25 Treats That Are Easy To Make (and Package) for a Bake Sale

We know how the road to the bake sale is paved with the best intentions. "It'll be right after that weekend," you might think, "I'll have time to make something special." But somehow, when the date rolls around, that's never how it is. It's more like, you're sitting at your kid's lacrosse game, realizing that the bake sale is tomorrow and you haven't even done your week's grocery shop yet. Well, we feel your pain... and luckily, we've got you covered. Here, you'll find our easiest and most-classic bake sale treats (from Bundt cakes to brownies) so that you can stop thinking, start baking and hopefully still get to bed at a decent hour.

If anyone has ever said to you, "oatmeal cookies are boring," monster cookies say, hold my glass of milk. These are about as bananas as a cookie can be that doesn't contain bananas. They're a textural party, loaded with oats, peanut butter, chocolate chips and chopped candy like peanut butter cups and toffee bits, along with brown sugar, which keeps that subtle butterscotchy quality that we love in oatmeal cookies, darnit, because this beautiful mess wouldn't work so well without that soulful base.

For those who need the lesson, puppy chow is what the Midwest calls the mixture of cereal squares, peanut butter, chocolate and sugar — what the rest of the country refers to as muddy buddies. The name is likely a winking acknowledgement of what the irresistible sweet snack mix looks like dog kibble — with an additional wink for the irony that no real dog should ever eat it. In any case, here, the puppy chow is given the crispy cereal bar treatment, mixed with buttery marshmallows and compressed into sliceable bars. We didn't think puppy chow needed a rebrand, but we'll happily eat these anytime.

Every home baker needs a good lemon pound cake recipe. This one inspires elevenses, that English tradition of a mid-morning snack, or an afternoon cup of tea. For the purposes of the bake sale, simply slice and wrap; you won't have to worry about this one drying out.

We know, it takes a lot of gumption to declare it, but we really do think these are the best chocolate cupcakes. Why? A bit of coffee to deepen their chocolatey flavor. A touch of buttermilk for the subtle tang that it lends to the crumb. Cake flour, for supreme tenderness. Don't take our word for it; give them a try.

Yas, queen — Ina brings us muffins with a yield of 16 (winning!) as well as ones that can be assembled the night before and baked morning of, if you're hosting guests. If you're going bake sale, however, we recommend going ahead and baking night before, so you can wrap them day-of. Their not-too-sweet tight yellow crumb is reminiscent of the best coffee cakes, with blueberries bringing a fresh jamminess that's welcome any time of day and alongside any beverage.

The sprinkles will get all the oohs and ahhs with these pretty cereal squares. But there are subtle touches that really make them extremely tasty. Crushed graham crackers add their particular salty-sweet note, and peanut butter and chocolate chips bring campfire vibes to the whole thing. Be sure to seek out seasonal sprinkles to match any bake sale theme.

Those of us who love cranberry have been known to buy extra bags at Thanksgiving time and put them in the freezer. But then what to do with them, besides make cranberry sauce again? Well, huzzah, they can be baked with right out of the freezer without defrosting, and they add that sour burst that we love so much to scones.

Brownies are always the first to go at the bake sale, and you needn't do more than bake up a box kit. But... it's also hard to beat a brownie with stuff in it, and it doesn't take more effort to get it in there. You can just rummage through your candy castoffs and your baking drawer to chop up any sweets and nuts you have; but Ree's recipe includes some extra inclusions (evaporated milk, for example) that will make for moist and heavenly brownies that bring all the elements together.

We promise, these truly are easy — easy enough that your kids can help you make them! Just pop open a tube of biscuit dough, then fill with a combination of cream cheese and guava jam. The pies are so fresh, fruity and unexpected. The crunchy sugar crystals on top give them that doting Grandma finish.

These are cookies that taste of the past (in a good way), that you can imagine Huck Finn stealing out of Becky Thatcher's lunchbox. In a world where chocolate steals all the attention, the ginger molasses spice cookie quietly calls you to eat one... and then another. Be sure to make a double batch so you can keep some home for yourself.

These don't rely on a box mix to save time. Instead, we can guarantee that the end result will be the most ideal vanilla cupcake we can think of, so you can rest assured that your from-scratch efforts will yield reward. Double down and top with vanilla frosting, switch it up and go chocolate, or go in any other direction you please. That's the beauty of an excellent vanilla cupcake, delicious on its own but blank canvas to go in just about any direction.

Oh, how we love a pound cake, and anything baked in a Bundt, and, good heavens, when those both come together. This is the best sort, delicious the day you make it and even better over the next few days. Just slice and wrap.

Don't forget your buddies who keep gluten-free! Even AP flour lovers will want these cupcakes, moist and tasting of fall with pumpkin and pie spices. Slice them in half and put them in the toaster oven slicked with butter, or swipe with cream cheese. Oh, yes.

Ina knows what you want a warm basket of before you do. That's true once again with these mapley scones, which get additional crumbly texture from the inclusion of oats. A maple vanilla glaze finishes these with beauty and that iconic woodsy sweetness.

These land squarely--pun intended--between cereal bar and energy bar. They're inspired by ordinary cereal treats, but they decrease the butter and add almond butter, for protein and creamy, nutty flavor. Freeze-dried strawberries folded in fit the vibe and add crunchy sour-sweet berry goodness.

These baked turnovers delight in their simplicity — both in flavors and in creation. Start with store-bought pie crust, and fill with cream cheese and chocolate chips, for that chocolate cheesecake vibe. Finish with sliced almonds that get toasty in the baking. We wouldn't say no to one of these for breakfast or for a snack.

And while we're on the subject of truly not messing around, Katie Lee Biegel might win today's prize for quickest move from pantry to cooling rack. Combine a box of spice cake mix with a can of pumpkin puree. Bam, cupcakes. The hardest part is making sure you have a fresh supply of muffin tin liners.

Since they're not technically baked, popcorn balls can often be forgotten for bake sales. But for that reason, they're the best kind of party guest when they show up. Molly Yeh's version incorporates rice crackers for extra textural play, plus sugar, soy sauce and furikake seasoning, for the most bonkers sweet-and-salty combination that you will not be able to stop snacking on. Hey, save some for the sale!

There are so many philosophies behind red velvet cakes, from the kind and amount of cocoa powder used, to whether the color gets a natural source (beets for natural vibrancy; the interaction between cocoa and acid for subtlety) or gets enhanced. Ina doesn't mess around. She goes for the deepest chocolatiness (get the good cocoa powder) and a gorgeous ruby hue (a splash of food coloring goes a long way). The cream cheese frosting is a must.

Is a scone the ideal first baking project beyond the box mix? We think so. The crumbly dough stirs together in no time, and lumps are not only acceptable but desireable! These have juicy bluberries throughout, and then a lemon glaze that adds a layer of sweet-and-sour that really makes them.

We know; these have the look that suggest that you've been in the kitchen all day. But trust us, they will come together easily. Just stir together the gingerbread layer and press in the pan, then stir together the pumpkin layer and dollop on top. Whip together the icing while it bakes, then zigzag over the whole thing from a snipped baggie.

We couldn't host a bake sale without oatmeal cookies! These are the best of breed, loaded with raisins and chopped pecans and enhanced with brown sugar and spices. Hey, they're a classic for a reason. A real IYKYK moment.

Blondies are what happens when a chocolate chip cookie dreams of becoming a brownie. That brown sugar-butterscotch flavor that you love in the cookie is present here, but in a package that yields a thick bar cookie that's high on chewiness (heaven!). Added bonus: They're much quicker to bake large quantities of than cookies.

Chocolate and banana make an instant hit right out of the gate. But using Mexican chocolate brings lovely notes of cinnamon and chile that really bring these muffins into the realm of sophistication. Don't worry, kids will still eat the heck out of them.