3 easy lunchbox treats you can make for under 30 cents per serve.

Whether it’s a lunchbox treat, an after-school snack, or a quick bake to take on a picnic - these three recipes fit the bill. Coming in at less than 30 cents per serve, these snacks are all freezable, easy to make, and most importantly - delicious! 

The recipes are also simple enough for the kids to lend a hand, so why not don your aprons and get baking together?

These are definitely what we would consider 'sometimes foods' but they do contain less sugar and additives than a store-bought version.

While you're scrolling, check out this Doughnut Nutella Milkshake recipe. Post continues after video.

To freeze, separate the cooked items and place in a freezer-proof container, with baking paper between layers to prevent them sticking together.

Anzac Slice.

Serves: 12

Cost per serve: 25c

Anzac Slice. Image: Supplied.

If you love Anzac biscuits, you’ll love this time saving version. By cooking the mixture in a baking tray and then slicing into bars, you’re cutting out all of the rolling time compared to making biscuits. Plus, it means the centres are softer, with crispier edges - which is always a good thing.

Ingredients:

• 125g butter
• 3 tbsp golden syrup (60g)
• 4 tbsp brown sugar (60g)
• ½ tsp bicarb soda
• 1 cup of plain flour (150g)
• 1 cup of oats (100g)
• 1 cup of desiccated coconut (90g)

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 160C and line a brownie tray (around 20cm x 20cm) with baking paper.

2. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter along with the golden syrup and brown sugar. You can also do this step with a saucepan over low heat.

3. Add the bicarb to the melted butter mixture and stir well.

4. In a separate mixing bowl, combine the flour, oats and coconut. Add the butter mixture and combine with a wooden spoon. 

5. Tip the mixture into your prepared tin and use wet hands to push the batter firmly down into each corner so that the top is smooth.

6. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. 

7. Cool completely in the pan and then slice into 12 bars.

Choc Chip Scones.

Image: Supplied.

Serves: 8

Cost per serve: 26c

No need to worry about jam and cream when you’ve got chocolate filled scones that are crisp on the edges and soft in the centre. You could also switch out the choc chips for blueberries if you wanted to mix it up.

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups self-raising flour (225g)
• 1 ½ tbsp sugar (30g)
• 50g cold butter, cubed
• 150ml milk
• ½ cup choc chips (95g)

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C and line a tray with baking paper.

2. Place the flour and sugar in a mixing bowl and combine with a wooden spoon.

3. Add the butter and use your fingers to quickly rub it into the flour mixture, until the butter looks flat, like cornflakes.

4. Add the choc chips and mix again before adding the milk. Use a butter knife to quickly combine the dough, without over-mixing it.

5. Use your hands to bring the dough together into a ball, then place on your lined tray and flatten it down into a circle around 20cm in diameter.

6. Use a knife to score the top into 8 wedges. 

7. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden on top. 

8. Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes before slicing up and cooling further before serving.

Tip: For an even gooier centre, you can make these scones in the slow cooker. 

1. Once the scored dough is on the baking paper simply lift it up by the edges of the paper and place it all in the slow cooker. 

2. Bake for 90 minutes on high. 

3. Cool for five minutes before slicing.  

Big Batch Sprinkle Cookies.

Image: Supplied.

Serves: 30

Cost per serve: 22c

This makes a LOT of cookies, but is a great way to get ahead with your baking. Make one batch of cookies now and then a freezer stash of four extra cookie dough logs. If you cook them in batches of 6 (or more if you make them smaller) as needed you can enjoy freshly baked cookies each time.

Ingredients:

• 400g butter, softened
• 397g tin of condensed milk
• 4 cups self-raising flour (600g)
• ¼ cup sprinkles (35g)

Method: 

1. Preheat the oven to 180C and line a tray with baking paper. 

2. Use electric beaters or a bench top mixer to beat the softened butter until fluffy. 

3. Add the condensed milk and mix until combined with the butter.

4. Use a wooden spoon to incorporate the flour, one cup at a time, along with the sprinkles, into the butter mixture.

5. Use your hands to bring the dough together and separate into 5 equal portions.

6. Cut one portion into six pieces, and roll each into a ball before flattening into a cookie shape and placing on the tray.

7. Bake for around 15 minutes until golden on top. The time will depend on the size of cookie that you make. Cool on the tray. 

8. To prepare the rest of the dough for freezing, take four large pieces of baking paper and place one portion of leftover dough on each. Use your hands to roll each into a log shape, and wrap in the baking paper, twisting the ends to seal like a Christmas cracker. Place in a freezer-proof container in the freezer for up to 3 months. 

9. When you want to bake fresh cookies, take one roll of dough out of the freezer and defrost on the bench for around one hour or overnight in the fridge. Use a sharp knife to slice the roll into six cookies and bake as per the instructions above.

Tip: These cookies are super versatile - why not try choc chips instead of sprinkles? Or place plain uncooked cookies on the tray and use your thumb to make an indent in the centre of each, before adding ½ tsp of jam to each one to make jam drops.

Which of these will you try first?

*Costs per serve are based on ingredients purchased from a NSW Woolworths supermarket in February 2022. 

Feature Image: Supplied.