21 easy baking recipes ready in under an hour
delicious. team
Baking at home doesn’t have to take all day in order to end up with something spectacular – our peanut butter brownies, warm Nutella puddings and choc chip cookies are all testament to that. Find 21 of our best easy baking recipes that can all be made (and baked) in under an hour. There’s no reason NOT to put your pinny on and whip up one of these treats.
Or better yet, bake something to share with friends or neighbours and put a smile on someone’s face during these challenging times.
From a classic Victoria sponge to the gooiest chocolate chip cookies, these easy baking ideas are proof that some of the best-tasting treats are the simplest to make. Discover them all and have a scroll…
Don’t ever let anyone tell you you’re too old to eat a butterfly cake. You’re absolutely not.
Seriously gooey chocolate chip cookies
These gorgeously gooey beauties only take 15 minutes to make and 15 minutes to bake. What are you waiting for?
Get the kids involved with making these easy, buttery biscuits filled with spoonfuls of their (your) favourite jam.
Healthier peanut butter flapjacks
We’ve swapped sugar and golden syrup for dates and agave syrup in this healthier flapjack recipe, perfect for a speedy breakfast or wholesome snack.
The best thing about chocolate brownies is that they’re difficult to get wrong. You don’t need to worry about them not rising in the oven (the more dense and fudgy, the better) and they always taste fantastically indulgent. The real key to success is in the cooking; under-bake them if anything. A slight wobble in the middle is perfectly fine as they’ll firm up a little more as they cool.
You only need two ingredients to make these super indulgent puddings – watch to find out what they are…
The secret to this beautifully moist carrot cake is to soak the raisins in sherry for 2 minutes until plump and juicy. It’s not time-consuming to do and makes ALL the difference!
Peanut butter and salt is an utterly addictive combination, much like these quick and easy cookies.
A classic Victoria sponge traditionally doesn’t contain cream – just a thick layer of good strawberry jam. Test this bake out at home, or for something slightly different, check out our extra rich almond Victoria sponge filled with orange buttercream and raspberry jam.
When you fancy the sugar-coated crunch of a doughnut, but don’t have the time (or patience) to make one…Martha Collison has solved this conundrum with her speedy mini doughnut muffins. Once you’ve made the batter, they only take 8 minutes to bake in the oven!
Blueberry and lemon cake squares
Donal Skehan brings new sweet and citrusy meaning to afternoon tea with this easy lemon and blueberry traybake.
These chocolate cupcakes use the all-in-one method so they’re a breeze to make. Whip them up for a birthday party or rainy day treat.
Easy scones, classic scones, lemon cube scones and blueberry scones…We’ve got so many scone recipes to choose from and they’re ALL quick and easy. Turn to this bake when you need a speedy sweet treat – and don’t forget the jam and cream!
You won’t believe how easy (and impressive) these peanut butter swirl brownies are to make. Whip up the batter in 15 minutes before popping in the oven to firm up (but not too much!).
Chocolate and pistachio Viennese whirls
A Viennese whirl is a melt-in-the-mouth, oh-so buttery biscuit. Usually, they’re sandwiched together with buttercream, but we’ve dipped these beauties in melted chocolate instead for an easy-to-do update.
Tip: next time, add almond extract or orange zest to the dough in step 1 for a flavour twist. And if you prefer, try dunking them in white or dark chocolate instead.
Nigella Lawson’s chocolate biscuits
We bet you already have these four ingredients in your cupboard at home…
These wholesome muffins contain carrot and banana for a seriously moist texture and are topped with a crunchy muesli crumble. Nibble on one with a strong coffee for a moreish elevenses snack.
Mary Berry knows a thing or two about doing a simple thing well. Try her malted chocolate cake: a subtle chocolatey sponge made with malt chocolate powder and filled with a thick layer of chocolate buttercream. It’s a delight to eat!
Proper shortbread shouldn’t contain much more than three core ingredients: namely butter, sugar and flour. Don’t compact the dough too much or they’ll have a tough texture – the result should be buttery and crumbly yet light.
Curly Wurly raspberry traybake
We’ve topped this chocolatey traybake with pieces of Milky bar, Curly Wurly and a swirl of raspberry sauce – it’s a dreamy trio and one that’s best served warm from the oven.
This healthier banana bread recipe is made with olive oil, natural yoghurt and four ripe bananas which gives it a moist yet fluffy texture. It’s quick to throw together, then requires 45 minutes in the oven to form a golden, crunchy crust on top. Serve it in multiple ways, with butter, a drizzle of honey or a dollop of your favourite nut butter.
Still searching for more sweet creations? Check out our best-ever chocolate cake recipes, keep it classic with carrot cake or make something big to share with friends and family with our teatime traybakes.
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