Got a bake sale coming up and no idea where to start? Look no further; this is the ultimate home baker's guide to building a standout bake sale spread.
Bake sales are amazing for getting everyone involved in the joys of baking (adults and kids included!). But when it comes to planning everything - choosing recipes, deciding when to bake each item, packaging everything neatly, and setting up a great display - it can get overwhelming. This post will help you break it all down, so you can actually enjoy the whole process.
The bake sale recipes below are all reliable, portable, and stay fresh for days. With a huge range of flavours and baked goods, you'll have everything you need to build a bake sale spread that works for any crowd.
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Bake Sale Brownies & Bars
Your bake sale ideas start here! Bake up some scrumptious traybakes and cut them into as many squares as you need for your spread.
These are the BEST fudgy brownies with crackly, shiny tops. They bake up with a dense, chewy, yet super-gooey centre, and an irresistibly rich chocolate flavour.
A classic Scottish traybake guaranteed to bring back wholesome memories - or create some new ones. To get a fudgy caramel center that's still sturdy, I combine my homemade caramel recipe with condensed milk for a chewy finish. It is divine!
As one of my most popular recipes on the site, these red velvet brownies will fly off your bake sale table. They're great for adding a pop of colour, plus a whole lot of indulgence with the tangy cream cheese frosting.
Can't choose between creamy cheesecake and gooey brownies? With this scrumptious combo, you don't have to! I bake these babies up anytime I need to impress with a secretly easy dessert.
Tiffin is another Scottish classic that has to be included in your bake sale spread. Prepare a chocolate-biscuit traybake in just 10 minutes, leave overnight to set, and cut into as many squares as you need the next day! Super easy and delicious.
Add a fruity flair to your bake sale with these sweet strawberry-and-white-chocolate brownies. The strawberry flavour is totally natural - no additives or flavourings here - using my homemade strawberry purée for the brownies and ganache topping.
Your next bake sale needs these crispy pistachio cream chocolate bars! Rather than making 2 big bars (like in my original recipe), you can use smaller molds to make individual Dubai chocolate bars that are perfect for snacking on.
Take classic brownies to another level by mixing in salty pistachios and smothering a silky pistachio ganache on top of each one. To achieve a real, intense pistachio flavour in the ganache, I combine my homemade pistachio paste with white chocolate and cream.
Grab-and-Go Bake Sale Treats
Below is a huge variety of easy, grab-and-go treats that are perfect for a busy bake sale table. Think donuts, truffles, mini bites, and more that people can pick up and enjoy on the spot.
Love donuts? Love custard? Then you're going to be obsessed with these homemade fried donuts filled with the creamiest custard surprise. You'll learn how to make a pastry chef classic - crème pâtissière - which can be used in a variety of delicious treats like profiteroles, cream puffs, and mini tarts.
These bite-sized squares are the perfect mini treats for your bake sale! They're made up of two easy components: a moist chocolate cake sponge and homemade caramel sauce for the topping.
Turn your favourite red velvet cupcakes into fun little cakesicles! These ones are Valentine's themed with pink icing and heart sprinkles, but you can change up the decoration to suit your bake sale theme.
Pop these yummy chocolate-coconut truffles into little boxes or paper cases and dot them all over your bake sale display! They don't require any baking - just mix, roll, and enjoy.
If you like Boston cream pie, then you're going to love these Boston cream donuts. The donut dough is super fluffy, making room for the dreamy pastry cream filling. Use my easy chocolate ganache recipe to make the glossiest topping.
You can't go wrong with a hearty batch of homemade scones. Jam and cream is a bit messy for a bake sale - instead, drizzle over this tasty vanilla glaze so they've still got that extra sweetness!
Stick some chocolate-covered strawberries on a wooden skewer to make the ultimate bake sale treat! Or, rather than dipping the strawberries, you can drizzle the tempered chocolate over them instead.
Super easy no-bake truffles with a crunchy coating! They are incredibly chocolatey and have the most indulgent, fudgy texture.
POV: when donuts meet pâtisserie heaven. Using homemade choux pastry, you can create the perfect fluffy cruller rings with crispy ridges for the silky vanilla glaze to drip into.
Homemade marshmallows are fluffier, gooier, and tastier than any marshmallows you've tried before! These chocolate mallow squares are perfectly portable, stackable, and keep fresh for about a month, so you can make them ahead of your bake sale.
These yeast-stuffed donuts are ridiculously fluffy and light, making them super satisfying to eat. To make the velvety cream filling, combine fresh Chantilly cream with vanilla pastry cream.
Cookies For Bake Sales
These cookies will go flying off your bake sale tables, so be sure to save some for yourself! They're all made with simple ingredients and reliable recipes you can come back to time and time again.
Starting with a cherished classic, we've got the ultimate chocolate chip cookies. I tested this recipe 37 times to reach the best ratio of chewiness to crispiness - PS: it worked!
Spread the love with adorable heart-window cookies. For this easy recipe, you'll only need 3 cookie ingredients (butter, sugar, and flour) plus your favourite flavour of jam to sandwich the cookies together.
These are the chewiest cookies ever, packed with an intense espresso flavour. One reader said: "These coffee cookies are amazingly delicious...The whole family loved them."
These traditional shortbread cookies can be cut into any shape you like - hearts, stars, circles, Christmas trees - and are guaranteed not to spread in the oven.
Indulge in chewy rounds of red velvet and white chocolate cookies that are bound to brighten up your bake sale. I've tested them thoroughly to make sure you get that satisfying red velvet flavour, rather than just red sugar cookies.
As one of my most-loved cookie recipes, you must include them in your bake sale spread! To make these buttery pistachio cookies completely hassle-free, I use the 'slice and bake' method - no cookie cutting needed.
These white chocolate chip cookies are buttery, sweet, and packed with creamy white chocolate chips. With crispy edges and a soft, chewy center, this easy recipe is sure to go down a treat.
A fall favourite! If you're holding an autumn bake sale, it calls for all things pumpkin spice and everything nice (including these cookies). They're chewy, soft, and will melt in your mouth with each bite.
I love to make these chocolate cookies around Christmas time - the powdered sugar coating looks as though they've been dusted in snow! But since they're so delicious, you can bake them all year round.
My most popular cookie recipe on the Bonni Bakery website, and for good reason! As a Scottish gal, it was so important that this traditional shortbread was super buttery and melty, with a rich, satisfying flavour.
Needing a last-minute treat? You can make and bake these oatmeal lace cookies in just 15 minutes! Whisk the egg whites and sugar until combined, then mix in the melted butter, flour, and oats. Spoon the mixture onto a baking tray and bake until done.
Satisfyingly soft brown butter cookies loaded with yummy pecans. The combination of browned butter and roasted pecans creates a deep, toasty flavour that makes them addictive to eat. These will have people coming back for more!
1 bowl, 3 ingredients, and endless amounts of tasty sugar cookies. You can cut these simple cookies into whatever shape you like! They have a nice sturdy structure, making them perfect for icing with pretty designs.
Enjoy buttery shortbread cookies loaded with melty dark chocolate chunks. These are quick and easy bake sale cookies that everyone will love.
Cupcakes & Muffins
A fresh batch of cute cupcakes or hearty muffins always goes down a treat at cake sales. They're super easy to bake and decorate with kids, making it a fun activity for everyone!
Make someone smile with these pretty vanilla fairy cakes. The fluffy sponge is topped with a dreamy vanilla frosting - use my Italian meringue buttercream recipe for a silky-smooth finish that doesn't overwhelm the cupcake.
Looking to bake something simple but effective? Try these one-bowl blueberry muffins with perfect domes - you can bake them all year round with fresh or frozen berries.
Moist, tender, and intensely chocolatey cupcakes that always satisfy a chocolate craving. Top them with my easy chocolate buttercream and your choice of chocolate shavings or sprinkle toppings.
These yummy muffins bake up so fluffy and moist and are loaded with juicy raspberries. Before they go in the oven to bake, top them with my crumble topping for a bit of crunch.
If you're a banana bread fan, you're going to love these delicate banana cupcakes. Anything banana-flavoured goes beautifully with cream cheese frosting, but I thought I'd level up these cupcakes with a toasty brown butter cream cheese frosting!
Most pistachio bakes rely heavily on artificial flavourings to achieve a strong pistachio taste. With this recipe, all the flavour comes from my homemade pistachio paste made from 100% real pistachios - it still packs a punch!
Add some striking colour to your bake sale display with these lovely red velvet cupcakes topped with a tangy cream cheese frosting. They're perfect for anything Christmas, love, or Valentine's themed!
These muffins take my classic blueberry muffins to a whole new level. To make them extra special, they're loaded with a surprise cheesecake filling and sprinkled with a crunchy crumble topping.
Bring all the fall flavours to life with these delightful cupcakes! Use pumpkin purée to get that authentic pumpkin flavour and accompany it with warm spices like cinnamon and ginger.
Forget the campfire - you can bake up these s'mores chocolate cupcakes from the comfort of your own kitchen. Toast my homemade marshmallow frosting with a blowtorch for a browned look and tasty finish.
These muffins are another fall favourite that are perfect for an autumn bake sale. To achieve an intense cinnamon flavour, combine melted butter with dark brown sugar and cinnamon and swirl it into the muffin batter.
These pretty raspberry cupcakes are a great way to add some fruit into the mix. As always, they don't contain any fake flavours or harmful additives - the authentic flavour comes from real raspberries in every element (fresh or frozen!).
Try these moist and fluffy pistachio muffins made with homemade pistachio paste. To add some crunch, I combine my crumble topping recipe with pistachio nuts, and sprinkle it over the top of each muffin.
Coffee lovers will adore these espresso-infused cupcakes, finished with a smooth, velvety coffee buttercream frosting. They're incredibly easy to make - you can have them mixed, baked, and ready in just 30 minutes!
Bake Sale Cakes (Perfect for Slicing)
A yummy cake that's moist, light, and bursting with flavour is one of the best ways to feed a bake sale crowd. I've chosen recipes that I know are easy to slice and always hold their shape.
Do you pour custard sauce over all your favourite desserts? If so, you'll have to try this creamy custard layer cake. First, make the fresh pastry cream filling, then bake up the fluffy vanilla sponges and assemble.
Welcome to chocolate-espresso heaven! This is my go-to cake when I want to impress with flavour and presentation. It uses oil instead of butter to create a super-moist chocolate sponge that stays fresh for days.
This lemon drizzle loaf is so moist, it's almost juicy! While it's still warm, pour over the fresh lemon glaze so it soaks through to the sponge. This will add even more zesty flavour and give the sponge that juicy texture.
Use real pistachio paste to make this cake pop with pistachio flavour! It's a super elegant cake that looks amazing in the center of any bake sale spread. I even made it for my sister's wedding!
Calling all chocoholics! You won't find a fudgier, gooier chocolate cake than this one. One reader said: "WOW!! This chocolate cake is divine! My only complaint is, how is one expected not to eat the entire cake?".
Brown butter makes everything better! It adds caramelized, toasty, and nutty notes to this banana bread, giving it a real depth of flavour. And to top it all off (literally), smother my tangy brown butter cream cheese frosting over your loaf. YUM!
A reliable, classic, and foolproof vanilla sponge cake recipe that everyone needs in their life. I like to use my Russian buttercream to fill this cake, but you can choose whatever fillings you like! Try it with ganache, strawberry coulis, custard buttercream, homemade caramel, or chocolate buttercream.
Bake Sale Packaging Tips
Most of the bakes in this roundup are perfectly portable, but more delicate items need some extra care. Here are a few packaging tips to keep in mind:
- Airtight containers - To keep your bakes nice and fresh for the bake sale, store them in airtight containers. I like to use round cake boxes, large tins, and Tupperware for stackable items.
- Parchment layers - I would recommend placing a sheet of parchment paper between each stacked layer of your baked goods. This works well for cookies, traybakes, muffins, and treats.
- Cupcake boxes - To keep your cupcakes safe and sound, use corrugated cardboard boxes (these are great for one-off uses), or treat yourself to a cupcake carrier.
More Easy Baking Recipes
Still need some easy baking inspo? Take a look at these recipes:
Creating a Standout Bake Sale Display
Keep your table looking inviting, easy to browse, and simple to buy from with these handy tips.
Display Ideas
- Pops of colour - Brighten up the table with a pretty cloth, striking muffin/cupcake cases, and colourful bunting.
- Create height - Use cake stands, boxes, or trays at different levels so everything is easy to see.
- Top up regularly - Refill in small batches to keep things looking fresh.
- Best bakes first - Put your most eye-catching items front and centre.
- Easy to hold - Offer napkins or package bakes in things like cupcake clams so people can grab them without getting messy hands.
- Batch boxes - If people want to buy a few items, have some simple paper boxes on hand so they can carry everything easily.
Labelling
Clear labelling makes everything easier on the day and helps people decide quickly. Keep it simple but useful: include the name of the bake, a price, and any key allergens like nuts or gluten - a few buzz words like 'gooey' or 'zesty' are great too!
FAQ
The most popular bake sale items tend to be ones that are individually portioned, striking in appearance, and/or chocolate-based (because everybody loves chocolate!). Think fudgy brownies, red velvet cookies, and classic treats like tiffin and chocolate truffles.
As you near the end of your bake sale, you can add some discounts to the price of your baked goods or sell them in bundles to try to sell as many as you can. If you still have some leftovers, you can donate your bakes to local food banks and share them with neighbours, family, and friends.
Yes, many baked goods can be made ahead of time for a bake sale. Recipes like chocolate marshmallows, tiffin, Dubai chocolate, sugar cookies, or any shortbread-based bakes (e.g., shortbread cookies, millionaire's shortbread, chocolate chip shortbread) can all be made at least 5 days in advance - some up to 4 weeks!
Jules' Perfect Bake Sale Spread
If I held a Bonni Bakery bake sale, this is exactly what I would bring:
- Chocolate chip cookies
- Lemon loaf
- Custard donuts
- Raspberry crumble muffins
- Tiffin
- Red velvet cupcakes
- Fudgy brownies
- Traditional shortbread
- Chocolate marshmallows
- Pistachio cake
A balanced mix of classic favourites, a few indulgent crowd-pleasers, and some slightly more special bakes to make the table feel interesting. It includes a real variety of baked goods so that there's something for everyone, no matter their taste.
Bonus Tip
Offer bundles (like "3-for-2") to help up-sell your baked goods and encourage people to buy more tasty treats!
Bake sales are a super fun way to raise money while sharing delicious homebaked goods with your community - and enjoy some for yourself too! I hope this post has inspired you to roll up your sleeves and get baking. As always, I love to see what you guys have made, so be sure to send me your bake sale pics, or comment your favourite recipes below.
Hi, I'm Jules!
I'm a Scottish ex-bakery owner sharing my tried and true dessert recipes and expert tips to help you whip up impressive desserts at home.
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Happy Baking!