Our Birthday Traditions: Celebrating Without the Artificial Stuff
I grew up in a home that celebrated birthdays a little differently.
There were no artificially colored cupcakes, no neon frosting, and no cakes shaped like cartoon characters. At the time, I’ll admit, I wanted those brightly colored treats like everyone else had. But now, as a mom, I can see how much love and intention went into making our birthday celebrations special without the artificial ingredients and appreciate the WHY behind it.
When I became a mom, I decided to carry on that tradition. I wanted my girls to feel celebrated with food that was both delicious and made with real ingredients.
My girls are now 11 and 13, which means we’ve had quite a few birthdays under our belt. In the early years, I kept things simple with Simple Mills gluten free boxed mix and Simple Mills white frosting. Tasty, simple, and a crowd pleaser.
As the girls got older and wanted more color we started getting creative. We began decorating the cupcakes with fresh berries making it a fun way to get them involved in the kitchen and have ownership in the process. Eventually, they started asking for cakes like their friends with bright and colorful frosting, so we experimented together. One of our favorite tricks? Grinding up freeze-dried strawberries to make a naturally pink frosting. It’s delicious, pretty and free of food dyes.
Every year looks a little different. Some years it’s a cake, other years it’s cupcakes, an ice cream smorgasbord or our favorite ice cream sandwiches, using store-bought ice cream and homemade gluten-free chocolate chip cookies. For me, it’s never about perfection and making a Pinterest worthy cake. It’s about celebrating them in a way that feels true to our family values while also making them look and taste like a “normal” birthday treat.
I hope my girls look back, like I do now, and feel grateful for the intention and love that made every birthday a little extra special. And hopefully, fingers crossed, they decide to continue on the family tradition of making birthday treats with real food.
Want some inspiration for your own real food birthday treats?
Below I’m sharing a roundup of our favorite dye-free cakes, frostings, and festive treat ideas from over the years! All of them are gluten and dairy free, made with simple, real food ingredients and well loved by family and friends. A special shout out to our local bakery, Ginger Fox that makes gluten free cupcakes without food dyes and artificial ingredients that are so beautiful and delicious. It is nice to have them just down the street when we want to buy a birthday treat instead, which I’m also sooo grateful for.
Favorite gluten and dairy free recipe links:
Danielle Walker’s GF chocolate chip cookies (used for ice cream sandwiches)
Danielle Walkers Chocolate Cupcakes from her Celebrations Cook Book with Miss Jones Frosting and Whole Foods dye free sprinkles
Not featured by definitely favorites:
Chocolate Cake with Strawberry Frosting
If you’ve been wondering how to create fun, festive birthdays without all the artificial stuff, I hope this gives you a little inspiration. It really is possible to keep things beautiful, delicious, and dye-free with a few simple swaps and a bit of creativity.
If you’re navigating picky eating, trying to reduce sugar or food dyes, or just want to feel more confident feeding your family, you don’t have to do it alone.
I offer FREE discovery calls where we talk about your unique challenges and goals, and I’ll share the different ways I can support you on your journey. Whether you’re looking to simplify mealtimes, raise adventurous eaters, or create nourishing food traditions that last, I’m here to help.
