It’s one of those cold, lazy Sundays when you wake up and just know you’re not leaving the house. So, you’ll need something to do that isn’t scrolling your TikTok For You page. Try distractibaking instead with these 24 baking projects that are just involved enough to keep your mind and hands busy, but still achievable for novice bakers. Let’s fire up the oven, shall we?
24 Baking Projects to Tackle on Chilly, Lazy Days, No Matter Your Expertise
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Published Jan 10, 2023
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- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 50 minutes
- Degree of Difficulty: medium
- Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser, make ahead, kid-friendly
We’ve never met a pie we didn’t fall for, and this cozy spiced number is no exception. The swoops and swirls of fluffy, cinnamon-kissed meringue don’t hurt either.
- Time Commitment: 2 hours
- Degree of Difficulty: medium
- Why I Love It: make ahead, crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly
You never had time to nail your dough-knotting technique...until now. And TBH, once you have that part down pat, the rest is pretty simple—even for newbies.
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 35 minutes
- Degree of Difficulty: easy
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, make ahead
Is it someone’s birthday? No, but these bites are too cute to pass up. Plus, it’s a blissful hour and a half of not looking at a screen. Why not let your kids help you decorate?
4. Chocolate Banana Bread Babka
- Time Commitment: 2 hours and 50 minutes
- Degree of Difficulty: easy
- Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser
You’re the fancy neighborhood bakery now. (Psst: If you end up with leftovers, which is unlikely, the babka makes for some incredible French toast.)
5. Strawberry Pie with Strawberry Crust
- Time Commitment: 2 hours and 45 minutes
- Degree of Difficulty: medium
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, special occasion-worthy
The secret to this pretty-in-pink crust is freeze-dried strawberries, which are blitzed to powdery perfection in a food processor with the rest of the dough ingredients. (Find them on your next trip to Trader Joe’s, or order some from Amazon.)
6. Apple Tart with Soft-Pretzel Crust
- Time Commitment: 2 hours and 15 minutes
- Degree of Difficulty: medium
- Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser, make ahead
The extra effort for a chewy pretzel crust (aka using a lye solution) is so worth it. Bonus points for painstakingly slicing your apples and arranging them like a true artiste.
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 45 minutes
- Degree of Difficulty: easy
- Why I Love It: kid-friendly, beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser, make ahead
We’re not sure who will get the biggest kick out of these Homer Simpson-inspired cookies. Will it be the kids or your Instagram followers?
- Time Commitment: 3 hours and 40 minutes
- Degree of Difficulty: easy
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, <10 ingredients
There’s something about bread-making that’s incredibly therapeutic, don’t you think? Stuff these beauties with smoked salmon and cream cheese, pulled pork or nothing at all (they’re tasty enough on their own).
9. Chocolate ‘High-Ratio’ Sheet Cake
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes
- Degree of Difficulty: easy
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly
High-ratio cakes use shortening instead of butter, which leads to a smoother batter and moister cake. This recipe isn’t particularly difficult to master, but it calls for the exact amount of chocolate we’re craving right now (which is a lot).
10. Lemon Pie with Blueberry Meringue
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 35 minutes
- Degree of Difficulty: medium
- Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser, make ahead
There’s a little bit of sunshine in every slice. Be sure to boil the filling for a full 30 seconds after adding the cornstarch. This will cook off any starchy flavors and guarantee that your pie sets properly.
11. Spiced Palmiers
- Time Commitment: 4 hours and 30 minutes
- Degree of Difficulty: hard
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, make ahead
Making puff pastry dough from scratch is no easy feat, but this shortcut version by Erin McDowell makes the task a bit more approachable. “It’s a new method of mine called rough puff pastry and it’s basically like making pie dough, you just do a few folds at the end,” she explains.
12. Cardamom Cream-Filled Bundt Cake
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 50 minutes
- Degree of Difficulty: easy
- Why I Love It: make ahead, crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy
This dreamy confection is a riff on semlor, a classic Swedish dessert that uses yeast to achieve a frothy, light-as-clouds texture. It's normally shaped into buns or a ring, but we simplified the task by using a Bundt pan.
13. Gluten-Free Apple Rose Tart
- Time Commitment: 2 hours and 25 minutes
- Degree of Difficulty: medium
- Why I Love It: gluten free, crowd-pleaser, make ahead, special occasion-worthy
Those stunning apple roses are floating like lily pads atop a sea of rich cinnamon custard and crispy pecan crust. The apples are soaked in lemon water before being shaped so they won't turn brown.
14. Easy Chocolate Marshmallow Cups
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes
- Degree of Difficulty: easy
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, make ahead
The trick to these giftable candies? Making the outer coating with coconut oil, so you don't need to temper the chocolate for a smooth, creamy exterior. The more you know.
15. Fig Tarte Tatin
- Time Commitment: 55 minutes
- Degree of Difficulty: easy
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, special occasion-worthy
Store-bought frozen puff pastry makes this sticky masterpiece way easier to pull off than you might think; the rest is all pantry staples. Did we mention the tatin comes together in a single skillet?
16. Ruby Red Grapefruit Panna Cotta
- Time Commitment: 2 hours and 20 minutes
- Degree of Difficulty: easy
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, gluten free
This elegant Italian dessert is definitely back in vogue, and we're chomping at the bit to try this wintry take on it. The grapefruit is a stellar palate cleanser for after a big meal.
17. Roasted Apple Pavlova with Honey Whipped Cream
- Time Commitment: 3 hours and 15 minutes
- Degree of Difficulty: medium
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, gluten free, special occasion-worthy
Caramelized spiced apples + fluffy meringue + honey-infused whipped cream = the fanciest edible trifecta we've ever seen. (We'd make double of the roasted fruit to serve over ice cream...just sayin'.)
18. Claire Saffitz’s Raspberry Almond Thumbprints
- Time Commitment: 2 hours and 30 minutes
- Degree of Difficulty: medium
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, special occasion-worthy, gluten free
Thanks to frothed egg whites and almond flour in the dough, these cookies are reminiscent of French macarons. Don't let that intimidate you though: The thumbprints only require a fraction of the time and skill to prepare.
19. Neapolitan Pie
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 25 minutes
- Degree of Difficulty: medium
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, make ahead
Sure, this tricolor pie may be a bit time-consuming, but it'll be worth it once you see the kids' faces light up at first slice. Offer yourself a shortcut by using store-bought crust.
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes
- Degree of Difficulty: easy
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, special occasion-worthy
Just before the cake is finished, sugar and slivered almonds are added to the top and baked until they transform into a crunchy caramel crust. Frosting who?
21. Grapefruit Meringue Stacks
- Time Commitment: 3 hours
- Degree of Difficulty: medium
- Why I Love It: gluten free, special occasion-worthy
Think of these cuties as a cross between pavlova and meringue pie. Here, the tart, citrusy curd cuts right through the marshmallow-y flavor of the meringue cookies.
22. Botanical Shortbread Cookies
- Time Commitment: 2 hours and 15 minutes
- Degree of Difficulty: easy
- Why I Love It: make ahead, kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients
The shortbread is as easy as ever to prepare. But now that you have some free time, you can give the edible flower toppers the attention they deserve.
- Time Commitment: 3 hours and 10 minutes
- Degree of Difficulty: hard
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy
The recipe calls for fresh, ground *and* crystallized ginger, which make their way into both the sour cherry filling and the gingerbread crust. Feel free to use frozen or canned fruit, as long as you don't skimp on the braided top.
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 20 minutes
- Degree of Difficulty: medium
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, gluten free, special occasion-worthy
You may think this torched dessert is passé, but we'd argue that the addition of fragrant cardamom makes this version timeless. Whole pods are steeped in the cream to infuse every bite with warm, herbal flavor.
Taryn Pire is PureWow’s associate food editor. A former bartender and barista, she’s been writing about all things delicious since 2016, developing recipes, reviewing restaurants and investigating food trends at Food52, New Jersey Family Magazine and Taste Talks. When she isn’t testing TikTok’s latest viral recipe, she’s having popcorn for dinner and posting about it on Instagram @cookingwithpire.
