This no-bake homemade granola bars recipe is easy to make and tastes just like birthday cake! Top with white chocolate chips and sprinkles!
Ingredients in Birthday Cake Flavored Homemade Granola Bars
- 2 cups quick cooking oats
- 1 cup crispy rice cereal
- 2/3 cup dry yellow cake mix
- 1/4 cup salted butter
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 4 tablespoons sprinkles
- 3 tablespoons white chocolate chips
This recipe is loosely based off of my Chocolate Chip Granola Bars. With this birthday cake version, I wanted to create a homemade granola bar that was satisfying and wholesome with oats, rice cereal and honey, but tasted more sweet like dessert. To be exact, I wanted it to taste just like birthday cake batter with the sprinkles and all!
How To Make Homemade Granola Bars
This granola bar recipe is so easy and quick. There’s no prepping required, and very little clean up needed! Simply heat, cool and eat!
- Start this recipe by preparing an 8×8 pan and then mix the oats, rice cereal, yellow cake mix and 2 tablespoons of sprinkles together in a large bowl. Set aside.
- In a small saucepan melt butter, brown sugar and honey on medium-high heat until combined and completely melted. Once the mixture begins to bubble, turn the heat down to low and stir for 2 minutes.
- Remove the saucepan from the burner and stir in the vanilla.
- Pour the hot butter mixture over the oat mixture. Stir well. You want to make sure all of the dry ingredients are fully coated.
- Transfer the granola bar batter into the prepared pan and push down granola with the back of a spoon or spatula to flatten it.
- Evenly sprinkle the chocolate chips and the remaining 2 tablespoons of sprinkles over top. Again, use a spatula or the back of a spoon to gently press them down.
- Cover the bars with plastic wrap and place the pan in the refrigerator to set for 1 hour. After at least 1 hour, remove from the fridge and cut into bars.
Storage Suggestions
Not only do these homemade granola bars taste delicious, but they also last a really long time. Because most of the ingredients in the bars are shelf stable and the sugar acts as a natural preservative, these bars will keep well in the fridge for well over a week. Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
These bars also freeze really well and will stay fresh for about 3 months in the freezer. Wrap the granola bars individually and then place them in a freezer safe bag in the freezer. I suggest writing the “to eat by” date on the baggie so that you won’t forget. Then you can simply pull them out when you need a ready-to-go snack or breakfast. These are so convenient for quick snacks on-the-go!
Tip!
Have some fun with your sprinkles! During the Christmas holidays add red and green sprinkles, for a Halloween treat use orange and black, for Easter use pastel colors, for 4th of July use red, white and blue. The options are endless!
Pin for later:
Cake Batter Granola Bars
PrintIngredients
- 2 cups quick cooking oats
- 1 cup crispy rice cereal
- 2/3 cup dry yellow cake mix
- 1/4 cup salted butter
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 4 tablespoons sprinkles
- 3 tablespoons white chocolate chips
Instructions
- Spray a 8×8 pan lightly with nonstick spray.
- Mix your oats, cereal, cake mix and 2 tablespoons sprinkles together in a large bowl.
- In a small saucepan melt butter, brown sugar and honey on medium high heat until melted. Once it begins to bubble change heat to low and stir for 2 minutes.
- Remove saucepan from burner and stir in your vanilla.
- Pour your hot mixture over your oats mixture. Stir well. You want to make sure every single piece of oats and cereal is coated.
- Pour your mixture into your greased pan and push down with spatula to flatten it.
- Sprinkle chocolate chips and 2 tablespoons sprinkles over top evenly. Gently use a spatula to press down.
- Cover with plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator to set for 1 hour.
- Take out and cut into bar sizes. Store in airtight container in refrigerator to keep them fresh.
Emma @ Bake Then Eat says
These are super pretty and I should imagine super tasty too. I love granola bars and mixing it with cake mix sounds like an interesting idea. One to try 🙂
Julie @ This Gal Cooks says
These granola bars are so much fun, Pamela! Pinned!
laurasmess says
These are so gorgeous! Perfect for a party or baby shower with those cute, colourful sprinkles! I never would’ve thought of adding cake batter to a granola bar but I can imagine the flavour punch. Yum, definitely making these! Love the photos Pam x
Jenn @ Once Upon a Tier says
I have been wanting to try homemade granola bars lately (I really don’t know why I haven’t yet), and cake batter anything is amazing! I think these are a winner!
Zainab says
I love granola bars and get bored easily with my plain recipes. This cake batter version is going to make me happy for a while!!
Donalyn@TheCreeksideCook says
Beautiful – these look almost good enough to be party fare! I may have to try these the next time the grandkids are over!
Anna Johnston says
I LOVE these sooooo much. I’m planning a food scavenger hunt for my bestie, these are top of list to be included. They are so pretty, nice idea changing the colours depending on the time of year too. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
whatjessicabakednext says
These granola bars look amazing! I love the idea of using a cake batter- that’s great! 🙂
Bianca @ Confessions of a Chocoholic says
Cake batter granola bars sound delicious. Love the colors of the sprinkles too!
Amy (Savory Moments) says
What a great granola bar! Cake batter + granola sounds pretty fantastic!
Frankie says
These look amazing, the perfect combination of naughty and nice!! So happy to have found your blog.
Emma @ Fork and Good says
So I’m gonna go ahead and make about a zillion of these because that has tickled my curiosity to the max. Hope you had fun in Toronto – always a place I wanted to visit 🙂
Cailee says
Wow!! These looks delightful!! So yummy! great idea to add sprinkles! Really tasty and super cute!!