25 Foods to Make From Scratch Instead of Buying to Save Money

Feeling the pinch at the grocery store? Fortunately, there are many foods you can make from scratch at home that are cheaper than store-bought.

Homemade seasoning blends, yogurt, baking mixes, granola, condiments, and bread can help you enjoy the same flavors you know and love but without splurging on prepackaged items.

What foods are you going to make instead of buying at the store to save money?

Homemade Taco Seasoning

Taco seasoning is a must for many of our favorite dinner recipes, yet the store-bought stuff can be pricey.

Making your own taco seasoning at home requires an assortment of everyday spices, and since they’re fresh, they often taste even better.

Get the Recipe: Homemade Taco Seasoning

Copycat Bisquick Mix

If you want to make your own biscuits and pancakes, make your own shelf-stable Bisquick mix. You just need pantry staples you probably already have on hand to whip up a batch of this delicious DIY copycat Bisquick mix.

Get the Recipe: Copycat Bisquick Mix

Homemade Hamburger Helper

This from scratch Hamburger Helper is a classic one-pot meal made with dried pasta, ground beef, and a few basics for a creamy, meaty dish you’ll want to eat again and again. It’s way yummier than the store-bought version!

Get the Recipe: Homemade Hamburger Helper

Homemade Pizza Dough

Once you start making homemade pizza dough from scratch, you’ll quickly realize how much easier it is to make it yourself instead of grabbing the premade dough or crust from the store. Perfect for a budget-friendly pizza night.

Get the Recipe: Homemade Pizza Dough

Homemade Pizza Sauce

Store-bought pizza sauce is surprisingly expensive for such a tiny jar, especially since you can make a delicious DIY version at home with simple canned tomatoes and dried spices. Made too much? Freeze it for later.

Get the Recipe: Homemade Pizza Sauce

Vanilla Almond Granola

Have you noticed the price tag on grocery store granola? There’s no reason to pay $7 or more per package when you can throw together oats, oil, agave nectar (or maple syrup), and almonds for way, way less.

Get the Recipe: Vanilla Almond Granola

Flour Tortillas

Tortillas are the perfect example of how homemade is always better than store-bought. Perfect for quesadillas, burritos, tacos, and more.

Get the Recipe: Flour Tortillas

Homemade Greek Yogurt

Culturing your own yogurt at home may sound intimidating, but the process is way easier than you’d think and results in the best, creamiest yogurt ever.

Get the Recipe: Homemade Greek Yogurt

Homemade Amish Bread

Even if the thought of working with yeasted dough intimidates you, this Amish bread is the perfect place to start. It’s so simple to make, very forgiving, and has a slightly sweet, mild flavor everyone will love.

Get the Recipe: Homemade Amish Bread

Homemade Ricotta Recipe

You probably didn’t know that you can make ricotta at home, but it’s actually one of the easiest cheeses. This recipe uses a mixture of milk, cream, and buttermilk for an ultra-creamy ricotta perfect for homemade lasagna and more.

Get the Recipe: Homemade Ricotta Recipe

Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice

Nothing screams fall more than pumpkin pie spice, and this DIY recipe is the perfect seasoning for pumpkin pie, homemade pumpkin spice lattes, and so much more.

Get the Recipe: Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice

Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup

Cream of chicken soup is a key ingredient in many soups and casseroles, but it’s so simple and often cheaper to make your own. You just need some butter, flour, broth, milk, bouillon paste, and a few seasonings.

Get the Recipe: Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup

Hot Fudge Sauce

Homemade hot fudge sauce is a thousand times better than the store-bought version since it’s made with real chocolate, butter, cream, and a little espresso powder for a kick. It makes the most decadent hot fudge sundae ever!

Get the Recipe: Hot Fudge Sauce

Everything Bagel Seasoning

To make your own everything bagel seasoning, simply mix together poppy seeds, minced onion and garlic, and salt for the best homemade bagels, dips, chicken, and more.

Get the Recipe: Everything Bagel Seasoning

Homemade Peanut Butter

Making your own nut butter couldn’t be easier. After roasting the peanuts to bring out their flavor, simply blend them together with optional add-ins, like salt, vanilla extract, or sugar.

Get the Recipe: Homemade Peanut Butter

Sourdough Croutons

You can make leftover bread into the most delicious croutons for salads and more. This version uses sourdough bread for extra tanginess, but it works with whichever type of bread you have on hand.

You can even use homemade bread to make this recipe, too.

Get the Recipe: Sourdough Croutons

Chicken Stock

There’s truly no reason to buy store-bought containers of chicken stock because you can make your own with leftover chicken bones and veggie scraps. The flavor difference is night and day, too.

Get the Recipe: Chicken Stock

Homemade Strawberry Fruit Roll-Ups

Yummy fruit roll-ups can be made at home with a variety of fresh fruit and taste so much better (and are better for you) than store-bought. This version uses fresh strawberries, sugar, and a little lemon juice.

Get the Recipe: Homemade Strawberry Fruit Roll-Ups

Garlic Dill Pickles

These quick pickles require less effort than traditional canned pickles since you can throw everything in a jar and let them infuse in the fridge. Perfect for using up extra cucumbers and herbs from the garden.

Get the Recipe: Garlic Dill Pickles

Homemade Almond Milk

It literally takes three ingredients to make your own nut-based milk: raw nuts, water, and salt. Plus, the leftover almond pulp can be used in lots of different ways, so there’s truly no waste.

Get the Recipe: Homemade Almond Milk

Homemade Hummus and Pita Chips

Hummus is the perfect dip to make from scratch because you just need canned chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, and garlic, plus a food processor. It’s completely customizable with different herbs and seasonings, too.

Get the Recipe: Homemade Hummus and Pita Chips

Homemade Vanilla Extract

Vanilla extract is an easy two-ingredient recipe that requires a little patience but pays off with the richest extract for cakes and cookies.

Get the Recipe: Homemade Vanilla Extract

Homemade Tomato Paste

If you end up with too many cherry tomatoes this summer, try this recipe. Roast them with garlic, onion, and olive oil, then blend. Cherry tomatoes make the most intensely flavored, freshest homemade tomato paste ever.

Get the Recipe: Homemade Tomato Paste

Homemade Hawaiian Rolls

Homemade Hawaiian rolls are soft and sweet, perfect for serving with pulled pork, deli meats, and more. These homemade rolls rely on inexpensive pantry staples, so you can enjoy their classic flavor for even less.

Get the Recipe: Homemade Hawaiian Rolls

Gourmet Mustard

You wouldn’t believe how easy it is to make mustard at home. You only need mustard seeds, water, and vinegar to make this delicious gourmet mustard.

Get the Recipe: Gourmet Mustard