To Bake Or Not To Bake
Who doesn’t love a good bake sale? It’s one of the few events left that effectively combine cooking and community, especially when it’s for a good cause. There are countless items, good and bad, that you can bring to these events, but above all else, it’s most important that you can enjoy yourself.
1. Brownies
It doesn’t matter how good they actually taste; brownies will always be a top seller. Even box-made brownies will go far. Their ooey-gooey chocolate center is a forever favorite and should always be a staple of your bake sale.
2. Chocolate Chip Cookies
People like to eat what they know, and this classic cookie is arguably the most well-known. They’re also super easy to make, which means batching them for a busy bake sale day won’t leave you in tears, covered head to toe in flour.
3. Rice Krispies Bars
Who doesn’t love the satisfying chewy crunch of a Rice Krispies bar? A box of this snap, crackle, pop cereal and a bag of marshmallows is a delight to children and adults alike.
4. Cupcakes
Again, a cake mix will do just fine for your bake sale, but you can get a little fancy if you so please. Furthermore, cupcakes give you the opportunity to experiment with different flavors and colors, or even make fun decorations.
5. Pound Cake
Pound cake is an easy and portable option for any bake sale lovers out there. It’s dense, but moist, and you can serve it as a whole cake or in pre-wrapped slices. Bonus points if you dress your cake up with a little bit of frosting.
6. Snickerdoodle
This king among cookies is sure to make you some bank at your next baking event. Snickerdoodles are soft, but thick, and the caramelized cinnamon sugar is to die for. It’s no surprise that grandmas everywhere love to bake these for their family.
7. Tarts
Tarts of all flavors, shapes, and sizes are excellent options for your bake sale table. Butter tarts are the standard option, but you can get a little fancy and add pecans, or top the dessert with fruit. Lemon tarts are also a popular choice.
8. Muffins
These are an especially great option in the morning, as many folks visit bake sales or farmers' markets in the morning. They can get a little breakfast or a mid-morning snack along with their favorite coffee.
9. Cake Pops
These Starbucks staples are a favorite among children for a reason. It’s like having the smallest slice of moist, chewy cake on the convenience of a stick. The best part is, you can sell much better cake pops for much cheaper than the siren can.
10. Lemon Bar
Lemon bars are a lighter option for any dessert-seekers out there. The thin shortbread crust is sweet and crumbly, while the filling is tart and a little bit chewy. The resulting taste is a perfect balance of everything someone is looking for.
1. Plain Janes
The name speaks for itself. While the cookies are simple to make, they’re so simple that someone can just make a batch themselves. Also, they may not stand out among some of your more delicious-looking desserts, no matter how tasty they are.
2. Rice Pudding
Rice pudding is a popular dessert choice among many, but nobody wants to stand in a hallway or on a field and spoon it into their mouth. Unfortunately, this yummy option is just not portable enough for the bake sale vibe.
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3. Granola Bars
Nobody is looking for a granola bar at a bake sale, we’re sorry to say. Not to mention, if you don’t take the time to prepackage your bars, you’re leaving customers with a crumbly mess that will cause more harm than good.
4. Fruit And Nut Cookies
Again, this isn’t a health food contest. Children will likely be your main audience at bake sales, and you can’t really expect a 10-year-old to go searching for your oatmeal raisin, right? We know they’re delicious, but that doesn’t mean they’re popular.
5. Biscotti
The popular tea-time desserts are light and airy, but they don’t necessarily make for good bake sale items. Sure, someone may buy your biscotti for later, but anyone looking for an immediate snack is not going to choose an item that’s traditionally dipped in a drink.
6. Store-Bought Items
Like, honestly, why did you even bother coming? If someone wanted a store-bought cupcake, they would go to the store and buy a pack. We get last-minute scrambling, but it would probably take less time to whip up a batch of cookies than it does to drive to the store and back.
7. Blondies
Blondies are the less-popular sister to brownies. When they’re done right, they can be a delicious, buttery alternative to a brownie. However, many blondie recipes will give you a pan of too-greasy, heavy, and too-sweet squares.
8. Popcorn
We know how easy it is to bag some popcorn and call it a day, but we cannot promise you’ll have a successful afternoon. Popcorn is just a little too salty to find its way into such a sweet-centered event. Also, you’re not really baking anything, are you?
9. Soufflé
These tasty dishes are perfect for the short transportation from oven to dinner table - less so for the drive to your bake sale. Soufflés require hot air to keep their shape, and jostling them around in a car or other form of transportation will leave you with a gooey mess.
10. Whole Pies
We’re sure your pies are delicious, but selling a whole pie likely won’t get you very far in the bake sale world. A farmers market, maybe, but the convenience of a bake sale doesn’t agree with your world-famous crust. Consider wrapping individual pie slices instead, and maybe keep one or two pies in case you do get any interested parties.
