Taco Bell and Milk Bar Are Stuffing a Birthday Cake Into an Empanada

The $3.49 dessert is the latest move in Taco Bell’s push to win the afternoon snack crowd.

By Jon Small | edited by Dan Bova | Oct 13, 2026
Listen to this post

Taco Bell and Milk Bar want you to have your cake and eat it too. The limited-edition Birthday Cake Empanada rolls the bakery’s signature cake flavor into an empanada. Pink frosting and rainbow sprinkles top it off. It hits menus nationwide Oct. 15 for $3.49, according to Nation’s Restaurant News.

This is the third team-up for the two brands. They paired up on Strawberry Bell Truffles in 2022 and Birthday Cake Churros in 2025. Milk Bar founder Christina Tosi has said the original birthday cake took two years to get right. Taco Bell Global Chief Food Innovation Officer Liz Matthews calls the empanada a “nostalgic and unexpected treat made for celebrating everyday moments.”

The collab is part of a bigger grab. Taco Bell launched chocolate fudge and caramel dessert empanadas in March and also teamed with Salt & Straw on an ice cream taco. The goal is to get more afternoon snack traffic from its mostly Gen Z customers, NRN reports.

Taco Bell Rewards members can also pick the empanada as their free birthday treat from Oct. 15 through Oct. 28.

Jon Small

Entrepreneur Staff
Recommended Franchises
Franchises for you
Find your perfect franchise match
Join the Conversation
Leave a comment. Be kind. Critique ideas, not people.
Sort: |