Apple Pie with Walnut Crumb Topping opens in a new tab
Baking is the ultimate in interactive, intergenerational family fun! From stirring the batter to licking the beaters, there’s a job for everyone, big and small.
Creating cookies, cakes and pies together doesn’t have to be a big production. If you stock your pantry with baking staples, you’ll be ready whenever the mood strikes your brood. (Got cousins or grandkids visiting? Baking together is a great way to bond!)
Spices
Dried spices lose their potency and freshness within six months to a year from the date they’re first opened, so the spices from last year’s cookie bake-a-thon may need to be replaced. Check your spice cabinet and then stock up on baking essentials, including:
Cinnamon
Cloves
Nutmeg
Pumpkin Pie Spice
For a new twist on your family’s favorites, check out our Whole Foods Market™ Cocoa Sugar Grinder. It’s a simple way to add a sweet, satisfying crunch to all kinds of cookies, from Classic S opens in a new tabugar Cookies opens in a new tab to Chocolate Mocha Sugar Cookies opens in a new tab.
Grandma tip: Got leftover bits of pie crust? My granny used to roll out the scraps, put them on a cookie sheet, sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar, then pop ‘em in the oven for a quick and toasty treat. This year, I’m going to take her tradition to the next level with the cocoa sugar grinder!
Vanilla
I can’t tell you how many of my baking projects have sputtered out because I thought I had vanilla, but the bottle in my cabinet was nearly empty. (Dang those opaque bottles!) Double-check your supply before you get started.
Vanilla elevates flavors in all kinds of holiday recipes, from Baked Cranberry Walnut French Toast opens in a new tab to Pumpkin, Brown Sugar and Cashew Biscotti opens in a new tab, so it’s an especially essential holiday flavor.
Gift Idea: Looking for a culinary gift for the cooks in your life? Whip up a batch of Vanilla Bean Sugar opens in a new tab with a Whole Foods Market™ Organic Fair Trade Vanilla Bean. The recipe includes a link to a printable gift tag, so your handy gift from home will have a polished touch.
Chocolate
Whether your crew craves old-fashioned fudge, classic chocolate chip cookies or something nontraditional, like Cherry-Pistachio Crunch Bark opens in a new tab, it’s good to have several different kinds of baking chocolate on hand, including:
365 Everyday Value® Dark Chocolate Baking Chunks
365 Everyday Value® Milk Chocolate Baking Chips Jumbo
365 Everyday Value® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Baking Chips
365 Everyday Value® White Chocolate Baking Chips Mini
365 Everyday Value® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Baking Chips Mini
Holiday bonus: These 365 Everyday Value® baking chocolates proudly carry the Whole Trade® opens in a new tab seal. That means your purchase gives back to the communities where the chocolate is sourced and helps make tangible improvements in real people’s lives. How’s that for a sweet treat?
Baking Mixes
Whether you’re pinched for time or whipping something up on a whim, sometimes it helps to have a couple of baking mixes on hand. But don’t trade quality for convenience!
Our quality standards don’t allow any artificial colors or flavors, and our baking mixes are full of authentic ingredients — including real figs in our 365 Everyday Value® Sticky Figgy Pudding Cake Mix and real molasses and ginger in our 365 Everyday Value® Gingerbread Crackle Cookie Mix.
Find more recipes for cookies opens in a new tab, pies opens in a new tab, desserts opens in a new tab, breads and muffins opens in a new tab, and more in our online holiday guide opens in a new tab.
Does your family have a special baked good that you make every year? Share some inspiration from your oven to ours!
