Our Favorite One-Bowl Baking Recipes That Make Cleanup a Breeze (2024)

Maybe you love to bake—but cleaning up isn't your favorite. If so, you're not alone. Unfortunately, many recipes for baked goods require several bowls for measuring and mixing. Cake recipes often call for one bowl for dry ingredients, another for creaming butter and sugar, and sometimes even a third for mixing it all together.

When you want the joy of baking without the hassle of cleanup, try our smart, streamlined recipes for cakes, cookies, brownies, muffins, and quick breads. All require just one bowl for mixing—or come together in the food processor or mixer. But just because they're straightforward recipes doesn't mean they scrimp on taste—you'll find plenty of glorious flavors packed into these fuss-free desserts.

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Martha's Plum Skillet Cake

Our Favorite One-Bowl Baking Recipes That Make Cleanup a Breeze (1)

A simple skillet cake like is as easy and delicious as it gets. Slices of fruit in the batter are all the decoration this cake needs. Serve it with whipped cream, crème fraîche, or ice cream for a truly crowd-pleasing dessert.

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02of 16

Blondies with Chocolate Chips and Walnuts

Our Favorite One-Bowl Baking Recipes That Make Cleanup a Breeze (2)

What's not to like about this treat? Our unbeatable blondie recipe combines the buttery flavor and chocolate chips from everyone's favorite cookies with the appealing texture of the best brownies.

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03of 16

One-Bowl Chocolate Cake

Our Favorite One-Bowl Baking Recipes That Make Cleanup a Breeze (3)

Birthday? Anniversary? Going-away party? No matter the occasion, this super-easy, one-bowl layer cake is the perfect dessert for any gathering where chocolate lovers are expected to make an appearance.

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04of 16

Fig Crumble Bars

Our Favorite One-Bowl Baking Recipes That Make Cleanup a Breeze (4)

Using one batch of dough for both the crust and streusel topping in this fruit-packed favorite means fewer dirty dishes—in fact all you need is the food processor.

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05of 16

Chocolate-Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie

Our Favorite One-Bowl Baking Recipes That Make Cleanup a Breeze (5)

Skillet cookies are magical. They offer minimal cleanup, but deliver maximum flavor. Made in one bowl, baked in a skillet (no special pans needed), and cut into slices to serve, this giant, fudgy chocolate version is just irresistible.

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Raspberry-Filled Molten Chocolate Cupcakes

Our Favorite One-Bowl Baking Recipes That Make Cleanup a Breeze (6)

These are fancy enough for company, but require only one bowl, a hand mixer, and six ingredients. Raspberries are sprinkled between two layers of chocolate batter that bakes just long enough for the exterior to solidify, while the center remains deliciously gooey.

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Morning Glory Muffins with Banana

Our Favorite One-Bowl Baking Recipes That Make Cleanup a Breeze (7)

Ideal for breakfast and dessert, these muffins are beyond easy to make. An added bonus? They're low in fat but surprisingly moist, thanks to the carrots, banana, and raisins.

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Breton Butter Cake

Our Favorite One-Bowl Baking Recipes That Make Cleanup a Breeze (8)

Those French bakers know a thing or two; this supremely simple cake uses just one bowl, but produces an irresistible confection with a crisp, dense, almost shortbread-like texture.

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Busy-Day Dump Cake

Our Favorite One-Bowl Baking Recipes That Make Cleanup a Breeze (9)

This chocolate cake recipe wins for most minimal cleanup—the ingredients are blended in the very pan that goes into the oven. Plus, you don't even need an egg to make this delicious dessert. Instead of making frosting, serve the cake with vanilla ice cream.

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Flourless Peanut-Chocolate Cookies

Our Favorite One-Bowl Baking Recipes That Make Cleanup a Breeze (10)

These chocolate chip and peanut-studded peanut butter cookies are a snap to make. Not only are they flourless, but they're also butter free; the peanut butter provides all the fat needed.

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Chocolate-Zucchini Cakes with Walnuts

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No one will ever guess there is zucchini in these moist little treats—nor will they guess they are so simple to make. Before baking, top each cupcake with half a walnut for a welcome burst of crunchy texture.

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Brown Sugar, Maple, and Pecan Pound Cake

Our Favorite One-Bowl Baking Recipes That Make Cleanup a Breeze (12)

The ingredients for this nuanced treat are blended in the mixer bowl. While it's easy to make, it takes a while to bake. Even so, the rich maple cake—which is studded with pecans—is well worth the wait.

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Coconut-Apricot Macaroons

Our Favorite One-Bowl Baking Recipes That Make Cleanup a Breeze (13)

Chopped, dried apricots and flakes of coconut come together to form a fruity, sweet dessert that's as easy to make as it is delicious. The longest—and hardest—part of this recipe is waiting while the macaroons bake.

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Pistachio Cupcakes with Raspberries

Our Favorite One-Bowl Baking Recipes That Make Cleanup a Breeze (14)

For when you need a special treat, but want it to be easy and a tad healthy, there are these delicate cupcakes packed with silvered pistachios and fresh raspberries. No frosting necessary.

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Flourless Double-Chocolate Pecan Cookies

Our Favorite One-Bowl Baking Recipes That Make Cleanup a Breeze (15)

Dark and decadent, these gluten-free cookies strike the perfect balance of texture—perfectly chewy, with chopped pecans throughout for a nutty, crunchy finish.

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Easy One-Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes

Our Favorite One-Bowl Baking Recipes That Make Cleanup a Breeze (16)

If you need to make dessert for a lot of people, this recipe yields up to 48 cupcakes and uses just one bowl. Cocoa powder gives them a deep chocolatey flavor.

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Our Favorite One-Bowl Baking Recipes That Make Cleanup a Breeze (2024)

FAQs

What is the one bowl method in baking? ›

In the quick-dump, or one-bowl, method, all the ingredients except the leavening agent are put into a bowl and mixed vigorously (preferably with a power mixer), the leavening agent added, and mixing completed.

What are 2 common ingredients used in almost all baked products? ›

9 Essential Ingredients That Every Baker Needs
  • Flour. Basic Flour. ...
  • Leaveners. Eggs, Yeast, Baking Powder, Baking Soda | Photo by Meredith. ...
  • Sugar. Syrup, Honey, Molasses, White Sugar, Brown Sugar, Powdered Sugar | Photo by Meredith. ...
  • Salt. Basic Salt. ...
  • Dairy. Basic Dairy. ...
  • Fats: Oil and Shortening. ...
  • Extracts and Flavorings. ...
  • Spices.
Jun 28, 2022

Is the bowl method worth it? ›

According to Allure, there isn't much science behind the process of the bowl method. However, creators like Zia claim that the strategy helps to reduce frizz by distributing the conditioner and curl cream evenly throughout curly hair.

Which ingredient makes baked goods moist adds flavor? ›

Fats/Shortenings make baked goods moist, add flavor, and keep baked items fresh longer. Any fat, such as oil or butter, acts as a shortening in baking. The more thoroughly mixed, the more the fat will affect the item's overall texture.

What is the most important baking ingredient? ›

All-Purpose Flour: This basic flour is a pantry staple and can be used in most baked goods, from chewy breads to light biscuits and scones. It is sold bleached or unbleached. It's best to store flour in a tightly sealed canister. It should be good for about eight months in the cupboard and about one year refrigerated.

How do you do the bowl method? ›

The simplest and equally effective method is simply using a bowl of water to rinse off your conditioner. Re-dipping your hair into the bowl of conditioner and water, multiple times, helps create amazing curl clumps and forces more water into the hair for extra hydration.

What is the meaning of one-stage method of baking? ›

One-Stage Method. (1) A cookie-mixing method in which all ingredients are added to the bowl at once. (2) A cake-mixing method in which all the ingredients, including high-ratio liquid shortening, are mixed together at once.

What is a one-stage mixing method? ›

In the one-stage mixing method, all ingredients are placed in the mixing bowl and mixed together.

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