These Healthy Birthday Cake Brownies use cashew butter as the base and are filled with chocolate chips and sprinkles. Just 8 ingredients and you’ve got yourself a healthy batch of brownies!
Today is a special day. It CLEARLY has to be because I am posting on a Sunday which is totally out of my element. Today marks my brother Justin’s 22nd birthday! Typically we’d be spending the day together doing all the things I want to do (like grocery shopping+eating sushi), but instead he’s celebrating it in Phoenix with my aunt before heading out to LA. Lamesauce. BUT today I want to chat about Justin. I wrote a post about him over a year ago here, but I want to write another one because I won’t be seeing him for a very long time AND because it’s his birthday!
A few fun facts about Justin.. He enjoys Harry Potter, roller coasters and amusement parts in general, chocolate and ALL sweets, salmon-colored shorts, and learning about large cities.
He talks more than anyone I’ve ever met, is very loud, is obnoxiously obsessed with tennis, knows weird facts about anything and everything that no one else knows about, loves impersonating animals and recording it on his cell phone. I made that last part up. I’m lying… he actually did that but in middle school so.. almost sort of acceptable. Also, hopefully by that last sentence you can guess why I wanted to kill him for the first 18 years of my life.
Most of all, Justin loves all “butters”, including peanut butter, almond butter and of course, cashew butter.
I thought about making vegan brownies since sometimes Justin pretends to be vegan. He talks about tofurky as if it’s the greatest thing since…chicken sausage. Embarrassing. I then thought NOPE I’m going to make brownies that actually fit his real diet and Justin loves eggs so these paleo-friendly, low sugar brownies fit the bill. What better way to celebrate a birthday than with delicious, ooey-gooey birthday cake brownies made with cashew butter?!
When you have a full jar of cashew butter, your options are as follows: eat cashew butter straight from the jar with a spoon and/or your finger, OR make brownies. The choices is yours but…. I hope you choose the latter, and so does your stomach.
I actually made these brownies and brought them home last weekend for the fam bam to try and they were a hit! Yay! After all, how can you not enjoy creamy cashew butter mixed with chocolate mixed with sprinkles?
Justin: happy birthday and safe travels—I’m gonna miss ya Buck! In the meantime, Miguel and I will be nomming on these brownies for the second time in honor of your birthday. You’re welcome.
PrintHealthy Birthday Cake Brownies
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 20 mins
- Yield: Approx. 16
Ingredients
- 1+1/4 cup cashew butter
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips*
- 2 tbsp sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Using an electric mixer, whisk cashew butter, eggs and vanilla together in a bowl.
- Add in baking soda, baking powder and sugar; stir well.
- Stir in chocolate chips and sprinkles by hand.
- Line a 8×8 pan with wax paper and pour batter in pan, using a spatula to even the batter out.
- Place in oven and bake for 10-15 minutes**
- Remove from oven and allow at least 10 minutes to cool.
- Cut and enjoy!
Notes
*Dairy free chips for Paleo friendly
**Varies depending on oven
Q: What’s one weird fact about your sibling? What’s your favorite “butter”: cashew, almond, peanut, sunflower seed, etc.?
If you like these, you’ll love…
Flourless Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
hey erin! i’ve followed your blog for a long while now, but never commented. i just wanted to say i made these brownies, but used almond butter as i had it on hand, and they were so.good.!!! I actual ended up adapting your recipe to make a sunflower seed butter blondie thing~~ also featuring rainbow sprinkles, of course. 🙂
meg recently posted…chocolate chip cookie cake sundaes
★★★★★
Ahh I love that!! Glad it worked out and thanks for the comment 🙂
My brownies cooked up to be a bit more fluffy then the ones I see pictured of yours…… Although still delicious. Do you think it may be because I made the cashew butter an hour ahead of time? Also I didn’t use wax paper.
Thanks for the recipe…I’m trying to eat healthier and this showed up at the right time!
★★★★★
these look amazing..i think i’ll be trying these this week! where do you usually get your cashew butter at? or do you make your own?
I usually get mine from Trader Joe’s, but homemade would work too!
Hi. Can I use sunbutter in place of cashew butter, and maybe honey for the sweetener?
Though I haven’t tried it myself, you can most likely sub sun butter for cashew butter because they are similar in consistency. However, I’m not sure honey would work because it may make the dough too runny. Let me know if you try it and if they turn out!
Great! Thank you so much for your quick reply! 🙂
Can I make my own cashew butter using Raw cashews? Will it still taste ok and I could just add some salt if needed?
Yes you can use your own! I’d recommend adding a bit of salt for sure, but it’s honestly up to you.
I made this for a birthday party I hosted where all the foods were vegan. Deeeeelicious was the outcome! Everyone enjoyed it. It’s like a chocolate chip cookie cake and the cashew butter really gave it that something extra.
Slight alteration: I supplanted the sprinkles for additional chocolate chips and coconut sugar.
★★★★★
I’m so glad everyone liked them! Thanks for the feedback 🙂
these look SO yummy! sprinkles always make everything more fun and taste better because nothing is better than fun food! 😉 pinned!
It’s crazy how there is no flour or anything in this recipe, yet it looks like it is made with flour! I think I will make these for a friend’s birthday that’s this coming weekend!! Sadly, I won’t be able to eat them, but… I think they’ll be a hit!
GiGi Eats recently posted…This Chick Gets A Makeover: Chick-Fil-A
★★★★★
Aww, happy birthday to your brother! Favourite butter: old fashioned peanut butter.
A weird fact about my brother: he’s obsessed with Monster Energy drinks – he drinks them all the time. A few years ago (2 years ago, maybe?) I made him a Monster birthday cake that had Monster in the cake batter as well as the frosting. It was actually really good.
Sam @ Better With Sprinkles recently posted…Five Things Friday 05/22/15.
AWWWW thanks BIG-E!!! That was very nice!!