A Nut-Free Birthday Party with SunButter

Birthdays have always been a big deal at my house, and my little men’s food allergy diagnosis wasn’t going to change that! Food allergies affect many aspects of life, but they shouldn’t prevent birthdays from being celebrated in a BIG way. With a little bit of planning and a few jars of SunButter, our family still throws fun birthday parties filled with yummy “safe” treats!

Chocolate Cupcakes with SunButter Frosting
No party is complete without cupcakes. I love baking cupcakes from scratch, but I try to find ways to cut down my party prep time. So, I’ve resorted to using my favorite allergy-friendly baking mix (Wholesome Chow’s Chocolate Cake Mix). It keeps things simple, tastes delicious, and is made in a dedicated allergy-friendly facility. That’s a win-win-win in my book! I just whip up some SunButter Frosting, pipe it on, add some fun sprinkles, and viola!

SunButter Frosting
1 Cup Dairy-Free Butter, Softened
2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
1/4 tsp. Salt
1 32 oz. Package Powdered Sugar
4-6 TBSP Vanilla Soy Milk
1/2 Cup SunButter

Directions
Beat butter, vanilla, and salt together with an electric mixer until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar alternately with 2 TBSP soy milk. Beat at low speed until blended and smooth after each addition. Beat in up to 2 TBSP additional soy milk until you reach desired consistency. Then add in the SunButter and mix. Pipe on cupcakes and add sprinkles.

SunButter Cheese Ball
Every good party has a variety of foods. I love serving appetizer-like foods or finger foods, as we like to call them. This SunButter Cheese Ball is delicious and a great dip for your something salty (pretzels) and sweet (apples and graham crackers). I made this dip dairy-free with a soy-based cream cheese, but it could easily be made with regular cream cheese.

SunButter Cheese Ball
8 oz. Dairy-Free Cream Cheese, At Room Temperature
3/4 Cup SunButter
1 Cup Powdered Sugar
3 TBSP Brown Sugar
1 Cup Dairy-Free Chocolate Chips
Pretzels, Graham Crackers, Apple Slices, For Dipping

Directions
Beat together the cream cheese, powdered sugar, SunButter, and brown sugar until smooth. Spoon onto a large piece of plastic wrap; bring up all four corners and twist lightly to form a ball. Freeze for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Place chocolate chips on a plate. Remove the plastic wrap from the cheese ball and roll in the chocolate chips, pressing them into the ball as you go. Place the ball in new plastic wrap and freeze for 2 hours, or until almost firm. This can be made ahead of time. If frozen overnight, thaw at room temperature for 20-30 minutes before serving.

SunButter Party Spoons
These party spoons are super simple to make and a HUGE hit! Almost like a Reese’s cup on a spoon – minus the peanut butter, of course. These are fun to serve at a party or wrap them in a plastic bag and tie with a ribbon for a cute party favor.

SunButter Party Spoons
1/2 Cup SunButter
1 1/2 Cup Powdered Sugar
1/2 Cup Dairy-Free Butter, Melted
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
1 Package Dairy-Free Chocolate Chips
15-20 Plastic Spoons
Sprinkles

Directions
Combine SunButter, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a medium bowl and mix until well combined. Place mixture in the freezer for 10 minutes. In the meantime, melt the chocolate chips by placing them in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave them for 20 second intervals at half-power, stirring in between, until they are fully melted. Remove the SunButter mixture from the freezer and scoop a spoonful of the mixture into each spoon and smooth over with your finger. Dip the spoon in the melted chocolate, allow the excess to drip off and place them on wax paper. Add sprinkles if desired. Refreeze or store in the fridge until ready to serve.

Getting ready for a party?? Go and grab a jar of SunButter, some party decorations, and make this birthday one that your kiddos will remember forever!

Lauren Kossack is the author of food allergy blog, epifamily.com, and is the mother of two “little men” with severe food allergies.  Lauren shares stories about her epi-family, injecting hope into the world of food allergies and beyond.