77 Easy, Fun Things to Bake When You’re Bored and Craving Something Sweet

• Time Commitment: 20 minutes
• Why We Love It: gluten free, dairy free, <30 minutes, <10 ingredients
• Serves: 18

These sweet-and-salty handhelds, made with sugar-free peanut butter, keep in the freezer for up to three months. (That means you can prep the dough ahead and bake whenever you get a craving.) Bonus: You probably have everything you need already on hand.

• Time Commitment: 35 minutes
• Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, kid-friendly, make ahead
• Serves: 20

Store-bought puff pastry to the rescue! This simple recipe is just right for days when you’re craving pie but have no time to bake one. Use any store-bought jam you'd like; we're partial to blackberry.

• Time Commitment: 40 minutes
• Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, kid-friendly, make ahead
• Serves: 24

Do you always wish Oreos had more cream? This snappy, chocolatey twist on the classic delivers the ratio you crave. Pile on the glaze and have a glass of milk at the ready.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 50 minutes
• Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser, make ahead
• Serves: one 9-inch cake

Let the oohs and ahhs roll in. This dessert is inspired by light-as-clouds semlor, a yeasted Swedish cake. Cardamom makes the cake delightfully fragrant.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 5 minutes
• Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly
• Serves: 6

The secret ingredient in this ooey-gooey masterpiece? Freshly brewed coffee, which imparts a bold kick to every bite and enhances the rich cocoa flavor. Wash it down with a cuppa to drive the flavor home.

• Time Commitment: 2 hours and 25 minutes
• Why We Love It: gluten free, special occasion-worthy, make ahead
• Serves: 10

Well, well, well. Aren’t you ambitious? (JK, the apple roses are easier to assemble than you’d think, promise.) As for the press-in crust, it's a buttery, sugary pecan base that's a cinch to assemble.

• Time Commitment: 2 hours and 15 minutes
• Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients, kid-friendly
• Serves: 4

How chic is this? The mousse is crowned with salted crisped rice-hazelnut crackle for good measure (and fresh whipped cream, of course). Thanks, Chrissy.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why We Love It: one pan, beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser
• Serves: 8

Way less work than crimping and blind-baking a homemade pie crust, but every bit as satisfying. It's a great way to use your farmers market berry haul come summer (or any fruit you have on hand, really).

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, one pan, crowd-pleaser
• Serves: 10

Your cast iron skillet basically guarantees crispy edges and a fluffy center, aka the perfect cake. Feel free to use frozen cherries in the off season; the rest is pantry staples.

• Time Commitment: 10 minutes
• Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, <30 minutes, <10 ingredients
• Serves: 1

In case you simply can’t be trusted around a fresh batch of chocolate chippers, this quick confection will hit the spot without tempting you for days. Picky kids will adore it, too.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 55 minutes
• Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy, make ahead, crowd-pleaser
• Serves: 12

Vino, dessert and sprinkles—the gang’s all here, and their presence calls for a party. Why not wash 'em down with Champagne?

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Why We Love It: make ahead, special occasion-worthy, kid-friendly
• Serves: 12

Pillsbury has nothing on these beauties. They'll become your new favorite breakfast at first bite. Substitute any flavor jam you'd like for the filling, but we like classic strawberry.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly
• Serves: 6

Trade baking for frying to make these cinnamon-sugar tortilla chips, topped with a slew of sweet fixings. We're talking chocolate sauce, caramel, whipped cream and raspberries.

• Time Commitment: 10 minutes
• Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, one bowl, <30 minutes
• Serves: 1

Face it, there’s no better way to get your chocolate fix than this lightning-fast treat. It bakes to gooey perfection in the microwave for minimal fuss (and cleanup).

• Time Commitment: 50 minutes
• Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser, make ahead
• Serves: 20

Lemon meringue pie, meet sugar cookie. These are equal parts tart, sweet and gorgeous. Hot tip: Rubbing lemon zest into the sugar before beginning helps release more of its natural citrus flavor into the treats.

• Time Commitment: 45 minutes
• Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients, special occasion-worthy
• Serves: 9

Who knew a five-ingredient dessert could look this gorgeous? It's all thanks to vibrant rhubarb (oh, and handy store-bought pie dough).

• Time Commitment: 10 minutes (plus chilling time)
• Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, no-bake, gluten free
• Serves: 15

The best impromptu baking recipes are those that require no baking at all. We're looking at you, cheater's fudge. It'll keep in the fridge for up to two weeks, but we doubt you'll be able to resist its charms for that long.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser, make ahead
• Serves: 12

Warning: Your brunch guests will think you scored these at a posh local café. Wait 'til you tell them you made them yourself, and with only seven ingredients to boot.

• Time Commitment: 55 minutes
• Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 8

Store-bought puff pastry meets sticky-sweet, caramelized produce to create an unforgettably elegant dessert. Bookmark this beauty now to wow your relatives with after Christmas dinner.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, kid-friendly, special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser
• Serves: one 9-inch cinnamon roll

Less is more—unless we’re talking about breakfast pastries. No one will complain about the size of this warm-spiced behemoth (or the generous amount of two-ingredient vanilla icing).

• Time Commitment: 45 minutes
• Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy
• Serves: 10

They're destined to be the finale of your Thanksgiving feast. Can you believe they start with store-bought dough? (Don't worry, your secret is safe with us.)

• Time Commitment: 55 minutes
• Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser, make ahead
• Serves: 18

The key to this fall-inspired cake is boiling apple cider until it reduces into a highly concentrated, flavorful syrup. One bite, and it'll become your go-to baking project for lazy autumn Sundays.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes
• Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, make ahead, kid-friendly
• Serves: 20

These have Valentine’s Day goody bags written all over them, but they'd also make a great hostess gift for any occasion. They only require six ingredients, after all.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 45 minutes
• Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy, kid-friendly, make ahead
• Serves: 24

C’mon, how ridiculously adorable are these Homer Simpson doughnut doppelgangers? They’re basically edible emojis. Substitute whatever food dye you'd like if you aren't feeling pink glaze—they'll be devourable no matter what.

• Time Commitment: 2 hours and 30 minutes
• Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, no-bake, gluten free
• Serves: 6

Mangia on this: You only need six ingredients and a couple of hours to pull off this sophisticated Italian treat. We feel a dinner party coming on, amica.

• Time Commitment: 3 hours and 30 minutes
• Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, make ahead, no-bake, gluten free
• Serves: 6

If you’ve been devastated by deflated soufflé before, fret not. This one comes together in the freezer instead of the oven, so it's essentially foolproof.

• Time Commitment: 10 minutes
• Why We Love It: <30 minutes, beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients
• Serves: 1

For when you're craving freshly baked cobbler but don't want to turn on the oven. Feel free to toss in whatever berries you have on hand, but the whipped cream is nonnegotiable.

• Time Commitment: 4 hours and 30 minutes
• Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy, make ahead, crowd-pleaser
• Serves: 24

On the hunt for a weekend baking project? Look no further than this impressive pick, starring homemade puff pastry. They require a bit more patience and skill than most of these recipes, but we promise they're worth the effort.

• Time Commitment: 40 minutes
• Why We Love It: kid-friendly, one pan, beginner-friendly
• Serves: one 9-inch pie

Something tells us your kids won’t want birthday cake for their next party once they catch wind of this triple threat. It's divided into three tasty varieties: chocolate chip, chocolate s'mores and snickerdoodle

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, make ahead, <10 ingredients
• Serves: 24

They taste like a blissful combo of sugar cookies and coconut macaroons, and we’re here for it. The topping is nothing but shredded coconut, confectioners' sugar and egg white.

• Time Commitment: 10 minutes
• Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, <30 minutes, gluten free
• Serves: 8 to 10

Keep this fun Brie recipe in your back pocket for the next time your in-laws make an unexpected visit. It's just fancy-looking enough to impress them, but simple enough that you won't be stressed when preparing it.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 15 minutes
• Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, make ahead, kid-friendly
• Serves: one 9-inch loaf

Just in case quarantine hasn’t turned you into a total pro yet, this banana bread is impeccably moist and pretty darn foolproof. If you don't have sour cream, swap it for Greek yogurt, mascarpone cheese or buttermilk for moisture.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, kid-friendly, make ahead
• Serves: 12

Light as air and heavenly in flavor, these cupcakes are so much easier to pull off than traditional angel food cake, which is surprisingly finicky and takes longer to bake. The whipped cream frosting stays firm and pink, thanks to freeze-dried strawberries.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 25 minutes
• Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser
• Serves: 8

This tri-flavored custard pie, layered with chocolate, vanilla and strawberry fillings, is peak nostalgia. The whipped topping is just a bonus. Slice it in front of your guests for maximum drama.

• Time Commitment: 2 hours and 15 minutes
• Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser
• Serves: one 12-inch tart

If you’re a sucker for all things sweet and salty, add this stunner to your to-bake list, stat. The pretzel crust takes some time to rise to perfection, but you'll be glad you waited once you taste it.

• Time Commitment: 35 minutes
• Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, kid-friendly, make ahead
• Serves: 20

An endless supply of homemade copycat cookies > one bag of 16 store-bought Milanos, don't @ us. They're filled with two-ingredient chocolate ganache, in case you need more convincing.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 5 minutes
• Why We Love It: kid-friendly, gluten free, crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy
• Serves: 10

You can thank your nine-inch tart pan for this ingenious invention. It may be tough, but let it come to room temperature for about ten minutes and run your knife under hot water before slicing—this will avoid cracking.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes
• Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser
• Serves: 10

Slivered almonds + sugar = a sweet, crunchy caramel topping that will impress every guest imaginable. You won't miss the frosting, promise.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 20 minutes
• Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy, <10 ingredients, gluen free
• Serves: 6

Even the fussiest guests will be wowed by this chic number. Be sure to steep whole cardamom pods—not ground cardamom—in the cream to infuse the custard with warm, soothing flavor.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, kid-friendly, make ahead
• Serves: 12

Picky kids, right this way—this one's for you. Top the brownies off with marshmallows right before they finish baking, and watch them melt to perfection in the oven.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes (includes chilling)
• Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, gluten free, <10 ingredients
• Serves: 15

These Brazilian sweets, starring sweetened condensed milk, are dangerously poppable, not to mention a breeze to make. Take your pick of classic chocolate and unexpected strawberry milk varieties.

• Time Commitment: 50 minutes
• Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, gluten free, no-bake, special occasion-worthy
• Serves: 6

Table this pear-y (sorry) elegant idea for your next fancy dinner soirée. All it takes is simmering the fruit in spiced wine until warmed through and tender.

• Time Commitment: 10 minutes
• Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, <30 minutes, gluten free
• Serves: 4

Cassava flour, maple syrup and coconut whipped cream keep this ten-minute wonder Paleo-friendly. It's also gluten free, BTW.

• Time Commitment: 5 minutes
• Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients, <30 minutes
• Serves: 1

Since graham crackers, chocolate and toasted marshmallows are a divine combination year-round, why wait for summer to indulge? With this iteration of s'mores, you won't have to brave the great outdoors when it's below freezing to dig in.

• Time Commitment: 45 minutes
• Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy, kid-friendly, make ahead
• Serves: 24

There’s truly nothing your muffin tin can’t do. Oh, and FYI, there’s no way you’ll be able to stop noshing on these nutty, caramelly delights after just one.

• Time Commitment: 45 minutes
• Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, make ahead, crowd-pleaser
• Serves: 16

Black Friday breakfast, anyone? We’ll be washing ours down with a pumpkin spice latte, obvi. Shoutout to refrigerated canned biscuit dough for the beyond-easy crust.

• Time Commitment: 2 hours and 15 minutes
• Why We Love It: no-bake, gluten free, vegan, special occasion-worthy
• Serves: 8

Just because they're vegan doesn't mean they aren't rich and decadent. A sprinkling of rose tea is a great substitute if you don’t have dried rose petals in the spice cabinet (or don’t feel like searching for them at the store).

• Time Commitment: 3 hours
• Why We Love It: gluten free, special occasion-worthy
• Serves: 4

Sweet, airy meringues layered with tart, five-ingredient grapefruit curd and whipped cream? Don’t mind if we do. This stacked dessert is also naturally gluten free.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 20 minutes
• Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser
• Serves: one 9-inch cake

Sticky toffee pudding, a holiday date spongecake from Britain, was long overdue for an upgrade. This one boasts a thick honey-butter caramel that you'll want to savor every drop of.

• Time Commitment: 25 minutes
• Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, <30 minutes, kid-friendly, make ahead
• Serves: 10

We'll never turn one of these cinnamony handhelds down. These are soft and chewy like the O.G., but also rolled in sugar before baking for crunchy, caramelized bottoms.

• Time Commitment: 3 hours and 15 minutes
• Why We Love It: gluten free, special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser
• Serves: 6

This fall gem is so light, yet so decadent. Think meringue topped with roasted, spiced apples and honey-vanilla whipped cream. BRB, drooling.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 10 minutes
• Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser, one pan
• Serves: one 12-inch skillet

Make this for every summer barbecue you ever throw and boom: You’re the hostess with the mostest. The biscuit topping is just as easy to pull off as the buttery peach filling.

• Time Commitment: 40 minutes
• Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser, make ahead
• Serves: 24

A simple caramel sauce sweetens the cookies and gives them a killer burnt sugar flavor. Feel free to dip them in dark chocolate or top them with flaky salt for a wow-worthy finishing touch.

• Time Commitment: 55 minutes
• Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser
• Serves: 8

Think of the galette as pie's laid-back, super cool cousin. It’s as easy as crinkling store-bought dough into a skillet, plopping in fresh plums and letting your oven do the rest.

• Time Commitment: 2 hours and 45 minutes
• Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly
• Serves: 8

Food coloring? You can do better than that. Pulse freeze-dried strawberries and sugar in the food processor instead to turn the crust pink and infuse it with sweet-tart splendor.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes
• Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients, no bake
• Serves: 20

Otherwise known as the tastiest way to repurpose leftover sugar cookies. The secret to binding these festive, tangy bites is cream cheese, BTW.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser, make ahead
• Serves: 24

Fact: You can get your cheesecake fix *without* a fussy water bath. You’ll have two dozen of these cookies ready to eat in less time than it takes to watch an episode of Love Is Blind.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 25 minutes (plus chilling time)
• Why We Love It: gluten free, dairy free, vegan, special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser
• Serves: 12

Isn't she lovely? We fell hard for both the gingersnap crust and the candied ginger-pistachio topping, but they merely gild the plant-based chocolate lily.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 10 minutes
• Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, special occasion-worthy, kid-friendly
• Serves: 6

Not only are tiny desserts more fun to eat, but they’re also more fun to bake. Your guests will gush over these treats baked in mini mason jars for a rustic presentation.

• Time Commitment: 2 hours and 15 minutes
• Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser, make ahead
• Serves: 18

Dessert or work of art? We say both. Violets, pansies, lavender, roses—the garden is your oyster when it comes to garnishing these simple shortbread cookies.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 15 minutes
• Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly
• Serves: 6

Do fresh summer berries some justice by showing them off atop store-bought pie crust. Bonus points for topping it with vanilla ice cream (but you already figured that).

• Time Commitment: 50 minutes
• Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser
• Serves: 9

Because no baker (or eater) should ever have to choose between cookies and brownies. Top them with ice cream, dunk them in milk or demolish them straight from the pan.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 35 minutes
• Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser, make ahead
• Serves: one 9-inch pie

Ready thy camera: It'd be a crime not to share that lilac-hued meringue topper on social media, right? It's just the ticket for a spring dinner party, especially if you're dining alfresco.

• Time Commitment: 55 minutes
• Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy, <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser
• Serves: 6

Since the recipe calls for frozen berries instead of fresh, you can whip up this impressive dessert any time of year. Just be sure to not overmix the batter and be gentle with them when taking them out of the oven.

• Time Commitment: 3 hours and 10 minutes
• Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser
• Serves: one 9-inch pie

We hope you like your dessert a lil’ spicy, because this beauty calls for fresh, ground *and* crystallized ginger. Sweet-tart cherries balance the pie's flavor just right.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, kid-friendly, <10 ingredients
• Serves: 4 to 6

Craving this summer staple in the off-season? Trade the bonfire for your oven’s broiler and a cast iron skillet and you're in business—no skewers required.

• Time Commitment: 10 minutes
• Why We Love It: gluten free, <10 ingredients, <30 minutes
• Serves: 12

On the worst of days, there’s no cure quite like raw cookie dough. Do yourself a favor and indulge in it safely with this egg- and wheat-free take instead of the store-bought kind.

• Time Commitment: 40 minutes (plus chilling time)
• Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, make ahead, special occasion-worthy
• Serves: 16

What's sweet, sour, silky and crunchy in every bite? These lime-kissed cuties, which come together in mess-free muffin tins. Good luck stopping after just one.

• Time Commitment: 3 hours and 5 minutes
• Why We Love It: make ahead, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 2 loaves

And just like that, we're craving buttered toast. This peasant bread recipe is mind-blowingly painless to pull off (and it's hiding a generous layer of cinnamon sugar).

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, special occasion-worthy, kid-friendly
• Serves: 24

Believe it or not, the marbled design is a breeze to master, even for the culinarily challenged. Start with store-bought sugar cookie dough to save time—we won't tell.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 10 minutes
• Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 6

As chic as it is delicious, clafoutis is a stellar way to end a summer dinner party. Cherries are the traditional inclusion, but plums are easier to pit and offer a similar punch of sweet-tart juiciness.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 10 minutes
• Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, make ahead
• Serves: 6 to 8

If the recipe calls for refrigerated biscuit dough, you know it's a cakewalk, even for newbies. Every buttery bite is laced with cinnamon, sugar and semisweet chocolate, in case you need more convincing.

• Time Commitment: 4 hours and 30 minutes
• Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, make ahead
• Serves: 8 to 10

You actually won't need to bake at all to prepare this vibrant spin on tiramisu, made with raspberries instead of coffee. Instead, you'll only need to whip up a three-ingredient sauce and assemble.

• Time Commitment: 5 minutes
• Why We Love It: ready in <15 minutes, no bake
• Serves: 6 to 8

This no-bake, five-minute crowd-pleaser can make any day feel like your birthday. To make the cake mix safe to eat, microwave it in a bowl on high in 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until an instant-read thermometer reaches 165°F throughout.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 5 minutes
• Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly
• Serves: 8

Leave it to liquid gold (aka brown butter) to upgrade this deliciously simple snacking cake. Asymmetrical dollops of chocolate and vanilla batter are the key to its cow spot-like look. Serve it with confectioners’ sugar, berry jam, mocha glaze or nothing at all. 

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, kid-friendly, one bowl
• Serves: 20

If the goal is to satisfy your sweet tooth without filling your sink with dirty dishes, turn to these ridiculously simple sugar cookies. Malted milk powder infuses them with nutty, toasty flavor, but you can up the ante with crushed, freeze-dried berries too, if you'd like.

• Time Commitment: 45 minutes
• Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy, make ahead, crowd-pleaser
• Serves: 16

Loaded with warm spices and a brown sugar-molasses base, these cookie bars will make any coffee lover swoon. Might we suggest making a double batch of the four-ingredient espresso glaze to drizzle over vanilla ice cream, banana bread and brownies?