Is it cheaper to home bake?

[PosiePootlePerkins]

And if so please can I have your easy recipes? Need to cut back a bit for the next few months so looking for easy ways to save a few pennies with the food shopping. Does it really save money to home bake? Ideas and advice much appreciated, thank you.

I don't think it is once you count ingredient costs/electricity etc. Especially for anything with butter these days!

depends
mr kipling etc - no way you can do it cheaper!
coffee shop stuff - yes possible

I was about to say the same as Gin- definitely not anything with butter! Not sure what price of Stork / margarine is like. Maybe American type muffins which are / can be made with veg oil instead?
What kind of things are you wanting to make?

Thanks for the replies! I usually use olive spread which is what we use for sandwiches etc. Its £1.90 a kilo so a fair bit cheaper than butter and seems to work well in my limited recipes repetoir! I am thinking of things to replace snacks and treats, tray bakes, flapjacks, fairy cakes etc.

If you bake it yourself, in theory it should be tastier/fresher/cheaper, but you are likely to eat more.

But more importantly you know what’s in them and not some of the shit in processed cakes.

Ha good point Molly!

Also true somewhereovertherain and it always goes down well when I do make the effort!

I often replace all or a part of the butter in cakes with oil. You only need 80% of the weight given for the butter, so if the recipe says you need 100 g of butter, you can replace that with 80 g of oil.
I've never done the maths, but I think home baking is more expensive than buying the really cheap stuff. Have you ever read the ingredients on the packet though? Most of it is crap used to replace the more expensive eggs, butter etc. So not surprising shop bought cakes are cheaper!

Good tip re the oil Bertram. Yes I do agree, just a few simple ingredients have to be better than a whole list of rubbish, maybe I will be inspired even if its not particularly money saving!

I think it saves money for more expensive bakery counter but not the cheaper stuff. I make proper bread, cookies, flapjack, muffins and cupcakes. I make big batches (e.g. 24 muffins) and freeze once cooked - you can then defrost individually when you need them. I have to admit I compare ingredient costs but have never bothered to calculate how much my oven costs to run so don't know for definite what if anything I'm saving - I primarily do it because I enjoy it!

MrsPandaBear do you fancy a job as a live in baker? Good idea to freeze larger batches.

I think most making at home is like that- more expensive than the cheapest shop bought, but if you compare to the equivalent quality, much cheaper!
There is no way I could afford for someone else to make things as freshly and wholesomely as I can, and I'm luck to be able to afford to do it rather than be tied to the cheapest crappest stuff out there.

Defo cheaper for gluten free though! Buy ingredients when they are on offer if you have storage space. That makes a big difference.

Basic cake mix.
2 eggs 170g caster sugar whisked with electric mixer till thick.
Add in 130mls of milk and same veg oil.
Add 170g self raising flour.
Add any essence of choice..1 teaspoon is loads.
Pour in 20 cake cases..12 to 15 mins in oven gas 5 electric 180.
Add choc chips sultanas if liked.
Can be frozen too.

I use vegan recipes & they turn out well.

Thanks everyone for the ideas. I have made a huge batch of rocky road this afternoon and will freeze half - had most of the ingredients anyway so not a fair test of saving money! Thinking of making flapjack tomorrow as have the oats in the cupboard. I am trying to be efficient with my time too by making fairly quick recipes.

Banana loaf as you can use up passed it fruit and swap milk for yougurt etc

DD loves Rice Crispie Squares, but they usually cost £2 for 4 so, we make our own:

1/6 of a block of butter, 1/4 of bottle of syrup and 1/2 pack of chocolate. Melt all those together in a pan.

Mix together dry ingredients - rice crispies, plus whatever else we decide to mix in - sometimes it's crushed chocolate bars, biscuits, dried fruit, nuts etc. This week it was crushed mint Viscount biscuits. We've made lots of different combinations.

Mix everything together and pour into a large lined square pan. Leave in the fridge for 1 to 2 hours, then cut into 16 squares. It costs about £3 or less for 16 squares and takes about 15 minutes. You can drizzle white or dark chocolate on the top.

I like the sound of those NameChanger thank you. Ivykaty yes that is one I do make regularly, never lasts long in this house though!

I have never found home baking to be cheaper than the supermarkets, but the quality is far better and I like knowing what is in it!

If you compare home baked to the very cheapest stuff you can buy in a supermarket, the bought stuff will be cheaper.
If you compare home baked to something even close to the quality, like the fancy range of a a supermarket, then home baked will be cheaper.

These are the first oat and raisin cookies I've made that taste like the shop ones www.themamamodern.com/chewy-oatmeal-raisin-cookies-vegan/ . It's a vegan recipe as my daughter has food allergies but you can obviously use dairy if you want. I had to use 4 tbsp (not 2) of milk alternative to get the mix the right consistency - it wants to be softly sticky.

Made these today: www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/2459643/vintage-chocolate-chip-cookies

Suspect they would be cheaper for most, but I didntt have ingredients in. They are quick and easy though, make a large amount and turned out well