Learn how to make your own Easy Bake Oven mixes from boxed cake mix... Yields 33 refills for under $4, making them just $0.12 each!
Easy Bake Oven - To Buy Or Not To Buy?
My oldest daughter turned 10 a few months ago - that precarious age where she's on the brink of leaving childish things behind but isn't quite ready to give it ALL up.
Her Christmas wish list was an interesting take on this, filled with clothing, a Beats Pill, a Vera Bradley purse, earrings, etc... but one item stood out:
An Easy Bake Oven.
I have to say I was torn... Would she actually use it? Or was it just a total waste of money? I added an Easy Bake Ultimate Oven to my Amazon cart but debated purchasing for days.
You see, we had one of these toys several years ago - but after it became the source of endless sibling arguments, it was promptly donated. Five kids all vying to bake ONE teeny cake that was little more than a bite for each? Yeah, not a good combination!
But being the lone toy in a sea of preteen dreams, I finally decided: "What could it hurt?"
And what do you know?! She has used it near daily since opening it Christmas morning.
She loves to make special cakes for everyone in the family. And I love to watch quietly from afar, as she carefully stacks layers of various cake flavors, frosting each to perfection, and finally topping them off with her favorite rainbow sprinkles.
I'm so glad that I caved, because I would have missed out on so much joy.
The down side to it? Those gosh darn Easy Bake Oven mixes are ridiculously expensive! I mean, we're talking $8 for a refill pack that makes just 2 cakes.
"YOU are a life saver!!!!"
Thank you so much for figuring out these recipes! I really couldn't believe how expensive these tiny boxes of mix were.
Make Your Own Easy Bake Oven Mixes
It took some research and a lot of trial and error, but my daughter and I hit upon just the right formula for using store-bought cake mixes to make our own Easy Bake Oven refills.
We tested several brands in the process. While the method I'm going to share worked reasonably well for all the brands we tried, we both agreed that the Duncan Hines Signature cake mixes consistently produced the best results.
Given that a box of this cake mix retails for around $1.38 at Walmart and we were able to get about 11 Easy Bake Oven mixes per box, you can easily see how the savings add up. That breaks down to just $0.12 per mix versus $4 for a single Easy Bake Oven refill!!!
I picked up three boxes of Duncan Hines Signature cake mix, one each of French Vanilla, Dark Chocolate Fudge, and Strawberry Supreme, which is enough to make 33 Easy Bake Oven mixes in under 15 minutes.
In addition, I recommend picking up a can of baking spray to prepare the pan, a couple of tubs of white frosting, and some rainbow sprinkles.
I also found this adorable mini turner and matching spatula that are the perfect size for smaller hands, so I grabbed them, as well. Unfortunately, they're no longer available online, but I just stumbled upon this adorable 5-piece set of silicone mini utensils that I love even more!
Setting Expectations For Easy Bake Oven Recipes
Before I share how to make your own refill mixes, I want to be VERY CLEAR about what you should expect from them...
Gourmet cakes? NO. A budget-friendly mix that will allow your child to bake a perfectly edible and tasty (enough) cake all on his or her own? YES!!!
Eggs and oil are not necessary to attain this goal. A little smear of frosting can up the tastiness factor, but I've eaten many, MANY plain cakes with ZERO complaints. :)
Also, it's important to keep in mind that this is a child's toy, not a calibrated oven. The baking time may need to be adjusted slightly to achieve desired results.
With this goal in mind, my girls can enjoy using their Easy Bake Oven whenever they want without emptying my wallet. They've been thrilled with these Easy Bake Oven mixes and have enjoyed hours of baking fun!
And THIS is my intent in sharing these Easy Bake Oven recipes with you.
How To Make Easy Bake Oven Mixes
Making your own Easy Bake Oven mixes is super simple when you follow these instructions. I recommend these Ziploc snack bags, because they're the perfect size to hold each mix.
Label each with these adorable Easy Bake Oven Mix labels I've designed. These are formatted to print on standard Avery 5160 peel-and-stick address labels. Of course, in a pinch, you could just print them on regular paper and tape them on.
A Few Tips For Best Results
These simple tips will help you get the very best results with your homemade Easy Bakes mixes:
- Measure the mixes precisely using the method described in the "recipe". If you pack the mix too densely into the measuring cup, your cake will rise too high and stick to the inside top of your Easy Bake Oven.
- Cooking spray is a MUST to help the cake release easily from the pan. As I mentioned, I like this baking spray for its effectiveness and flavor. Be sure to check out this quick tip for applying cooking spray with less mess!
- DO NOT pre-mix the cake batter while waiting for the Easy Bake Oven to preheat. This can also cause it to rise too high and stick to the inside of the oven. Mix it up after preparing your pan and place it in the oven right away.
- Add sprinkles! For a fun change of pace, sprinkle the prepared batter with sprinkles once it's spread in the cake pan. This creates a "funfetti" style cake without muddling the bright colors!
So there you have it - 33 Easy Bake Oven refill mixes for under $4!
These would be an awesome gift idea for any little girl who loves to bake with her Easy Bake Oven. Just package up the mixes with a can of baking spray, frosting, and sprinkles. Toss in some super cute mini utensils, and you've got hours and hours of baking fun for well under $20 (not including the oven, of course).
Printable Recipe ↓
How To Make Easy Bake Oven Mixes
Key Equipment
Ingredients
For making the Easy Bake Oven refill mixes:
For preparing the mixes:
- 1 refill mix bag
- 2 tablespoons warm water
- PAM baking spray, or similar
Instructions
To make the Easy Bake Oven mixes:
- Sift each cake mix into a large bowl. There will be small bits of dried strawberries in the Strawberry supreme cake mix - these can be discarded.
- Measure each mix into precise ¼ cup portions by spooning the mix into a ¼ cup measuring cup, and then leveling it off with a knife. Place each portion in a Ziploc snack bag and label. You should end up with at least 11 refills per box of cake mix, but more than this is possible with the recent updates to the mixes.
To bake each refill mix:
- Heat your Easy Bake Oven for 20 minutes. Lightly spray the Easy Bake cake pan with baking spray. Check out this easy no mess baking spray tip!
- When the oven is done heating, mix the contents of one refill bag with 2 tablespoons of water. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.
- Bake the cake in the Easy Bake Ultimate Oven for approximately 17 minutes.
- Cool for 5 minutes before removing the cake from the pan. Frost and decorate with colorful sprinkles, as desired.
Recipe Notes
Featured Products
Is your child ready to graduate to baking with a real oven? These brownie mix cookies, made with boxed brownie mix, are perfect for kids to start out with! With just 3 ingredients, it's an ideal recipe for beginner bakers (as well as busy moms)...
More Recipes Made With Boxed Cake Mixes
If you like these Easy Bake Oven refills, you might also enjoy these other EASY boxed cake mix recipes:
- Cherry Pineapple Dump Cake Recipe (made w/ yellow cake mix!)
- Layered Boston Cream Pie Recipe (made w/ angel food cake mix!)
- Birthday Funfetti Cake Mix Cookies (made w/ yellow cake mix!)
- Cupcakes In Ice Cream Cones (skip Olympic torch instructions and frost!)
Did you make this recipe?
I'd love to see how your Easy Bake Oven refills turn out... Tag me @Unsophisticook on Instagram or use the hashtag #Unsophisticook so I can check it out. Enjoy!
Rahfab5 says
My daughter is four and loves to be in the kitchen with me, especially when I am baking. She received an easy bake oven for christmas (against my better judgment) and made her first cake the day after. IT WAS TOO SWEET AND HAD A BITTER AFTER TASTE. She hasnt asked to use it since, ( she knows good food). I found your recipes and many more online but like yours better because my four year old dosent have much to do. However, I too am worried about the no eggs or oil. I will give it a try and let you know. Thanks
Tara says
We didn't care for the mixes that came with the oven, either — yuck! I think your satisfaction will come down to expectations. Eggs and oil aren't necessary for the cakes to rise, but it's important to keep in mind that this is a child's toy and my intent wasn't to create an amazing, rave-worthy cake. My goal was to produce budget-friendly refill mixes that my girls wouldn't turn their noses up at, and that's been our experience with these. Hope your daughter likes them!
Kayley says
This is a great idea, but doesn't work. Without eggs or oil, the cake burnt and didn't taste like anything. Pretty disappointed 5 year old niece the day after Xmas who couldn't wait to make the packets her KK made for her. Couldn't test this Pinterest fail before I gifted it to her because I don't have an easy bake oven. User, beware! Adding water to cake mix DOES NOT WORK. YOU NEED TO ALSO ADD EGGS/OIL.
Tara says
Thanks for your comment, Kayley. This method has always worked perfectly for us, no eggs or oil necessary. Of course, it's not going to taste just like a normal cake, but it's definitely tastier than the mixes that come with the oven. I'd love to help you troubleshoot the burning issue, though... We've never had that problem, but it may just be that you need to adjust the cooking time down slightly. Did you perhaps use a different brand of cake mix? And which model of Easy Bake does your niece have?
Julie says
Just completed this project for my boyfriend's 3 year old. I used 4 different flavors and put the baggies back in the box once I was finished filling them. Each box has directions written on paper in bright marker, taped over the standard directions. They're now being stored on the bottom shelf of our pantry (her height) with a few other items in her "grocery store" - easter basket works great for a shopping basket and she loves going to the "register" (kitchen counter) to check out and pay with her Barbie credit card :) it's a hit. Thank you.
Tara says
Aww, I love this idea SO much — thanks for sharing!
Vivian Epstein says
You're right about the easy bake packets, not so good. I used the Duncan Hines signature French Vanilla. It was really so much better and fluffier with some egg.
Vivian Epstein says
I thought it was too good to be true. It sounded too easy. The cake batter tasted terrible and had a horrible texture without adding some eggs and oil. I used 1/3 cup sifted cake mix, 1 tablespoon egg/water mixture, one tablespoon water and a drop of oil. The cake had a better texture and was edible. Love the idea though. Those easy-bake-oven recipes are outrageously expensive. They do have dehydrated egg in the mix.
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
What brand of mix did you use, Vivian? I've eaten the cakes that my girls have made with them many times, and they've been just fine. I mean, they're no gourmet bakery cake, lol, but they're definitely better than the actual Easy Bake packets, in my opinion.
Nidia C says
Hi Tara! thank you so much for putting the time and effort to do this...I do have a question, my daughter got the Girl Scouts Cookie Oven, do you think the recipes will work the same?
Veronica says
I plan to buy some cake mix and give these a try! Have you tried making brownies with a regular brownie mix? I'm wondering if the same proportions would work.
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
Hi Veronica! I actually picked up a box of brownie mix to test this last week, but I haven't gotten around to it, yet. I also grabbed a couple of bags of cookie mix to test them. Hoping to get to them and share my results very soon, but if you try it in the meantime, please let me know how it goes!
Ebony W says
Thank you so much for sharing this tip. I just prepared mixes for my grand nieces using the French Vanilla and Strawberry Signature mixes. I was able to get 17 out of the vanilla and 14 out of the strawberry!! I created labels for them and packaged them with a mini bowl, spatula set, measuring spoon set, frosting, sprinkles and a cut little oven mitt and placed in a pretty pink cake box. Thanks again =)
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
Aww, I love it, Ebony! I'm sure they will, too. :)
brneyedgurl19 says
Thank you so much for this. I got my 3 year old an Easy Bake Oven for Christmas this year since she loves baking and to my dismay, all of my local stores either have a VERY limitied selection of refills or never have any in stock at all. Not only is this much cheaper but is AVAILABLE anywhere! Here's to a "sweet" 2016!
Jeri says
Awesome idea! I'm not sure I did the dividing correctly though. I ended up with 14 baggies per box of cake mix. They were the exact same ones posted. I'll just watch the liquid when we bake to make sure they aren't too runny. My 1st grader got her 1st Easy Bake Oven for Christmas and this is going to be so much fun for us! Thank you!
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
Hi Jeri! Several other readers have commented recently that they got more packets out of a box, as well. It sounds like they may have changed the amount in the box, so I'm planning to grab one next time I'm at the store to check it out. Either way, as long as you're doing 1/4 cup of the sifted mix with 2 tablespoons of water, you should be fine.
Keila Damaris says
My niece will receive an EBO as a gift. I was checking for recipes for her and found your page with this amazing idea. Where I live is kind of difficult to find the Duncan Hines mixes. I was wondering if the Pillsbury one will do the work. Thanks in advance!
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
Yes, you can actually use any boxed cake mix — the Duncan Hines were just my personal favorite. As I mentioned, I did find with some mixes that there were clumps left in the sifter after sifting, and in this case, I just discarded them. It didn't seem to affect the rise of the cakes we made or anything. Enjoy!
Shelly Dyb says
Have you tried with any brownie mixes? That's my daughter's favorite.
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
I haven't — but I will add them to my list! I'm sure my girls wouldn't mind taste testing some brownies. :)
Donna says
Hi Tara. Have you tried making up your own refill packs for cookies mixes too? I heard that someone used the little Betty Crocker packs that you can buy at the dollar store, but not sure if that works out well. I would guess that you would use the same 1/4 cup mix since that's what the envelope had for the sample chocolate chip mix that came with the oven.
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
It's like you read my mind, Donna! My girls got the Girl Scout Cookie Oven for Christmas, so a cookie mix DIY is on my to-do list for next week, and my plan is to test it (and hopefully perfect it) for both ovens. So stay tuned!
Amy says
Thank you so much for this post! The directions and labels have made my Christmastime SO much easier. I really appreciate it!
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
So happy to hear that, Amy. Merry Christmas!
Josey says
I got 16 mixes per box of cake mix. Shoot. Dumping back and trying again. The things we do for our kids.... :)
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
Oh, no — hope you got it sorted out, Josey! If you're using a different brand of mix, you may have more or less packets.
Josey says
Nope, I had to just go with it. We'll see how they turn out when my daughter starts to use them. I used Duncan Hines Signature cake mix and sifted, spooned, then leveled off each quarter cup measure but ended up with 16, twice. So I tried not sifting (yet still spooning and leveling) the second box of mix and came up with thirteen packets. I'm a baking jinx. Oh, well! I can't wait to see how it turns out, though :) Thanks for the recipes.
Becky says
I'm a long time baker and I got 16 packets as well last night when I was making up a gift for my grand-daughter. Used the Duncan Hines Signature mix. Tara do you recommend going with what I have or re-measuring into 11 packets?
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
Wow, that's so strange — I wonder if they reformulated their mix or changed the size? I would just go with whatever you come up with using the methods I outlined. 1/4 cup of mix and 2 tablespoons of water is what consistently produced the right amount of batter for the pan that goes with the Easy Bake, so the actual number of mixes you get from a box shouldn't matter.
Becky says
Will do. Thanks SOO much - this is going to make a GREAT gift! I can't wait to see my grand-daughter's eyes light up! I got the baking utensils you suggested and found a cute apron too!