11 Vintage Bake Sale Recipes That Will Take You Back to Childhood

Bake sales have going on in the United States since at least the 1800s. Women baked all kinds of treats and goodies and sold them to collect money for a charitable cause. Nowadays, they're most often used as fundraisers for schools, churches, and other organizations.  

There are some treats you'll always see on a bake sale table. Those recipes are classics that have stood the test of time, and will still get people excited about eating them. Here are some of those vintage recipes you've seen at bake sales for decades. 

Scotcheroos are a fun name for a classic Rice Krispies treat variation. The crunchy base includes peanut butter, and the topping has both chocolate and butterscotch (hence the name) chips. It may seem like a jumble of flavors, but all together, they're irresistisble.

Recipe: Lil Luna

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Making fudge used to be a very precise and complicated process, but then Kraft came along and printed a recipe on the back of Marshmallow Creme jars and changed that. Now you'll see this easy version of fudge at bake sales all over, especially with things like nuts, Oreos, or peanut butter mixed in. 

Recipe: AllRecipes

Unless you're at a nut-free bake sale, you're going to see plates of classic peanut butter cookies. They've been around forever, with a nice crunchy edge and chewy middle. It's impossible to pass one up, especially with those distinctive fork marks in the top.

Recipe: Cooking On the Front Burner

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Big, cream-filled, and cakey whoopie pies were like the primo bake sale prize when you were a kid. They come in all kinds of flavors and varieties now, but the classic is still chocolate cookies with marshmallow cream filling, just like this recipe. Make sure to use Dutch processed cocoa powder for the deepest, darkest chocolate cookies.

Recipe: Handle the Heat

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Rice Krispie treats are one of the simplest and fastest bake sale goodies you can make. Since they're so easy to do (no baking required!), kids can help make these, which is great when it's a fundraiser for their school or activity. You can add all kinds of mix-ins to make them your own, or go all out and brown the butter first and top with a sprinkle of salt.

Recipe: AllRecipes

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Hello Dolly bars go by other names, including 7-layer bars. No matter what they're called, they're at every bake sale. They're another easy treat that only involves layering ingredients, no heavy mixing. The sweetened condensed milk on top is key, and keeps all the ingredients together so they can be cut. There's about a million variations on these, so play around with your favorite nuts and add-ins.

Recipe: Back To My Southern Roots

Dates have fallen out of fashion, but everyone that tries these old fashioned date and oatmeal bars is going to love them anyway. You make the sweet, sticky filling by cooking down dates and sugar, and then sandwich it between layers of brown sugar and oatmeal crumbs. This recipe makes a 9x13 pan so you'll have plenty for everyone.

Recipe: Betty Crocker

If you swap dates from the date bars for caramel and chocolate, you get carmelitas. This bar cookie is gooey and rich, with a lovely texture from the oats. You make the caramel filling in the microwave, so it's quick and easy. Conscript some kids or grandkids to help unwrap all the caramel candies.

Recipe: Averie Cooks

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Brownies are good, but fudge-topped brownies are better. This is a simple brownie recipe that's crowned with a quick boiled icing. You pour it on the baked brownies while it's still warm, so there's no fussing around with creaming butter or making frosting look perfect. It sets up into a wonderful fudge-like topping.

Recipe: Dinner Then Dessert

Not only are these peanut butter bars a bake sale favorite, but they're often a popular school cafeteria treat as well. The best part is that they're no-bake, so all you have to do is mix the peanut butter layer (graham cracker crumbs give it structure!) then spread melted chocolate chips over the top.

Recipe: AllRecipes

Lemon bars are like little squares of pure sunshine. This recipe makes extra thick bars with tons of tart lemon tang. The filling is smooth and luxurious. These look great cut into triangles and topped with a thick dusting of powdered sugar.

Recipe: Food Network

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