15 Last-Minute Bake Sale Goodies (Because You Totally Didn’t Forget)

updated May 19, 2023
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Credit: Lauren Volo

You thought the school bake sale was on your calendar, until you realize it’s in a few hours and you completely forgot. Or maybe you volunteered to bring in some sweets for your coworker’s birthday, which is tomorrow. Don’t start panicking just yet. Before you grab your keys and run to the store to rummage the cookie aisle, know that you can still win at this thing.

There are a slew of quick and easy treats that will be a success. These 15 recipes can be made in next to no time and you probably already have the ingredients for most of them in your pantry already. So you can head to the kitchen instead of the store and feel confident that you’ve got this whole thing under control.

Last-Minute Bake Sale Goodies

1 / 15
Pantry Cocoa Brownies

These decadent pantry cocoa brownies that are so delicious, you may find yourself making them even when you have a kitchen packed with groceries.

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2 / 15
Dorie Greenspan's Blondies
Dorie offers three ways to make blondies: as drop cookies, as a more traditional bar cookie, and in a muffin tin for crispy, chewy edges.
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3 / 15
Chai-Spiced Popcorn Bars

Channeling crispy marshmallow treats and coating the popcorn with butter, melty marshmallows, and a homemade chai spice blend to keep things interesting.

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4 / 15
Classic Oatmeal Cookies

When it comes to cookies, it’s hard to beat a warm, freshly baked batch featuring the dynamic duo of oats and raisins.

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5 / 15
The World's Easiest Cookies
You just need four ingredients and a little elbow grease to make macaron-flavored cookies that are crisp on the edges and chewy in the center.
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6 / 15
No-Bake Salted Chocolate Oatmeal Bars
A mash up of Rice Krispies Treats & granola bars, with a double layer of marshmallow coated oats with a dense slick of salted chocolate through the center.
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7 / 15
Graham Cracker Cookies

These graham cracker cookies possess the qualities of any desirable cookie: crispy around the edges, with a super-soft, chewy center.

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8 / 15
Better-than-the-Box Rice Krispies Treats
The minimalist dessert gets a maximalist upgrade.
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9 / 15
Brown Butter Sugar Cookies

Rich and nutty brown butter is a special ingredient with the power to make everything it touches taste a little more luxurious — including sugar cookies.

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10 / 15
PB&J Crumble Bar Cookies

Smooth peanut butter is the base for an easy dough that does double duty as both the crust and the crumble topping layer. In the middle goes Concord grape jelly, but you can of course substitute your favorite jelly instead if grape isn’t your thing.

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11 / 15
Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies

What’s better than chocolate chip cookies? Chocolate chip cookie dough in your freezer that’s ready to go whenever a cookie craving hits.

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12 / 15
White Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake Bark

White chocolate gets a tangy lift from lemon zest, and it’s topped with crisp graham crackers, crunchy sliced almonds, and chewy, sweet dried cherries.

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13 / 15
Magic Cookie Bars
Crispy, sandy, creamy, gooey, sweet, chocolatey, and nutty — this recipe is part-candy, part-cookie, and all delicious.
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14 / 15
No-Bake Nutella Peanut Butter Cookies

These are quick, easy, and oh-so-delicious, with a touch of Nutella and Frangelico chocolate peanut butter. Nutella makes everything better, and these tasty treats are no exception.

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15 / 15
4-Ingredient Banana Oat Bars
Quick and easy gluten-free banana oat bars that are sweetened with dates, studded with walnuts, and finished with a honey yogurt glaze.
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