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

Glazed doughnut cookies, anyone?

fun things to bake universal

Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

Sure, you could spend hours watching Netflix or try reading that self-help book (again…). But why resign yourself to the couch when the oven is calling your name? Instead, feel productive—and reward yourself with dessert—with 77 easy, fun things to bake, including a few treats that require no baking at all. Whether you’re just bored or need to whip something sweet up on the fly, your taste buds will thank you for these delights, ranging from chocolate skillet cake to ruby red grapefruit panna cotta to cookies-and-cream shortbread.

fun things to bake: a plate of five three-ingredient peanut butter cookies

1. 3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

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.

fun things to bake: plate of frosted cookies and cream shortbread cookies

3. Cookies-and-Cream Shortbread Cookies

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.

fun things to bake: cardamom cream-filled bundt cake on a plate

4. Cardamom Cream-Filled Bundt 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.

fun things to bake: gooey chocolate skillet cake with a spoon in it

5. Chocolate Skillet Cake

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.

fun things to bake: aerial of a gluten-free apple rose tart with a slice missing

6. Gluten-Free Apple Rose Tart

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.

fun things to bake: glass dishes of three-ingredient chocolate mousse topped with crumble and whipped cream

7. Chrissy Teigen’s 3-Ingredient Chocolate Mousse

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.

fun things to bake: loaf pan of blackberry-raspberry skillet cobbler

8. Blackberry-Raspberry Skillet Cobbler

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).

fun things to bake: easy cherry skillet cake in a cast iron skillet with a slice missing

9. Easy Cherry Skillet Cake

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.

fun things to bake: mug chocolate chip cookie with a spoon and a glass of milk

10. Chocolate Chip Cookie in a Mug

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.

fun things to bake: nine homemade toaster pastries drizzled with vanilla glaze, on a marble counter

12. Homemade Toaster Pastries

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.

fun things to bake: plate of dessert nachos topped with raspberries and whipped cream

13. Dessert Nachos

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.

fun things to bake: mug chocolate chip brownie with a spoon

14. Chocolate-Chip Mug Brownie for One

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).

fun things to bake: aerial of lemon meringue cookies on a lined baking sheet

15. Lemon Meringue Cookies

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.

fun things to bake: stack of peanut butter fudge drizzled with chocolate

17. Easy Peanut Butter Fudge

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.

fun things to bake: aerial of two cranberry-apple danishes on plates with a cup of coffee

18. Cranberry Apple Danish

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.

fun things to bake: aerial of fig tarte tatin on a plate, atop a white linen

19. Fig Tarte Tatin

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.

fun things to bake: giant cinnamon roll in a skillet, atop a blue linen

20. Giant 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).

fun things to bake: nine brown sugar pear puff pastries on a cooling rack

21. Brown Sugar-Pear Puff Pastries

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.)

fun things to bake: aerial of cinnamon sheet cake with cider frosting on a wooden table

22. Cinnamon Sheet Cake with Cider Frosting

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.

fun things to bake: stack of chocolate-marshmallow cups

23. Easy Chocolate Marshmallow Cups

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.

fun things to bake: brown sugar cookies shaped like doughnuts and decorated with pink glaze and rainbow sprinkles

24. Glazed Doughnut Cookies

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.

fun things to bake: seven ramekins of ruby red grapefruit panna cotta

25. Ruby Red Grapefruit Panna Cotta

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.

fun things to bake: large frozen chocolate souffle in a ramekin

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, so it's essentially foolproof.

fun things to bake: mug strawberry cobbler with a spoon

27. 10-Minute Strawberry Cobbler for One

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.

fun things to bake: aerial of seven spiced palmiers

28. Spiced Palmiers

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.

fun things to bake: aerial of a skillet cookie split into snickerdoodle, chocolate chip and s'mores varieties

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. It's divided into three tasty varieties: chocolate chip, chocolate s'mores and snickerdoodle

fun things to bake: serving platter of coconut sugar cookies

30. Coconut Cookies

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.

fun things to bake: baked brie topped with caramel and nuts, with a hand dipping an apple into the oozing cheese

31. 10-Minute Caramel Apple Baked Brie

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.

fun things to bake: a loaf of banana bread on a blue and white tie-dye towel, with a few pieces sliced off

32. Classic Banana Bread

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.

fun things to bake: angel food cupcakes topped with pink raspberry frosting

33. 30-Minute Angel Food Cupcakes

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.

fun things to bake: three slices of neapolitan pie with strawberry, vanilla and chocolate layers, topped with whipped cream

34. Neapolitan Pie

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.

fun things to bake: soft pretzel apple tart with a slice missing

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. The pretzel crust takes some time to rise to perfection, but you'll be glad you waited once you taste it.

fun things to bake: aerial of six homemade milano cookies on a plate

36. Homemade Milano Cookies

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.

fun things to bake: large peanut butter cup on a plate with a slice cut into

37. The World’s Biggest Peanut Butter Cup

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.

fun things to bake: aerial of caramel almond cake with a wedge missing

38. Caramel Almond Cake

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

fun things to bake: aerial of three cardamom creme brulees on a blue counter

39. Cardamom Crème Brûlée

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.

fun things to bake: brownie cupcakes topped with melted marshmallows, on a cooling rack

40. Brownie Cupcakes

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.

fun things to bake: plate of brigadeiro, classic chocolate in the middle and strawberry milk around them

41. 3-Ingredient Brigadeiro

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.

fun things to bake: two rosé-poached pears on plates

42. Rosé Poached Pears with Ginger and Vanilla

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.

fun things to bake: two microwave double chocolate cake bowls with spoons and whipped cream

43. Microwave Double Chocolate Cake Bowl

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

fun things to bake: mini caramel pecan pies with cinnamon roll crust on a plate

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 noshing on these nutty, caramelly delights after just one.

fun things to bake: aerial of no-bake, gluten-free rose petal brownies on a serving platter

47. No-Bake, Gluten-Free Rose Petal Brownies

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).

fun things to bake: three grapefruit meringue stacks topped with whipped cream and a slice of grapefruit

48. Grapefruit Meringue Stacks

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.

fun things to bake: sticky toffee honeycomb cake with a slice missing

49. Sticky Toffee Honeycomb 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.

fun things to bake: aerial of a pink plate of giant snickerdoodles with one split in half

50. Giant Brown Sugar Snickerdoodles

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.

fun things to bake: aerial of roasted apple pavlova with honey whipped cream and roasted apples

51. Roasted Apple Pavlova with Honey Whipped Cream

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

fun things to bake: aerial of skillet peach cobbler with a scoop missing, next to a plate with peach cobbler topped with whipped cream

52. Skillet Peach Cobbler

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.

fun things to bake: caramel coconut macaroons on a marble counter

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 for a wow-worthy finishing touch.

fun things to bake: aerial of puff pastry plum galette in a cast iron skillet

54. Puff Pastry Plum and Thyme Galette

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.

fun things to bake: aerial of strawberry pie with strawberry lattice crust

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 and infuse it with sweet-tart splendor.

fun things to bake: no-bake sugar cookie truffles topped with sprinkles on a plate

56. No-Bake Sugar Cookie Truffles

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

fun things to bake: thumbprint cheesecake cookies on a marble counter

57. Cheesecake Thumbprint Cookies

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.

fun things to bake: vegan gluten-free dark chocolate ginger tart

58. Vegan and Gluten-Free Dark Chocolate Ginger Tart

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.

fun things to bake: four mini mason jar apple pies

59. Mini Mason Jar Apple Pies

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.

fun things to bake: 15 shortbread cookies topped with edible flowers on a marble counter

60. Botanical Shortbread Cookies

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.

fun things to bake: close-up of sliced mixed berry galette on a wooden slab

61. Berry Galette

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).

fun things to bake: oreo-stuffed brownies on a cooling rack

62. Oreo-Stuffed Brownies

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.

fun things to bake: lemon pie with blueberry meringue with a slice missing, with a slice on a plate in the background

63. Lemon Pie with Blueberry Meringue

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.

fun things to bake: three berry souffles in ramekins, two pink and one blue

64. Blueberry, Blackberry and Raspberry Soufflés

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.

fun things to bake: aerial of cherry ginger pie topped with braided crust

65. Ginger Cherry 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.

fun things to bake: broiler s'mores on a flat griddle pan

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 and you're in business—no skewers required.

fun things to bake: three bowls of eggless edible cookie dough next to spoons

67. Edible Cookie Dough

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.

fun things to bake: aerial of mini key lime pies topped with whipped cream

68. Mini Key Lime Pies

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.

fun things to bake: front end of a sliced no-knead cinnamon swirl bread with a hand slicing into it with a knife

69. No-Knead Cinnamon-Swirl Bread

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).

fun things to bake: aerial of star-shaped sugar cookies topped with marbled tie-dye glaze

70. Tie-Dye Sugar Cookies

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.

fun things to bake: aerial of plum clafoutis with a spoon that removed a scoop

71. Plum Clafoutis

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.

fun things to bake: babka-ish monkey bread on a speckled rainbow cutting board, sliced

72. Babka-ish Monkey Bread

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.

fun things to bake: slice of raspberry tiramisu on a plate with the dish of tiramisu in the background

73. Raspberry Tiramisu

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.

easy snacks to make at home: Cake Batter Dip

74. Cake Batter Dip

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.

fun things to bake: brown butter marble cake

75. Brown Butter Marble Cake

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.

fun things to bake: malted sugar cookies

76. Malted Sugar Cookies

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.

fun things to bake: coffee-glazed molasses bars

77. Coffee-Glazed Molasses Bars

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?

taryn pire

Food Editor

purewow author

Freelance PureWow Editor