Life
There is no disappointment quite like the kind you feel when, in the middle of baking what is sure to be The Baked Good To End All Baked Goods, you realize you’re out of an ingredient. The betrayal! The travesty! The lack of preparation on your part! If you’re looking for things to bake when you’re out of essentials like milk, fret not, fellow foodie. There is delicious dessert hope for you yet.
Fortunately, most baked goods don’t require milk. And, for those that do, you can likely substitute it for something else. Unless you’re trying to make something like custard of homemade ice cream — which is very “I have two minutes left in this round of Chopped” of you — you’ve probably got everything you need in your pantry. So long as you’ve got things like flour, sugar, eggs, butter, and perhaps some chocolate chips, the kitchen is your baked good oyster. Helpful tip: search for vegan recipes when you’re out of milk. While they may use non-dairy milk — something that may be easier to get ahold of than dairy milk — many of them will likely have substitutes and all of them will be free of dairy milk.
Truly the only downside to baking without milk in your fridge is not being able to dunk your cookies or pair your brownies with a glass of milk. So long as you can live sans dunking, you should be good to go. Here are 15 things you can bake when you’re out of milk.
1Peanut Butter Skillet Blondies
This recipe from Half Baked Harvest has everything: peanut butter, chocolate, that yummy skillet-baked crust. Pair it with some decaf coffee for a dessert nightcap.
2Raspberry Hand Pies
Something about the name “hand pies” is very Game of Thrones meets Little House On The Prairie. Mull that over while you give Cookie and Kate’s recipe a go.
3Peach Dump Cake
Name aside, this recipe from Your Cup of Cake is simple, sweet, and will satiate any sweet tooth. Poor “dump cake.” What an awful name.
4Homemade Twix Bars
If you’re looking to go full Claire Saffitz from “Gourmet Makes”, give this recipe from Half Baked Harvest a try. You can even use your Claire voice when you read the ingredients.
5Pumpkin Cake Donuts
You’ll want to add this recipe from Damn Delicious to your next at-home brunch menu. And yes, you deserve to enjoy pumpkin spice all-year-round.
6Ultimate Rice Krispies Treats
Sometimes a classic sweet treat is what you’re craving. When that’s the case, try this recipe from Brown Eyed Baker. Prepare to weep over nostalgic marshmallowy goodness.
7Chocolate Peanut Butter Crispy Bars
These chocolate peanut butter crispy bars from Cookie and Kate are the perfect combination of chocolate, peanut butter, and not actually having to bake anything at all. So long as you’re comfortable melting things in the microwave and have access to a refrigerator, you’ll be able to nail this recipe.
8Easy Homemade Toffee
The words “toffee” and “easy” seemingly shouldn't go together. The stickiness! The mess! The general gooeyness! However, this recipe from Damn Delicious is just about as simple as buying your favorite toffee candy bar. Also, it'll likely be doubly delicious.
9Chocolate Mousse
Tofu and mousse are the unlikely duo you never knew you needed. This recipe from My Darling Lemon Thyme uses just five ingredients, including tofu, is dairy-free, gluten-free, and vegan.
105-Ingredient Coconut Milk Ice Cream
I know I said ice cream is likely a no-go when you’re out of milk, but this recipe from My Darling Vegan proved me extremely wrong.
11Lemon Maple Meringue
When you’re ready to go “full out baker,” this recipe from My Darling Lemon Thyme will be here waiting for you. It’s light, fresh, and almost too pretty to eat... almost.
12Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Bites
If need a post-workout pick-me-up, try these peanut butter protein bars from Your Cup of Cake. When you’re looking to basically just eat raw cookie dough, try these peanut butter bites instead.
13Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars
For a dessert that gives you an excuse to use up some sprinkles, check out Brown Eyed Baker’s frosted sugar cookie bars. Everything is better in bar form, sugar cookies included.
14Lemon Bars
Channel your inner soccer mom and make My Darling Vegan’s lemon bars. Special bonus: they’re vegan. So you can be the most over-achieving hypothetical soccer mom in your kitchen.
15Mimosa Mini Muffins
This recipe from Averie Cooks is the ultimate brunch treat. Also, the ultimate at-home happy hour treat. Also, the ultimate "I would like to drink champagne while I bake" treat.
If all else fails, you can always grab a boxed cake mix and call it a day.
