It’s hard to imagine a birthday kid who doesn’t like cake, but it happens. And when you’re the parent of the birthday kid who doesn’t want cake, you’re left figuring out what to serve that’s just as festive, delicious, and easy to serve to—and satisfy—a big group of kids. Not as easy as it sounds, especially when you have tons of other birthday details to manage. (Can you tell I’ve been in this position before?)
Instead of scrambling for ideas, I’ve rounded up 7 birthday cake alternatives that are sure to make everyone happy. Especially the birthday kid. Phew.
Top: Rice Krispies Cake at Eighteen 25 | Funfetti Sugar Cookie Cake at Sally’s Baking Addiction
Related: Super cool dinosaur birthday party cakes and cupcakes that are actually easy to make.
Let’s start with the ultimate birthday cake alternative: the Birthday Party Pie at Epicurious. This treat is serious business probably best saved for serious bakers. Not only is it a lot of steps, but whoa if the kids eat all of that pie. But, still, how could we not share this? Especially since there are a few of you out there who might take this on. When you do, you know where to send our party invite.
If you ask me, Rice Krispies are a perfect alternative to cake, but why serve them in squares when you can do them up like this Rice Krispie Treat Sprinkle Cake at Sprinkle Bakes. This is so cute and not much more work (maybe even a little less?) than putting together a traditional birthday cake.
If the version at Sprinkle Bakes is too much, then take a look at the Rice Krispies Cake at Eighteen 25. I mean, after all, if you’re off the hook for baking a cake, you might as well keep it easy. And it’s not like this easy recipe will disappoint.
Related: 8 cool birthday party cake ideas for tweens and teens.
This super fun Popcorn Cake at Cookies & Cups is a great alternative to Rice Krispies Treats, plus it incorporates candy and pretzels, which is sure to be a win with the birthday kid. Mix everything together and press into a bundt pan: It’s that easy to throw this goodness together.
If you’re celebrating a little cookie monster, whip up this Funfetti Sugar Cookie Cake at Sally’s Baking Addiction. Way easier than a cake, but just as festive, this iced skillet cookie is so fun that I bet even cake lovers could enjoy having this treat at their party.
How fun is this Giant Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich at Home, Food & Design Weekend? Never mind a birthday party, this is such a crowd-pleasing treat, I want to make it anytime I have people over! Because the site is Australia-based, the measurements in this recipe are given in different units. It should be simple to make the conversions but, if not, try this recipe for Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwich Cake with Butterscotch Sauce at Epicurious instead.
Related: Busy parent hack: Easy, semi-homemade sandwich cookie recipe, perfect for birthday parties.
Crepes always bring the party, if you ask me, especially when paired with Nutella, which is why I love this Birthday Crepe Cake at Take a Megabite. Crepes are stacked, each divided with a layer of Nutella whipped creme filling between them, making a deliciously gorgeous cake-like treat. And the best part—yes, even better than Nutella—is that you can make crepes ahead of time and either store them in the refrigerator for up to three days or the freezer for up to three months before it’s party time.
DIY Dipped Ice Cream Cones | What’s Gaby Cooking
Skip the baking all together and set up an ice cream sundae bar. Grab pints of the birthday kid’s favorite flavors, sprinkles, candy, chocolate sauce, marshmallows, potato chips, pretzels, and anything else that you can possibly imagine putting on an ice cream sundae. And then, the piece de resistance: The DIY Dipped Ice Cream cones that we found at What’s Gaby Cooking. Or, come to think of it, most any of these ice cream treat recipes would make a great addition to birthday party spread.
