20 Baking Recipes For Beginners

Are you a beginning baker wondering what to try first? This list of 20 baking recipes for beginners is a great place to start. It’s by no means comprehensive, but I included some of my favorite desserts that anyone can make, divided into four categories: Cookies and bars, breads, cakes and pies.

Otherwise, do you want to start with a gorgeous show-stopping recipe that’s much easier than it looks and will wow friends and family? Try my most popular recipe: Pavlova. It’s an ethereal meringue with a crisp exterior and a soft, light interior.

Before you start, I also highly recommend you make your own vanilla extract. It’s easy, fun to make, and one of the most common baking ingredients.

Or, if you’re looking for tips about a specific dessert, I have helpful guides and FAQs on a variety of topics:

Lastly, don’t be afraid to make mistakes. They are part of the fun. Happy baking!

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17 Chocolate Desserts To Eat All Year

Hot Chocolate Cake | ZoeBakes by Zoë François

Chocolate is romantic, dramatic, purported to have healing properties, and is absolutely delicious. The wonderful flavor is representative of devotion and love. Chocolate can come in so many forms that even those who don’t consider themselves chocolate fanatics almost always find a chocolate treat to love. Below you will find a primer on all things chocolate, so you can learn all the tips and tricks for baking with chocolate. When I set out to write Zoë Bakes Cakes the very first cake I put in its pages was my Devil’s food recipe, which is deep, dark, and full of cocoa. You’ll find cakes, pies, tarts, and many other chocolate desserts in this post.

Below is a chocolate overview, answers to frequently asked questions, and 17 favorite chocolate recipes!

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A Bunch of 13 Sweet Banana Desserts

I have to admit I get a little excited when my bananas are overripe. A slightly brown, soft banana with a peel that almost falls off is perfect for baking. The natural sweetness of the banana really shines, and they are easy to mash for a bread or pastry recipe. This list of my favorite banana desserts includes everything from banana pudding to banana cream pie to variations on the banana bread. If you’re stuck on what to try first, I would steer you toward the classic banana bread or the banana pudding, but you can’t go wrong with any of them!

Looking for more fruit dessert recipes? Might I suggest strawberry desserts, blueberry desserts, and pear desserts next? Enjoy!

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10 Most Popular Recipes of 2023

Happy New Year! We all say it every year—the days flew by! My 2023 was packed with more amazing experiences, recipes and fun. Season 3 of Zoë Bakes hit the air.  My newsletter featuring recipes, Q&As, and so much more continued to grow. And, of course, I got to share all kinds of recipes and fun with family, friends, colleagues and all of you! To wrap up the year, I put together a list of my 10 most popular recipes of 2023. As always, it’s an eclectic and fun list featuring all kinds of flavors and treats. If you’ve tried any of these recipes, would you be so kind as to leave a rating/review? It helps other people find them more easily. Cheers to a new year!

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10 Tasty Mini Treats For Gifting and Gatherings

Desserts are my favorite party favors! Tasty minis that friends and family can bring home after a party are a joy to make and even better to gift. Or, you can make a plethora of treats to stuff in stockings on Christmas morning. There are so many ways to use fun little treats, and this list of 10 are some of my favorites in times that call for mini versions of favorite sweets!

Looking for more tasty bite-sized ideas? Check out my cookie guide, including 22 recipes or my fun cupcake recipes!

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