Quick recipes for yeast-free bread, scones, muffins, and more

The fastest baking

These quick baked goods live up to their name: these recipes are incredibly easy to make. Simple baking soda bread, scones, muffins, and other sweet or savory yeast-free baked goods are perfect for any occasion.

Banana bread

This moist and light banana bread calls for vegetable oil, not butter. Four very ripe, mashed bananas, along with vanilla and a touch of cinnamon, add a vibrant flavor.

Recipe: Banana bread

Cranberry Orange Muffins

Before adding dried cranberries to the batter, lightly simmer them in orange juice to plump them up and make them extra juicy. These tangy muffins are topped with orange zest and a dusting of sugar.

Recipe: Cranberry Orange Muffins

Popovers or jumping buns

Here are three secrets to great popovers: make sure the pan is hot before adding batter, fill each cavity no more than halfway, and don't peek into the oven while baking.

Recipe: Popovers or jumping buns

Coconut scones with coconut glaze

Scones are lightly sweetened baked goods that use baking powder as a leavening agent. Essentially, they're individual servings of quick bread. This recipe features simple scones drizzled with a sweet glaze and containing coconut in three forms: shredded, extract, and coconut milk.

Recipe: Coconut scones with coconut glaze

Banana bread with peanut butter

Peanut butter replaces butter and oil in this quick bread and also serves as a glaze—one of the most delicious.

Recipe: Banana bread with peanut butter

Avocado bread

Instead of butter, this simple, delicious bread uses avocado, which adds a subtle yet distinct flavor and provides a source of healthy fats.

Recipe: Avocado bread

Cheese cookies with sour milk

According to Ina Garten, the secret to light, flaky scones is using very cold ingredients. When the scones are in a hot oven, the butter melts, creating steam that causes the dough to rise. You can prepare the sour milk dough the night before, then all you have to do is bake it in the morning.

Recipe: Cheese cookies with sour milk

Blueberry muffins with cottage cheese filling

Hidden beneath the sugary tops of these muffins is a cheesecake—a treat you'd happily enjoy for dessert or breakfast.

Recipe: Blueberry muffins with cottage cheese filling

Mini Chocolate Chip Muffins

The entire recipe takes just 30 minutes. The nutty flavor of these mini chocolate muffins comes from a full cup of peanut butter mixed into the batter.

Recipe: Mini Chocolate Chip Muffins

Chocolate Banana Avocado Bread

Avocado replaces the butter typically used in banana bread, making this cake moist. Chocolate pairs well with the avocado flavor and adds extra sweetness.

Recipe: Chocolate Banana Avocado Bread

Zucchini bread

By adding 1 1/2 cups of freshly shredded zucchini to a cinnamon-scented batter, you'll create a flavorful vegetable muffin that's tender, soft, and easy to make.

Recipe: Zucchini bread

Cornbread with cheese and dill

Ina Garten's easy cornbread is topped with aged sharp cheddar, which is also added to the dough. Chopped dill adds a fresh note. Don't overmix the dough, as this will result in a light and airy bread.

Recipe: Cornbread with cheese and dill

Banana bread with brown butter

Brown the butter to add a wonderful depth of flavor to the bread. A glaze, also made with brown butter, is the perfect finishing touch.

Recipe: Banana bread with brown butter

Banana muffins

Mash ripe bananas for these simple, moist muffins; dark brown sugar and cinnamon add sweetness, while walnut pieces add a nice crunch.

Recipe: Banana muffins

Chocolate bread with banana pieces

Chocolate swirls in the dough create a marbled effect, while banana chunks provide a pleasant texture.

Recipe: Chocolate bread with banana pieces

Ice Cream and Chocolate Chip Cookie Muffins

How can you resist a treat made with just two ingredients? The secret to these muffins is cookie-chip ice cream.

Recipe: Ice Cream and Chocolate Chip Cookie Muffins

Cornmeal muffins

The dry ingredients provide the sweet and savory flavor of these corn muffins, while the wet ingredients add a soft, creamy texture. For best results, Ina uses medium-ground cornmeal.

Recipe: Cornmeal muffins

Orange Cranberry Scones

Make the dough ahead of time, cut out the scones, and refrigerate them. The next morning, bake the scones in the oven, then top with orange glaze—a fuss-free hot breakfast.

Recipe: Orange Cranberry Scones

Layered buns for every day

This simple scone recipe is perfect for anyone. They're light and filling, and they cook up super quickly.

Recipe: Layered buns for every day

Banana cake

This is a simple and foolproof banana bread recipe. It uses butter instead of vegetable oil—when you cream the butter and sugar, you'll get a very airy and rich consistency.

Recipe: Banana cake

Gluten-free banana bread

Brown rice and tapioca flour replace the wheat flour here, but the bread turns out very moist, and it’s hard to believe that it’s gluten-free.

Recipe: Gluten-free banana bread

Pumpkin muffin

Ellie Krieger makes healthier muffins without using fatty ingredients for flavor. A distinct warm, spicy note comes from molasses, dark brown sugar, and four ground spices: cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg. Low-fat buttermilk, canned pumpkin puree, and a touch of canola oil create a moist, tender texture, and the muffins are topped with pumpkin seeds.

Recipe: Pumpkin muffin

Banana cake with chocolate and icing

This isn't your average banana bread: a quick and delicious chocolate chip cake topped with a silky chocolate glaze.

Recipe: Banana cake with chocolate and icing

Carrot Bread with Hazelnuts, Coconut, and Cream Cheese Frosting

Instead of a labor-intensive carrot cake, try this easy carrot bread topped with cream cheese frosting. Toasted chopped hazelnuts and coconut flakes complete the texture of this moist, soft, and savory bread.

Recipe: Carrot Bread with Hazelnuts, Coconut, and Cream Cheese Frosting

Zucchini Cake with Dried Cranberries and Vanilla Frosting

Stir grated zucchini and plain yogurt into the spiced dough to create a moist and very soft bread. For a sweet touch, drizzle with vanilla bean glaze.

Recipe: Zucchini Cake with Dried Cranberries and Vanilla Frosting

Apple Vanilla Mini Muffins with Apple Glaze

Apple cider infused with honey and cinnamon is reduced to a syrupy consistency—use this glaze to top these fragrant vanilla apple mini muffins.

Recipe: Apple Vanilla Mini Muffins with Apple Glaze

Strawberry Banana Bread

Bananas and strawberries pair well in this sweet and tart quick bread, and the walnut topping adds a crunchy texture.

Recipe: Strawberry Banana Bread

Pumpkin muffin with streusel

A pecan and pumpkin seed streusel adds a wonderful crunch. Pumpkin puree and seeds, allspice, and ground cloves provide a rich autumn flavor, but these muffins can be made anytime.

Recipe: Pumpkin muffin with streusel

Molasses Corn Muffins

A blend of wheat and corn flour gives the muffins a dense, rich texture, while the molasses in the batter creates a crisp, caramelized crust.

Recipe: Molasses Corn Muffins

Cranberry Citrus Muffin Tops

Seinfeld fans know that the top of a cupcake is the best part. These fluffy, slightly crispy cakes are actually about the size of muffins. To ensure they rise properly, be sure to chill the dough first.

Recipe: Cranberry Citrus Muffin Tops

Banana bread with dried fruit sweetener

Surprise! This bread is sugar-free. Bananas, raisins, and dates add natural sweetness.

Recipe: Banana bread with dried fruit sweetener

Spicy Carrot Mini Muffins

These mini muffins contain shredded carrots, raisins, and sweetened coconut—the perfect single-serve treat for carrot cake lovers. The small size of the muffins affects the baking time: these mini muffins need to be baked 5-7 minutes less.

Recipe: Spicy Carrot Mini Muffins

Quick Cupcakes with Peach Frosting

This frosting for cupcakes and other treats is super easy to whip up. You can use any jam or preserves you like.

Recipe: Quick Cupcakes with Peach Frosting

Raisin cake in a jar

Trisha Yearwood bakes quick bread in tin cans (like soup cans)—a simple treat with raisins and crushed bran flakes. These muffins in jars make a unique gift.

Recipe: Raisin cake in a jar

Double Blueberry Muffins

This recipe proves you can never have too many blueberries. Mash some of the berries with the back of a fork for a unique texture. Add the rest whole to the batter to infuse the muffins with richness and sweetness. Scoop the batter into a muffin tin using an ice cream scoop, then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

Recipe: Double Blueberry Muffins

Banana Nut Bread with Honey Butter

Sour cream in the dough adds richness and a savory note, while pecan bits add crunch. Spread warm slices of bread with homemade honey butter.

Recipe: Banana Nut Bread with Honey Butter

Quick bread with soda

Each slice of simple beer-infused bread is packed with the savory flavor of grated smoked Gouda cheese, chopped fresh thyme, ground mustard, and a touch of cayenne pepper.

Recipe: Quick bread with soda