Lightened Up Birthday Cake Milkshake Recipe

Ever in the mood for a milkshake, but know you should probably have a protein shake instead? Sometimes, protein powder just doesn’t cut it and you want something a little more decadent that won’t totally blow your diet. Ever since Cold Stone created cake batter flavored ice cream & their birthday cake remix ice cream, my life hasn’t been the same. I dream about it. I can smell it when I’m walking a mile away from a Cold Stone. Which is why it’s been vital for me to figure out how to have a lightened up version of the treat, so I spent the past week mastering the perfect birthday cake milkshake recipe, that’s not technically “healthy”, but a way healthier option for a late night treat!

Healthy-ish Birthday Cake Milkshake Recipe

If the title doesn’t already have your attention… I don’t know if we can be friends. If I could eat cookie dough for breakfast, I would. And if you forgot, I have created some pretty tasty “healthy” edible cookie dough recipes in the past for that sole purpose.

But what about cake batter? I can’t forget about my other love: funfetti cake batter. And what better way to devour cake batter than in milkshake form? I don’t want to wait until my birthday to have my cake. I want it all year round! I know I can’t eat funfetti cake every day, I’d overdose on sugar and probably feel sick.

I’ll also be honest, I don’t want to call this a smoothie or protein shake because that implies that it’s “healthy” and in my mind makes it sound less appealing. But I can make a healthier take on a milkshake.

Making a milkshake healthier comes down to ingredients. Less ingredients always helps keep things on track. And finding ingredients that are lower in calories, sugar & fat. Note, I added a slice of cake to these photos for the aesthetic. Technically they’re not made out of the cake & eating the cake would counteract all of the “healthy effort” we’re putting in.

Or, you can have your cake & drink the shake too! Do your thing!

Most recipes I found have a ton of random ingredients like corn syrup, vanilla extract, butter extract, cake mix, yogurt, birthday cake protein powder, sugar, etc. So I wanted to find a way to simplify the recipe. Both to make it easier to whip up & help the ingredients more transparent.

The base ingredient of my shake is Halo Top Birthday Cake Ice Cream. I like that Halo Top is made with simple ingredients and is only 280 calories for the whole pint. Halo Top is low-calorie, high-protein, and low-sugar ice cream you don’t have to feel guilty about eating. It’s also gluten free & kosher! Their birthday cake flavored ice cream is one of my favorites, but they have a ton of other flavors too. If you’re going to eat it straight out of the container, I recommend letting it thaw for about 15 minutes. It tases a lot creamier and flavorful when it’s soft.

Ingredients

• 1 Cup of Milk – I like using vanilla almond milk for flavor. But you can use whatever you like. Soy, Oat, Dairy, Non Dairy. The vanilla almond milk definitely adds to the cake flavor though!
• 1 Pint of Halo Top Birthday Cake Ice Cream
• Rainbow Sprinkles
• Whipped Cream – This is also optional. I like using light whipped cream, but you can also use non-dairy whipped cream or cool-whip

Directions

Add the milk and ice cream in a blender. Blend until smooth. Then, stir in a tablespoon of sprinkles (optional). Pour the milkshake into a tall glass and top with whipped cream and additional sprinkles.

The recipe is super easy, but still packs a ton flavor and will easily hit the spot when you’re looking for a little “happy birthday” flavor!