Bundt pans are highly specialized pans that typically make round cakes with holes in the middle. They can be fancy, with intricate designs on top or straightforward domed shapes. While they can create a beautiful cake, this distinctive shape may feel one note and restrictive. It’s hard to justify keeping a pan with only one use in your kitchen, especially if you are pressed for space. Bundt pans also tend to take up a large amount of cabinet space because of their unique shape.
If you are hesitating to buy a bundt pan or considering getting rid of yours, we encourage you to wait and read this before moving on. With a bit of creativity, there are plenty of other ways to use a bundt pan. Here are a few:
1. Create an Ice Ring for the Punch Bowl
There are plenty of awesome ice cube trays out there. However, these tend to make small pieces of ice which melt quickly. This can create multiple issues in any drink, but in a delicious bowl of festive punch, not only will chilling with small ice cubes be less effective at cooling (leading to a tepid punch), but the melted ice will also water it down.
Fill your bundt pan with hot water, which Science Line reports freezes faster and results in clearer ice. Place on a level surface in the coldest part of the freezer and a few hours later, turn out a beautiful – and long lasting! – ice ring into the punch bowl. BONUS: edible flowers or pieces of fruit in the ice ring add pizazz.
2. Use It to Bake Bread
Cake is not the only thing that can be baked in a bundt pan! Pull-apart bread uses dough that has been formed into balls or strips and then placed into a pan together and baked. Doing this lets all the pieces bake together initially, while also allowing them to be pulled off individually. This type of bread works great as a party appetizer. It can also go by the name Monkey Bread or Bubble Bread due to the look of the dough balls.
Another great bread for the bundt is a Sandwich ring. Simply choose your favorite bread recipe, prep the pan according to directions, and bake up your own ring of sandwich bread. Once your loaf has cooked and cooled, turn the bread out onto a cutting board, and cut the bread in half through the middle like a giant bagel. Then stuff your sandwich ring full of whatever your heart desires.
3. Make a Bundt Dinner
We all love single-pan meals. The ease and simplicity of making and serving are undeniable. That is why we are here to tell you the next stage of evolution in your pan meals is using a bundt pan. Why make meals in a bundt? First and foremost, they look fantastic. Second, they take an already easy meal and make them more accessible. Third, bundt shape things are super easy to cut. The hole in the middle means that instead of trying to cut perfect squares to get the right-sized pieces, you can simply cut as much as you want. Each piece can be a different size, and you will not be left with wonky cuts.
Some great recipes that adapt easily to the bundt pan format are lasagna, breakfast bake, any casseroles, meatloaf, and cornbread or other stuffing... The opportunities are endless. Whether you are making these for yourself or a party, break out the bundt pan for an easy meal bake.
4. Go Back in Time to Jell-O Molds
Unleash your inner 1950s with a fancy Jell-O mold to impress your friends! Your bundt pan doesn’t just make fancy baked desserts, it can be used during hot months to make chilled gelatin-based desserts. Intricate bundt pans create really elaborate designs that look great with bits of suspended fruit like mandarin orange pieces, pineapple tidbits, or mini marshmallows.
Your bundt pan is also an ice cream mold. Pack the ice cream into the pan, making sure that it’s tight and fills all the crevices. You can even get fancy and use multiple flavors (and colors) of ice cream, a cake layer, cookie crumbs, chocolate chips, or chopped nuts. Place the whole thing in coldest part of the freezer. Before serving, allow to sit 5 minutes before turning out your beautiful ice cream sculpture onto a plate.
A third treat that can benefit from the bundt is the humble Rice Krispie bar. These delicious favorites require few ingredients, but a simple rectangle can be a bit boring, so bring out the bundt pan and turn this no-bake dessert up to 11! Prep your bundt pan the way you would a regular pan, by greasing it with oil or butter. When your Rice Krispie mixture is ready, pour it in the pan and gently pat down with a buttered spoon.
5. Use it to Cut Corn
Honestly, this next one is going to be a trick you want to save: your bundt pan is the corn cutter you did not know you already had! There are two ways to do this:
First, similar to the Angel Food pan shown in this viral TikTok, if you have a bundt pan with a wide center hole, you can place your cob right in the middle and press it down through the hole. This will remove all of the corn kernels and catch them in the surrounding basin, saving time and effort and preventing (most of) the stray kernels from shooting across the kitchen or ending up on the floor.
If the center of your bundt is not big enough for the ear of corn, place the large part of the ear over the center hole and hold it carefully at the top with one hand. Use a knife to cut off the kernels in a downward motion. The kernels will still be caught by the basin of your bundt.
6. Make a S’mores Caddy
S’mores are one of the great summertime treats, and making them by the fire will bring everyone together for some fun and relaxation. Finding the perfect caddy to transport the goodies, especially in the dark on the way out to the grill or fire pit, can be a chore.
The bundt pan fixes all of this. The high sides make it perfect for storing plenty of chocolate bars, graham crackers and marshmallows without the risk of spillage, and the hole in the middle serves as a convenient place to store the skewers for the mashmallows at fireside.
7. Bundt Pans Take on Garden Duty
One of the best ways to repurpose a bundt pan is to use it in your kitchen as a planter. Simply fill the bundt with nutrient-rich soil, add in a slow-release fertilizer, and choose your plants. We recommend kitchen herbs with similar light and nutrient requirements. Do Not Disturb Gardening, for example, suggests plants such as sage, thyme, and oregano. This will give you fresh herbs to use in your kitchen year-round, while also providing a unique and beautiful planter.
Bundt pans also make great molds for birdseed wreaths, a variation on the typical square suet block. They are straightforward to make, and you can add seeds and goodies and find plenty of detailed instructions online with recipes. When the ingredients are combined, they can be pressed into a mold, such as a bundt pan. Once it hardens, you have a beautiful birdseed wreath to attract birds. The wreath can be held onto either a post or a branch with some simple string and will add a decorative note to any yard.