What are the Most Popular Baked Goods?

Humans have been eating baked goods ever since before we mastered fire. Back then, though, this only involved putting a broth-like paste made of wild grass grains into a hot rock. The result is the earliest form of bread we’ve eaten.

Today, though, years after mastering the fire, we can enjoy a huge amount of variety of baked goods. From sweet to savory, from soft to hardened, humans now have the privilege to choose what they can eat next.

What are the most popular baked goods to try out?

There’s too many to mention as different cultures around the globe also have their own recipes. Let’s try to break them down further and you may discover one to bake today!

Cake

Of course, the first thing on this list of the most common baked goods is cake. What do you first think of when you need to bake something for a celebration? It’s cake.

Cakes come in different sizes, flavors, and decorations; you can even have it customized. It can be as elegant or as quirky as you want.

Some recipes can be easy enough for beginners, although some can be quite complicated. Even the boxed varieties are a hit; it’s not a wonder why we all get giddy when we hear the word “cake.”

Baking a cake is a science. A lot can go wrong but with the right recipe and practice, you can get it right for any occasion.

Cupcakes

Cupcakes are a close second; after all, they’re almost the same thing. In the absence of a cake, you would usually find cupcakes in its place. It’s not uncommon for a celebration to have both cake and cupcakes, either.

What makes cupcakes a popular item considering it’s so similar to a cake is its size. It’s easy to distribute it among your guests, while slicing cake can be messy and uneven.

It’s easy to order one so you can eat on the go, and it makes it easy to watch your portions, too. The icing on top makes it a real treat for the eyes – it may be a big factor of why cupcakes are so popular. It doesn’t have fillings most of the time, so the big serving of icing is a compromise.

It’s common for a bakery to sell various cupcake options. While this is heaven for consumers, it’s a risk to bakeries. Many unbought items might spoil, which is why they must get bakery insurance.

Muffins

Don’t like icing that much? You’re not alone; there are many of you, making it possible for muffins to become popular. It can be a healthier and more filling alternative.

They tend to have fewer ingredients than cupcakes. Aside from your muffin base, people might only add blueberries or pecans or other things. Some might spice it up with cream cheese frosting.

Still, it’s simpler than cupcakes that may come with complicated flavors. They’re dryer and a bit denser, as well.

In that sense, a muffin can be a meal in itself or a part of a full meal. It may come as savory instead of sweet, so you can grab one for breakfast and it will suffice.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

You were waiting for this one, aren’t you? Not to worry, we haven’t forgotten about one of the most popular baked goods and snacks in the whole world.

You can never have only one cookie, especially if it’s chocolate chip. And although there are now many creative recipes, we’ll always go back to the classics again and again.

It’s a consistent seller for all bakeries and even coffee shops. It pairs well with coffee, tea, hot chocolate, and more. It even pairs well with other food, like ice cream.

It’s a dessert and a snack, you can eat it at any time of the day (or night) and no one will judge.

Brownies

Brownies are an indulgent treat. They’re chocolatey and sweet, making it perfect for satisfying your sweet tooth.

It’s sort of a cross between a cake and a cookie; it’s classified as a bar cookie in a literal sense. Brownies are American and if you ask around, they may tell you that it’s the result of a baker forgetting to put baking powder in what’s supposed to be a chocolate cake.

From there, you can tell it’s denser than a cake. You eat it in bites, and it’s not typical for it to have frosting. This makes it okay to eat it with your hands.

While the simplest of brownies is already satisfying, people can still get more creative with it. You can top it with chocolate syrup and almonds to elevate it in an instant. Cream cheese, walnuts, and chocolate chunks are also popular additions to this classic.

Banana Bread

We can’t publish a list of baked goods without bread, but let’s give a special spot to banana bread. It’s sweet and it’s bread, making for a filling snack with an interesting taste.

Some of its major contributors to its popularity are its simple recipe coupled with an irresistible aroma. It’s the kind of aroma that smells like home, giving you comfort after a hectic week.

It’s practical to make since it does better with bananas that are almost rotting for a sweeter taste. And that might be its best quality – the sweet taste.

It’s pretty easy to personalize, too. Want to make it sweeter? Add chocolate chips or peanut butter chips; this combination is a sure hit for kids, as well.

Try to add some nuts and other fruits or experiment a bit with cream cheese. Banana bread isn’t so easy to screw up, anyway.

Some other types of bread that are quite popular are sourdough, French, and your average loaf. Whole wheat remains to be the most popular type, though, seconded by the white loaf.

Bagels

Who could forget one of the brightest stars in breakfast culture? It was at the turn of the 20th century when Jewish bakers introduced it to America, setting its roots in New York. Here, they established the International Beigel Bakers Union, creating the bagel capital of America.

Today, the bagel remains as one of the most popular breakfast items in the country. It’s delicious as is, although you can get creative to elevate it.

You can, for instance, slice it in half and put cream cheese spread in between. To make it savory, put some chicken, mozzarella, and marinara. For the ultimate breakfast food, put some slices of avocado, tomato, and onion on top of cream cheese.

Cinnamon Rolls

Cinnamon rolls are up there with cookies and cupcakes in worldwide popularity, but what makes it so good?

For one thing, the cinnamon provides a robust flavor that dances on your tongue while the milk, sugar, and butter balance it out by sweetening the deal. It’s a classic that doesn’t need many other variations to make it fun, which makes it popular in bakeries.

Cinnamon rolls can be intimidating as it’s bread, which means you have to let it rise (twice). It can be time-consuming, yes, but it’s not that hard to pull off. This makes it a popular choice among home bakers, as well.

Pretzels

A pretzel isn’t only delicious, but it’s also interesting to look at, too. If you’re wondering where it got its shape, the world is wondering, too. But a common story that’s passed around talks about a monk from Italy, France, or Germany who made this to resemble a child crossing their arms in prayer.

We know, though, that the earliest account we have of it is from the German bakers’ guilds crest. The Dutch were likely the ones who brought it to Pennsylvania, as well, making it the pretzel capital of the country.

Today, we eat pretzels that are pretty much the same as the ones back then. It’s delicious enough on its own, so we seldom get too creative with it.

Pies

Having a holiday celebration? What better way to end it than with pie?

A Thanksgiving dinner, for example, isn’t complete without a sweet potato pie. In the same way, Halloween parties shouldn’t go without pumpkin pies.

It’s not that complicated to make as you only need dough and some filling, which is a fruit most of the time. Strawberries, blueberries, and peach among others are the most common. Apple pie, in particular, is popular not only in America but in Great Britain, as well, where it came from.

If you’re not a fan of fruits, pies come in other delicious flavors, too. You might like peanut butter pies better or white chocolate pies instead.

Try a New Recipe Now That You Know What Are the Most Popular Baked Goods

What are the most popular baked goods? We hope this guide gave you an idea of what to bake.

But don’t stop here. There’s plenty of other things you can try, so get as creative as you can. Check out our blog posts right here for more tips and ideas!