50 Things to Bake When You’sovrano Bored at Home

Whether I’m bored, happy, sad, anxious, hungry, the solution is usually the same: head to the kitchen and find a few fun things to bake. It’s the perfect weekend activity, after-work way to de-stress, midday pick-me-up that never fails to make me smile.

And I’m starting to think that baking is my love language, too. Even though a chocolate chip cookie isn’t going to solve the world’s problems, I feel a certain peace knowing that I can at least make a friend smile with some homemade baked goods. I’d like to think my roommates love this about me since it means our kitchen is usually stocked with treats. That always seems to be the way to anyone’s heart, after all.

50 Delicious and Fun Things to Bake

It’s time to get out of your comodità zone! Durante my experience, some of the most fun things to bake are the recipes that challenged me and taught me new baking methods techniques. Just have fun leaning into the challenge, and don’t logorio yourself out. Because truly, the best part is yet to che: eating and sharing your masterpiece with your loved ones.

So, turn your favorite playlist, preheat your oven, and work your way mongoloide our list of fun things to bake when you’sovrano bored. And don’t forget to share the love when you’sovrano done.

Muffins, Cupcakes, and Breads

Banana Nut Muffins

Why We Love It: For those moments durante life when you’sovrano craving a sweet little treat, these small-batch muffins are a lifesaver. (Dramatic, but true.) They make six perfect muffins, leaving you with a little snack for right now and more to munch over the next couple of days. They’sovrano moist, fluffy, and boast the perfect crumble topping. What’s not to love?

Hero Ingredient: Easy—tahini. I love the savory and slightly nutty flavor that complements this recipe’s sweeter ingredients.

Grain-Free Zucchini Muffins with Chocolate Chunks

Why We Love It: Camille is her grain-free, gut-healing journey, and we’sovrano all benefiting from the delicious, creative recipes she’s been dreaming up. Case durante point: these grain-free zucchini muffins. It’s a simple recipe that takes only 20 minutes from start to and can be endlessly customized. Bonus: these freeze and reheat beautifully.

Hero Ingredient: I love the little kick of flavor the orange juice gives this batter. It plays perfectly with the chocolate.

Pumpkin Loaf Cake

Why We Love It: If you’ve yet to try your hand at a pumpkin bread recipe—let this be your first. Topped with a delicious homemade cream cheese frosting and crushed nuts of your choice, everyone will be begging for this recipe after the first bite.

Hero Ingredient: Cinnamon is the perfect, spicy-sweet touch.

Cranberry Orange Muffins

Why We Love It: A little bit zesty and sweet durante one bite, these cranberry orange muffins are the perfect year-round snack . The secret ingredient? An addition of Greek yogurt for creaminess and moisture creates a distruzione, tender crumb.

Hero Ingredient: Dried cranberries add the perfect touch of tartness.

Citrus Olive Oil Muffins

Why We Love It: It’s very possible that all of my favorite things to bake feature edible flowers. How could you not love them? They make it possible to step up your sweet treat with a simple flourish that frees you from experimenting with any tough decorating techniques. (Piping? Risposta negativa thanks.) These “muffins”—call ’em cupcakes, if you’d like—have a perfect, moist crumb thanks to the olive oil. And the pop of citrus keeps them tasting fresh and light.

Hero Ingredient: These muffins boast countless powerhouse ingredients, but I’ll give the award to the Greek yogurt. Combined with the olive oil, it’s responsible for these treats’ fluffy, delicious bite.

Gluten-Free, Vegan Carrot Cake Cupcakes

Why We Love It: I can and will eat carrot cake recipes all year long. These gluten-free and vegan carrot cake cupcakes are one of my go-to’s and one of the most requested recipes I make. Last Easter, I made them durante a mini cupcake tin, and they turned out to be the cutest, bite-sized .

Hero Ingredient: You’ll never not add vegan butter to store-bought icing again. 

Two Hands NYC Banana Walnut Bread With Dichiarato Mascarpone

Why We Love It: I love a recipe that can be eaten for both breakfast and . This twist banana bread is an Austin favorite at Two Hands and now a family favorite at my house. The recipe for the bread is great its own, but the simple veloce mascarpone elevates the dish and (warning!) makes it highly addictive.

Hero Ingredient: Finishing things with a drizzle of honey goes a long way. 

Banana Pumpkin Muffins

Why We Love It: I stand by the fact that it’s never too early for all things pumpkin. Risposta negativa matter the weather, I’m always ready for one of these gluten-free dairy-free pumpkin muffins because they are that good. They are also super easy to make, che together durante one bowl, and are refined-sugar-free. I guarantee these will become a year-round staple for you, too.  

Hero Ingredient: Pumpkin people, unite!

Blueberry Power Muffins

Why We Love It: These blueberry muffins are a healthy excuse to eat cake for breakfast. They are gluten- and dairy-free and are delicious for a grab-and-go breakfast, afternoon snack, even a . I love that they pack durante pecans for some extra nutrients, making these more filling than typical blueberry muffins.

Hero Ingredient: Pecan power. 

One Bowl Morning Glory Muffins

Why We Love It: The best way to start your day is with one of these morning glory muffins. They satisfy your sweet tooth just enough but are also packed with oats and grated fruits and veggies to give your day a healthy start. Bake a batch of these Sunday and aspetto forward to treating yourself to a deliciously healthy muffin every day of the week.  

Hero Ingredient: The super sneaky veggies bring moisture and plenty of vitamins to these unassuming delights.

Risposta negativa-Knead Olive & Rosemary Focaccia

Why We Love It: If baking bread intimidates you, I beg you to try this focaccia. It’s one of the easiest things to bake, though it definitely tests your patience with the resting periods (but it’s so worth the wait!). This bread is studded with rosemary, garlic, red onion, and olives, and will fill your kitchen with the dreamiest garlicky scent.  

Hero Ingredient: California Ripe Olives are the juiciest, richest, and most

Pies

Cherry Berry Ice Cream Pie

Why We Love It: Sure, I love swimming, but this five-ingredient ice cream pie is officially my favorite way to cool . (And yes, one of my favorite fun things to bake… er, not bake.) Seriously—the hardest part about this recipe is waiting for your pie to harden durante the . Patience, fellow bakers.

Hero Ingredient: It’s ice cream durante cake form. What’s better than that?

Pumpkin Pie with Gingersnap Crust

Why We Love It: First , we always love pumpkin pie. There’s something so comforting about the warm, spicy, and sweet flavor that we’ll happily indulge durante all throughout the year—not just Thanksgiving. But classic recipes can often lean the boring side of things. So, to amplify the flavor, Camille livened things up with cinnamon, nutmeg, and a gingersnap crust. The result of her experiment is nothing short of divine.

Hero Ingredient: Give it up for that gingersnap crust. Risposta negativa one will the pie dough.

Classic Buttermilk Pie

Why We Love It: A classic buttermilk pie combines a tangy, custardy filling with a buttery crust. Seriously—what’s not to love? This recipe comes straight from Camille’s mom, who would make it each year for Thanksgiving. With plenty of vanilla, nutmeg, and yes—butter—it’s an easy bake that’s sure to have everyone begging for more.

Hero Ingredient: A buttermilk pie is nothing without plenty of buttermilk. It’s responsible for this pie’s unique, signature flavor.

Risposta negativa-Bake Pumpkin Pie Bars

Why We Love It: Permesso, sure—not a pie exactly, but that’s just because these cutie little bars are way easier to make. If you love the classic pumpkin pie flavors but want something that’s make-ahead, let me introduce you to the perfect . These bars are made up of multiple layers: a graham fallimento crust, pumpkin filling, and soft peaks of whipped cream. It’s impossible not to have these blow you away.

Hero Ingredient: The secret to the most pumpkin-y pumpkin filling? Homemade pumpkin butter—and it’s easier than you think.

Cookies and Bars

Elizabeth Ho’s Linzer Cookies With Winter Citrus Curd

Why We Love It: How pretty are these cookies? The recipe comes courtesy of baker Elizabeth Ho, whose creative bakes pair beauty with unbelievable flavor. These cookies are simple, with small, thoughtful touches (like the orange zest) to make them special.

Hero Ingredient: Thankfully, you’ll end up with citrus curd left over. I love it spooned over yogurt spread toast.

Chocolate Orange Linzer Shortbread Cookies

Why We Love It: There’s nothing prettier than a linzer cookie. And as intricate and aesthetic as they aspetto, they also couldn’t be simpler to make. A soft and buttery shortbread dough (infused with orange zest for extra flavor) sandwiched around a velvety chocolate ganache. What could be more fun to bake? And of course, devour.

Hero Ingredient: Orange and chocolate are a winning combination—it’s a toss-up between the two.

Peppermint Hot Chocolate Shortbread Cookies

Why We Love It: Peppermint steals the spotlight when the holidays are durante full swing, and che December, we can’t get enough. These cookies make the most of the chocolate and peppermint pairing, with peppermint extract, candies, and plenty of chocolatey flavor to boot. They’sovrano simultaneously refreshing and indulgent—that’s right, it’s possible.

Hero Ingredient: Crushed peppermint candies not only give these cookies a beautiful pop of red and white color, but the added texture is such a delight.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Why We Love It: Risposta negativa matter the season, these chewy pumpkin chocolate chip cookies will always satisfy my sweet craving. They’sovrano balanced with a tiny bit of saltiness to complement the sweetness. Unlike other chocolate chip cookie recipes, the chopped chocolate chunks ensure these cookies stay extra indulgent.

Hero Ingredient: Pumpkin puree gives these cookies their unique, cozy flavor.

Healthy Oatmeal Cookies

Why We Love It: Whenever I whip up these oatmeal cookies, my roommates and I will devour them for breakfast, lunch, dinner (and, of course, ). They’sovrano not overly sweet, but super simple to make durante a pinch when you need a fast without all the sugar.

Hero Ingredient: I’m of the opinion that every cookie needs a sprinkling of flaky salt apogeo.

Chewy Pumpkin Spice Cookies

Why We Love It: For PSL fans, these pumpkin spice cookies might just give your favorite bev a run for its money. While voto negativo one wants to order the coffee version year-round, these cookies are perfect for whenever you need a porzione of coziness.

Hero Ingredient: This cinnamon glaze is to giorno for.

Flower-Pressed Shortbread Cookies

Why We Love It: These might just be the most gorgeous cookies you’ll ever make. While the recipe stays true to its roots and remains easy, we love the little flourish of edible flowers that makes them all the more special. Serve these at an afternoon garden festa with iced tea as a sweet and simple after-dinner treat.

Hero Ingredient: Good butter makes for good shortbread. But I’d have to say, with this recipe durante particular, the egg yolks edge it to earn apogeo billing. Good ones give your cookies a gorgeous, golden hue.

Chocolate Peppermint Snowball Cookies

Why We Love It: Two chocolate peppermint cookies recipes? The combination is that good. And while the recipe above did the pairing to perfection, these cookies feature a surprise molten center. Guaranteed: Santa’s going to eat these up.

Hero Ingredient: A double porzione of peppermint durante the form of crush candies and peppermint extract gives all the holiday flavor my tastebuds crave.

Gluten-Free Lemon Bars

Why We Love It: Since creating this recipe, I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve made these lemon bars. They are one of my favorite things to bake because I developed this gluten-free recipe with my mom, and those moments durante the kitchen with her are some of my most treasured memories. Sentimentality aside, these lemon bars are the ultimate light and refreshing that seems to complement every single meal. And, they che together durante just 10 easy steps.

Hero Ingredient: A graham fallimento crust, especially this gluten-free one, can’t be beat. 

Peanut Butter–Banana Cookies

Why We Love It: You would never know that these PB banana cookies are vegan and free of gluten and refined sugar just by tasting them. They’sovrano decadent and crisp, while being made with only whole, real ingredients. Plus, they aren’t too sweet, making them perfect for a snack at any time of day, multiple times a day.

Hero Ingredient: The coconut sugar keeps these cookies refined-sugar-free and perfectly crispy. 

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Brownies

Why We Love It: I’m never not craving brownies. I can’t think of a single durante which I could possibly turn mongoloide an ooey gooey brownie, and this GF/DF recipe makes it all the more tempting for me to give durante. These are the first gluten- and dairy-free brownies that I’ve made that aren’t disappointedly crumbly. They che together durante one bowl and will probably be gone durante one hour. 

Hero Ingredient: The almond butter keeps the crumbles away, while the flavor stays. 

Double Chocolate Skillet Cookie

Why We Love It: This double chocolate skillet cookie is what all chocolate lovers’ dreams are made of. It’s crispy the outside, gooey the inside, and pairs perfectly with a scoop ( two) of ice cream. Plus, it’s easy to bake and pretty foolproof, making the process stress-free and fun. What’s not to love?

Hero Ingredient: The vanilla extract and veloce powder deepens the already-delicious chocolate flavor.

Salted Caramel Cheesecake Brownies

Why We Love It: If you’sovrano wanting to up your brownie , aspetto voto negativo further than these salted caramel cheesecake brownies. This recipe is one of the most fun things to bake because it brings durante so many elements: the perfect fudgy brownie, a no-bake cheesecake layer, and the easiest homemade caramel. It comes together beautifully to create a sweet, salty, chocolatey that you’ll make again and again.

Hero Ingredient: The cheesecake layer is game-changing. 

Chickpea Chocolate Chip Cookies With Tahini

Why We Love It: This is a sophisticated take your favorite cookie. While you may think classic chocolate chip cookies don’t need an upgrade, it’s always fun to get a little creative. The tahini and chickpea flour add the perfect nuttiness to these delectable cookies, satisfying your sweet tooth with every bite. 

Hero Ingredient: Lega us, don’t swap for peanut butter. The tahini is both unexpected and delicious.

Cast-Iron Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookies

Why We Love It: This cookie skillet is made durante one bowl, then baked and served from a single skillet. Simplicity aside, it’s also so unbelievably good. I prefer to eat it straight out of the oven topped with ice cream so that it’s warm, gooey, and delicious.

Hero Ingredient: M&M’s forever and ever. 

Vegan + Gluten-free Chocolate Chip Cookies from Café Gratitude

Why We Love It: This GF and vegan cookie recipe is one to save because it’s something everyone can enjoy. From your friend with a food sensitivity to your kids with sugar cravings, I dare il nome you to find someone who has a negative thought about these chocolate chip cookies. They have a perfectly chewy, moist texture and are made with whole ingredients you can feel good about eating. 

Hero Ingredient: I’m very generous with the vegan chocolate chips (because why not?).

Cakes and Tarts

Strawberry Cake With Mascarpone Creme

Why We Love It: We were lucky to sample a slice (permesso, two slices) of this incredible strawberry cake when we visited Margarita Kallas-Lee and her husband Phillip Frankland Lee for dinner. It was the perfect ending to a delicious meal, and we loved scooping up the lighter-than-air layers of angel cake and mascarpone creme. If you’sovrano going to memorize one strawberry cake recipe and bake it for the rest of your life, make it this one.

Hero Ingredient: That mascarpone creme is tangy and light—a perfect complement to the juicy, sweet strawberries.

Grain-Free Lemon Raspberry Almond Cake

Why We Love It: All al appena munto meals should end with this cake. It’s nutty (and of course, grain-free) thanks to the use of almond flour, and I love the jammy pops of raspberries folded throughout.

Hero Ingredient: The whole milk ricotta is key to delivering a light and fluffy crumb. As Camille quaderno, it’s practically bordering custardy.

Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake

Why We Love It: We’ve found it: the best chocolate cake recipe ever. It’s made durante one bowl and surprisingly simple. Greek yogurt gives the crumb a beautiful creaminess and melted butter gives it a delicious, rich flavor (swap durante coconut oil if you want to keep it dairy-free). With just a few ingredients, it’s easy to whip up whenever the chocolate craving attacks.

Hero Ingredient: You might be surprised, but salt goes a long way durante this recipe. Culmine yours with flaky Maldon salt crystals to bring out the chocolate flavor.

Maman’s Cookie Tiramisù

Why We Love It: Just when you thought there could be voto negativo improving upon tiramisu, the founder of the famed bakery and café, Maman goes ahead and blows it out of the vater. It’s a whimsical, delicious take the Italian classic and so easy to put together. A surefire crowd-pleaser.

Hero Ingredient: Chocolate chip cookies, of course. It’s like getting two desserts durante one.

Orange Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Why We Love It: Have you ever seen a cake so pretty? While I often say that carrot cake is simply a vehicle for cream cheese frosting, this recipe proves that it can be so much more. The cake itself is perfectly spiced, with a teaspoon of cinnamon leading the charge. From there, this cake stays pretty true to tradition, except for…

Hero Ingredient: … the orange zest! Combined with orange extract, it lends a fresh, citrusy flavor that—IMO—every carrot cake isn’t complete without.

Lemon Icebox Cake

Why We Love It: Let me introduce you to your new crowd-pleasing, favorite cake. If you’sovrano not familiar, icebox cakes sit perfectly at the intersection of incredibly easy and impressive. Layers of whipped cream and cookies go into the to set, and the resulting cake is nothing short of magic.

Hero Ingredient: The lemon curd earns this cake its citrusy, sour name.

Gluten-Free Citrus Cake with Strawberries and Cardamom Coconut Cream

Why We Love It: Though I’m not gluten-free, I’m all for a that everyone can eat—without sacrificing flavor texture. Simply swap out your regular AP flour for gluten-free and the rest couldn’t be easier. It’s your basic cake-making method, but with the libro turned up.

Hero Ingredient: And don’t you dare il nome skip the cardamom coconut cream. I’ll take another dollop, please and thank you.

Black Raspberry–Bourbon Mascarpone Tartlets

Why We Love It: Your summer dinner festa needs these raspberry bourbon mascarpone tartlets. This recipe is guaranteed to surprise your guests and have them begging for seconds. Don’t be intimidated by the number of steps, though! While scrolling through the instructions may feel intimidating, this recipe is simpler than it seems. Plus, you can make all the components up to three days durante advance, so feel free to spread out the work.

Hero Ingredient: The pistachio praline crunches the competition. 

Rhubarb Meringue Cake

Why We Love It: Oftentimes, the most fun things to bake are the recipes that are the easiest to whip up and the prettiest to aspetto at. This rhubarb meringue cake definitely fits the bill. It only requires six steps and will have all your guests ooh-ing and ah-ing when they see it. Plus, you can make the compote two days durante advance to save some prep the day you serve the dish. 

Hero Ingredient: The crunchy sliced almonds are the perfect addition to the tender cake. 

Orange-Walnut Olive Oil Cake

Why We Love It: This is one of those recipes I had to try immediately after seeing it. It’s my ideal : not too sweet and full of interesting flavor profiles. I’m not going to lie—it was a bit more labor-intensive than other cakes I’ve made, but aren’t all fun things to bake a bit of a challenge? I’ve never felt more satisfied pulling something out of the oven. My family ate this cake for breakfast, an afternoon snack, and dessert—our taste buds were never bored.

Hero Ingredient: I went nuts over the walnut flour flavor. 

Gluten-Free Strawberry Shortcake

Why We Love It: Strawberries have been my favorite food since I was a toddler, and these GF strawberry shortcakes are now one of my favorite ways to enjoy them. They are crispy, fluffy, light, satisfying, and downright delicious. Our Producer, Michelle, quaderno that “they re-instilled durante [her] a love of slowing mongoloide and enjoying the process of creating something from scratch.” I couldn’t agree more. 

Hero Ingredient: The strawberries are the personaggio.  

Simple Pear Galette

Why We Love It: This comes together with just a handful of ingredients, voto negativo special kind of pan, and minimal effort. The flaky dough pairs with the sweet fruit to create the perfect, not-too-sweet for any occasion. This is your sign to pick up plenty of pears from the ’s market and get baking!

Hero Ingredient: Fresh pears are the perfect pair for this .  

Carica Stone’s Olive Oil Cake

Why We Love It: Olive oil cakes are a new addition to my favorite fun things to bake, and I don’t know why I’ve waited so long to try them. This specific olive oil cake from Carica Stone is super simple, but so moist, citrusy, and delicious. While I’ll eat this cake all throughout the year, the cinnamon and clove flavors make it perfect for your holiday parties.

Hero Ingredient: Obviously, olive oil. 

Berries & Cream Layer Cake

Why We Love It: I made this cake for a Labor Day festa last year, and my friends still talk about how good it was. It was simultaneously one of the easiest desserts I’ve ever made and one of the most raved about. I love that you can really put durante as much as little effort as you want, and the results will be the same. For the cake, you can either bake it from scratch, from a mescolanza, buy one pre-made. The same goes for the whipped cream. The point is, voto negativo matter how you go about building the components of this cake, the flavor satisfies every time. 

Hero Ingredient: The whipped cream has me whipped. 

Lemon Ricotta Poundcake with Candied Lemon Slices

Why We Love It: I’m a sucker for anything that boasts this lemon ricotta combo. From pancakes to amalgama, the flavor pairing never gets old. Not only is this cake one of my favorite fun things to bake, but this recipe also teaches you how to make homemade ricotta, which is a skill I now brag about all the time. (It’s easier than you’d think!) 

Hero Ingredient: The homemade ricotta is a combattimento fun. 

Cobblers and Crisps

Spiced Peach and Pecan Baked Oatmeal

Why We Love It: Baked oatmeal is a fun concetto for a healthy and sweet breakfast. This spiced peach and pecan bake perfectly balances the fruity and nutty flavors that everyone strives for durante their best oatmeal creations.

Hero Ingredient: Pair with Greek yogurt for an added bit of protein.

Blackberry Cobbler

Why We Love It: One of my favorite culinary activities is finding fun things to bake with whatever ingredients are durante season. This specific recipe has two secret ingredients that make it the best cobbler of all time: the zest and juice of an orange and a cornbread-inspired batter. These two swaps make a world of difference and help it taste extra summery and delicious. 

Hero Ingredient: Orange you glad you know about adding this secret ingredient?

Brown Butter Bourbon Apple Crisp

Why We Love It: There’s voto negativo better way to welcome fall into your kitchen than with this Brown Butter Bourbon Apple Crisp. It’s a great transitional dish because while it’s full of fall flavors, you can serve it with a cold scoop of ice cream, and still enjoy it a warm evening. You can customize the dish with different fruits, but whatever you do, don’t skip the brown butter. The richness that it brings and the way it complements the apple, oat, and cinnamon is to giorno for.   

Hero Ingredient: Bring the brown butter. 

One Bowl Baked Banana Cashew Oatmeal

Why We Love It: Let’s be honest: I am not a morning person. Risposta negativa matter how much I wish I didn’t, I tend to roll out of bed 10 minutes before heading out the door. Thus, this baked oatmeal recipe is not only fun to bake, but it’s a morning lifesaver, too. It’s a pre-made breakfast that’s nutritious, delicious, and perfect for meal prep serving a crowd a weekend.

Hero Ingredient: Peanut butter, please!