Want to bake, but don’t have a lot of mouths to feed? These recipes are for you! We’ve got a tiny batch of chocolate chip cookies, airy focaccia baked in a loaf pan, and even a petite chocolate cake. These recipes go small on size but big on flavor. And bonus: These scaled-down bakes use fewer ingredients and are unlikely to generate leftovers, so you can keep costs and food waste down. Win-win!
Photography by Rick Holbrook; food styling by Kaitlin Wayne
1) Tiramisu for Two
This tiny tiramisu was one of our most popular recipes of 2024, and it’s easy to see why: It’s the perfect dessert for just two people. Assembled in Mason jars, this recipe features espresso-soaked cake layers and a sweetened, creamy mascarpone filling, with a dusting of cocoa powder to finish.
Get the recipe: Tiramisu for Two
Shop the recipe: Espresso Powder
Photography by Rick Holbrook; food styling by Kaitlin Wayne
2) Small-Batch Cheesy Focaccia
It’s always a good time for focaccia, but sometimes you don’t have enough people to eat a whole pan. And because this bread is best enjoyed the day it’s made, you don’t want to have lots of leftovers. That’s where this small-batch version comes in handy; though small in size, it has big flavor thanks to a crispy, cheesy coating of mozzarella and Parmesan.
Get the recipe: Small-Batch Cheesy Focaccia
Shop the recipe: 9” x 5” loaf pan
Photography by Patrick Marinello; food styling by Kaitlin Wayne
3) Just 4 Chocolate Chip Cookies
Sometimes the craving strikes, and you need a chocolate chip cookie now. Turn to this small-batch recipe, which yields four perfectly sized chocolate chip cookies that are crisp around the edges and soft in the centers — and are ready in just 30 minutes.
Get the recipe: Just 4 Chocolate Chip Cookies
Shop the recipe: Callebaut Semisweet Chocolate Chips
Photography by Rick Holbrook; food styling by Kaitlin Wayne
4) Small-Batch Cinnamon Rolls
With a yield of just two soft and fluffy cinnamon rolls, this recipe is ideal for small households. If you want them hot and ready first thing in the morning, you can prepare the rolls and let them rise in the fridge overnight, then bake when you wake up. (Watch Kye show you how to make them!)
Get the recipe: Small-Batch Cinnamon Rolls
Shop the recipe: Vietnamese Cinnamon
Photography by Rick Holbrook; food styling by Kaitlin Wayne
5) Cute and Small Chocolate Cake
This petite 6″ cake is mixed by hand and comes together in about 15 minutes, making it perfect for a last-minute pick-me-up or intimate celebration. As reviewer Karen says: “King Arthur has given us a lot of fabulous recipes over the years, but this has to be one of the very best. So easy to make and so chocolatey, with a lovely, moist crumb.”
Get the recipe: Cute and Small Chocolate Cake
Shop the recipe: 6″ Round Layer Cake Pan
Patrick Marinello
6) Small-Batch Parker House Rolls
Parker House Rolls are often a holiday staple, and their recipe yields reflect that — you’ll typically find them baked in a large 9″ x 13″ pan. But you shouldn’t need a special occasion to bake these buttery, fine-crumbed rolls. This small-batch version makes just six small rolls, nestled in a loaf pan, so you can enjoy them alongside dinner any time of year.
Get the recipe: Small-Batch Parker House Rolls
Shop the recipe: 8 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ loaf pan
Photography by Patrick Marinello; Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne
7) Tiny Apple Tarts for Two
To make these two small, perfect tarts all you need is one apple, a few pantry staples, and less than a stick of butter. Share with a friend or eat one for dessert and save the second for breakfast!
Get the recipe: Tiny Apple Tarts for Two
Shop the recipe: Vietnamese Cinnamon
Photography by Patrick Marinello; food styling by Yekaterina Boytsova
8) Small-Batch Brownies
When you crave just one or two rich, fudgy brownies fresh out of the oven, small-batch brownies are the answer. They’re made in one bowl and ready in 30 minutes, which means there’s no advance planning or extensive clean-up required.
Get the recipe: Small-Batch Brownies
Shop the recipe: Triple Cocoa Blend
Photography by Rick Holbrook; food styling by Sheila Jarnes
9) Ube Macapuno Molten Lava Cakes
With their vibrant purple lava filling, these little lava cakes are hard to resist. That deep purple hue is from ube — a type of purple yam native to Southeast Asia and beloved in Filipino baking — which adds flavor notes of coconut, pistachio, and vanilla. Meanwhile, a garnish of gooey coconut, whipped cream, and a bright red cherry completes the colorful cakes.
Get the recipe: Ube Macapuno Molten Lava Cakes
Shop the recipe: Classic Thermapen®
Photography by Rick Holbrook; food styling by Kaitlin Wayne
10) Small-Batch Biscuits
Biscuits are best eaten warm from the oven, and there will be no leftovers with this small-batch recipe because it yields only two perfect biscuits. Because they’re made with cream instead of butter, they’re even simpler to make than typical flaky biscuits. (They only take 10 minutes of prep time!)
Get the recipe: Small-Batch Biscuits
Shop the recipe: Bench Knife and King Arthur Quarter Sheet Pan
