11. Just Give Up

Est. Cost: A huge cleanup
What Happened: A dropped sauce dish
This picture made the rounds on social media, going viral because so many people found it relatable. A lot of us have had cooking or baking fails, and, at some point, all you want to do is just sit down and quit.

Just Give Up @boredpanda/Pinterest
There’s nothing wrong with throwing in the towel and ordering out. This woman dropped her dish of sauce all over the floor, and the only one having a good time in this situation is her white, fluffy cat.

12. Grandma vs. Mixer

Est. Cost: $100-$500 for a new mixer*
What Happened: A malfunctioning mixer
Grandma was having a bit of an issue with her stand mixer in this photo. Rather than cooperating, the stand mixer was blowing flour everywhere, not so much mixing as causing a huge mess.

Grandma vs. Mixer @awkwardfamilyphotos/Pinterest
When it comes to stand mixers, don’t be afraid to splurge. The KitchenAid Artisan Series is always a good option, with Homes & Gardens rating it as “Best Overall.” Cuisinart Precision Mix also got good reviews from the publication in 2023.

13. An Attempt Was Made

Est. Cost: $20-$25*
What Happened: A bad attempt to copy a book cover
Written in 1925, The Great Gatsby is one of the most famous works of American literature of all time, depicting what life was like in ‘20s Long Island (if you were super-rich, of course). This person loved the book, so much so that they tried to bake a replica.

An Attempt Was Made @SparkleSparkleSparkle/Pinterest
Alas, things went awry. The face was where the ball was really dropped, as the visage looks like something you’d find in a WBD cartoon, not a high-flying work of classic American writing. Oh well—we’re sure it still tastes good.

14. We Can Sort Of See It

Est. Cost: $5-$10*
What Happened: Failed Mickey Mouse pancakes
Well, kind of. We can somewhat see what this pancake monstrosity was supposed to be, as it does have ears, eyes, and a mouth (sort of). No doubt, this person saw the well-done photo on Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok and tried to copy it.

We Can Sort Of See @bordpanda/Pinterest
To no avail. It’s easier said than done to create a shape out of pancake batter. Getting this right probably takes a lot of practice (and a lot of eating all of the pancakes that failed.) This chef will get better over time.

15. It’s Supposed To Be A Bread Loaf

Est. Cost: $10-$15*
What Happened: A failed bread loaf
According to the person who posted this, this was supposed to be a loaf of bread. They’d just received a breadmaker, and they decided to give it a whirl. Rather than create a loaf to rival Sara Lee’s, this happened.

It’s Supposed To Be A Bread Loaf @bordpanda/Pinterest
How this happened is unclear. There must have been a serious miscommunication when it came to reading the instructions on how to make a loaf of bread. This bread looks like it came off of the surface of Mars, not from inside a breadmaker.

16. Spongebob From Hell

Est. Cost: $10-$20*
What Happened: Spongebob got frosted too soon, it seems
For a lot of us, PARA was a huge part of our childhoods, always making us laugh with his undersea antics. Our favorite yellow sponge and his pals have lasted through the decades, bringing in kid and adult fans alike.

Spongebob From Hell @TheSunOnline/Pinterest
This person loved Spongebob so much, they decided to turn him into a cake. What happened then was a sponge from hell. At the very least, it seems like this cake was frosted right after coming out of the oven—a big no-no.

17. Fish And Chips (We Think)

Est. Cost: $0*
What Happened: A severely-burnt meal
We’re going to guess that this was some sort of fish and chips dish (we can definitely see the French fries, at least), but it’s hard to tell, considering that this meal looks as though it was cooked in the fires of Mordor.

Fish And Chips (We Think) @TheSunOnline/Pinterest
Can you save burnt food? Sometimes, if you are able to mask the burnt flavor with garlic, white wine, or red wine. That said, this dish is beyond saving. Even Captain America couldn’t bring it back to life.

18. Pasta Disaster

Est. Cost: $5*
What Happened: Pasta stuck to the pan
The person who posted this said that their roommates were making a delicious dish of pasta when this happened. Sure, pasta is cheap (it’s a $5 meal, what’s not to love?), but this was still probably pretty enraging.

Pasta Disaster @boredpanda/Pinterest
From what it looks like, it seems that there wasn’t enough oil used. It’s important to add a dash of olive oil or something similar when cooking pasta, so that the sticky noodles don’t get stuck to each other…or the bottom of the pan.

19. Beware Pressure Cookers

Est. Cost: $500-$1,000 for a new oven*
What Happened: A pressure cooker exploded
Pictured here is a pressure cooker disaster, and you know we had to include one on this list. You can find a pressure cooker for around $110 on Amazon, which might sound like a  good deal, but beware.

Beware Pressure Cookers @TheSunOnline/Pinterest
According to Zanes Law, pressure cookers can suffer from clogged or fused vents, damaged seals, faulty gaskets, and other maladies. And that, in turn, leads to an explosion like this one, which will take hundreds to fix (a new oven is necessary).

20. The Little Mermaid (?)

Est. Cost: $20-$25*
What Happened: An Ariel cake that didn’t pan out (no pun intended)
Who doesn’t love The Little Mermaid? Ariel is beloved around the world, and the movie featuring a live-action version of her made over $800 million worldwide at the box office in 2023. So, it makes sense why someone would feel inspired to make an Ariel cake.

The Little Mermaid (?) @boredpanda/Pinterest
This cake didn’t exactly turn out well, and we’re going to guess it was kids who came up with it. Regardless of the appearance, we’re sure it tasted good…sugar masks even the worst of cake-design flaws.

21. Chonky Skeleton

Est. Cost: $10*
What Happened: A skeleton cookie puffed up, big time
Someone was trying to make, according to the social media post, a gluten-free cookie skeleton, possibly to celebrate Halloween. But, somehow, that skeleton went from, well, skeletal to gigantic, all after being baked.

Chonky Skeleton @boredpanda/Pinterest
Maybe it was a problem with the dough. Though Halloween might seem too early a time for gingerbread men, this person was getting a head start with this head-scratching baked good. Wonder what it tasted like.