73 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

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

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

For those days when you’re craving pie but have no time to bake one. (Store-bought puff pastry to the rescue!) You can thank us later.

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

Think of them as classy homemade Oreos. Your kids will love finding one in their lunchboxes, and they'd love frosting them even more.

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

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

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.

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

Well, well, well. Aren’t you ambitious? (JK, the apple roses are easier to assemble than you’d think, promise.)

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

In case you simply can’t be trusted around a whole fresh batch, this quick confection will hit the spot without tempting you for days.

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

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

Pillsbury has nothing on these beauties. Consider them your picky kids’ new favorite breakfast. Substitute any flavor jam you'd like for the filling, but we're partial to strawberry.

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

Trade baking for frying and you’ve got cinnamon-sugar tortilla chips 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

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.

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

Hot tip: Rubbing lemon zest into the sugar helps release more of its natural citrus flavor into the cookies.

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

Who knew a five-ingredient dessert could look this gorgeous? It's all thanks to vibrant rhubarb.

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

The best impromptu baking recipes are those that require no baking at all. We're looking at you, cheater's fudge.

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

Warning: Your brunch guests will think you scored these at a posh local café. Let the compliments roll in.

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

Store-bought puff pastry meets sticky-sweet, caramelized produce. Bookmark this beauty now to wow your relatives at Christmas dinner.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, kid-friendly, special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser

Less is more—unless we’re talking about breakfast pastries. (And two-ingredient vanilla icing.)

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

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

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 new favorite lazy Sunday baking project in the fall.

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

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

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

C’mon, how ridiculously adorable are these Homer Simpson doughnut doppelgangers? They’re basically edible emojis.

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

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

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

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

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

Feel free to toss in whatever berries you have on hand, but the whipped cream is non-negotiable.

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

On the hunt for a weekend baking project? Look no further than this impressive pick, starring homemade puff pastry.

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

Something tells us your kids won’t want birthday cake for their next party once they catch wind of this triple threat.

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

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

Keep this Brie recipe in your back pocket for the next time your in-laws make an unexpected visit—it's just fancy-looking enough.

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

Just in case quarantine hasn’t turned you into a total pro yet, this banana bread is impeccably moist and pretty darn foolproof.

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

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

This tri-flavored custard pie, layered with chocolate, vanilla and strawberry fillings, is peak nostalgia. The whipped topping is just a bonus.

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

If you’re a sucker for all things sweet and salty, add this stunner to your to-bake list, stat.

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

An endless supply of homemade copycat cookies > one bag of 16 store-bought Milanos, don't @ us.

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

You can thank your nine-inch tart pan for this ingenious invention. It'll put the kids' trick-or-treat spoils to shame.

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

Slivered almonds + sugar = a sweet, crunchy caramel crust that will impress every guest imaginable.

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

Be sure to steep whole cardamom pods—not ground cardamom—in the cream to give the custard its warm, soothing flavor that isn't too overpowering.

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

Let your kids top them off with marshmallows right before they finish baking, so they can watch them melt in the oven.

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

These Brazilian sweets 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

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

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

Cassava flour, maple syrup and coconut whipped cream keep this 10-minute wonder Paleo-friendly.

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

Because graham crackers, chocolate and toasted marshmallows are a divine combination year-round. In this iteration, you won't have to brave the great outdoors when it's below freezing to indulge.

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

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

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

Black Friday breakfast, anyone? We’ll be washing ours down with a pumpkin spice latte, obvi.

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

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

Sweet, airy meringues layered with tart, five-ingredient grapefruit curd and whipped cream? Don’t mind if we do.

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

Sticky toffee pudding, a holiday date spongecake from Britain, was long overdue for an upgrade. This one boasts thick honey-butter caramel.

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

They’re 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

Think meringue topped with roasted, spiced apples and honey-vanilla whipped cream. So light, yet so decadent.

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

Make this for every summer barbecue you ever throw and boom: You’re the hostess with the mostest.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

Otherwise known as the tastiest way to repurpose leftover sugar cookies. (The secret is cream cheese, BTW.)

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

You’ll have two dozen of ’em 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

We fell hard for both the gingersnap crust and the candied ginger-pistachio topping, but they merely gild the chocolate lily.

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

Not only are tiny desserts more fun to eat, but they’re also more fun to bake. Your guests will gush over these mini treats.

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

Violets, pansies, lavender, roses—the garden is your oyster. (P.S.: You can find dried edible flowers at Gourmet Sweet Botanicals.)

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

Do fresh summer berries some justice by showing them off atop store-bought pie crust. Bonus points for topping it with vanilla ice cream.

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

Because no baker (or eater) should ever have to choose between cookies and brownies.

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

Ready thy camera: It'd be a crime not to share that lilac-hued meringue topper on social media, right?

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

Since the recipe calls for frozen berries instead of fresh, you can whip up this impressive dessert any time of year.

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

We hope you like your dessert a lil’ spicy, because this pie calls for fresh, ground *and* crystallized ginger.

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

Craving this summer staple in the off-season? Trade the bonfire for your oven’s broiler and a cast iron skillet.

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

On the worst of days, there’s no cure quite like raw cookie dough. Do yourself a favor and indulge safely in 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

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

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

And just like that, we're craving buttered toast. This peasant bread recipe is mind-blowingly easy 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

Believe it or not, the marbled design is such a breeze to pull off that even your kids can help decorate. Start with store-bought sugar cookie dough to save time.

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

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

If the recipe calls for refrigerated biscuit dough, you know it's a total breeze to pull off—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

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.