3 easy bakes to take to the beach

When the sun shines brightly and the mercury starts to swell, many of us like to head straight to the coast. In the UK, a day at the beach is made all the sweeter by the knowledge that sweltering summer days do not come around often.

And it’s partly because we never quite know when the sun will shine on us again, we tend to spend as long on the sand as we possibly can. That’s why it’s a good idea to come prepared with plenty of refreshments – after all, there are only so many ice-cream cones any of us can manage.

So we’ve put together some suggestions for bakes to take with you to the beach. We know you don’t want to spend hours and hours in the kitchen when spaces on the sand are filling up fast – you want to be sunbathing, swimming and sandcastle-building as soon as possible.

With that in mind, we’ve kept these recipes fairly simple. Here goes…

1. Mars tray bake

This super-simple chocolatey tray bake is an ideal option for the beach. It’s filling and delicious, and will be ready in little more than the time it takes to heat and cool the chocolate and syrup mix.

Tray bakes like these are particularly well suited to day trips, because they’re not going to fall apart in transit and they can be packed efficiently. Most of us Brits take a fair amount of paraphernalia with us to the beach, so every square-inch counts.

You’ll need a cool box of course, to stop them degenerating into the chocolatey gloop from whence they came. Get the recipe for this delicious Mars tray bake here.

2. Beach ball pops

OK, these beach ball pops might not be exactly ideal for your day trip. They’re not as quick to make as the Mars tray bake, they’re slightly awkward to pack and they’re not even especially filling when compared with our first suggestion.

So why are they in the list? Firstly, because they look fantastic – what could be more perfect for the beach? – and secondly, they’re so delicious you’ll quickly forget the small amount of extra time you had to put in when making them.

Don’t forget to pack your camera, because you’ll get some great photos of your friends, kids or whomever else, as they chomp away blissfully on these clever creations.

Visit this page for the full recipe for beach ball cake pops.

3. Banana cake

Let’s return to simpler creations for our third suggestion. Banana cake is delightfully satisfying and deliciously moist in the centre with some texture provided by the addition of chopped walnuts. If you get it just right there will also be a slight crunch to the crust.

A generous wedge of banana cake will keep everyone going for a good few hours, helping you to put off heading back inland for as long as possible.

Get our full banana cake recipe here.

Whether you’re heading to a secluded cove or a bustling beach resort, have a great day by the water. Here’s to glorious sunshine, sparkling seas and clean plates.