakes the day of and leave them out until it's time to frost and serve. Or, you can pop them in the fridge knowing they'll be a bit more firm.

Likewise, if using cream cheese frosting, let them settle to room temperature before serving. If using coconut whip cream, serve immediately from the fridge.

Taste & Flavor

I can't stress enough that these cupcakes are not sweet. They are almost like a muffin in flavor.

If your kids are used to sweeter items, add in some maple flakes (⅛ cup) to the cupcake batter.

Likewise, you can add sugar (or maple flakes) into the frosting to make it sweeter also. However, these first smash cupcakes were designed for babies so they're sugar-free. If making for adults, sweeten as you'd like.

How To Make The Birthday Cupcakes Into A Dairy-Free Smash Cake

I've done both.

Personally, I prefer 1st birthday cupcakes as I find them much easier to decorate. If this is you, follow the recipe directions exactly.

If you want to make this recipe into a full-on smash cake, note the faqs and tips below.

The recipe in the card is for one cake. To make a fancy, first birthday cake you'll want to double it to make two layers (and frost in between). This will give you a more indulgent and traditional feel.

• Make sure to grease the pan. I use a springboard pan to make it easier to remove.
• You'll need to bake the cake longer (bake at 350 degrees for roughly 35-40 minutes). Once cooked, let cool in the pan fully (about forty-five minutes), before removing and adding frosting.
• Likewise, opt for the cream cheese frosting. The coconut whip doesn't "hold" between the cakes nicely.

 

 

Sugar-Free Icing Options

Coconut Whip Frosting (makes a purple color)

• ​​​​​​​Full Fat Coconut Milk, chilled in the fridge overnight
• ½ cup frozen blueberries
• ​​​​​​​1 teaspoon beet crystals

Scoop only the hardened coconut cream from the can and drain the water. Place in a high-powered blender. Add in the blueberries and beet crystals. Blend until smooth.

Pour into a container and place it into the freezer for a couple of hours until mostly hard. Remove from the freezer and let thaw for ten minutes.

Remove from the container and whip with a handheld mixer. Use a spatula to smooth the icing onto the cupcakes.

Note: coconut whip melts if left out of the fridge/freezer for too long. It must stay chilled to retain its shape. Thus, it's normally better if it's made just before you're serving.

You can find the dairy-free cream cheese frosting here and it comes in light pink!

 

Don't forget to pin this first birthday, dairy-free smash cake!

 

Substitutions

• Any dairy-free yogurt will work for the cupcakes. However, Greek yogurt will leave them too thick.
• Regular filtered water is absolutely fine in place of the coconut water.

Frequently Asked Questions About Smash Cupcakes

The focus of a babes first birthday shouldn't be the sugar content or even the smash cake at all. It should be about the celebration, the next step, the letting go (for the mama!). Furthermore, it should reflect the enjoyment in all that's to come.

Make your baby's first birthday a healthier one and opt for a sugar-free smash cake- you'll both be happy!