A Complete Guide to Mindful Baking with Bakeeze

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‘Cake anyone?‘ The one question you can pretty much guarantee I’ll answer ‘yes‘ to. Although, baking that cake is a bit of a different story. I have a small kitchen (like tiny), and with two kids always clamouring to bake with me in this confined space, it’s something I’ve generally avoided.  

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy baking when I do it, and I’m not too bad at it either; people tend to mummer sounds of approval when sampling my creations. However, recently I’ve realised that my focus has been all wrong when it comes to baking.  

Aside from yummy bakes (and they can be very yummy!), there are many great benefits to be gained from baking, particularly if you try mindful baking, just like I did when I gave Bakeeze’s mindful recipes cards a go.  

What is Mindful Baking?

Mindful baking involves using the technique of mindfulness – becoming fully present in the moment, aware of what you’re doing, thinking, feeling – and applying it to the process of baking something.  

What are the benefits of Mindful Baking?

A 2018 study revealed 1 in 3 Brits turn to baking to help them destress after a busy day at work. It’s not hard to see why…

Following a recipe requires focus, grounding you in the moment, helping you to relax and develop a sense of calm. When you’re fully focused you’re not worrying about the future or dwelling on the past. 

Baking promotes creative expression (linked to increased well-being), and when something edible comes out of the oven, there’s the added sense of achievement. Plus, baking encourages connection. We can share it with others, increasing happiness for all concerned.  

How to do Mindful Baking

As I mentioned, I tried mindful baking with Bakeeze recipe cards. Each card has a mindful purpose and affirmation to match. The idea is to pick the recipe that resonates with you the most. For me, that was The Brownies of Bravery, but I could have chosen The Carrot Cake of Contentment or The Keema Naan of Kindness (there are 12 life skills linked recipes to choose from). 

Once I’d picked my recipe, I followed these five helpful steps…

Set your intention.  Intentions bring mindful purpose to the activity as well as providing a focus on the outcome you want. As Leanne, the founder of Bakeeze, says, ‘this is your time to escape, your time to forget everything else. Your intention is to feel relaxed, clear-minded, happy (whatever works for you that day)’.  

For each Bakeeze recipe card, there was a matching affirmation. The affirmations were brilliant at helping me influence my subconscious mind into accessing new beliefs. It also made me aware of the positive nature of what I was about to do.

Prepare your space. I started by reading the recipe entirely and then gathered and weighed all of the ingredients I would need. I also got out all of the utensils etc.  

Top tip: Sometimes, in this chaotic world we live in, feeling out of control creates anxiety within us. Being prepared can help you feel in control again.  

Good to Know: Mindful baking doesn’t need to be expensive. All the ingredients required for the brownie recipe here cost me under £5.  

Give focus. As I set about combining all the ingredients, my focus switched solely to what I was doing. When you pay close attention to what you’re doing, your mind wanders less. So allow yourself to get lost in the recipe. Notice the textures, aroma, sensation of movement as you mix, knead, or roll! Yes, your mind might still wander, but that’s OK, notice when that happens and bring yourself gently back to the activity at hand.  

Be creative & compassionate. Take a moment to realise how creative you’re being – you’re manifesting something from a set of simple ingredients. However, it would help if you practised some self-compassion here too. Your bake may not be perfect, it may not fully rise, or as in my case, you might measure out the ingredients wrong, and it cracks, but that’s completely OK! There is no need for perfection here; it’s more about the process.  

Reflect. Whilst your bake is in the oven, it’s a great time to reflect on the activity. Take a few moments to think about how you’re feeling. I used one of the 12 journal cards included in the Bakeeze box to note down mine.  

Bake your way to self-empowerment & well-being

Of course, I took a moment to lick the spoon, and there was something very satisfying about rewarding myself with a nice mug of tea and the bakes of my labour afterwards, too. Approaching baking in this way helped me calm my mind; surprisingly, I also felt less stressed about the clean-up afterwards. I’m pleased my enjoyment of baking has been sparked again, and I know those around me will be happy to hear that too! 

About Bakeeze Recipes for Life Success

Bakeeze is on a mission to help & empower busy people to give themselves permission to take a break, be creative and in the moment – as well as produce some delicious bakes.  

Combining three recognised techniques for increased well-being: mindfulness, affirmations & journaling, Bakeeze recipe cards help you bring mindful purpose to your baking. 

Each set contains 12 recipe cards, 12 matching affirmation cards and 12 journaling cards, all presented in an appealing gift box.  

They’re a thoughtful, caring gift either to yourself or a friend or loved one, especially if you’d like to encourage them to take some time out by doing something creative.  

Want to try mindful baking for yourself? Here’s a FREE printable Bakeeze recipe & affirmation:

(Offer available until 5th July 2021. Free downloadable & printable recipe card provided with kind permission of Bakeeze. Not to be replicated or used elsewhere without the express permission of the copyright holder ©Bakeeze)

After suffering two major burnouts, Leanne found herself unable to do anything at all. As part of her recovery journey, she took up baking and found it helped her feel present, in the moment and in control – it enabled her to practice mindfulness. She believes baking saved her, allowing her to feel calmer and clearer. In addition, it’s helped make her self-talk more positive and aided her in being a better mum, daughter, and partner. Although she claims to be no Mary Berry, she truly loves to bake and also loves sharing her creations with others. 

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Do you enjoy baking? Have you ever tried mindful baking before? Any top tips to add of your own? Whatever you’d like to say – or ask – please get in touch via the comment box below. I’m happy to help and I always love to hear from you!