Do you want to ship baked goods or bakery products without ruining their shape or texture? If you develop the right shipping strategy and use appropriate packaging, it can be achieved. Selling baked goods online can help you broaden your customer base. However, if you have to choose to send your baked products, what would you send? A pie? A cake? Cookies? Brownies? Or Macaroons? No matter what bakery product you want to ship, with the correct shipping strategy and packaging, you can send it in perfect condition.
In this blog post, we will guide you through the process of shipping your baked items without compromising their shape or texture.
Let’s start with shipping pies!
How To Ship A Pie
Shipping a pie is not as easy as it seems. It requires attention to detail when shipping pies. You would need two pie boxes, one slightly larger than the other, and plenty of cushioning material.
Here’s a step-by-step procedure to ship pies perfectly:
Step 1 → Before you send your pies, make sure that you have frozen them well. You might think it may ruin the texture, but it won’t, as pie freezes and defrosts well. Why freeze them? Freezing them will keep them fresh and stiff, helping to retain their structural integrity during shipping.
Step 2 → Get shipping supplies, such as those two boxes that we talked about earlier, cushioning material like bubble wrap, and carton sealing tape.
Step 3 → Place your frozen pie in the first pie box perfectly and add decoration to the box, such as ribbons, wrapping papers, or even a thank-you note.
Step 4 → Once you have decorated your first pie box and placed your pie in it, bubble wrap it tightly. Bubble wrapping will help in preventing damage.
Step 5 → Now gently place it in the larger corrugated pie carton.
Step 6 → To keep your pies frozen, add ice packs that will help to keep your pies cool and fresh. Also, fill any gaps you may find within the box.
Step 7 → Now it’s time to seal the box with the help of carton sealing tape. Make sure there are no openings. Your box should be airtight so the pie remains fresh until it reaches the customer’s hands.
Step 8 → The last step is the most important one. You have to ship them overnight as the pies are perishable. So, they need to arrive fast and fresh.
By following these steps, you can easily ship your apple-filled pies to your customers’ doorsteps in perfect condition.
How To Send Baked Goods in The Mail?
Sending deliveries locally for your baked goods? Try overnight shipping, as it is the ideal way to ship baked goods to preserve their quality, especially for fragile and temperature-sensitive items like cheesecakes in custom boxes. It’s not just essential, but it is required.
Follow these step-by-step instructions on shipping baked goods:
1. Package Baked Goods Properly For Shipping
The type of packaging you use to ship baked goods depends on the product you’re shipping. It is a must to secure them from inside, as there is nothing more embarrassing than your product being delivered crumbled.
How to Package Baked Goods?
The first thing is that every baked product you send should be cooled down. Why? Frozen baked products for shipping help in preventing moisture buildup. The next step is to use packaging made from food-grade materials, such as cardboard, kraft, parchment paper, or food liners, to keep them intact. Wrapping your products individually also helps prevent sticky treats from sticking together.
Once it’s all done, fill any voids in the box with cushioning material, such as bubble wrap, tissue paper, or foam inserts. After that, gently shake your packaging. If you still hear any rattling sound or feel jostling, just reopen the package and add more cushioning materials.
2. Offer Memorable Unboxing Experience
The primary concern for your business is to deliver baked products with all the safety precautions. However, you still cannot avoid offering customers’ unboxing experience. You’d need memorable packaging solutions to build excitement. Not only does it help elevate customers’ unboxing experience, but packaging with great presentations also enables your customers to share their experience on social media, providing free advertising for your brand and strengthening brand integrity.
How To Create a Memorable Unboxing Experience
Businesses need to provide an unboxing experience that makes customers feel like it was worth purchasing from their bakery brand. But how? We will explain how to create the perfect unboxing experience below:
- You must package your baked goods in branded boxes, as this builds excitement when customers see them.
- Use sustainable and durable packaging materials. Why? Choosing the right packaging material can significantly impact the overall appearance of your product. Additionally, using eco-friendly materials also helps attract eco-conscious customers, earning respect and boosting brand loyalty.
You can also explore our material options guides to discover sustainable packaging options for your bakery products.
- Use custom inserts or dividers for product placement. This will help in keeping the product safe and intact in one place.
- Another great way to enhance the unboxing experience is to leave kind gestures. For example, you can send handwritten notes with every purchase to show how much you appreciate their contribution to your business sale. Or you can also add some free samples of your upcoming new baked items to get a review from them. This lets customers feel connected to your brand.
If you want your packaging to be as unique as your products, explore our bakery packaging ideas blog for some inspiring packaging designs.
3. Choose the Right Shipping Service
It is the most important step to mail your baked goods successfully. The type of delivery service you choose depends on where you’re shipping baked products. If you’re delivering in nearby areas, you can choose ground services. However, if you’re sending them several states away, it’s recommended to ship them via air delivery services, as this helps keep your perishable treats fresh until they’re delivered.
When choosing the right shipping services, several factors must be considered, including the shipping company and associated shipping costs.
How Much Does Shipping Cost To Deliver Perishable Baked Goods?
The shipping carrier determines the shipping cost of your baked goods based on their weight, dimensions, and the travel distance. The heavier the package, the higher the cost will be.
Which Shipping Carriers Are Best For Shipping Baked Items
When it comes to shipping baked items, there are no exceptions. Explore the list below and select the option that best suits your bakery business.
- USPS: The US Postal Service offers the best rates on lightweight items and delivers fast.
- UPS: UPS is ideal for shipping large or heavy baked items at competitive rates. UPS is highly recommended for shipping perishable items.
- FedEx: They offer niche shipping services for food and businesses.
Tips for Maintaining Freshness of Ship Baked Goods
Although the above are essential things to do when shipping bakery products, it is also advisable to take some extra precautions when shipping them.
Here are some of the top shipping bakery tips below:
- Send your bakery products early in the week. The products sent on Fridays have a high possibility of getting stuck in storage facilities for the weekend, which can cause your baked bread to become stale, or worse, the sweets can fall into the food safety temperature danger zone.
- Estimate shipping time by mapping out how long it will take to deliver your baked goods to your customers’ hands.
- Label them with “use by” custom labels and stickers, which indicate when your product was manufactured and for how many days it can remain fresh.
Now that you have a big picture in your mind of how to mail baked goods successfully. Let’s learn how you can package and ship different types of bakery products, including cookies, macarons, cakes, bread, brownies, and more.
How To Ship Cookies?
You might think shipping cookies is harder given their hearty nature, but that is not the case at all. Cookies made with eggs are sturdier than other bakery products, and for shipping, they are considered the best option.
Here’s a step-by-step guide on shipping cookies:
Step 1 → The first step is to wrap the cookies with parchment paper and then slide them in a sealed bag to prevent any changes in their flavor. However, if you are shipping decorated cookies, it is essential to use a packaging solution that complements your product, such as custom cookie boxes.
Step 2 → Fill any gaps you may find in your box, or else, your cookies will jostle and break during shipment. Additionally, once it’s cushioned, shake it well to see if your cookies are slipping or not. If not, they are ready to be shipped.
How To Ship Macarons?
To ship your delicate French macarons, use these steps:
Step 1 → Macarons are extremely fragile, so they need sturdier packaging, such as customized macaron boxes, rather than using regular ones. The strong and durable properties of these boxes help protect the macarons. Additionally, we recommend packing these items in airtight bags before placing them in boxes. It will help to keep their flavors intact.
Step 2 → Bubble wrap the boxes just like we explained for pies above, and pack them in a shipping carton.
Step 3 → Add icepacks to keep them cold and safe to consume. Also, fill any void in the packaging.
How To Ship a Cake?
Are you wondering whether to ship cakes with frosting? Here’s how you can do it:
Step 1 → For shipping frosted cakes, you would need to fit styrofoam mailers that can prevent the cake from getting any harm during shipment. Then you can place them in larger, customized cake boxes to offer a memorable experience.
Step 2 → Add some frozen cool packs around the cake to keep the frosting intact.
Step 3 → Put carton sealing tape on every corner of your box to make it airtight and send it for shipping.
How To Ship Bread?
There are two key points to consider when shipping your loaf breads. First, use sourdough when making your bread. Second, bake your bread on the same day you want to ship it.
Follow these steps to ship loaf bread:
Step 1 → Make sure that your loaf of bread is completely cool before you start packaging it. To pack bread, you must double-wrap it with plastic wrap before placing it in a plastic bag or foil.
Step 2 → Once it’s properly wrapped up, use a box that can hold your bread without harming it.
Step 3 → Use bubble wrap to wrap your box to provide the cushioning effect. Also, make sure there is no place left for any openings that can harm your bread. Once it’s all done, you can ship it instantly.
If you’re wondering how to ship banana bread, the above method works perfectly for all types of breads.
How To Ship Cupcakes?
To ship cupcakes, you will need several essential shipping supplies, including cupcake boxes, candy sticks, ice packs, a shipping box, and sealing tape.
Here’s how you can ship the cupcakes without damaging them:
- Once your cupcakes are fully baked, put them in the freezer and let them chill for a few hours.
- Once fully frozen, put them in personalized cupcake boxes with inserts to keep them intact and in one place during shipping.
- Now take candy sticks, cut them in half, and place one in the center of each cup. This will help keep your cupcakes from touching the box lid.
- Now put your cupcake box in a shipping box and add an ice pack to keep it cold till it reaches the customer’s hands. Seal those packaging tapes properly.
Now you know how to ship almost every type of bakery product without compromising product integrity. You can easily ship your product directly to your customers’ doorsteps without worrying about its freshness.
Looking for custom printed bakery boxes to mail your baked goods? Contact Custom Box Makers. We have all the experts and packaging solutions for all your shipping and bakery needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to legally ship baked goods?
You can legally ship baked goods while maintaining their quality by keeping them at a temperature where they won’t spoil, as most shipping carriers do not provide refrigeration.
Are you allowed to mail baked goods?
Yes, you are permitted to mail baked goods throughout the United States.
Can you ship baked goods via UPS?
Yes. For shipping heavier baked goods, such as cakes and banana bread, UPS is a great option. Plus, they also offer affordable rates.
How do you keep baked goods fresh when mailing?
To keep baked goods fresh when mailing, freeze them first, pack them securely with an airtight seal, add ice packs, and seal the box tightly with packaging tape on all corners.
Can I freeze cookies before mailing?
Yes. You can. If you are sending your cookies on a tray, it is recommended to freeze them first, seal them with a plastic wrapper, put them in a shipping box, and ship them to your customers’ doorsteps.
