I wanted to call this breakfast. I really did.

There was a whole moment in the kitchen where I was hyping myself up about the protein-packed almonds, the antioxidant-loaded blueberries, and the wholesome almond flour. I even brewed my coffee a little stronger, hoping the caffeine would silence the voice in my head whispering, “Ma’am… this is dessert.” But the voice was right. I can’t lie to you, my friends.

This is cake.

Yummy, moist, single-layer cake.

Now, could you eat it for breakfast? Absolutely. I have, several times. I’ve stood in front of the fridge in a robe, fork in hand, eyes barely open, just shoveling this glorious slab of cakey goodness into my piehole before the sun was even up. Honestly, the birds weren’t even awake. That’s how early my snack cake crimes begin.

But here’s the beauty of this recipe: it’s versatile. Like, yoga-level versatile. You can dress it up with a dollop of whipped cream and a few fresh berries and serve it to guests after a lovely alfresco dinner on the deck. People will think you’re sophisticated and organized and that you planned this whole moment, and not that you baked it in a sleep-deprived haze while listening to a true crime podcast and forgetting to put on pants. (Hypothetically.)

Or you can be like me and have it as a pre-breakfast snack, which is a concept I invented to justify eating before I eat.

Either way, let’s not pretend this is anything other than cake. Glorious, fluffy, fruit-studded cake.

Let’s talk ingredients

This recipe uses both almond flour and sliced almonds, which is me doubling down on the almond narrative to distract from the fact that we’re still, in fact, eating cake before 9 a.m. But listen, almonds are healthy. They’ve got protein! Fiber! Vitamin E! I’m practically a wellness influencer at this point. (Please do not follow me for health advice. Unless it’s about carbs. I can be trusted with carbs.)

The blueberries give a juicy pop of flavor and just enough tartness to balance the sweetness. Fresh or frozen both work—use what you’ve got. I’ve even made this with the sad bottom-of-the-bag wild blueberries from the freezer that have been there since last spring. Still good. Still cake.

There’s a little lemon zest in there too, because I’m not a monster.

OK, enough rambling. Let’s bake.

Almond Blueberry Snack Cake Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• 1/2 cup almond flour (not almond meal—go for the finely ground stuff)

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar

• 2 large eggs

• 1/2 cup plain yogurt or sour cream

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• Zest of 1 lemon

• 1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)

• 1/3 cup sliced almonds (plus extra for sprinkling on top)

• Optional: coarse sugar for sprinkling

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease an 9-inch square or round pan. Line with parchment if you’re fancy or prone to sticking.

2. Whisk together the all-purpose flour, almond flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Set aside and pretend you're on a cooking show while you do it.

3. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. This is where you question whether you’ve overcommitted to baking before 7 a.m., but just trust the process.

4. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Stir in the yogurt, vanilla, and lemon zest. It will look a little like it’s curdling. It’s not. It’s just vibing.

5. Fold in the dry ingredients gently—no stand mixer needed here. Then fold in the blueberries and sliced almonds. If you’re using frozen berries, toss them with a teaspoon of flour first so they don’t all sink like emotional baggage.

6. Pour the batter into your prepared pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle with more sliced almonds and, if you’re feeling sassy, a little coarse sugar for sparkle and crunch.

7. Bake for 35–40 minutes, until golden on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (or with moist crumbs, but no batter).

8. Cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then remove and let cool completely on a wire rack. Or don’t. I get it. Warm cake hits different.

How to Eat This Like a Pro:

• Cut a slice and pretend it’s a “light breakfast” while standing over your kitchen sink.

• Bring it to a potluck and bask in the compliments.

• Serve it with tea like you have your life together.

• Crumble it over Greek yogurt and call it a parfait. (Again: cake.)

Final Thoughts

Look, I’ve made peace with the fact that I can’t pass this off as a health food. I’ve tried the whole “well, almond flour is technically lower in carbs than regular flour” argument with myself, but at the end of the day, my inner child is just thrilled she gets to eat cake for breakfast.

So whether you’re serving this after a sophisticated summer dinner or demolishing half the pan while your coffee brews, know that you are not alone. Snack cake people are my people. We live in the delicious middle ground between restraint and rebellion. We bake under the illusion of moderation and then eat like gremlins in the dark.

And honestly? That’s living.

As we've established before, I'm not Irish… like AT ALL! In fact, I’m pretty sure if I spit into one of those ancestry sites, they’d give me about 1% Irish – and that’s probably just because they feel bad for me and want to add something “exotic” to my family tree. I mean, come on, at least one of those ancestry companies could throw me a bone, right? Something like, “Ah yes, 1% Irish, 15% 'totally made up,' and 84% confusion.” But nope, they’d probably still say I'm 100% bland American and leave it at that.

So, when it comes to celebrating St. Patrick’s Day, I’m not over here singing “Danny Boy” or pretending I know the first thing about leprechauns or real Irish traditions. Instead, I’ll be doing what I do best: totally faking it, but in a deliciously sugary way. And what’s more faux Irish than a treat made with something that’s so far removed from anything Irish, it might as well be a piece of cardboard covered in glitter? Enter… Lucky Charms Rice Krispies Treats.

I’m not even going to pretend like these treats have anything to do with Ireland, other than the fact that they kind of look like a rainbow exploded in a cereal box and thought, “Yes, let’s just cover that in marshmallows.” In fact, Lucky Charms have about as much to do with St. Patrick’s Day as I do with, well, a leprechaun. But hey, it’s green, it’s sugary, and it’s fun. So, let’s dive in and make this totally authentic St. Patrick’s Day snack together, because why not?

First, let me preface this by saying that if you are looking for an ancient Irish recipe passed down from generation to generation, you might want to leave now. The only thing ancient about this recipe is how long it takes me to convince myself to get off the couch to actually make it. But trust me, once you get the ingredients together, you’ll be knee-deep in a sugary, marshmallowy disaster, and your taste buds will thank you for it. Probably.

Ingredients:

• 6 cups Rice Krispies cereal (yes, the classic one, because we’re here for nostalgia, not real authenticity)
• 2 cups Lucky Charms cereal (this is where the “Irish” magic happens... kind of)
• 1/4 cup (half a stick) butter (because calories are irrelevant when it’s St. Patrick's Day, right?)
• 1 package (10 oz) mini marshmallows (or more, if you're feeling rebellious and want a marshmallow avalanche)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (because it’s the only vanilla that knows how to party)
• A pinch of salt (because, you know, life’s a balance of sweet and salty, and we want that perfect harmony)

Instructions:

1. Prepare Your Work Area (and Your Heart for the Sugar Rush)

   Start by lining a 9x13-inch baking dish with parchment paper or spraying it lightly with non-stick spray. Trust me, you do not want to skip this step, or you’ll be spending hours scraping marshmallow goo off of your baking dish like it’s your full-time job. Once that’s done, you can have a moment to appreciate the mess that’s about to unfold in your kitchen.

2. Melt the Butter and Marshmallows (It’s Like Magic, Except Not Really)

   Grab a large saucepan, because things are about to get sticky. Melt the butter over medium-low heat. While that’s happening, open the bag of marshmallows and feel the brief joy of realizing that the more you open bags of marshmallows, the more your hopes of a healthy diet crumble. Once the butter has melted, dump in the marshmallows and stir constantly until they’re fully melted and gooey. The key here is to keep stirring so they don’t burn, and also to keep pretending you’re making something “homemade” instead of just glorified cereal.

3. Add the Vanilla and Salt (Because We’re Fancy Like That)

   Once the marshmallows are all melty and smooth, add in your vanilla extract and a pinch of salt. Stir it around until everything’s combined, and then take a moment to appreciate how good it smells. You know, like an entire sugar factory just exploded in your kitchen.

4. Mix in the Rice Krispies and Lucky Charms Cereal (It’s Like a Rainbow Took Over Your Kitchen)

   Now, for the fun part: Add the Rice Krispies and Lucky Charms cereals to the marshmallow mixture. Gently stir it all together until the cereal is fully coated in marshmallowy goodness. The goal is to get everything nice and sticky, so you’re basically making a giant marshmallow-covered blob of cereal, which is exactly what we want.

   Side note: Try to control your excitement when the marshmallows start sticking to your hands. It’s like a mini craft project, except edible and slightly less frustrating than making slime.

5. Press Into the Pan (Brace Yourself for the Stickiness)

   Once everything’s well-mixed, pour the cereal mixture into your prepared baking dish. Here comes the part that always drives me crazy: pressing it down into the dish. It’s sticky, it’s messy, and somehow, you always manage to get marshmallow all over your face, your hands, and your dog. But don’t give up! Just use a spatula or your hands (covered in a bit of butter to avoid a sticky disaster) to press the mixture evenly into the pan. Try to make it look somewhat uniform, but let’s be real: we’re not working for a Michelin star here.

6. Let It Set (If You Can Wait That Long)

   Allow the treats to set for at least an hour, or until they’re firm enough to cut into squares. If you're as impatient as I am, you can speed up this process by sticking them in the fridge for about 30 minutes.

   Important tip: If you try to cut them too early, you'll just have a sticky mess that resembles something a toddler made during a sugar-fueled craft session.

7. Eat, Enjoy, and Wonder Why You Didn’t Just Stick to Potatoes

   Finally, the moment you've been waiting for: cut those babies into squares, and prepare for your taste buds to be hit with the sugary blast of nostalgia, rainbows, and pure sugar joy. They’re chewy, marshmallowy, and full of colorful cereal—exactly the kind of thing you'd expect to see on a “St. Patrick’s Day” table if the Irish were really into sugar.

So, here we are, folks. Lucky Charms Rice Krispies Treats. They're sugary, they're amazing, and they’re no more Irish than I am (which is to say, not at all). But you know what? That’s okay! When you can’t be 1% Irish, at least you can be 100% delicious. Happy St. Patrick's Day! Let’s just hope this treat brings a little bit of Irish luck (or at least a sugar high) to your life.