Easy Baking Recipes for First Timers – Simple, Reliable, and Delicious

Baking sounds cozy until you’re staring at a bag of flour wondering where to start. Good news: you don’t need fancy tools or chef skills to make something warm, sweet, and satisfying. This guide walks you through three beginner-friendly bakes—chocolate chip cookies, banana bread, and one-bowl muffins.

Each recipe uses basic ingredients, straightforward steps, and helpful tips to avoid common mistakes. If you can measure, stir, and set a timer, you can bake these with confidence.

What Makes This Recipe So Good

• Beginner-friendly steps: Clear instructions with practical tips at each stage.
• Simple, pantry ingredients: Nothing unusual or hard to find.
• Forgiving recipes: Built to handle small mistakes and still turn out great.
• One bowl options: Less cleanup and quicker prep.
• Customizable: Swap in chocolate, nuts, fruit, or spices to make them your own.

Ingredients

For Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 to 1 cup chocolate chips

For Simple Banana Bread

• 3 ripe bananas, mashed
• 1/3 cup melted butter (or neutral oil)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Optional: 1/2 cup chopped nuts or chocolate chips

For One-Bowl Berry Muffins

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg
• 3/4 cup milk (dairy or non-dairy)
• 1/3 cup neutral oil (or melted butter)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup fresh or frozen berries (no need to thaw)

Basic Tools

• Mixing bowls, whisk or spoon, and a rubber spatula
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Baking sheet, loaf pan, or muffin tin
• Parchment paper or muffin liners (helpful but optional)

Instructions

Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies

1. Preheat and prep: Heat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment.
2. Cream butter and sugars: In a bowl, beat butter with both sugars until creamy.Add egg and vanilla and mix until smooth.
3. Dry ingredients: In the same bowl, add flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir gently until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips.
4. Scoop and bake: Scoop tablespoon-sized balls onto the sheet, leaving space.Bake 9–11 minutes until edges are set and centers look slightly soft.
5. Cool: Let cookies rest on the sheet for 5 minutes, then move to a rack. They firm up as they cool.

Simple Banana Bread

1. Preheat and pan: Heat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan or line with parchment.
2. Mix wet ingredients: In a bowl, mash bananas.Stir in melted butter, sugars, egg, and vanilla.
3. Add dry ingredients: Sprinkle in flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir until you don’t see dry flour. Fold in nuts or chocolate if using.
4. Bake: Pour into the pan and bake 50–60 minutes.A toothpick should come out with a few moist crumbs, not wet batter.
5. Cool: Let cool in the pan 10 minutes, then move to a rack to cool completely before slicing.

One-Bowl Berry Muffins

1. Preheat and tin: Heat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a muffin tin or grease the cups.
2. Combine wet and dry: In one bowl, whisk egg, milk, oil, and vanilla. Add flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.Stir until just combined.
3. Fold in berries: Gently fold in berries. Don’t overmix or the batter will turn purple and dense.
4. Fill and bake: Fill cups about 3/4 full. Bake 16–20 minutes until tops are golden and spring back to the touch.
5. Cool: Let sit a few minutes, then transfer to a rack.

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