These easy baking recipes are perfect for beginners in the kitchen or when you’re short on ingredients. They are easy to follow, prepared with minimal ingredients and baking tools. Most importantly, they’re absolutely delicious and most of them rank among my top recipes according to readers’ reviews. Pick your favorite and go make it!
I recently shared my 10+ Easy Vegetarian Pantry Recipes with the idea to help you create some delicious everyday meals with just a few simple and affordable pantry staples and long shelf life ingredients. I’m back today with a slightly different version, focusing on desserts and baking recipes. Because eh, we all love sweet recipes, right?
These following easy baking recipes count among my favorites. They are the ones I bake the most often, when I have guests showing up for an informal get-together. Yes, even as a passionate baker, I always find comfort in baking easy and dessert recipes.
Easy baking recipes
These baking recipes are incredibly easy to prepare, require just a few minimal ingredients (see below), and basic baking tools we all have at home: a mixing bowl, a whisk, a spring-form or a cake tin.
Minimal ingredients you’ll need for the following recipes:
- All-purpose flour
- Sugar
- Eggs
- Butter
- Baking powder
Orange Pound Cake
Easy Orange Pound Cake. This is one of your favorite recipes from the blog. Over the years, this quick pound cake has been baked countless times, worldwide, and the recipe always comes up with tons of positive comments. If you’re looking for a moist and tender cake with freshly squeezed orange juice, this is the one!
Ingredients you’ll need:
- All the basic ingredients mentioned above
- 1 orange
Dark Chocolate Fondant Cake (A 15-minute recipe)
Dark Chocolate Fondant Cake. This is my all-time chocolate fondant cake, that I have been baking for over 15 years. With less than 5 minutes preparation and 17 minutes baking, there’s nothing not to love about it. And if you feel a little bit more comfortable in baking, make sure you also try my French Chocolate Cake (the recipe is simple too, it simply requires you whip up egg whites).
Ingredients you’ll need:
- All the basic ingredients mentioned above, minus the baking powder
- Dark chocolate
Easy Lemon Tart
Easy Lemon Tart. Only 5 ingredients for this Easy Lemon Tart, packed with refreshing flavors. It’s my husband’s favorite baking recipe from the blog, because it’s always so quick and simple!
Ingredients you’ll need:
- Crumbled cookies (Digestive, Graham crackers or Speculoos)
- Lemons
- Condensed milk
- Eggs
French Yogurt Cake (Gâteau au yaourt)
French Yogurt Cake. This no-measure cake is a classic in France, and usually one of the very first cake kids learn how to bake. There is a reason behind: it’s extremely simple to bake, in no time, and you don’t even need to measure your ingredients or use measuring cups. Your yogurt container is the unique measurement tool you need. Super easy!
Ingredients you’ll need:
- All the basic ingredients mentioned above, minus the butter (replaced with vegetable oil)
- 1 yogurt container (about 125g yogurt)
French Chocolate Chip Viennoises (almost no-kneading)
French Chocolate Chip Viennoises. With only 4 minutes to knead the dough, you’ll finally find kneading recipes easy! In fact, there is absolutely no way you can fail with this recipe. The result is soft, pillowy, loaded with chocolate chips… and slightly addictive!
Ingredients you’ll need:
- All the basic ingredients mentioned above, minus the baking powder (replaced with yeast)
- Chocolate chips
Lemon Poppy Seed Loaf
Lemon Poppy Seed Loaf. This is a brand new on the blog and so many of you have already tried their hands on the recipe. Perfectly moist, tender, and packed with delicious lemony flavors, it’s a winner every single time. You can enjoy it with or without poppy seeds!
Ingredients you’ll need:
- All the basic ingredients mentioned above
- Lemons
- Milk
- Poppy seeds (you can also go without)
Healthy Extra Moist Chocolate Cake
Healthy Extra Moist Chocolate Cake. Flourless, butter free and naturally sweetened with dates, this cakes has an incredibly moist texture and a delicious chocolaty flavor. You would never guess it’s healthier than a classic version. Good to know: you will need a food processor for this recipe.
Ingredients you’ll need:
- Dark chocolate
- Dates
- Eggs
- Vegetable oil
- Baking soda
Buttermilk Banana Bread
Buttermilk Banana Bread aka the best moist banana bread ever! You have a few extra ripe bananas to use? This is the recipe that will save your day, and believe me, you’ll come back to it again and again. It seems everyone is hooked!
Ingredients you’ll need:
- All the basic ingredients mentioned above
- Ripe bananas
Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies
Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies. I’ve got plenty of cookie recipes on the blog but for some reason, the most decadent one is also the easiest to bake. These New-York style Levain Bakery Cookies are just out of this world. Make sure you read the instructions for best results, but really there’s not much to do, just make sure you use up all the chocolate chips and walnuts mentioned in the recipe to get some thick, giant cookies.
Ingredients you’ll need:
- All the basic ingredients mentioned above
- Walnuts
- Chocolate chips
Best Apple Crisp
Best Apple Crisp. Finally an easy baking recipe with… fruits! This easy crisp can be prepared with apples, but pears, berries or even bananas would do too. Just follow your mood of the day!
Ingredients you’ll need:
- All-purpose flour
- Sugar
- Butter
- Apples (or any fruits of your choice: pears, bananas, berries…)
Double Chocolate Greek Yogurt Banana Bread
Double Chocolate Banana Bread. Rich and chocolaty, this banana bread is super easy to prepare and a great twist to the traditional banana bread recipe.
Ingredients you’ll need:
- All the basic ingredients mentioned above
- Ripe bananas
- Yogurt
- Cocoa powder
Easy French Toast Casserole
Easy French Toast Casserole. If you happen to have some stale bread (or better, brioche), this recipe will save it and make a delicious breakfast recipe for the entire family. You can also enjoy it as a dessert, served with a ball of vanilla ice cream.
Ingredients you’ll need:
- All the basic ingredients mentioned above, minus the baking powder
- Stale bread or brioche
Also, don’t miss these basic breakfast recipes
The two next recipes do not require to be baked in the oven. All you need is a pan to make the magic happen. I love them for breakfast, but really they’re good anytime of the day. They’re super easy, always a success among both kids and adults. I also added my favorite no-knead bread recipe!
Easy Fluffy American Pancakes
Easy Fluffy Pancakes. These pancakes are my #1 recipe on the blog for a reason. They’re super simple to prepare, taste better than pancake mix and turn out fluffy every single time!
French Crepes
Easy French Crepes. We all need a basic crepes recipe to rely on. This one never disappoints and comes with these 10 Easy Tips & Tricks to help you become a crepe master!
No-Knead Bread
Easy Classic No-Knead Bread. It’s become a basic in your kitchen lately, the one bread recipe that never fails and brings you fresh bread in the morning. Flour, yeast, salt and water… So easy! Feel a little bit more adventurous? Make sure you try my 5 No-Knead Bread Recipes (including one with whole-wheat flour, one with seeds, etc.).
I hope these easy baking recipes (with minimal ingredients) leave you full with inspiration for your next baking projects in the kitchen. Nothing ever makes me happier than seeing you making my recipes. Now tell me, I’m curious, which one of all the recipes above will you be trying first? 🙂
Did you make one of these recipes?
If you made one of these recipes, be sure to leave a comment and give this recipe a rating, letting me know how you liked it. And of course, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Thank you and enjoy!
Jennie
I’m going to try either the double chocolate yogurt banana bread or the french Viennoises. I hope that I don’t overbake them!