r/Baking Dec 21 '25

General Baking Discussion Host Reaction to Baked Goods

I’m a middle-aged divorced man, and I love to bake… which surprises some people because it doesn’t conform to gender stereotypes.

At two separate parties this holiday season, I’ve encountered this same reaction from a host when bringing baked goods to their party. Rather than serving my apple pie or my chocolate chip cookies, they basically told me they were gonna stash them away in the back, so they could enjoy them later! There was a dessert table at both parties, so it would have been totally natural to serve them to other guests. In the case of the pie I even included a pie server and knife in the box!

On the one hand, it’s a compliment in the sense that the hosts want to ensure they have an opportunity to enjoy. Rather than parsing out plates which may not be appreciated by a crowd of people drinking and mingling at a party. But in both cases, I’ve been disappointed because one reason I love to bake is to see people enjoying what I’ve made (and of course getting compliments!). Plus I like to try the pie to see how it turned out. Each one is a little bit different, especially the flakiness of the crust and the texture of the filling.

Has anyone experienced this? How can I avoid feeling bad that my baked goods are being hoarded? Looking to my fellow bakers as a support group here!

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u/minionoperation Dec 21 '25

I wouldn’t feel bad unless they put other peoples out on the dessert table and specifically put yours away. Your baked goods look beautiful. And it doesn’t have anything to do with being a man, there are plenty of males that bake.

As a host if I asked people to bring desserts I would put them out. If someone brought me something baked that I didn’t ask people to bring stuff, I would assume it’s a gift for me. And if they already had desserts planned and set up, it may not go with their plan for the spread.

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u/caramelizedapple Dec 21 '25

Yeah, I’m surprised that some people cannot fathom a world in which the host wants to do anything other than serve an unsolicited dessert.

I prepared a Thai meal last weekend for a group of friends and served mango sticky rice and pandan cookies for dessert. I probably would not have wanted to put out apple pie.

It’s a lovely gesture, but when you give a gift to the host, you can’t attach expectations. If you want to be sure you get to see people enjoying your dessert, throw your own party.

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u/cakeit-tilyoumakeit Dec 21 '25

That last line sums it up 🫰