67 Fun Things to Bake When You’re Bored and Craving Something Sweet
Sure, you can binge the newest season of Dream Home Makeover on Netflix or try reading that self-help book (again…). But why resign yourself to the couch when the oven is calling your name? Feel productive—and reward yourself with dessert—by making one of these 67 fun things to bake instead. Whether you’re just bored or need to whip something up on the fly, your sweet tooth will thank you.
1. 3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies
They’re dairy- and gluten-free, plus keep in the freezer for up to three months.
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2. Blackberry Jam Pie-Crust Straws
For those days when you’re craving pie but have no time to bake one. (These only take 35 minutes.)
4. Cardamom Cream-Filled Bundt Cake
This dessert is inspired by light-as-clouds semlor, a yeasted Swedish cake.
5. Chocolate Skillet Cake
The secret ingredient in this ooey-gooey masterpiece? Freshly brewed coffee.
6. Gluten-Free Apple Rose Tart
Well, well, well. Aren’t you ambitious? (JK, the apple roses are easier to make than you’d think.)
7. Chrissy Teigen’s 3-Ingredient Chocolate Mousse
Crowned with salted Rice Krispy-hazelnut crackle.
8. Blackberry-Raspberry Skillet Cobbler
Way less work than crimping and blind-baking a homemade pie crust.
9. Easy Cherry Skillet
Your cast-iron skillet basically guarantees crispy edges and a fluffy center.
10. Chocolate Chip Cookie in a Mug
In case you simply can’t be trusted around a whole fresh batch.
11. Birthday Cupcakes with White Wine Buttercream
Vino, dessert and sprinkles—the gang’s all here.
12. Homemade Toaster Pastries
Pillsbury has nothing on these beauties. Consider them the kids’ new favorite breakfast.
13. Dessert Nachos
Trade baking for frying and you’ve got cinnamon-sugar chips with a slew of sweet fixings.
14. Chocolate-Chip Mug Brownie for One
Face it, there’s no better way to spend 10 minutes.
15. Lemon Meringue Cookies
Rubbing lemon zest into the sugar helps release more of its natural citrus flavor into the cookies.
16. Cheater’s Mini Rhubarb Galettes
Who knew a five-ingredient dessert could look this gorgeous?
17. Easy Peanut Butter Fudge
The best impromptu baking recipes are those that require no baking at all.
18. Cranberry Apple Danish
Warning: Your brunch guests will think you scored these at a posh local café.
19. Fig Tarte Tatin
Store-bought puff pastry meets sticky-sweet, caramelized produce.
20. Giant Cinnamon Roll
Less is more—unless we’re talking about breakfast pastries. And two-ingredient vanilla icing.
22. Cinnamon Sheet Cake with Cider Frosting
The key is boiling apple cider until it reduces into a highly concentrated, flavorful syrup.
23. Easy Chocolate Marshmallow Cups
These have Valentine’s Day goody bags written all over them.
24. Glazed Doughnut Cookies
C’mon, how ridiculously adorable are these doppelgangers? They’re basically edible emojis.
25. Ruby Red Grapefruit Panna Cotta
You only need six ingredients and a couple hours to pull off this sophisticated Italian treat.
26. Frozen Chocolate Soufflé
If you’ve been devastated by deflated soufflé before, fret not. This one comes together in the freezer instead of the oven.
27. 10-Minute Strawberry Cobbler for One
Feel free to toss in whatever berries you have on hand, but the whipped cream is non-negotiable.
28. Spiced Palmiers
On the hunt for a weekend baking project? Look no further than this impressive pick, starring homemade puff pastry.
29. Triple Cookie Skillet Pie
Something tells us your kids won’t want birthday cake for their next party once they catch wind of this triple-threat.
30. Coconut Cookies
They taste like a blissful combo of sugar cookies and macaroons, and we’re here for it.
31. 10-Minute Caramel Apple Baked Brie
Keep the recipe in your back pocket for the next time your in-laws make an unexpected visit.
32. Classic Banana Bread
Just in case quarantine hasn’t turned you into a total pro yet, this banana bread is perfectly moist and pretty darn foolproof.
33. 30-Minute Angel Food Cupcakes
The whipped cream frosting stays firm and pink, thanks to freeze-dried strawberries.
35. Apple Tart with Soft-Pretzel Crust
If you’re a sucker for all things sweet and salty, add this stunner to your to-bake list, stat.
36. Homemade Milano Cookies
An endless supply of homemade copycat cookies > one bag of 16 store-bought Milanos.
37. The World’s Biggest Peanut Butter Cup
You can thank your nine-inch tart pan for this ingenious invention.
39. Cardamom Crème Brûlée
Be sure to steep whole cardamom pods—not ground cardamom— in the cream before you start to give the custard its warm flavor.
40. Brownie Cupcakes
Let your kids top them off with marshmallows right before they finish baking, so they can watch them melt in the oven.
41. 3-Ingredient Brigadeiro
These Brazilian sweets are dangerously poppable, not to mention a breeze to make.
42. Rosé Poached Pears with Ginger and Vanilla
Table this idea for your next fancy dinner party. All it takes is simmering the fruit in spiced wine until tender.
43. Microwave Double Chocolate Cake Bowl
Cassava flour, maple syrup and coconut whipped cream keep this 10-minute wonder Paleo.
44. 5-Minute S’mores Mug Cake for One
Because graham crackers, chocolate and marshmallows still taste divine together in the dead of winter.
45. Mini Caramel Pecan Pies with Cinnamon Roll Pie Crust
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.
46. Biscuit Dough Pumpkin Hand Pies
We’ll be washing ours down with a pumpkin spice latte, obvi.
47. No-Bake, Gluten-Free Rose Petal Brownies
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.)
48. Grapefruit Meringue Stacks
Sweet, airy meringues layered with tart, five-ingredient grapefruit curd? Don’t mind if we do.
49. Sticky Toffee Honeycomb Cake
Sticky toffee pudding, aka a holiday date spongecake from Britain, was long overdue for an upgrade. This one boasts thick honey-butter caramel.
50. Giant Brown-Sugar Snickerdoodle Cookies
They’re soft and chewy like the O.G., but also rolled in sugar before baking for crunchy, caramelized bottoms.
51. Roasted Apple Pavlova with Honey Whipped Cream
Think meringue topped with roasted, spiced apples and honey-vanilla whipped cream. So light, yet so decadent.
52. Skillet Peach Cobbler
Make this for every summer barbecue you ever throw and boom: You’re the hostess with the mostest.
53. Caramel Coconut Macaroons
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.
54. Puff-Pastry Plum and Thyme Galette
It’s as easy as crinkling store-bought dough into a skillet, plopping in fresh produce and letting the oven do the rest.
55. Strawberry Pie with Strawberry Crust
Food coloring? You can do better than that. Pulse freeze-dried strawberries and sugar in the food processor instead to turn the crust pink.
56. No-Bake Sugar Cookie Truffles
Aka the tastiest way to repurpose leftover cookies. The secret is cream cheese.
57. Cheesecake Thumbprint Cookies
You’ll have two dozen of ’em ready to eat in less time than it takes to watch an episode of Schitt’s Creek.
58. Vegan and Gluten-Free Dark Chocolate Ginger Tart
We fell hard for both the gingersnap crust and the candied ginger-pistachio topping.
59. Mini Mason Jar Apple Pies
Not only are tiny desserts more fun to eat, but they’re also more fun to bake.
60. Botanical Shortbread Cookies
Violets, pansies, lavender, roses—the garden is your oyster. (P.S., you can find dried edible flowers at Gourmet Sweet Botanicals.)
61. Berry Galette
Do your summer farmers market haul some justice by showing it off atop store-bought pie crust.
62. Oreo-Stuffed Brownies
Because no baker (or, um, eater) should ever have to choose between cookies and brownies.
63. Lemon Pie with Blueberry Meringue
Ready thy camera. That lilac-hued meringue topper is destined for Instagram.
64. Blueberry, Blackberry and Raspberry Soufflés
Since the recipe calls for frozen fruit instead of fresh, you can whip up this impressive dessert any time of year.
65. Ginger Cherry Pie
We hope you like things a lil’ spicy, because this pie calls for fresh, ground *and* crystallized ginger.
66. Broiler S’mores
Craving this summer staple in the off-season? Trade the bonfire for your oven’s broiler and a cast-iron skillet.
67. Edible Cookie Dough
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 flour-free take instead of the store-bought kind.
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