The Best Actually Free Birthday Food Freebies of 2024
There’s nothing better than free food on your birthday. When it comes to birthday food freebies, some companies take the cake (or should I say give?).
This year, after hours of researching articles, Reddit threads, and Youtube videos, I set out to try some of the most popular birthday food freebies. I compiled all that research here for you! Here were my two favorites:
Cheesecake Factory - Best birthday dessert freebie
Buffalo Wild Wings - Best birthday food freebie
Honestly, I did not go as deep into the food freebies as I did the retailer's birthday deals this year. But the ones that I found were pretty great.
Getting yourself some birthday food freebies is an excellent way to refuel while shopping for birthday deals and retailer freebies, too. Check out this article on the best birthday deals!
Birthday Food Freebies I Redeemed as a First-Time Customer
All of these purchases were my first as a rewards member from any of these companies. You can access any of these deals as a first-time member, too, without having to spend any money!
You must sign up for rewards at least two weeks before your birthday to take advantage of these deals. Make sure to enter your birthdate when you register for rewards! You’ll also likely need the app on your phone.
All rewards programs listed in this article are free to sign up for.
Best Birthday Dessert Freebie: The Cheesecake Factory
The Cheesecake Factory gives their reward members a free slice of cheesecake, no purchase necessary!
The coupon appears in your email fourteen days before your birthday. It expires 30 days after its appearance. You can access this reward as long as you sign up over 24 hours before your birthday. Be sure to opt into the emails.
You can use the coupon online to order delivery or at the restaurant for dine-in or to-go! TheCheesecake Factory does not have an app. Rewards will appear in your email and online account. If using it at the restaurant, you’ll need to tell the server you would like to redeem the reward and provide the phone number associated with your account.
I got the Reese’s Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake Cheesecake, valued at $10.95. Since I’m not a huge fan of cheesecake, I loved that it had layers of chocolate cake inside! It was delicious, y’all. You can choose any flavor of cheesecake on the menu, and could opt for the Celebration Cheesecake, which looks just like a birthday cake!
Sign up for Cheesecake Rewards!
Best Birthday Food Freebie: Buffalo Wild Wings
As a rewards member, Buffalo Wild Wings gives you 6 free chicken wings (boneless or traditional) on your birthday! Every order of wings also comes with dipping sauce and your choice of carrots or celery (or a mix of both)- so basically, it’s like a whole miniature meal for free.
The coupon appears in emails and on the app at the start of your birth month, and it is good for single use at any time during the month.
However, there are varying reports about how successful people have been with the Buffalo Wild Wings birthday freebie. Some have said they had to make a purchase or had to dine in to redeem. Honestly, it all depends on your individual local store. Different franchises have varying rules and regulations. I did not have any issue with redeeming the freebie at my local Buffalo Wild Wings.
I got the dry rub lemon garlic boneless wings for free with a mix of carrots and celery- so yummy!
Nothing Bundt Cakes - Free Birthday Bundlet
Out of the whole list of birthday food freebies, this was the one I was most excited about. I had never tried Nothing Bundt Cakes before, and when I found out they give a free bundlet (usually $6) for reward members’ birthdays, I was stoked.
The coupon arrives in your email a week before your birthday and is usable for 14 days. You can order online or use the app.
I opted to get a special limited-time flavor, Apple Caramel Cider, which cost a dollar more. To my surprise, the free birthday coupon covered the extra dollar as well- so you can use the reward on any of the flavors as long as it is a personal bundlet!
Sign up for Nothing Bundt Cakes rewards!
Red Lobster - Free Birthday Dessert
You get to choose one of three dessert options for your birthday at Red Lobster, available for dine-in or take-out, and no additional purchase is necessary.
So, confession- I didn’t get this reward. Well, I got the coupon and set out to redeem it- but then my fingers got clumsy. I accidentally clicked “redeem in the restaurant” instead of through the online order I was trying to complete. It was a little sad when they told me to show the coupon to my server. I probably could have still used the coupon if I continued on my way to the restaurant and explained what happened, but I didn’t.
Everyone raves about the Chocolate Wave cake. I could not decide between that cake and a tasty slice of key lime pie.
Sign up for My Red Lobster Rewards!
McDonald’s - Birthday Food Freebies of Your Choice!
McDonald's has one of the most versatile birthday food freebies. For your birthday, you can redeem one of these options for free:
Cheeseburger
6 pc. Chicken McNuggets
Large Iced Coffee
McChicken
Medium French Fries
To redeem this birthday freebie, all you have to do is become a rewards member and download the app. You could get a full meal for only the price of fries if you get the cheeseburger or McChicken, and order fries on the side.
Sign up for MyMcDonald’s Rewards by downloading the app!
Popular Birthday Food Freebies I Couldn’t Get as a First-Time Customer
Auntie Anne’s
I was so disappointed about not getting this birthday food freebie. Auntie Anne's birthday freebie was mentioned on almost every blog, Reddit thread, and YouTube- so I was certain I would snag this one while walking around the mall. I was wrong.
I had signed up for rewards, put all my information in the app, and was ready to go over two weeks before my birthday, but I never got anything. That's because you have to spend $10+ annually to get your free birthday pretzel.
Starbucks
Starbucks gives reward members a free drink (of any size) on birthdays. What’s the catch, you ask? You have to shop at Starbucks within that calendar year to get a free drink. The coupon is only good on the exact day of your birthday- though some have reported getting the reward in their app the day before.
I didn’t expect to get this reward. While I've consumed plenty of Starbucks this calendar year, all of my Starbucks drinks came from a Barnes and Noble Cafe- which is not the same thing and does not connect with Starbucks rewards (alas).
So, if you’re a regular Starbucks customer, and already a rewards member before your birthday, you should get this coupon. Be on the lookout, though, since this is the shortest redeemable timeframe of the birthday food freebies.
Jersey Mike’s
Jersey Mike’s has undergone a lot of changes in their terms recently. This was a topic already being discussed amongst Redditors, but I thought it was worth a try.
However, after joining Rewards I could not even find a way to insert my birthday into Jersey Mike’s app or website. Getting the free sub previously advertised as their birthday food freebie was impossible.
Smoothie King
Smoothie King was not as popularly mentioned on lists of free birthday foods, but I thought I would give it a chance. I signed up a month before my birthday and had all my ducks in a row (downloaded the app, inserted my birthday, etc.)- but no birthday coupon came.
Upon further research, you must reach “Champion Status” to get the free 20 oz. smoothie for your birthday.
CAVA
I was probably more sad about not getting this reward than I was any others on this list. Rumor is that CAVA sends you a $9 credit for your birthday. A whole $9! I tend to just eat a kid’s meal whenever I go to CAVA, and that’s less than $9.
However, while I have gotten CAVA before, I had never signed up for rewards. After learning about their rewards program, I quickly signed up, downloaded the app, and waited for my birthday reward. No coupon ever came.
I cannot find any exact reasons for why this might have happened- but my two hypotheses are:
I had to have made a previous purchase before my birthday to get the coupon.
CAVA was in the process of changing its rewards program around my birthday and may have missed sending out the coupons.
Since they were changing their program around when I was waiting for this reward, the new birthday freebie may be different. The new birthday food freebie at CAVA could be a free drink, dessert, or pita chips- not a $9 credit.
Edible Arrangements
Edible Arrangements customers can get a free small box of chocolate-covered fruit for their birthday if they are reward members. The catch to this deal is that you must have made a previous purchase.
I didn’t have high hopes for getting this reward. I had heard mixed reviews about whether people could actually redeem it- and honestly, I was probably too hopeful.
However, Edible Arrangements does reward new members with a different gift- and you could treat that as your birthday gift (for the first year of being a member). To redeem this gift, download the app, find the code in your Rewards tab, and head to your nearest Edible Arrangements location to get your Sweet Treat.
Crumbl Cookie
Big confession to make: the reason I didn’t get this reward was completely my fault.
So, Crumbl gives you a free cookie of your choice from their weekly flavors for your birthday. I signed up for rewards, downloaded the app, and was all set and ready to redeem the coupon. I even got as far as parking in front of the store. However, my coupon never appeared. The reason? I forgot to put my birthdate on my rewards profile.
So please, please, please, if you want a free Crumbl cookie on your birthday- or any of these rewards for that matter- always put your birthdate in your profile!
Final Thoughts on Birthday Food Freebies
I had even made a full spreadsheet of all the birthday food freebies I wanted to try and get. There are a lot more options than the ones that I got- considering I only got three successfully. Next year I’m going to try for others!
If you’re already a customer at any of these restaurants, you will have more success than I did. Keep in mind that many restaurants are franchises, which means they may or may not accept your coupon! You may have better luck, too, if you’re nice to the employees- speaking as someone who once worked in the service industry.
If you get any of these birthday food freebies, let me know what you got and which one was your absolute favorite! If you know some freebies I didn’t mention and should check into next year, let me know that, too!
