Secrets of Bake Sale Best Sellers: Brownies, Cupcakes…

Do you have a bake sale coming up this spring or summer? Maybe you have a favorite recipe that always flies off the table? We put together our first bake sale last year and were a little surprised by some of the best sellers. We've got some tips and recipes below to help make your bake sale a success.

When we organized our first bake sale last year, we took pains to choose recipes with really interesting flavors, thinking our creativity would win over potential shoppers. Our chocolate cookies were flecked with gin-soaked raisins and our lemon bars were packing not one, but two kinds of ginger. They were both quite good, and we eventually sold them all out, but they were definitely not the hottest sellers.

What did fly off the table? Well, some of the best sellers were fairly obvious while others were pretty surprising. If you have a summer bake sale coming up, we have a few tips for creating the most enticing items.

Chocolate, Chocolate, Chocolate
Sometimes the most obvious choice is the best one. Sure, it's great to have variety, but nothing beats a good old-fashioned brownie.

Recipe: Hershey's Ultimate Chocolate Brownies

More for Your Money
If you're making cookies, make them smaller and package them with several to a bag. Buyers will feel like they're getting a bargain.

Recipe: Chocolate Chip and Toffee Shortbread Cookies

Long Live Cupcakes
Think the cupcake trend is over? Think again. Don't believe us? Just watch how fast they disappear from your bake sale table.

Recipe: Lemon Cream Pie Cupcakes

Go Vegan
Vegan treats are sure to be popular, especially if there aren't many other vegan options. But just because it's not made with dairy or eggs doesn't mean it needs to be super healthy. Vegans like to indulge too!

Recipe: Vegan Chocolate Ginger Orange Cupcakes (This one's a triple threat!)

The Wild Cards
Now that we've made a few so-called "rules," feel free to break them. We noticed at our first bake sale that some lavender cookies and rosemary shortbread were really popular with the male customers. We wouldn't necessarily have predicted that, but that's what happens when you think you have people all figured out – they surprise you.

Recipe: Earl Grey Tea Cookies

A Few More Tips
When packaging your items, be sure people can easily see the goods. Avoid any large bows or stickers on the top of the package, because people will be looking down at the table as they shop. Also, if you're using cellophane, don't bunch it together at the top. It will look pretty, but you'll hide your delicious treats.

Also, look for recipes that can be made a day or two in advance. It takes some time to package items individually, if you're going that route, and you don't want to have to do all the work at the last minute.

What are your best bake sale tips and recipes? Let us know in the comments.

(Image: Flickr user tannazie, licensed under Creative Commons)

Comments (25)

candy apples also sell like crazy, and if kids are going to be around they usually love them.

Rice Krispie Treats - a favorite for people seeking out gluten free, plus they're make ahead.

Biscotti/Cantuccini etc. - make ahead, not messy, and lots of room to play with flavors.

What's the recipe for the picture? That looks really good.

Interesting hint about not bunching up your cellophane at the top -- that's just about the only way I wrap things with cellophane! Would you suggest wrapping more like a traditional present, and sealing on the bottom and sides with scotch tape?

http://operagirlcooks.com

Dog biscuits have been a huge hit at bake sales!

coco: i think an alternate might be to wrap it more like an flat envelope or wrapped to a plate.

If you have a food saver (or a 1970s equivalent, like my dad gave me) you can actually seal the cellophane bags.

For one of our fall bake sales I got everyone to give me their pumpkin seeds and I roasted them and packed them in 1 oz cups. A professor walking past bought them all up for her class, and I hadn't thought to save any for myself! My suggestion is to go with something seasonal that people don't often think to make for themselves.

Yeah.... I want the recipe for the picture too!!!

Sigismodo, I think that Rice Krispie cereal has malt flavoring, which is not gluten free, but it's been a while since I've looked at the ingredients. You can substitute Erewhom Crispy Brown Rice cereal though, and then it would be safe for celiacs. :)

Why are you teasing us with that picture and no recipe? I still buy the old fashion chocolate chip cookie at bake sales.

Coco - I'd fold the top down a few times to get a good seal, and turn to the depth of the contents, then either use a clear sticker/scotch tape on the back, so the contents are very visible, or if there's not much spare bag, fold to front and use a pretty sticker to hold down the wrap, and also to say what the contents are...
This link http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/candy-cane-marshmallows?backto=true&backtourl=/photogallery/edible-gifts#slide_21 shows roughly what I mean.
This link http://www.marthastewart.com/photogallery/televisions-cookie-packaging?lpgStart=1&currentslide=1&currentChapter=1#ms-global-breadcrumbs has other cookie packaging ideas, some of which could be altered to suit.

I've found people like a good bar cookie, some of my faves include:

Rocky Ledge Bars, loaded with chocolate, caramel, marshmallows, and more.
Caramel Cocoa Rice Crispy Treats, like Rice Krispies on chocolate steroids.
White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Blondies

And you can't have a Bake Sale without your classic Snickerdoodles, and Chocolate Chip Cookies.

As far as cupcakes go, sprinkles certainly draw attention, as do cute decorations, and bright colors.

And you must do super cute wrapping, and cute and easy to read labels! Great post! My friend and fellow food blogger is organizing a bake sale for flood relief here in Nashville, and the tips in this post will certainly help!

A woman in my office makes bars like the ones in your picture and they are to die for! I would love the recipe if you have it.

Thanks for the hints, hmo and Esther! Got it.

Hi all - Please note that at the bottom of every post there is an image credit with a link to the source of the image. This image is from Flickr and if you follow the link you can see the source. Maybe the photographer can provide a recipe?

HI guys! Thanks so much for featuring that photo from our Cookies Without Borders bake sale for Haiti earlier this year. Unfortunately, I have no idea what that particular sweet is, and where I can get a recipe -- we got tons of contributions and alas, I'm simply not that organized! sorry!!

This recipe slightly resembles the picture, and it looks delicious.

http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/rocky-ledge-bars?backto=true&backtourl=/photogallery/bar-cookie-recipes#slide_10

I personally go for the path less taken. Here's a pretty cool recipe for French macarons
http://mcswiggendesserts.blogspot.com/2010/01/classic.html

If you want to seal the bags and dont want to spend the money on a food saver, I bought a cheap flat iron (for hair - unused!), put it on the coolest setting and press it at the top of cellophane bags for a second or two to seal - any longer and the bag will melt. Not all cellophane bags are equal either so plan on trying it out ahead of time.

I would like to know the recipe for that deliciousness in the picture too!

They look like Magic Cookie Bars to me. I make the ones from "Vegan cookies invade your cookie jar", which uses sweetened condensed coconut milk instead of dairy, and it's a substantial improvement.

Oh my gosh! I am just gearing up for my first ever bakesale and, as always, the Kitchn comes through for me!

The sale is for charity and I'd like to cover my costs, and then donate any extra money made back to the charity. Does anyone have any tips for making tasty-looking treats at low cost?

Tasty-looking treats at low cost?
Use at least one luxury ingredient, so people feel they're getting something special...
I've been on a kick recently making classic Joy of Cooking sand tarts. Use Vietnamese or Saigon cinnamon - SOOO much better than regular http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/items/vietnamese-cinnamon-2-oz It is well worth the money and you will never want to use any other cinnamon. Perhaps some little free samples will persuade your customers to buy.

Christmas Sand Tarts – wonderful chilled, rolled & cut sugar cookies.

»1/2 cup butter (or margarine for vegans)
»1 cup sugar
½ t. lemon zest (1/2 small lemon)
»1 egg, beaten (can substitute with 2 T. water for vegans)
»1 3/4 cups sifted flour
»2 teaspoons baking powder
»1 egg white, unbeaten (sub. cornstarch slurry for vegans)
»1 tablespoon sugar
»1/4 teaspoon best-quality cinnamon

Cream butter and sugar and stir in well beaten egg. Sift flour and baking powder together, blend with first ingredients to make a soft dough. Set in refrigerator to chill. When cold, place on well floured board (or use powdered sugar), roll out 1/8-inch thick. Knead in more flour if needed. Shape with cutters. Brush with egg white and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture. Bake on a lightly greased baking sheet at 275 degrees about 20 minutes or until lightly browned.
Makes about 30 cookies.

Thanks for the vegan shout-out. :) Our Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale website has an extensive list of bake sale tips, plus links to other pages with bake sale tips. I'd like to add a link to this page. :) Here are the tips plus links: http://tinyurl.com/cdywu3

Unsolicited plug: The award-winning third annual Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale is April 23 through May 1, 2011. Voted "Veg Event of the Year" by VegNews magazine and covered by CNN.com. Participants decide how to use their proceeds. If you can bake, you can bake vegan. www.veganbakesale.org has signup form, vegan baking tips, up-to-date schedule, and much more. Spread the love, spread the frosting. Thanks!