How to Ship Baked Goods

If you develop a reliable shipping strategy, selling baked goods online can broaden your customer base or allow you to forgo a storefront. Mailing delicate, perishable pastries requires extreme care. Whichever type of bakery you operate, use our bakery shipping guide to ensure your customers receive fresh, safe-to-consume, and intact baked goods.

Click below to dive into the bakery shipping information that interests you:

How to Ship Cookies

How to Ship Cookies without Breaking

Given their hearty nature, cookies are one of the best baked goods to ship. They transport so well, ghost kitchen entrepreneurs have created entire concepts around cookies. Household name Mariah Carey even has a virtual brand, Mariah's Cookies. However, some cookies ship better than others. Cookies with eggs in their recipe are sturdier than their eggless counterparts (ex. shortbread cookies), making them better candidates for shipping orders. We explain the ins and outs of how to ship cookies below.

How to Package Cookies for Shipping

  1. Wrap the cookies. If you’re shipping multiple types of cookies in one order, individually wrap each cookie in a sealed bag to prevent flavor diffusion. If you’re shipping cookies of the same flavor, you can arrange them back-to-back and loosely wrap them in plastic wrap.
  2. Secure the cookies. Fill the nooks and crannies in your box with packing supplies. Otherwise, your cookies will jostle and break in transit.
  3. Shake test your box. Give your box a shake to make sure the cookies aren’t slipping around before shipping them. Don’t skimp on the packing materials. The expense of the packing materials is nothing compared to losing a customer because their cookies arrived as a pile of crumbs.
  4. Use a shallow, flat container. Don't stack the cookie layers higher than two layers deep.
  5. Ship smaller cookies. Smaller cookies are less likely to crumble than larger cookies. Use a teaspoon rather than a 2" cookie scoop to make cookies for shipment orders. If customers are used to receiving giant cookies when they buy them on your bakery's premises, consider shipping multiple small cookies for the price of one large storefront cookie.

How to Ship Decorated Cookies

To prevent your cookies from crumbling in transit, use a food tin or box to protect them inside their shipping box. Start by creating a cushion layer of crumpled wax paper on the bottom of the cookie tin. Then add your wrapped cookies to the tin and top them with another cushioning layer of crumpled wax paper. These extra protections are especially helpful for shipping fragile and decorated cookies.

Should I Freeze Cookies before Mailing?

Freezing cookies before mailing them is an excellent way to protect them and help them stay fresh. Frozen cookies are more solid and less likely to break in transit. You can ship frozen cookies in their plastic packaging, saving you money on insulated shipping containers.

Most cookies freeze and defrost without altering their flavor or consistency. You can arrange your cooled cookies on a plate as you’d like to present them, wrap the plate in plastic, and freeze them together. Once frozen, your plate of cookies is ready for packaging. Typically, the moisture the cookies release as they defrost isn’t enough to make their package leak. However, since leaks go against USPS rules, it’s advisable to use water-soluble packaging materials.

How to Send Baked Goods in the Mail

If you’re sending sturdy baked goods locally, you can put pastries in priority mail. However, overnight shipping is the ideal way to send baked goods to preserve their quality. For fragile or temperature-sensitive items like cheesecakes, overnight shipping isn't just beneficial, it's required. Whether you’re packaging your goodies for the mail or shipment, follow our step-by-step instructions for shipping or mailing baked goods.

1. Package Your Baked Goods for Shipping

homemade cookies in plastic bags in cardboard box

The ideal packaging for baked goods varies by the type of sweet treat you’re shipping. No matter what, you must secure them inside their shipping container. There is nothing more disappointing than receiving a crumbled pastry mess in the mail. We provide some bakery shipping tips that will help preserve the structural integrity of your sweets.

How to Package Baked Goods for Shipping

Follow these general guidelines to package baked goods for shipping and upgrade your small business shipping services:

  1. Cool baked goods before packing them. You should only package cooled baked goods to prevent moisture build-up.
  2. Secure each item. Use food-grade bags, parchment paper, or food liners to help keep them intact. Individual wrapping also prevents sticky treats from conjoining.
  3. Leave no wiggle room. Fill any voids in the box with bubble packaging or foam.
  4. Give your package a good shake. If you hear any rattling or feel jostling, reopen the package and add additional cushioning.

2. Create an Elevated Unboxing Experience

While your primary concerns are food safety and product quality, you also need to consider your customer’s unboxing experience. Memorable tins and packaging build excitement. A great presentation prompts customers to post their unboxing experience on social media, providing you with free advertising. It can also help boost brand loyalty and encourage repeat sales.

How to Create the Perfect Unboxing Experience

The primary goal of unboxing is to increase your customers’ value perception. The moment they receive your package, patrons evaluate its quality and whether it was worth purchasing. From the box you send it in to how you organize it, we explain how to create the perfect unboxing experience below:

  1. Package your baked goods in branded boxes. It builds anticipation when customers can tell where their package came from as soon as it arrives.
  2. Use attractive and sustainable packing materials. Customizing your internal materials ties your overall aesthetic together. If you use sustainable packaging, include an insert that shares this information with your customers. Environmental responsibility can earn respect and boost brand loyalty.
  3. Thoughtfully lay out your products. Use dividers to manage your products' placement. Consider the color scheme of the cushioning that you choose and how it compliments your items. Browse the social media hashtags #unboxing and #flatlay for inspiration.
  4. Give free samples. Free samples encourage repeat business and introduce your clients to your other product lines. For example, if your customer ordered a shipment of your banana bread, consider adding a sample of your cake pops.
  5. Personalize the package. From handwritten notes to customizable gift packaging, personal touches can go a long way in earning brand loyalty.
  6. Leverage inserts. Physical inserts carry greater weight than emailed information. You can insert coupons, new flavor/product promotions, or branded stickers.
  7. Mark the package as perishable. This is for the customer, not the carrier! If someone sends your baked goods as a gift, you want the recipient to know they should open the box immediately. Apply a "use by" sticker so recipients know exactly when you made the baked good and how long they have to enjoy it.

3. Choose a Shipping Service

You must decide how you want to ship your baked goods. While ground services are less expensive, air delivery services help keep your perishable treats fresh, especially if you're sending them several states away. You'll need to weigh your packages because their weight affects shipping fees. Select overnight, next-day, or two-day air shipping to keep temperature-sensitive items safe.

Talk to different carriers’ customer service representatives and see which team you feel best working with. The success of your bakery’s e-commerce business depends on customers receiving their orders fast and intact. You need to have a good working relationship with your shipping company.

How Much Does It Cost to Ship Baked Goods?

The carrier will determine the cost of shipping your baked goods based on the package’s weight, dimensions, and distance traveled. EasyShip provides a shipping rate calculator that compares your shipping options. In most cases, UPS and FedEx are in the same price range and offer the same guarantees

Which Shipping Service Is Best for Shipping Baked Goods?

The best shipping service for baked goods depends on the volume and type of baked goods you’re sending. We explain the benefits of different carriers below:

  • USPS - The US Postal Service provides the best rates on small, lightweight packages and usually offers fast delivery timelines.
  • UPS - For large and/or heavy shipments, use UPS to get the best rate. Given their expedited shipping times, UPS is also ideal for highly perishable deliveries.
  • FedEx - FedEx offers niche shipping services for frozen food and businesses.

The Cheapest Way to Ship Baked Goods

In most cases, USPS is the cheapest way to ship baked goods. We break down the cheapest ways to ship baked goods using USPS below:

  • Packages Under One Pound - USPS First-Class Package Service is the cheapest shipping option for packages that weigh less than 1 lb. (16 oz). This service will deliver packages between 1 and 3 business days. Depending on where you’re shipping to, it may only cost $3 or $4 per package. However, First Class Package doesn’t provide USPS insurance, so we recommend purchasing shipping insurance in case something goes wrong.
  • Packages Over One Pound - USPS Priority Mail Cubic prices shipping fees based on a package’s outer dimensions, not its total weight. This allows you to ship fully loaded packages for the same price as lightly loaded packages. USPS Priority Mail Cubic offers 1-3 business day delivery and comes with insurance up to $100. The fine print: the package’s total weight must not exceed 20 pounds and its total volume must be under 0.5 cubic feet.

4. Ship Baked Goods at the Beginning of the Week

cardboard box full of a variety of french desserts

The best time to ship baked goods is early in the week. Sweets shipped on Fridays often get stuck in sorting facilities over the weekend. The likelihood of delays goes up later in the week, increasing the chances that your customers will receive stale loaves of bread, or worse, sweets that have fallen into the food safety temperature danger zone.

Tips for Maintaining Freshness in Shipped Baked Goods

While shipping your baked goods early in the week and avoiding Friday shipments will help them arrive on time, there are other practical shipping strategies for maintaining product freshness. Discover the top bakery shipping tips below:

  • Create a shipping timeline. Map out exactly how long it will take you to get your cooled baked goods into your customers' hands. If you can’t get frosted or cream-filled items to your customers quickly, you’ll have to cut these items from your bakery's shipment order offerings.
  • Set order cut-off times. Setting a cut-off time will keep you, your customers, and your shipping carrier on the same schedule. If you're worried about losing clientele, you can always offer a rush delivery service for an additional fee.
  • Offer custom tracking. Use a post-purchase platform like parcelLab to create a customized tracking page. Provide food storage instructions, serving suggestions, and coffee pairing ideas on your custom page.
  • Communicate shipping fees early. State shipping options and fees early in the ordering process. Perishable items require additional packaging and rushed timelines, leading to higher shipping costs than nonperishables. You don’t want customers to make it all the way to check out and then abandon their order because of false shipping cost expectations.
  • Consider including shipping in the sales price. Providing "free shipping" presents an accurate picture of the total expense of ordering your sweets from the start. Adding “shipping included” in the product description helps prevent failed conversion because of shipping fees.
  • Bake with invert sugar. While well-executed shipping is important, the ingredients you use for your baked goods affect their shelf life and freshness, too. Invert sugar retains moisture and keeps baked goods fresh. Sub invert sugar for table sugar to improve your shipped baked goods' quality.
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How to Ship Different Baked Goods

Now that you understand the big picture of shipping baked goods, learn how to package each type of baked good for shipping. In the following sections, we break down how to prepare the most popular bakery items for shipping.

How to Ship Macarons

Follow these steps to protect your delicate French macarons in transit:

  1. Place your macarons in a macaron container. These French pastries are extremely fragile, so they require sturdier packaging than other types of cookies. Their strong flavors diffuse, so we recommend using airtight packaging and separating flavors.
  2. Use a shipping box that snugly fits your plastic container. You don’t want to leave room for the plastic container to knock around during transit.
  3. Slide ice packs around the macaron container. This keeps them fresh and safe to consume.
  4. Use packing materials. This keeps the macarons in place during the shipping process.
  5. Choose next-day shipping. Work with a carrier you trust.
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How to Ship Bread

pumpkin bread baked in aluminum bread pan

Homemade bread is time-consuming to make but delicious. Many would rather order bread from a premium bakery than try to make it themselves. However, not all loaves of bread ship as well as others. The best type of bread to ship is quick bread leavened with baking powder or soda such as pumpkin, zucchini, and banana bread. Unyeasted, "quick bread" is heartier and has a longer shelf life than yeast-risen dough. Your next best choice is bread leavened with sourdough. Yeast-leavened bread has the shortest shelf life and is the most fickle, making it the most challenging type of bread to ship.

Steps to Ship Bread

Bake your bread on the same day you ship it. Make sure the loaf is completely cool before packaging it. Then, follow these steps:

  1. Wrap the bread. According to USPS, there are unique methods for wrapping different types of bread. You should double-wrap soft bread in plastic wrap before wrapping it in either a plastic bag or foil. Wrap your stiff, yeast-leavened bread in foil before wrapping it in plastic or adding it to a bread bag. You should wrap crusty bread in plastic wrap or put it in a plastic bag to preserve its moisture before shipping it. While the crust will inevitably soften, this is still preferable to stale bread.
  2. Package your bread in a sturdy box. A padded envelope will not provide enough protection for your bread. Choose a box that can house your bread without smashing it.
  3. Fill empty spaces in the box with packing supplies. Bubble packaging is an excellent choice for cushioning shipped bread.
  4. Seal the box with carton sealing tape. Make sure there aren’t any openings. An airtight box will help keep the bread fresh.

Consider Par Baking Your Bread for Shipping

Par baking stands for “partially baking”. To par-bake bread, bake the dough 80% of the way and then freeze the loaf. Quick freezing with a blast chiller kills the yeast’s future power and creates a stable inside without browning the crust. The customer can finish the bread by baking it for an additional 10-15 minutes when it arrives. This allows the customer to enjoy a truly fresh, perfectly browned, and warm loaf of bread.

How to Ship Banana Bread

We explain how to wrap, package, and ship banana bread. You can use this method for other moist, quick loaves such as pumpkin, zucchini, and glazed lemon bread.

  1. Lay the plastic wrap on a flat surface. You can use a baking sheet, cutting board, or cleared countertop.
  2. Place the loaf on top of the plastic wrap. Leave enough plastic wrap on the left-hand side to fold over the banana bread.
  3. Cut a piece of wax paper the size of your loaf. Lay it on top of your bread to preserve its moisture.
  4. Wrap the banana bread in your sheet of plastic wrap. Fold the plastic wrap to the left of your banana bread over the loaf. Then, roll the bread down the length of the plastic wrap. Tuck the plastic wrap at the top and bottom of your loaf into the roll as you turn the bread.
  5. Freeze the banana bread. Freezing the banana bread before shipping will help keep it fresh.
  6. Lay down a sheet of aluminum foil. Not only will aluminum foil protect your loaf, but it will also shield your banana bread from flavor-altering odors.
  7. Remove the banana bread from the freezer and place it on the foil. Place the foil on the left side of the banana bread over it, then roll your loaf in the aluminum foil, tucking the top and bottom pieces of foil into your roll as you go.
  8. Place your loaf in a sturdy bakery box, tin, or container. Choose a container that fits your loaf snugly. Add packing materials to any empty spaces.
  9. Load your container into a similar-sized shipping box. Fill any gaps with packing supplies to secure the container.
  10. Seal the box with carton sealing tape. Make sure there aren’t any openings. An airtight box will help keep the banana bread fresh.
  11. Ship the banana bread. Work with a carrier you trust and choose either overnight or two-day shipping to ensure product freshness.
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How to Ship a Cake

Unfrosted cakes, coffee cakes, Bundt cakes, and pound cakes are the best candidates for shipping. These cakes freeze and defrost well, so shipping them frozen is a great way to preserve product freshness. Frosted cakes are harder to ship than other baked goods, but it is possible with the right tools and techniques.

How to Package Cakes for Shipping

If you’re wondering how to ship a cake with frosting, this is the best way to package frosted cakes for shipping:

  1. Use a cake shipping box. A fitted Styrofoam mailer prevents the cake from jostling in transit.
  2. Keep the cake cool. Remove frozen cool packs from the freezer and insert them around the cake.
  3. Insert the mailer into a box. You want a mailer that fits the box perfectly and leaves no room on the sides.
  4. Seal the box. Tape all its seams and smooth them down.
  5. Use stickers to mark the outside of your box. Show where the top of the box is so transporters don’t tip your cake upside down. Mark it as perishable and fragile.
  6. Your cake is ready to be shipped. Choose overnight shipping and work with a carrier you have a good relationship with.

How to Ship Pound Cake

Pound cakes ship best in their disposable aluminum pans. Use wax paper or plastic wrap to cover the pound cake in its pan. Place the wrapped pan in a plastic bag and add it to a cushioned food box.

How to Ship Cupcakes

Once you've baked and decorated your cupcakes as desired, chill them in the fridge or freeze them for a few hours before packaging them for shipping. This will help preserve their flavor during transport. Because cupcakes are delicate and perishable treats, you need to follow a strict packing process to ensure they arrive intact and safe to consume.

To ship cupcakes, you must purchase a cupcake container. Choose between a plastic cupcake box with individual compartments or cupcake bakery box inserts. Either option will shield your cupcakes’ frosting and prevent them from knocking into each other. Protect the cupcakes by placing candy sticks in the center of each cupcake and trimming the sticks so they hit the lid of the cupcake box. This anchors the cupcakes in place and prevents their frosting from smashing into the lid.

Cupcake Shipping Supplies List

  • Cupcake box and/or cupcake inserts
  • Candy sticks
  • Ice packs
  • Shipping Box
  • Tape
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How to Ship a Pie

Shipping a pie requires two boxes for double protection and plenty of cushioning materials. We explain how to ship a pie below:

  1. Make your pie. We suggest sticking to fruit-filled or nut pies and avoiding dairy-laden or meringue-topped options.
  2. Freeze your pie. Pies freeze and defrost well. Frozen pies stay fresher and stiffer, helping retain structural integrity in transit.
  3. Gather your shipping materials. You’ll need bubble packaging, a pie box, a corrugated cardboard box, and carton sealing tape.
  4. Add your frozen pie to the pie box. Pie boxes are specifically designed to prevent structural damage to pies, and some even offer security features such as locking corners.
  5. Decorate the pie box. Wrapping the pie box in branded gift paper, adding a handwritten note, or providing pairing/serving suggestions boosts brand loyalty.
  6. Wrap the pie box in air bubble packaging. Once you pad it, place the pie in the center of a corrugated cardboard box.
  7. Surround the pie with ice packs to keep it cool. Cushioned ice packs serve the dual functions of protecting the pie's food safety and structural integrity.
  8. Fill in any gaps. Add packing materials to prevent the inner box from sliding around during transit.
  9. Seal the pie box with carton sealing tape. Make sure there aren’t any openings. An airtight box will help keep the pie fresh.
  10. Ship your pie overnight. Pies are perishable and need to arrive fast and fresh.

How to Ship Brownies

brownies with almond slices in individual plastic stacked containers

Brownies are one of the best baked goods to ship. We explain how to package brownies for shipping so your customers receive fudgy, fresh, and fantastic brownies in the mail.

  1. Cut brownies into small squares. Small brownies have less circumference to break down in transit.
  2. Wrap brownies individually. If you’re shipping your brownies to a humid environment, wrap each brownie in foil to protect them from humidity. If you’re shipping your brownies to an arid environment, wrap each brownie in plastic wrap to protect them from dry heat.
  3. Place the tightly wrapped brownies in the freezer. Frozen brownies are firmer and hold their form in transit, and they stay fresher during transport.
  4. Box the brownies. Place the individually wrapped brownies inside a box, tin, or plastic container for protection.
  5. Slip the box of brownies into a shipping box. Stuff packing materials around the brownies so they remain fixed during transit.
  6. Seal the box with carton sealing tape. Make sure there aren’t any openings. An airtight box will help keep the brownies fresh.

Shipping Brownies Tips

Wondering how to mail brownies so they arrive as perfect, fudgy squares? We provide the top tips for shipping brownies below:

  • For the freshest results: Ship an entire tray of brownies. Uncut brownies stay freshest, so this is the best shipping option. Lay aluminum foil down in your baking dish before adding the brownie batter so you can easily remove the brownies from the pan after they're baked. Use a large enough piece of aluminum foil to fold over the top of the brownies, and it will double as packaging.
  • For bulk orders: If you want to package a few brownies together, lay parchment paper down at the bottom of their container. Add a layer of brownies and cover them with parchment paper. Repeat until your container is full.
  • For moisture: Adding chocolate chips to the batter helps keep the brownies moist.
  • For food safety: Subbing vegetable oil for butter in the brownie recipe helps them stay safe to consume after transit.
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Shipping Baked Goods FAQ

Now you know how to start a shipping service for your bakery and how to package each of your baked goods for shipping. But you still have some questions, and we’re way ahead of you. From a list of baked goods that ship well to a bakery shipping supplies list, we outline the nitty-gritty details of shipping baked goods in this FAQs section.

Best Baked Goods to Ship

The best baked goods to ship are sturdy and aren’t prone to melting. Whole baked goods stay fresher than cut baked goods, so shipping a pie vs. a slice of pie is always best. Ideally, you want to ship baked goods you can wrap individually. We provide a list of the best baked goods to send in the mail with examples by their type below:

  • Bread - Quick bread such as banana bread, pumpkin bread, and zucchini bread does great in the mail.
  • Cakes - Unfrosted cakes such as pound cakes, Bundt cakes, and coffee cakes arrive intact and fresh after shipping.
  • Pies - Fruit/nut pies like cherry, apple, blackberry, and pecan are perfect for mail-ordered sweets.
  • Cookies - Most cookies with eggs in their recipe ship well. Cookies without sticky mix-ins such as oatmeal raisin, snickerdoodle, and chocolate chip ship best.
  • Bars - Brownies, blondies, and magic bars are some of the best baked goods to ship.

List of Baked Goods That Don’t Ship Well

Just like certain baked goods hold up well in the mail, others lose their form and flavor. Dairy-rich treats require low temperatures for safe consumption, so they make poor shipping candidates. Items with delicate toppings often arrive smashed and ruined.

Sticky sweets, like caramel and toffee, cling to packaging and other baked goods, ruining their presentation. This doesn't mean you can't successfully ship these items with the proper packaging, but it will be more expensive. You will also run a greater risk of product loss and customer dissatisfaction. Discover the riskiest baked goods to ship by their type below:

  • Bread - Yeast-leavened and crusty bread (baguettes, boules, pan Cubano) don't ship well.
  • Frosted Cake - All frostings are poor shipping candidates. Whipped cream and cream cheese frosting are the worst for shipping since they must be refrigerated, making carrot cake, strawberry shortcake, and icebox cake the hardest cakes to ship.
  • Pies - French silk pie, lemon meringue pie, and key lime pie are very hard to ship.
  • Cookies - While they're still relatively shipping-friendly, cookies with sticky ingredients like caramel, frosted cookies, and eggless cookies like shortbread are harder to ship.
  • Bars - Ooey gooey butter bars, chess bars, and caramel bars require careful packaging.
  • Cheesecake - Since cheesecake must maintain a low internal temperature, it is not an easy item to ship.

Bakery Shipping Supplies

apple pie in a cardboard box with transparent plastic lid

Whether you’re selling baked goods on an e-commerce platform or filling nationwide shipping orders, here are the bakery shipping supplies you’ll need:

How to Keep Baked Goods Fresh for Shipping

To keep your baked goods fresh for shipping, bake and ship your treats on the same day. Make sure your baked goods are completely cool before you package them. If you’re sending shipping-friendly treats, Priority Mail will usually get your goodies to your customers on time. However, for dairy-laden, frosted, or heat-sensitive sweets, you’ll need to select next-day delivery.

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Especially around the holidays, sending baked goods in the mail is a popular way to show each other we care. Whether you're starting an online bakery, hoping to tap into remote markets, or simply want to send your loved ones a care package, reference back to this guide to ship your baked goods. With these best practices in mind, your goodies will arrive fresh, intact, and safe to consume.

Posted in: Bakeries|By Corrinn McCauley
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With various types of bakeries to choose from, you have to find your niche while also complying with the product and venue restrictions that your state has in place. Here are some example target markets and suggestions for best capturing their business. Before you try to sell to these markets, be sure to check that they are legal venues within your home bakery’s jurisdiction. Offices or Corporate Buildings This market may like to serve food at their frequent meetings in the morning and afternoon hours. For these customers, you can deliver your baked goods on serving trays for easy sharing. Products for the Office or Corporate Building Market Assorted muffins Small pastries Bagels Doughnuts Schools From fundraiser events to PTA meetings and class parties, schools often have gatherings where your products could be served. Products for the School Market Assorted cookies Brownies Decorated cupcakes Restaurants If you live in a town full of family-style diners or other busy restaurants, then these establishments could be a great target market for you. Many restaurants want to serve dessert options, but they may not have the time or space to produce them. Products for the Restaurant Market Cakes Cheesecakes Pies Nut Breads Seasonal specials Regional desserts: cannoli, tiramisu, baklava Health-Conscious Customers Perhaps you live in a young, active, up-and-coming neighborhood. Your target customers may have gluten-free diets or want low-calorie treats to suit their busy lifestyle, and so this market is the perfect opportunity for you to offer unique dessert alternatives. Products for the Health-Conscious Market Granola Flourless cakes Nut breads Trail mixes Be sure to clearly label any allergens that may be present in your baked goods. Additionally, it may be a good idea to label items that are vegan-friendly. Marketing Your Home Bakery To get your bakery business off the ground, you need to make sure that your market knows you’re open for operation. Here are some ways you can market your home baking business. Word of Mouth By actively engaging yourself within your residential community, you not only market yourself, but you build relationships with customers. If these customers are satisfied with the consistent quality of your baked goods, they will return for more business and spread the word of your bakery. Online Marketing and Social Media Develop a website or create a Facebook page for your bakery. Tweet about upcoming specials and post pictures on Instagram of your products to gain followers who could become your customers. Sell at Local Events or Venues In this case, the quality of your products will speak for itself. The more that you make your quality baked goods visible at your venues of sale, the more you’ll build a customer base who may contact you for special orders. If you want to start a home baking business, there are several rules and regulations that you need to research before you begin investing. Check with your state and local governments to see if home bakeries are legal in your area, and then find out what kind of licenses are required. Once you have all legal matters sorted out, it's important to do market research and choose your business's niche. As you start your new home bakery, refer to this article for guidance through the opening process. <aside class="pquote"> <blockquote> The information provided on this website does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice. Please refer to our Content Policy for more details. </blockquote> </aside>

  • How to Ship Chocolate

    In this interconnected environment, shipping chocolate straight to your customers anywhere in the country is vital to your success. However, chocolate's temperature sensitivity presents many challenges, especially when mailing it across long distances. Whether you have a booming e-commerce business or you're mailing food for the first time, use our chocolate shipping guide to deliver your products to customers. Shop All Mailing, Shipping, and Packing Supplies Use the following links to learn how to ship different chocolate candies: How to Pack Chocolate for Shipping How to Ship Chocolate without Melting Best Way to Ship Chocolate How to Ship Chocolate Covered Strawberries How to Ship Chocolate Covered Pretzels How to Ship a Breakable Chocolate Heart How to Create an Unboxing Experience How to Pack Chocolate for Shipping You put time, love, and labor into creating delicious chocolate candies, so you should sell and share them outside your immediate area. Learn how to pack chocolate for shipping so it holds its form and flavor. Work with cold, clean hands. Chocolate has a softening point lower than the human body temperature, so run your hands under cold water before packaging your chocolate. Keep your chocolates in a wine cooler before shipping them. Shipping chocolate requires careful temperature planning because cold induces sugar bloom while warmth melts the chocolate. Many chocolatiers store their chocolates in wine refrigerators to cool them down without causing sugar bloom before shipping them. Add your chocolates to a chocolate box. Remember to take the same care and consideration for presentation as packing your chocolates at your storefront. A positive unboxing experience goes a long way toward generating brand loyalty. Build your shipping box. Use an insulated shipping box that is double or triple the size of your chocolate container. The additional space separates your chocolate from the heat and protects your truffles from getting smashed if the box dents in transit. Line the bottom of your shipping box with metalized bubble packaging. Metalized packing bubbles deflect the heat, insulate the chocolates, and provide cushioning. Decide whether you need cold packs. Based on the time of year, destination, and distance your chocolates are traveling, determine how many cold packs you need to prevent your chocolates from melting. If using cold packs, place one on the bottom of the shipping container. Wrap the cold packs in a resealable plastic food bag or another leak-proof container. This precaution prevents condensation from hurting your chocolates or leaking into the shipping box. Insert the chocolate box into the shipping container. If applicable, surround it with cold packs. Fill remaining gaps with packing materials. Add a sheet of metalized insulation to the top of the package. It should cover the entire top of the package. Secure the shipping box. Tape all the seams to reduce warm air penetration. Add the shipping labels. Your chocolates are ready for shipment! Chocolate Packaging Supplies Use the following chocolate packaging supplies to pack your chocolate for shipping. Insulated boxes for shipping Cold packs for shipping chocolate Metalized bubble wrap Chocolate box Shipping paper Tape Mailing and shipping labels How to Ship Chocolate without Melting The most challenging part of shipping chocolate is preventing it from melting. Chocolate softens at 72 degrees Fahrenheit, which puts it at risk of smudging, taking on fingerprints, and receiving structural damage. While chocolate's heat sensitivity makes shipping precarious, chocolatiers can thrive in the e-commerce market by following chocolate shipping best practices. Elect to delay shipment orders. Some chocolatiers elect to delay shipments if the temperature spikes. As long as you communicate, customers are less frustrated by prolonged arrival than by ruined products. Use overnight shipping. If you plan to ship chocolates in the summer, use overnight shipping to ensure they arrive intact. Choose insulating and cooling packing materials. Metalized bubble packaging insulates your chocolates and deflects the heat. Nestling your chocolate box in ice packs keeps them below their softening point. Don’t ship chocolate orders Thursday through Sunday. Shipments leading up to and on Saturday and Sunday remain in hot warehouses over the weekend. To avoid this, let your customers know you won't ship orders placed on these days until Monday. Send them an email confirmation once their order ships so they have confidence and clarity about your process. Provide an arrival alert. After working hard to ensure your chocolates remain intact during transit, the last thing you want is for them to melt on your client’s doorstep. Provide updates on the shipping progress so your customer can bring them inside as soon as they arrive. Can You Freeze Chocolates? While freezing is an excellent preservation strategy when shipping baked goods, avoid it at all costs when shipping chocolate. Cooling chocolate, then exposing it to warm air, causes condensation to form on its surface. The moisture dissolves some of the chocolate's sugar content. When the sugar recrystallizes, it creates a white, grainy layer known as “sugar bloom" that distorts the taste and texture of your chocolate. While traditional freezing and refrigeration are ill-advised, some chocolatiers store their chocolates in a wine cooler to prevent them from softening. Operating between 45 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit, wine coolers are not as cold as refrigerators. Setting a wine cooler to its warmest operating temperature keeps ganache-filled truffles intact without inducing a sugar bloom. Keeping your chocolates cool before shipping helps prevent them from melting in the mail. If you store your chocolates in a wine cooler, place distinct flavors in airtight containers to preserve their taste. Cocoa butter absorbs odors and flavors, so keeping blueberry truffles and chocolate turtles side by side will cause flavor perversion. Do All Chocolate Candies Have the Same Melting Point? While the average melting point for chocolate across all types is between 86 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit, not all chocolate candies have the same melting point. Chocolate candy uses two extracted portions of the cocoa bean: cocoa solids and cocoa butter. Most white and dark chocolate contain comparable amounts of cocoa butter, but chocolatiers increase the candies' darkness by adding more cocoa solids. Since white chocolate has no cocoa solids to absorb liquefying cocoa butter, it melts fast. Milk chocolate and ruby chocolate contain some cocoa solids, but not as much as dark chocolate. Should You Ship Chocolates in the Summer? Some chocolatiers forgo shipping chocolate in the summer months. You might lose some business by foregoing summer shipments, and the proper packaging makes this profit reduction avoidable. However, shipping chocolate in the summer may not be cost-effective based on the size of your operation and the location of your primary clientele. Ask yourself these three questions to determine whether your chocolate shop is up to filling summer shipment orders: Where are you shipping to? If most of your clients are from warm-weather areas, mailing chocolates in the dead of summer will be expensive. Is it cost-effective? The additional fees may scare off customers, making it nonsensical to stock chocolate shipping supplies over the summer for the number of orders received. How big is your operation? Shipping chocolates during the hottest months of the year requires a vigilant eye on weather patterns, careful packaging, and detailed shipping timelines. If you are the sole employee of your chocolate business or operate with a limited staff, you may not have the help you need to tackle summer chocolate shipments. If you can't choose between the risk of losing business or losing products, you could exclusively ship to cool weather states from June through August. Alternatively, you could include a pop-up link to other candies you ship during the summer if a potential customer tries to add chocolate to their online cart during the hottest months. Back to Top Best Way to Ship Chocolate Now that you know how to package your sweets, you must determine the best way to ship your chocolate. Many chocolatiers offer standard and expedited shipping based on the season and candy purchased. If your client lives in a destination warmer than 70 degrees Fahrenheit, consider requiring them to ship Next Day Air via UPS. In cooler climates, USPS two-day mail is a reliable and economical alternative. Additionally, follow our top tips for the best way to ship chocolate. Know your chocolate box dimensions and average weight. Before choosing a shipping carrier, you need to know your packages’ average dimensions and weight to pick the most affordable carrier for your products. Provide total transparency. If your customer’s shipment requires ice packs and other special packing materials, charge for them. Patrons appreciate transparency, so give a breakdown of shipment costs at checkout and include the price of the ice packs. Consider including shipping in the sales price. Offering free shipping discloses the total expense of ordering your chocolates from the start. This method helps prevent abandoned carts once the customers see the shipping fees. Offer custom tracking. Post-purchase platforms allow you to create a customized tracking page. You can provide food storage instructions and beverage pairing ideas on your custom page. How to Ship Chocolate Covered Strawberries Shipping temperature-sensitive and perishable chocolate-covered strawberries requires extreme care. Follow these steps to ship your chocolate-covered strawberries and prevent spoiling. Chill the strawberries. Refrigerate the strawberries for two hours or until hard to prevent the chocolate from melting in transit. Once cold, package and ship. Chocolate-covered strawberries refrigerated for more than a day will not arrive at their shipping destination fresh. Wrap each chocolate-covered strawberry. Cellophane wrap will mold itself to the strawberry. Once wrapped in cellophane, place the strawberries in large baking cups. Place the strawberries in a sturdy container with a tight sealing lid. The container needs to be durable enough to protect the strawberries. Leave an inch of buffer space between the strawberries to prevent them from bumping into each other. Add your box of strawberries to an insulated box. This larger box will ward off heat, preserve your strawberries’ freshness, and keep the chocolate from melting. Lay packing peanuts or packing bubbles on the bottom of your shipping box. This creates a cushioning layer for your strawberries. Fill the empty spaces in your shipping container with packing materials. Once you secure the strawberry box on all sides, layer packing materials on top and seal the shipping container with packing tape. Choose the fastest delivery service. Keep the chocolate-covered strawberries from spoiling by selecting overnight, express, or one-day delivery. How to Ship Chocolate Covered Pretzels Because pretzels are prone to breakage and chocolate is prone to melting, you must take exceptional care when shipping chocolate-covered pretzels. We break down how to ship chocolate-covered pretzels below. Package the pretzels. If you use pretzel rods, individually heat-seal each pretzel before adding them to a sealable food-grade bag. For regular pretzels, heat-seal your servings together. Bags absorb the impact if the carrier drops the shipping container. If you place the pretzels in a rigid container, they are more likely to shatter from crashing against the hard material. Label and seal the food-grade bag. Add branding to your chocolate-covered pretzels and create an attractive unboxing experience. Be sure to include FDA-required allergy and calorie information. Add the bag to a bubble mailer. Bubble mailers help protect your chocolate-covered pretzels during transit. Assemble a mailing box. You can pick up large mailing boxes for free at the post office. Tape all the seams to prevent cold air from escaping when you add the ice packs. Fill in the shipping box. Lay a cushioning bubble packaging layer on the bottom of the shipping box. Then, add your bubbled mailer and surround it with packing bubbles. Insert ice packs. For smaller orders, use one 6 oz. ice pack and nestle it to the side of your bubbled mailer. For larger orders, add two 6 oz. ice packs, one to the side of the bubbled mailers and one in between them. Seal the shipping box. Add another cushioning layer atop the contents before sealing your shipping box. Seal all the edges to contain the cold. How to Ship a Breakable Chocolate Heart Breakable chocolate hearts are hollow chocolate hearts filled with candy and sprinkles. They come equipped with mini mallets and make a cute, interactive dessert experience for Valentine’s Day or any time of the year. Given their fragile nature, you must take extra care to ensure your clients don’t receive a shattered heart lest it be an omen for their future. Learn how to ship a breakable chocolate heart below. Pack your breakable chocolate heart in a heart-themed chocolate box. This opportunity allows your branding to shine. Wrap the chocolate box in packing bubbles. The bubble packaging provides the first layer of protection. Assemble your shipping container. Tape all seals so balmy air doesn’t leak into your box. Lay air pillows on the bottom of your shipping container. This buffers against rough handling. Add the chocolate box to the shipping container. Include any notes, details, or promotional flyers at this stage. Drape packing bubbles over the chocolate box before adding the ice packs. The bubble packaging protects your chocolates from condensation. Add three ice packs. Place one on top of the chocolate box and the remaining two on its sides. Leave no space. Fill all remaining areas with packing materials. Tape the shipping box closed. Seal all the seams to preserve a cool internal temperature. How to Create an Unboxing Experience A chocolatier’s priority is to have their shipments arrive intact, but a memorable unboxing experience goes a long way to boost brand loyalty. It provides free advertising when customers post their unboxing experience on social media. Here are some tips for creating a chocolate unboxing experience your customers will want to share. Ship your chocolate in branded boxes. Knowing the box is from your chocolate shop as soon as it arrives builds anticipation. Use attractive and sustainable packing materials. Customize your internal materials to create a cohesive aesthetic. If you use sustainable packaging, include an insert that shares this information with your customers. Environmental responsibility can earn respect and boost brand loyalty. Think like a merchandiser. Consider the color scheme of the cushioning materials and how they complement your items. Use dividers to manage your products' placement, and browse the social media hashtags #unboxing and #flatlay for inspiration. Provide free samples. Free samples introduce your clients to other product lines and encourage repeat business. For example, if your customer ordered a shipment of your chocolate truffles, consider adding a sample of your caramels or toffee. Personalize the package. From handwritten notes to customizable gift packaging, personal touches encourage repeat business. Add inserts. Insert coupons, new flavor/product promotions, or branded stickers. Mark the package as perishable. This label is for the customer, not the carrier. If someone sends your chocolates as a gift, you want the recipient to know they should open the box upon arrival. Back to Top With the rise of ghost kitchens, storefronts are no longer necessary to sell gourmet chocolate desserts. However, you need a solid shipping strategy to ensure your goodies arrive intact. Whether your chocolate shop is ramping up its shipping strategy or you want to create a virtual chocolate brand, use this resource to deliver your chocolates without compromising them.

  • How to Write a Bakery Business Plan

    Starting your own bakery is no easy task. Many people have tried and failed to get their business ideas off the ground, or worse, their business flopped within the first year. So what sets a successful bakery apart from the ones that don't make it? A solid bakery business plan that can help you stay organized and obtain the funding you need. We’ll talk you through every major part of a business plan, from creating a basic description of your establishment to offering financial projections to future investors. Why is a Bakery Business Plan Necessary? A bakery business plan can be used to garner interest from potential investors or loans from a bank. Additionally, it is helpful to you as an owner. Creating a bakery business plan allows you to thoroughly analyze every detail of your potential business. This includes things as small as the equipment you will need or as big as the space for your business.While your bakery may have started as a vision, evolving it into a solid plan will allow you to prove to yourself and others that it is a viable business venture. What Sections Should a Bakery Business Plan Include? When presenting a business plan for your bakery to potential investors, include the following information: Executive Summary Company Overview and Description Market Analysis Business Offerings Management Marketing and Public Relations Strategies Financial Projections Keep reading below to learn how to create an effective bakery business plan that includes each of these important sections. Bakery Business Plan Sample Breakdown Below we give you an in-depth look at each section in your bakery business plan. 1. Write an Executive Summary Although it’s the last thing you’ll write for your bakery business plan, an executive summary is the first thing you hand to bankers or potential investors. That’s because this is an over-arching summary of your bakery’s business plan. Investors will read the executive summary to determine if they're interested in the rest of your business plan. Typically, executive summaries are between one and four pages in length, but vary depending on each individual's business. The goal of this summary is to get your foot in the door and have face time with the investor. You should detail what makes your company special and why that will make your company successful, along with your expected growth. It acts as an introduction, but it should be completed last to reflect the most current business model you have developed. A few important questions to answer in your executive summary include where your bakery will be located as well as how much building space is required for operation. It’s important to also cover the expected cost of your building space and any necessary equipment. From there, be sure to cover your overall goals and projected profits. In order to make your executive summary as powerful as possible, consider some of the following tips: Write a strong hook. The first paragraph should serve as an introduction to your executive summary that explains what your bakery does. Use concise language. Take advantage of bullet points to allow investors to read through your summary faster. Be careful, however, not to sacrifice quality and the level of detail for conciseness. Discuss your business’s core strength. Maybe you have an excellent management team lined up, or you know that you make an exceptional product. You may even offer a unique service that nobody else in the area can provide. Be sure to include these details. Know who your investors are, and use language that will resonate with them. Make your executive summary easily understandable by whomever you are presenting it to, based on their profession or educational background. Change your executive summary when presenting to different investors. If your executive summary had too much detail the first time and the investor skipped right over it, then change it up for the next attempt. Avoid using superlatives, cliches, or claims that can’t be backed up. Don’t try to make claims such as “the best donuts in the world” if they can’t be backed up by proof. Stay realistic with your statements and instead offer tangible facts. For example, you can say you use the highest-quality ingredients in your donut recipes and make them to order. Be authentic. This business is something you’re obviously passionate about, so let it show in your plan. 2. Company Overview and Description The first step in writing a bakery business plan is to compose a company overview of your business. The overview should explain why you want to open a bakery, so you can show your financial source that you’re passionate about the business you want to start. <p">While a bakery may sound self-explanatory, use this section to outline the finer details of your business plan. It is in this company overview that you can further develop ideas mentioned in your executive summary. In general, the company overview is your chance to discuss how and why you plan to open your bakery. When writing a company overview for your bakery, be sure to answer the following questions: What is your niche? Do you have a specific theme that your bakery will revolve around? Who is your target audience? Do you have any special recipes or promotions? What is your strategic differentiator? What is the legal structure of your bakery’s business? What are your short term and long term goals? 3. Market Analysis This section of your bakery business plan will probably require the most research. Here you will expand on how you will fit into the existing bakery market. The details will demonstrate your knowledge of the industry and market because your research findings should be a sound confirmation of the conclusions you have stated up to this point. When conducting research for your market analysis, be sure to consider the following: Look at the demographics of your area. What’s the largest age group? What is the income level of your intended customers? Learn about trends. How much do people in the area spend on eating out? Are there any seasonal trends that would likely prevent people from coming to your bakery? Research your competitors. What can you learn from their success? How can you take that one step further to be a contender in the market? Become familiar with codes and regulations. What regulations will apply to your bakery? How do you plan on complying with these rules? Detail relevant financial information. What will your pricing structure be like? 4. Business Offerings Use this section to specify what type of baked goods you will supply to your customers. Whether you’re focusing on fresh-baked breads or colorful macarons, go into detail about your offerings. In addition, be sure to explain your reasoning behind selling these particular items. How will these goods help your bakery become the next neighborhood hot spot? When detailing your business offerings, be sure to answer the following questions: Will you have specialty items, including gluten-free or custom-made products? Did you create a completely new product? If so, do you intend to patent it? Are any of your items unique to the culture of the area you plan to sell in? Do you plan to develop new recipes over time? Is there anything that might cause a decline in the demand for your particular goods? Where do you intend to buy ingredients and equipment? 5. Management Plan Developing a plan on how your company will be organized is a very important step in writing your bakery business plan. In this section, you should lay out your bakery’s management structure. If there are several owners of the business, it is in this section you can include personal information and shares of ownership. Showing future investors a management plan allows you to prove you’re qualified to run a bakery. When preparing your management plan, take time to answer the following questions: Will you have a business partner? What percentage of the company do you plan to own? How many employees do you plan to hire? Will you be doing the actual baking or running things behind the scenes? Will you have a financial advisor or accountant who handles the business aspects? Will anyone else be included in the day-to-day decision making process? 6. Marketing and Public Relations Strategies Before you can start profiting, your business needs a solid strategy for entering the market and attracting customers. Building a strong community presence is a very important step to entering the existing bakery market. It’s in this section that you should explain and develop the steps you will take to reach potential customers. Aside from offering unique goods and services, coming up with a creative or catchy name can quickly draw in curious customers. Begin thinking about how you want to develop your brand as you outline how you want to market your business. Reaching Your Target Audience During your market analysis you should have identified your target market. When working on a marketing strategy, consider offering special or competitive pricing to appeal to your market. Promote certain products or flavors that will entice potential customers, or highlight special services or goods unique to your business. Additionally, you’ll want to consider how you plan to appeal to your audience’s sense. For example, some restaurants or bakeries will go as far as to place their ovens closer to the front of the store, which allows enticing smells to waft out onto the street. Develop an Advertising Strategy It’s important to develop an advertising strategy that will work most effectively with your target market. Will you use social media to create an online presence for your business? Or will you have more success with newspapers and flyers? Additionally, you may want to consider hosting a grand opening to draw in a crowd and promote your business. Exploring Expansion Even before opening day, you’ll want to begin thinking about possible plans for expansion. Investors will want to know whether or not you plan to expand your store down the line. Will this require opening another location? If so, will you be eventually hiring more employees? 7. Financial Projections For the final section of a business plan for your bakery, you’ll need to elaborate on the financial aspects of your business. While you can’t know for sure how your business will fare in the future, you’ll need to outline your costs and do some research to explain the potential success of your business. By this point you have analyzed the market demographics, so you need to use this to set up financial goals for your company. Detail all of the costs of supplies, bills, and salaries that are necessary to keep your bakery up and running. After taking all of this into consideration, carefully try to determine the period of time in which you expect to turn a profit. When creating financial projections, it’s important to be realistic. This will help you secure investors. You are trying to assure them that they would be making a good investment by aligning with your business. Creating a formal bakery business plan is a crucial step in obtaining financial investors and staying organized. This plan can turn your vision into realistic goals and expectations meant to impress and interest investors. When done right, your bakery business plan can provide you with peace of mind that you’re entering a viable and profitable business venture. </p">

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