Everyone loves a good birthday party and pictures of a cute baby tearing into their first birthday cake. It seems like the smash cake is almost a rite of passage, a necessary part of the first birthday ritual.

At this age many babies have never even tasted sugar, so it can be a shock to their tiny bodies. Food dyes can cause reaction in many kids, not to mention toddlers. Fortunately, there are plenty of healthy alternatives to the traditional smash cake.

Going with a homemade cake might be your best bet since you can control the ingredients and sweetness. Chances are that even a cake that is just a little bit sweetened will please your baby, and you can use vegetable-based food coloring, typically found in health food stores, to make it just as pretty as any store-bought cake.

If you’re trying to avoid grains, this is a fabulous recipe for a paleo smash cake. Below is the recipe I used for my daughter’s smash cake and it was an absolute hit! Use organic ingredients whenever possible.

Cake

5 ripe bananas

¾ cup cinnamon applesauce

1 ½ cups whole wheat flour or gluten free baking mix

3 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon baking soda

Directions

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.

Mash the bananas with the applesauce and vanilla extract.

In a separate bowl mix together all the dry ingredients.

Mix the dry ingredients into the banana mixture.

Liberally grease the cake pan with coconut oil or organic butter and pour in the batter.

You can use a large pan and the cut out smaller shapes once it’s baked or you can use small, individual sized pans. Begin checking for doneness at around 20 minutes, less if you’re using very small pans or a little longer if it’s a large pan.

Frosting

1 cup cream cheese

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ cup fresh strawberries or blueberries (whichever color you prefer)

Directions
Add all ingredients to a food processor and process until smooth. Wait for the cake to cool before spreading the frosting.

If you want to try something completely different, you can try a cake made out of fresh fruit. Watermelon makes a perfect base for a cake and now is the best time for one of these fruit cakes since so many delicious fruits are in season. Here’s a great guide on how to make a beautiful watermelon cake!

Jacqueline Banks is a certified Holistic Health Counselor focused on nutrition and green living strategies. She works with women in all stages of motherhood, from mothers struggling with conception, through pregnancy, lactation and beyond to ensure the best health and nutrition for both mother and baby.