Very Vanilla Beanie Birthday Cake Blondies with Creamy Vanilla Bean Frosting + Celebration Birthday Cake Frappé Sips
Very Vanilla Beanie Birthday Cake Blondies with Creamy Vanilla Bean Frosting
Dessert should always feel like a celebration, don’t you think? As the parent of a now-grown daughter with Type 1 Diabetes, I’ve thought a lot about how to make desserts feel magical while keeping them a bit more balanced. I wanted my kids to enjoy every sprinkle-filled moment without overloading on sugar. These sweet treats—part cookie and part cake—do just that. The trick? White beans! They blend right in, adding moisture and fiber for a soft texture without compromising the rich vanilla flavor. Double down on that vanilla goodness with a creamy vanilla bean frosting, finish with a shower of colorful sprinkles, and enjoy every celebratory bite!
Happy & Healthy Cooking,
Shopping List
- FRESH
- 2 bananas
- DAIRY
- 1 stick unsalted butter **(see allergy subs below)**
- 1 C plain yogurt **(see allergy subs below)**
- PANTRY
- 3/4 C granulated sugar
- 3 tsp pure vanilla extract **(see allergy subs below)**
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 15-oz can white beans **(see allergy subs below)**
- 2 C all-purpose flour **(see allergy subs below)**
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 1/4 C rainbow sprinkles + more to sprinkle on frosted cupcakes **(see allergy subs below)**
- 1 1/2 C powdered sugar
- 4 tsp honey or brown sugar (or 4 stevia packets)
- HAVE ON HAND
- 1/4 C water
- 2 C ice
- paper cupcake liners
Fun-Da-Mentals Kitchen Skills
- bake :
to cook food with dry heat, as in an oven.
- blend :
to stir together two or more ingredients until just combined; blending is a gentler process than mixing.
- measure :
to calculate the specific amount of an ingredient required using a measuring tool (like measuring cups or spoons).
- mix :
to thoroughly combine two or more ingredients until uniform in texture.
- whisk :
to beat or stir ingredients vigorously with a fork or whisk to mix, blend, or incorporate air.
Equipment Checklist
- Oven
- Muffin pan
- Paper cupcake liners
- Large mixing bowl
- Medium mixing bowl
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Can opener
- Wooden spoon
- Blender (or bowl + liquid measuring cup + immersion blender)
- Blender (or pitcher + immersion blender)
Ingredients
Very Vanilla Beanie Birthday Cake Blondies with Creamy Vanilla Bean Frosting
- Cake:
- 1 stick unsalted butter, softened **(for DAIRY ALLERGY sub 1/2 C dairy-free/nut-free butter)**
- 3/4 C granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract **(for GLUTEN ALLERGY use certified gluten-free pure vanilla extract, not imitation vanilla flavor—check label)**
- 1 pinch salt
- 1/2 15-oz can white beans **(for LEGUME ALLERGY sub 2 large eggs, if no egg allergy)**
- 1/4 C water
- 2 C all-purpose flour **(for GLUTEN ALLERGY sub gluten-free/nut-free all-purpose)**
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 1/4 C rainbow sprinkles + more to sprinkle on frosted cupcakes **(for VEGAN option and SOY ALLERGY use 100% natural sprinkles)**
- Frosting:
- 1 1/2 C powdered sugar
- 2 T canned white beans **(for LEGUME ALLERGY sub 2 T milk or dairy-free/nut-free milk)**
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract **(for GLUTEN ALLERGY use certified gluten-free pure vanilla extract, not imitation vanilla flavor—check label)**
Celebration Birthday Cake Frappé Sips
- 1/4 C canned white beans **(for LEGUME ALLERGY sub 1/4 C milk or dairy-free/nut-free milk)**
- 1 C plain yogurt **(for DAIRY ALLERGY sub dairy-free/nut-free plain yogurt OR silken tofu, if no soy allergy)**
- 2 bananas
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract **(for GLUTEN ALLERGY use certified gluten-free pure vanilla extract, not imitation vanilla flavor—check label)**
- 4 tsp honey or brown sugar (or 4 stevia packets)
- 2 C ice
Food Allergen Substitutions
Very Vanilla Beanie Birthday Cake Blondies with Creamy Vanilla Bean Frosting
- Dairy: For 1 stick unsalted butter, substitute 1/2 C dairy-free/nut-free butter.
- Gluten/Wheat: Use certified gluten-free pure vanilla extract, not imitation vanilla flavor. Substitute gluten-free/nut-free all-purpose flour.
- Legume: In Blondies, for 1/2 15-oz can white beans, substitute 2 large eggs (if no egg allergy). In Frosting, for 2 T canned white beans, substitute 2 T milk or dairy-free/nut-free milk.
- Soy/Vegan option: Use 100 percent natural sprinkles and check labels to avoid soy, gelatin, confectioner's glaze (shellac), or beeswax.
Celebration Birthday Cake Frappé Sips
- Legume: For 1/4 C canned white beans, substitute 1/4 C milk or dairy-free/nut-free milk.
- Dairy: Substitute dairy-free/nut-free plain yogurt OR silken tofu (if no soy allergy) for plain yogurt.
- Gluten/Wheat: Use certified gluten-free pure vanilla extract, not imitation vanilla flavor.
Instructions
Very Vanilla Beanie Birthday Cake Blondies with Creamy Vanilla Bean Frosting
intro
You're in store for a tasty treat! Growing up, I would come home from middle school to a little rainbow confetti cake in a ramekin just waiting for me to dig in. My mom always liked to surprise me and my friends with cakes and cookies after school. This recipe is inspired by those tasty rainbow-filled cakes. Blondies are like the vanilla version of a brownie (at least, that’s how I think of them). Technically, I would call them a cookie bar, but the texture inside is rich and cakey, just like the cake I remember from middle school. Our Very Vanilla Beanie Birthday Cake Blondies with Creamy Vanilla Bean Frosting combine sprinkles, white beans, vanilla, and some other standard cookie ingredients to make an absolutely delicious and egg-free treat!
measure + mix
Start by measuring the following ingredients into a large mixing bowl: 1 stick softened butter, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1 pinch of salt. Mix with a wooden spoon until well combined and creamy.
blend + stir
Open 1 can of white beans. Drain and rinse the beans. Place half of the beans with 1/4 cup of water into a blender (or bowl for use with an immersion blender) and blend until smooth. Add the beans to the bowl of wet ingredients. Stir to combine.
superstar food spotlight
Beans are really an amazing food. They contain fiber, potassium, complex carbohydrates, and protein and have a very low glycemic index. This combination of factors, paired with their low sodium and low cholesterol content, results in a food superstar, especially for people with diabetes or high blood pressure. Beans have been found to have one of the lowest glycemic indexes (which is how quickly food will raise blood sugar when digesting). Foods with a high glycemic index make blood sugar levels rise and fall rapidly, and foods with a low glycemic index make blood sugar levels rise less and fall slowly. That makes beans great for helping us regulate our blood sugar safely and consistently, and it also means we get more long-lasting energy from beans than from a high-glycemic food like white bread.
measure + mix
Next, measure the dry ingredients into a medium mixing bowl: 2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and 2 teaspoons cornstarch. Stir with a wooden spoon until well combined. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet and stir. Finally, measure 1/4 cup of rainbow sprinkles and add them to the blondie batter, folding the sprinkles into the batter gently. If you add them too soon or stir them too much, the color of the batter will become gray.
bake + cool
Preheat your oven to 350 F. Prepare a muffin pan with cupcake liners. Place 1 heaping tablespoon of the batter into each of the wells of the lined muffin pan. Allow the batter to settle into the muffin pan while the oven finishes preheating. Slide the pan into the preheated oven. Bake for 15 minutes or until the top of each blondie begins to crack. Remove the blondies from the oven. Cool for at least 5 minutes.
measure + blend
Next, we'll make the frosting. Measure 2 tablespoons white beans and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract in a blender (or liquid measuring cup for use with an immersion blender). Pour the vanilla bean mixture into a large bowl.
measure + whisk
Then, measure and add 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar to the bowl with the vanilla bean mixture. Whisk to combine. Keep whisking until a thick and creamy frosting forms.
decorate + devour
Finally, let’s add a little decoration. Add a thin layer of the Creamy Vanilla Bean Frosting. Then, add a dusting of rainbow sprinkles on top of the frosted blondies. Dig in, enjoy, and devour these Very Vanilla Beanie Birthday Cake Blondies with Creamy Vanilla Bean Frosting!
Celebration Birthday Cake Frappé Sips
measure + blend
In your blender (or pitcher for use with an immersion blender), kids can add 1/4 cup white beans with 1 cup yogurt, 2 bananas, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 4 teaspoons honey, and 2 cups ice. Blend until creamy and frothy!
Hi! I’m a Bean!
"Hey! How've you bean … I mean, been? My name is Cannellini, and I'm a white bean! We beans go back a long, long time. A couple of my cousins are the Navy bean and the Great Northern bean. You can add us to soups, stews, and chili, or eat us all by ourselves! We sometimes cause tummies to inflate (you know, get gassy?), but soaking, draining, and rinsing dried beans really well might help prevent that from happening. Did you know that Senate Bean Soup is on the menu at the US Senate's Dirksen Café every single day?! I'm inflating with pride just thinking about that!"
History
- Globally, there are 13,000 known varieties of beans. They include the white bean, like the Italian Cannelini, Great Northern, and Navy Bean; the black turtle bean (usually shortened to black bean); and the pinto bean. What kind of beans are you using today?
- Beans were one of the first foods gathered, according to archaeologists. Our hunter-gatherer ancestors used beans as food tens of thousands of years ago. They were grown around 7,000 years ago in the Middle East.
- In ancient Greece, public officials were elected if they picked the single white bean from a bunch of black beans.
- In the 15th century, Spanish explorers brought beans to Europe when they returned from voyages to the New World. Then, Spanish and Portuguese traders took them to Africa and Asia to sell.
- Beans are now prevalent worldwide, primarily due to their use as an inexpensive, plant-based protein.
- Today, the largest commercial producers of common dried beans are India, China, Indonesia, Brazil, and the United States.
- North Dakota grows forty percent of the beans in the US, more than any other state!
- Brazil grows the most beans in the world.
- In Nicaragua, newlyweds are given a bowl of beans for good luck.
Anatomy & Etymology
- Did you know: Beans are technically a fruit!
- Beans are legumes, so they have seeds that dry in the seed pod. Other legumes include lentils, peas, peanuts, and soybeans.
- Beans plants leave the soil better and healthier than before they were planted. Most plants deplete the soil, but not beans. This is because they have nodules on their roots that add nitrogen, which the soil needs.
- The world's tallest bean plant was over 45 feet tall! That's the equivalent of three average-sized giraffes stacked on top of one another. The plant was grown in the USA in 2003.
- The word "bean" was first used before the 12th century. It comes from the Old English "bēan," from the Proto-Germanic "bauno," and is related to the Dutch "boon" and German "Bohne."
How to Pick, Buy, & Eat
- Beans are harvested at full maturity when their pod reaches about six inches long, and the leaves turn brown and fall off about 75 days after the beans are planted.
- When harvested, the shells are broken open, and the beans are collected as long as they are dry. If they're not thoroughly dried, they can be hung up to finish drying before they're popped from their shells.
- We can't eat raw, uncooked beans. Why? Because beans have something called lectins that are poisonous, and the only way to remove most of these lectins is to cook the beans.
- If you're using dried beans, soak them before cooking to remove "antinutrients," compounds that block the absorption of nutrients.
- Dried beans are generally available in prepackaged containers as well as bulk bins; both canned and dried beans are available throughout the year.
- Canned beans can stay fresh for years!
- Combine the creamy texture of beans with a whole grain such as brown rice, and you have a virtually fat-free high-quality protein meal.
- Beans are made into burgers, dips, brownies, cakes, dips, fudge, muffins, pies, and drinks (coffee and cocoa beans). They can also be used in jewelry, toys, and musical instruments. "Bean bag chairs" are made with polystyrene "beans," but the small bean bags for play are sometimes made with real dried beans.
Nutrition
- Beans are complex carbohydrates and high in fiber, which keeps our digestion strong and smooth and our tummies happy.
- Beans are excellent sources of iron, magnesium, and potassium. The body needs these minerals to grow, develop, and stay healthy.
- Beans supply several B vitamins to our diet, especially folate (B-9). These vitamins contribute to healthy brain function, formation of red blood cells, increased energy, and decreased cancer and cardiovascular disease risk.
- The fiber and protein in beans are good for stabilizing blood sugar. They are popular with vegans and vegetarians because they replace some of the nutrients found in meat.
Beany Expressions:
- Bean counter = an accountant
- Bean pole = describing someone tall and thin
- Cool beans = when something is cool
- It doesn't amount to a hill of beans = when something doesn't add up to much
- Full of beans = full of energy, enthusiasm
- Hasn't got a bean = doesn't have any money
- Not worth a bean = not worth anything
- Spill the beans = dish the dirt, tell the truth
History of Blondies!
Fannie Farmer, a cooking expert and cookbook author, published the first blondie recipe in 1896, although she called it a "brownie." Fannie Farmer's "brownie" was made with molasses and vanilla instead of cocoa and was golden rather than brown. The first recipe for a chocolate brownie was published in 1904.
Blondies may also be referred to as "blondie bars," "blond brownies," and "butterscotch brownies." They consist of flour, baking powder, brown sugar, butter, eggs, and vanilla.
Like brownies, blondies are baked in a pan and cut into squares or rectangles for serving. Walnuts or pecans, coconut flakes, and butterscotch, chocolate, or white chocolate chips can also be added for extra flavor and texture.
Let's Learn About the United States!
- Most of the United States of America (USA) is in North America. It shares its northern border with Canada and its southern border with Mexico. It consists of 50 states, 1 federal district, 5 territories, 9 Minor Outlying Islands, and 326 Indian reservations.
- The country's total area is 3,796,742 square miles, globally the third largest after Russia and Canada. The US population is over 333 million, making it the third most populous country in the world, after China and India.
- The United States of America declared itself an independent nation from Great Britain on July 4, 1776, by issuing the Declaration of Independence.
- The Revolutionary War between the US and Great Britain was fought from 1775-1783. We only had 13 colonies at that time! On September 9, 1776, the Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia and declared that the new nation would be called the United States.
- The 13 colonies became states after each ratified the constitution of the new United States, with Delaware being the first on December 7, 1787.
- The 13 stripes on the US flag represent those first 13 colonies, and the 50 stars represent our 50 states. The red color of the flag symbolizes hardiness and valor, white symbolizes innocence and purity, and blue symbolizes vigilance and justice.
- Before settling in Washington DC, a federal district, the nation's capital resided in New York City and then Philadelphia for a short time. New York City is the largest city in the US and is considered its financial center.
- The US does not have a recognized official language! However, English is effectively the national language.
- The American dollar is the national currency. The nickname for a dollar, "buck," comes from colonial times when people traded goods for buckskins!
- Because the United States is so large, there is a wide variety of climates and types of geography. The Mississippi/Missouri River, running primarily north to south, is the fourth-longest river system in the world. On the east side of the Mississippi are the Appalachian Mountains, the Adirondack Mountains, and the East Coast, next to the Atlantic Ocean.
- On the west side of the Mississippi are the flat Great Plains, the Rocky Mountains (or Rockies), and the West Coast, next to the Pacific Ocean, with several more mountain ranges in coastal states, such as the Sierras and the Cascades. Between the coasts and the north and south borders are several forests, lakes (including the Great Lakes), rivers, swamps, deserts, and volcanos.
- Several animals are unique to the US, such as the American bison (or American buffalo), the bald eagle, the California condor, the American black bear, the groundhog, the American alligator, and the pronghorn (or American antelope).
- The US has 63 national parks. The Great Smoky Mountains, Yellowstone, Yosemite, Zion, and the Grand Canyon, with the Colorado River flowing through it, are among the most well-known and visited.
- Cuisine in the US was influenced early on by the indigenous people of North America who lived there before Europeans arrived. They introduced beans, corn, potatoes, squash, berries, fish, turkey, venison, dried meats, and more to the new settlers. Other influences include the widely varied foods and dishes of enslaved people from Africa and immigrants from Asia, Europe, Central and South America, and the Pacific Islands.
What's It Like to Be a Kid in the United States?
- Education is compulsory in the US, and kids may go to a public or private school or be home-schooled. Most schools do not require students to wear uniforms, but some private schools do. The school year runs from mid-August or the beginning of September to the end of May or the middle of June.
- Kids generally start school at about five years old in kindergarten or earlier in preschool and continue through 12th grade in high school. After that, many go on to university, community college, or technical school.
- Spanish, French, and German are the most popular foreign languages kids learn in US schools.
- Kids may participate in many different school and after-school sports, including baseball, soccer, American football, basketball, volleyball, tennis, swimming, and track and field. In grade school, kids may join in playground games like hopscotch, four-square, kickball, tetherball, jump rope, or tag.
- There are several fun activities that American kids enjoy doing with their friends and families, such as picnicking, hiking, going to the beach or swimming, or going to children's and natural history museums, zoos and wild animal parks, amusement parks, water parks, state parks, or national parks. Popular amusement parks include Disneyland, Disney World, Legoland, Six Flags, and Universal Studios.
- On Independence Day or the 4th of July, kids enjoy a day off from school, picnicking, and watching fireworks with their families.
- Thanksgiving is celebrated on the last Thursday in November when students get 2 to 5 days off school. Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa are popular December holidays, and there are 2 or 3 weeks of winter vacation. Easter is celebrated in March, April, or May, and kids enjoy a week of spring recess around that time.
- Barbecued hot dogs or hamburgers, watermelon, apple pie, and ice cream are popular kid foods for 4th of July celebrations. Turkey, dressing, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie are traditional Thanksgiving foods. Birthday parties with cake and ice cream are very important celebrations for kids in the United States!
That's Berry Funny
It was an emotional birthday.
Even the cake was in tiers!
That's Berry Funny
Why did the birthday candle go to school?
It was hoping to get a little brighter!
That's Berry Funny
What bean is the most intelligent?
The Human Bean!
Lettuce Joke Around
Don't worry!
Be frappey!
THYME for a Laugh
What’s a birthday balloon’s least-favorite type of music?
Pop!
Lettuce Joke Around
Why do we put candles on top of a birthday cake?
Because it’s too hard to put them on the bottom!
The Yolk's On You
The date on my vanilla must have expired.
It just doesn't make any scents!
That's Berry Funny
What do you call a sick birthday cake?
Cough-ee cake.
THYME for a Laugh
"Knock, knock!"
"Who's there?"
"Bean."
"Bean who?"
"It’s Bean a while since I last had a brownie!"
