Cupcakes!

I'm still thinking about those chocolate ones with the cinnamon butter cream icing!

In our area, pies goes over well because very few people make them homemade anymore, so they are a treat.

I think brownies and cupcakes are the best - easily eatable, cheap, and everyone likes them. Cupcakes should be in "normal" colors - white or yellow, no chocolate, though chocolate frosting is good. Muffins, too, though not too exotic.

Happy baking

Depends what type of bake sale it is. If it's just for the kids, not open to the community, then cupcakes, cookies and brownies win.

However, if it's open to the families and community, I have found that stuff Mom can throw in the freezer works well, fruit breads, scones , muffins, etc. In my experience Mom's want to buy something but don't necessarily want to use it right away. They are also likely to buy more if they know they can stash it in the freezer rather than eat that day.

Are the kids buying the treats during their lunch break or is this something for adults? Kids love cookies-I make chocolate chip with m&m's or chocolate thumbprints. At Christmas I've made gingerbread men, but those are very time consuming. The peanut butter cookies with the Hershey kisses are very popular. Just put a sticker on the package clearly stating they contain peanut butter! Snack mixes like puppy chow and the white trash mix also seem to do well. You could also do some chocolate dipped pretzle rods covered in sprinkles. Kids are naturally attracted to colorful food, hence the m&m's and sprinkles.

I actually have an email in to the coordinator because I don't really know who the target is...not sure what I'm doing - but now I feel a little less foolish for asking her those questions - LOL.

Thanks for the suggestions - the sale is at the school, but I'm not sure if staff is a target ?

what is the difference between a cupcake and muffin?

A muffin pretends to be healthy. ;-) Cupcakes have no pretense.

#1 - choclate chip cookies
#2 - brownies
#3 - cupcakes

No matter how many pans of brownies or cookies they have, that's what will sell.

What about rice krispy treats? Or their souped up cousins they Scotcheroos?

Hi punamytsike, both are made in small muffin/cupcake tins so are similar in size.

A cupcake is made with the same type of batter you make a regular cake with and then is iced with sweet icing, often a butter cream icing.

A muffin is a much heartier batter resulting in a texture more like a breakfast bread. Most often muffins have nuts and dried fruit and are made with hearty grains like oatmeal and whole wheat. They are not usually iced.

Cupcakes are used as a sweet treat or dessert, muffins for a breakfast bread.

Staaaaaaaaaacccccccciiiieeeeeeeeeeeeeeee Hi Ya !!!

When we have the VFW cake sale here everything goes.
Applesauce and Bannana cakes, go fast.

I've made upside down cakes, They are easy and impressive.

Sold Biscotti and Pizzelles

Even Waffles in Ziploc bags.
The Ladies Aux. make a ton of cakes.

Go for it !!!
Lou

LOL sushipup

Thanks for the explanation, Chase. Got it now and sorry for diverting from OP :)

I have a great cookbook on the subject.....

"Favorite Brand Name BAKE SALE Cookbook" that is full of "winning" (easy-to-make) recipes.

From experience, cinnamon and/or sticky pecan rolls are the first to go if you start selling early in the morning, followed quickly by brownies and chocolate chip cookies.

Bar cookies are simple to make, generally make a lot, and can be divided into single-servings or several multiple servings. Depending on the "crowd" you may make more money offering single-serving items (eat and run crowd).

I also suggest making 2-3 loaves of quick breads out of a recipe that makes a 9x5-inch recipe (two 7-1/2x3-1/2-inch loaves, or three 5-3/4x3-3/4-inch). Small bundt cakes, rather than one large one... You'll make more money on the smaller loaves/cakes than you will on one large one.

As a fluke, one year I made several recipes of "Chex Party Mix" for a bake sale and it ALL went within the first 15 minutes we opened, so you just never know.....

-Grainlady

I have to ask. . . what's white trash mix??

That's completely true about the difference between cupcakes and muffins. It's pretty much psychological.

Over in my neck of the woods, when my school would have a bake sale/football game, the rice krispy treats sold out long before any other items--and there were a lot of those rice krispy treats to sell, too!

I can't add much to what has already been posted. I only did bake sales for the humane society up at the lake when I lived there. Chex mix is a great idea and always a hit. I did spiced nuts one time too. Homemade bread, rolls, and sweet rolls always went fast.

Jessica, the version of white trash that I make is a combination of chex, cherrios, pretzels, and peanuts mixed with almond bark or white chocolate. There is another called puppy chow or trash that is a combo of peanut butter and chocolate then tossed in powdered sugar. It's the sweet salty thing that I love.

David

Good idea to use Puppy Chow and an assortment of other "nibbles".

Another easy-to-make mix....

SPICY-SWEET PRETZEL MIX
(source: Everyday Food - Sept. 2008)

2 c. thin pretzel sticks
1 c. natural almonds
2 T. unsalted butter
2 T. dark-brown sugar
1 T. water
1/8 t. cayenne pepper

1. Preheat oven to 300°F. Line a large rimed baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, toss together pretzels and almonds.

2. In a small saucepan, bring butter, sugar, cayenne, and 1 T. water to a boil, stirring constantly. Pour over pretzel mixture in bowl; gently toss to combine.

3. Spread pretzel mixture in a single layer on prepared sheet. Bake until almonds are crisp, about 20-minutes. Tossing occasionally. Cool on sheet before serving. (To store, keep at room temperature, up to 5 days.

Note: 1/8 t. cayenne pepper may be too hot for some folks.

Makes 8 servings: 171 calories; 12 g fat, 4.4 g protein, 12.6 g carb, 2.4 g fiber

Like David said, white trash is a snack mix coated in white almond bark or white chocolate chips. Here's my recipe.

1 10oz package mini pretzels
5 c frosted cheerios
5 c corn chex
2 c dry roasted peanuts
1 lb m&m's
2 12-oz packages Nestle white chocolate chips
3 T vegetable oil

In a large bowl, combine first five ingredients. Melt chips and oil over low heat. Stir until smooth. Pour over cereal mixture and mix well. Spread onto 3 wax paper lined cookie sheets. Cool and break apart. Store in an airtight container. Makes 5 qts

Great ideas everyone! I'd have never thought of the puppychow/white trash - or chex mix. I think I will do one of those - in addition to some cupcakes with sprinkles. I'd never be forgiven if I sent everything I made into the sale...so making two things will allow me to keep a little of each at home for the kid. :-)

I did hear that it's a quick sale at the end of the day and kids usually grab a thing or two and take on the bus.

Thanks so much!!!

Those snack mixes sound good! I will bookmark this thread for future snacking. Thanks for the recipes!