What to Bake – The Big Bake Sale for Social Justice

Believe it or not, the answer is relatively simple: bake what you like to eat.

For most bake sale customers, this will be an impulse buy. They might see a coffee cake that would be great for feeding a crowd the next morning, a pie to serve after dinner, or an irresistible cookie, cupcake, or brownie for immediate gratification. A range of serving sizes is a good thing, so don’t be afraid to donate a whole cake if that’s your thing.

Cute, decorated items have a broad appeal, especially for kids, but don’t feel like it’s necessary to leave your comfort zone. In fact, baking is often all about comfort. An adorably decorated cupcake will sell, and so will a classic chocolate chip cookie.

If you adhere to any special diets like vegan or gluten-free, stick to that, someone else will be interested as well. Just ask yourself what you would be likely to buy, and your answer to the question of what to bake will follow.

Bake Sale Goodie Guidelines:

Items must be individually wrapped for sale. According to Texas Cottage Food Law, however you package your items is how they must be sold. Some examples would be individually wrapped Krispie treats, half a dozen cookies in a bag, or a whole pie in a box.
Clearly label all items. Don’t make sale-goers guess what your goodies are. Label each item clearly with a tag or sticker, and be sure to include any important dietary or allergy info. (Gluten-free, contains peanuts, etc.) You may also include your social media handle or website if you like.
Non-perishable foods only. To accommodate Texas Cottage Food Laws, all items must be safe to store at room temperature. This means no cheesecakes, whipped cream, or other delicate items.
Consider the climate. Most of our sales take place outdoors, so items that melt or fall apart easily in hot Texas weather aren’t great choices for the bake sale.
Leave off the price tags. All of our sales run using a “by donation” format. That means that we don’t put prices on any items. Folks just pick out whatever they like and make a donation of their choice.

Whatever you decide, sign up today so that we can begin gauging how much we will have available at each location (just put “TBD” if you’re undecided, we’re okay with that, but it helps us to know that people are planning to bring something).