Vegan Healthy Smash Cake

Healthy Smash Cake! Naturally sweetened, healthy vegan smash cake. Made with flax, bananas, applesauce, and a sugar-free coconut frosting.

This healthy smash cake is everything you would want for baby’s first birthday. It’s naturally sweetened, vegan, egg-free, and dairy-free, with no refined sugar. Made with ripe banana, applesauce, and whole grain flour, it’s topped with a fluffy coconut cream frosting that’s as pretty as it is wholesome.

I first created this cake for my son’s first birthday then again for my daughter’s. The cake is perfect for a first birthday party or anytime you are looking for a healthy cake without any added sugar.

Why make a Sugar-Free Smash Cake?

As a Registered Dietitian specializing in pediatric nutrition, I recommend this no added sugar baby cake as a first birthday option that celebrates the milestone without the any sugar. I won’t pretend that my kids never had any sugar until now, but I try as much as possible to limit any added sugar until at least age 2, also in line with the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations.

This smash cake is also free of eggs or dairy for parents who are vegan or have kids with allergies.

I also like the idea of a healthy smash cake as my 1-year old doesn’t know any different. I’m sure he would have loved a ‘regular’ cake but since he’s none the wiser, I didn’t feel like I needed to introduce sugar to him here. Until your babe knows better, there’s no reason to introduce added desserts and sweet treats. This is harder with second kids, but if it’s your first– then I generally advise to wait as long as you can.

Healthy Smash Cake vs. Regular Smash Cake: What’s the Difference?

Let me preface this by saying that removing sugar from baked goods alters the texture and flavor. This vegan smash cake is great and perfect for a 1st birthday smash, but it is dense and not very sweet, even with using the banana and applesauce.

If you’ve had a banana cake, it’s similar in texture. Your baby will still be able to smash and eat it, but it’s not airy cake like you’d get from a traditional cake.

So don’t expect fluffy white cake from the grocery store, because it’s not that.

Ingredient Notes

• Very ripe banana: The riper, the better, like heavily speckled or even black. This is doing double duty as both a natural sweetener and a moisture source, so an underripe banana will noticeably affect the flavor and texture.
• Flax seed: This acts as the binder in place of eggs. Once mixed with the water, let it sit for 5 minutes until it gels — that gel is what holds the cake together, so don’t skip the rest time.
• Coconut cream (not coconut milk): The higher fat content is what allows it to whip. Chill the can overnight, and when you open it, don’t shake it, you want that solid cream separated from the liquid at the bottom.
• Cream of tartar: Stabilizes the whipped coconut cream so it holds its shape longer after frosting. Without it, the frosting can weep and deflate.
• Unsweetened coconut: Totally optional for garnish, but nice for both taste and texture!

Easy Ingredient Substitutions

Whether you’re looking for a gluten-free smash cake or a nut-free baby birthday cake, this recipe adapts easily.

You can use any dairy-free milk for this, though I’m partial to oat milk as I like it in baking. I used. White whole wheat flour is my preference here for this recipe as the cake it pretty dense, 100% whole wheat would make it even denser. For a lighter cake, I recommend using an all-purpose flour.

I’d recommend using a gluten-free flour blend like a 1:1 blend for a gluten-free cake. I haven’t tried it with other gluten-free flour like oat flour or almond flour and therefore can’t guarantee success.

The ripe banana and applesauce lend are natural sweeteners without added sugar. However, if you want it a bit sweeter, then you can add in a few tablespoons of maple syrup. You can omit that if you’d like.

You can decorate this one however you’d like. I prefer to frost this with my coconut whipped cream frosting and it’s gorgeous with a pile fresh berries, especially raspberries and strawberries on top. You can add in dye-free sprinkles too if you want a more traditional cake look.

This smash cake recipe is vegan as written. Other frosting options include a cream cheese frosting, mascarpone cheese (straight from the tub) or thick greek yogurt (straight from the tub).

How to Make a Healthy Smash Cake

Whisk together the dry ingredients

Place the dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix together: flour, baking soda/powder, pie spice and salt.

Puree the wet ingredients together

In a blender, puree the banana, applesauce, milk, flax seed, maple syrup and teaspoon vanilla extract. You can combine by hand, but I find that a blender makes the banana creamier and easier to mix into the cake.

Combine the wet and dry

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until just combined, taking care not to over mix the mixture.

Make the cake

Lightly spray and flour two 4-inch mini cake pans (or two 6-inch cake pans or an 8-inch cake pan, or cupcakes.) Divide batter and cook for 20-22 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove and set on a cooling wire rack for 10 minutes; then remove from the pan and cool completely.

Make the frosting

Open the can of coconut cream and spoon the hardened white cream into the base of a stand mixer or a bowl fitted with a hand mixer. Discard the water at the bottom, or use in another recipe. (Adding too much of the water will make a thinner frosting and won’t turn out the same.) Fold the cream of tarter into the bowl and beat until fluffy and able to hold stiff peaks; this may take ~8 minutes. Place in the fridge until ready to frost.

How to Assemble the Smash Cake

If you want 4 cake layers, then divide the cake layers in half. Add a dollop of the frosting to the top of the cakes, spread out in an even layer, then add the other cake on top.

Spread the rest of the coconut whip on top to the rest of the cake and frost. Then, gently adhere shredded coconut to the top/sides as decorations, if desired.

As you can tell by these photos, my son loved this healthy smash cake! It took him a moment to figure out that he could eat it, but then the fun began.

Frequently Asked Questions

Chef Tips for Success

• Use very ripe bananas: the riper, the sweeter and creamier the batter
• Don’t skip chilling the coconut cream: it won’t whip correctly if it’s too warm
• Cool: Allow the cake layers to cool completely before frosting or the coconut whip will melt. For cleaner layers, trim the domed tops with a serrated knife before stacking

More Baby-Friendly Recipes

• Banana Baby-Led Weaning Pancakes
• Vanilla Chia Pudding
• How to Make Your Own Baby Food
• How to Make 100 jars of Baby Food for just $20

I hope you love this vegan cake as much as he did. Free of refined sugars and made with whole grains, perfect for your little one’s first birthday!

If you try this, make sure to come back to rate it and leave a comment. Seeing you make my recipes makes my day and your feedback helps other readers.