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Maybe you want to make up to your partner for something stupid you've done, or maybe you're bored. It doesn't matter; you've found the perfect recipe, and you're willing to commit the whole evening to making it a reality. The problem is, nothing is as deceiving as a recipe. Not even those icebergs that threatened the Titanic. I mean, that lasagna may look pretty in the pictures, and the steps may sound so simple anyone could do it, but it couldn't be further from the truth. That, however, was enough to fool you, and now you're as oblivious as the ship's captain, heading towards a disaster. A horrible expectation vs. reality food disaster.
Bored Panda has collected some of the funniest examples of food fails to make you feel like an iron chef. After all, we all need some encouragement. From stained glass cookies that look like they've just committed suicide to a rice bear that is more mummy than bear, these dishes make you wonder if someone was brave enough to eat them.
Scroll down to take a look at why sometimes it's better to order a pizza and vote for your funniest expectation vs. reality food pic entries.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Was Asked To Make Food Network's Brown Sugar Pecan Bears
RELATED:
#2
Adorable Rice Bear
#3
Chocolate Hedgehog Cake
Why Do We Find These Expectation Vs. Reality Food Photos So Funny?
We’ve all been there - funny food fails that leave us with burnt dishes, collapsed cakes, and croissants looking like sharp dough sticks rather than buttery crescents of glorious flakiness. But let’s be honest here: while these epic food fails can be quite maddening, they’re also pretty hilarious. Besides, there’s also something so relatable about them! It’s almost like we are all in this together, trying to master the art of culinary excellence, one food fail at a time.
Let’s not forget the visual aspect of these expectation vs. reality food pics, either. There’s something inexplicably hilarious about seeing regular food items come into this chaotic jumble of gooey textures and incredible colorations. Sure, this can be called a part of the creative process, but we think these unexpected visual plot twists are what make these epic food fails so deliciously funny. Plus, sharing these moments of culinary catastrophe can bring us closer together, as laughter is a social glue that connects us.
At the end of the day, funny food fails remind us that we're all human and that it's okay to make mistakes. Even the most seasoned chefs have been there or started there. So go ahead, cherish the imperfections, and have a good laugh.
#4
It's A Good Thing Cats Don't Care About Cake
#5
My Wife Made Croissants For Breakfast. Nailed It!
#6
Not So Much ‘Arrrrah, How Cute’ And More ‘Arrrrraahhh What The F*** Is That?'
Matthew Hyder 6 years ago
Why did they make it with different ingredients? ^^; They shouks follow the recipe. :p
#7
I'm No Cook But I Didn't Expect To Screw Up A Baked Potato
#8
Spongebob And Patrick Have Seen Things
#9
I Don’t Think This Project Could Have Been Saved
#10
So Close...
#11
I Made A Santa Shaped Bread From A Recipe I Found, It Turned Out A Bit Different From The Picture
#12
Elmo Fail
Vlad Horobet 6 years ago
Uhm, i can't concentrate on the second picture mutant Elmo because first picture Elmo has a weird erection.
#13
Please Kill Me
#14
My Wife Made A Dragon Cake For Her Mother's Birthday
#15
Blueberry-Splosion
#16
My Dad Said He'd Made Macarons. Expectation Vs. Reality. Still Tasted Divine Though
#17
Stained Glass Cookies
#18
Ordered Cake On Left, Received Cake On Right
#19
They Are Very Yummy Cupcakes That Are Decorated In A Scarier Than Intended Manner
Nadine Ducca 6 years ago
Honestly, what I don't get is these ones that don't follow the original AT ALL. What did you expect? The eyes are those bugged out ones that come in a bag and don't look anything like the original, the nose is upside down, the ears are chocolate chips instead of discs, the colors are inverted (or maybe it was decorated hot and the sugar melted into the cupcake?) and the mouth doesn't look anything like the original. I mean, if you're not skilled or don't have much practice, don't take these liberties or the result will be...what you see here...
#20
This Makes Me Laugh So Much Every Time I See It That Maybe It Was Worth The Fail
#21
Homemade Smiley Face Fries
#22
Merry Christmas Everyone
#23
Ordered A Birthday Cake For My Niece
#24
Chocolate Covered Banana Penguins
#25
Olaf Quesadillas
#26
Bunny Rolls
#27
Rainbow Heart Cookies Surprise
#28
Grooms Cake Disaster, What We Wanted Vs. What We Got
#29
Girlfriend's Halloween Themed Cupcakes
#30
There Are No Words. My Sister Asked For A Peppa Pig Cake. This Is What I Made
#31
Expectations Vs. Reality: Cake Edition
#32
The Force Is Weak With This One
#33
Apparently I’m Still In A Halloween Mindset
#34
My Birthday Cake Attempt. To Be Fair I Had Quite A Few Drinks Beforehand And Not The Right Cooking Utensils
#35
We Tried To Be Creative This Christmas. It Didn't Work Out So Well
Nadine Ducca 6 years ago
It's those damn store-bought bugged out eyes! If you'd just put a little black dot instead of those giant white nipples, it would've looked 100% cute.
#36
I'm Not Good At Frosting
Wanda Queen 6 years ago
Your frosting just needed to be a little stiffer. ;) They don't look bad.
Matthew Hyder 6 years ago
Needs more color. :p I do like the cool colors of blue, purple, and green though.
Molly Barist 6 years ago
Pro-tip. Use gel or powdered food coloring to stop the frosting from being runny when adding colors.
Justina 6 years ago
adding more powdered sugar if its too runny also fixes this.
Load More Replies... Nadine Ducca 6 years ago
That's not too bad! They just look too shiny and slick, like they're melting.
Mindy Keys 6 years ago
They look nice. I think the cupcakes may have been too hot and it made the icing melted some.
James A. Smith Jr. 6 years ago
You done good. Maybe dry out the frosting a bit or if cupcakes were still warm let them cool off. Otherwise good job. I would like a batch please.
Beverly Palmacci 6 years ago
Why would you even attempt something so complicated unless you were an EXPERT at frosting? Have never even seen these in a bakery! Yours a fine as Easter cupcakes.
Alexandra Ionescu 6 years ago
I think that somebody needs some compliments. They look quite well, a little mermaid-ish - I would say. :)
Pragya Fating 6 years ago
This is what cooking should be like. Seeing it nd making something unique (nd good ) for urself.
#37
Friend Ordered Guitar Cake. Cake Maker Said She Could Make An Exact Replica
#38
I Would Never Attempt This Again
#39
Devilled Egg Chicks
#40
Paint Splatter Cake
#41
My Sister And I Attempted To Make A Kinder Egg Cake For My Nephew
#42
I Saw A Thing. I Tried To Make A Thing. I Shouldn't Try To Make Things
#43
Nailed It!
#44
Unicorn Of The Sea
#45
Pinterest Finger Cookie Failure My Friend Did. They Were Still Delicious
#46
Dinosaur Cake
#47
Matcha Cake Did Not Matcha Expectations
#48
Spinach Cups For Dinner Tonight
#49
I Made A Mistake Early In The Process And That's Why This Is An Exorcist Swan
Add New Image
What do you think ?
Ayra 6 years ago
A lot of them make me kind of angry: People do you even look at the original?! Use the same "materials", go get a baking mold already! And please please: Frosting only AFTER baking and AFTER the cake is cold! Does anyone read the instructions? Very little have to do with expection vs. reality. You can't expect anything to look like "A" when you don't follow instructions or use material for "B", or rather "Z" :/
Alida Saxon 6 years ago
Agreed. I mean some projects are just truly advanced projects, but most of them go wrong because of not reading instructions or taking short cuts.
Load More Replies...
mocochang 6 years ago
Honestly, most of those "reality" ones look like they weren't even trying...
Kimberly Robinson 6 years ago
I'm starting to understand why people have always called me an excellent cook. Some of these are just cringe-worthy. You have to read the instructions. You have to use the right ingredients. You need piping tips for frosting. There's a reason that professionals get paid a lot to make food.
Christina Woodruff 6 years ago
My mom used to say that I knew how to cook better than most of the grown women she knew by the time I was 7. I was so proud of it. Then I grew up and saw the things/way most people cooked. I feel so bad for people and how they were never taught what to do.
Load More Replies... Janice Foster 6 years ago
I love 'fails'. Too often in the online world, people try to impress others and make out they have perfect lives.
Janice Foster 6 years ago
There's something really sweet and honest about "OMG, look how badly I stuffed up - isn't it funny?!"
Load More Replies... 
Rogue Angel 6 years ago
I'd have sued the a*s off of some of these 'professional cake makers' you order cakes from. If you can't make it, don't say you can. You don't present someone with a cake that looks nothing like the one they asked for, especially when they're paying for it.!
Tinpot 6 years ago
Sue??? Really? How about just not paying for it. You're going to go to a lawyer and spend time in court over a cake?
Load More Replies...
Lorraine Coxon 6 years ago
I'm laughing so hard at these photos that I feel sick! Brilliant post!
bapriga 6 years ago
The secret to good/excellent cooking, as has been pointed out by others, is pay attention, read instructions, take direction and use the right ingredients. If you're a novice- NO SHORTCUTS! As I have told others, you can never expect quality results if you start out with inferior ingredients or don't follow directions. Obviously these tips can apply to many things in life. I will though, admit that novice cooks/bakers might not understand the importance of temperature- such as butter at room temperature, flour at room temperature (To preserve flour it is sometimes kept at cooler temperatures) and eggs at room temperature. This tip is often missing in a recipe. Working with egg whites is an art. All too often they are not whisked stiff enough or brought to room temperature. Still it was a cringe worthy experience going through these posts.
Maxwell Wolf 6 years ago
Hey some of these weren't bad. Yeah they weren't as spectacular as the original but they still looked good!
robbie2499 6 years ago
I doubled over laughing at my desk! Thank you to all who baked and posted!! On a more serious note....people truly need to lighten up. Truly.
Donna J Howorko 6 years ago
lol love it. I hate cooking or baking for this reason-you spend all the stupid time in the kitchen and then it all goes to s**t-even if you follow everything so closely. its definitely not for everyone. it is not as easy as it looks.
Cherie Barnard 6 years ago
How do you even f**k up this bad? Does anyone read the instructions at all? Are these people colour blind? Blind?? how???
Sarene Mun 6 years ago
I've actually made a lot of these and I've done them pretty well (I'm no amazing baker either). Most of these kitchen fails were not "expectations vs reality" but more "expectation vs I got lazy at the end and this is what came out" or "expectation vs I used wrong materials/skipped steps but hey I think it's edible"
Natalie Stewart 6 years ago
Well they made me laugh, as stupid as they are. Laughter versus Anger?
Melissa Hardy 6 years ago
Oh, and a helpful hint. It's very, very easy to overwarm chocolate for coating things. Never, EVER add milk to thin it. Only use vegetable shortening, or it will turn out soupy.
Melissa Hardy 6 years ago
Okay, this bears repeating till people drill it through their thick skulls. NEVER FROST A WARM CAKE! Seriously, it need to be at LEAST room temperature, preferably a bit cooler even. Star tip cakes done with slathered on icing are not going to work. Star tips take time, and patience, and more time, and more patience. I watched my mother make years and years worth of them for our childhood birthdays. Never once did she half do it. If you know you're not going to have time, just do simple. That said, a couple of these were not that awful, and if my wife tried baking for me as a surprise, well, I'd just be thrilled she'd even tried. And can we all give a nod and a kick to the woman who made her first ever cake? A nod that she managed to do even that well for her first time, and a kick for trying something so complicated for a very first time.
Pragya Fating 6 years ago
I think with food all that matters is , is it tasty(nd healthy, occasionally). I mean it's just so useless to decorate food when it's just gonna get turned into a smoothie.
Marion Friedl 6 years ago
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA I don´t have the time to click through all 21 pages, but what I saw made me laugh so hard that I almost peed myself!!!
Mike Smith 6 years ago
If I tried any creative baking, I'm pretty sure it would turn out like some of these, if not worse.
Lyone Fein 6 years ago
So many of these just illustrate why our world is such a crappy place to live in. People do not even try to follow the directions. They substitute with lower quality ingredients and expect things to turn out the same. They don't bother to match colors, or even to pay attention to the basic shapes of the originals.......just so much laziness.
Melissa Baker 6 years ago
True! Those 'pumpkins' with the Rice Krispies on the outside .... they didn't even dye the Krispies orange! No wonder it looked like c**p!
Load More Replies... 
Mick Gi 6 years ago
Most of the time it's just people too lazy to do things correctly, or they're comparing to an unfinished "masterpiece" from Pinterest looking crazy, which could be made out of plaster you wouldn't even know. That and the many shitposts that had no interest whatsoever, BoredPanda is looking for views and likes regardless of the content, it seems.
Glynis Lailann 6 years ago
These 'failed' photos are giving me a headache. I get the feeling that these amateurs are those who don't know the first thing about basic cooking or baking and who live off fast food outlets.
Kenny Kulbiski 6 years ago
I thought these were really funny but some of the "befores" were so extreme they were just as ridiculous as the "afters. It's food. Someone is going to take a quick look at it and then eat it and get on with their life.
Crochet lady 6 years ago
So many of these people fail simply because they ice things before they have cooled off. How dumb would you have to be? It makes me suspect people want to fail so they can make it big in articles just like this.
Johanna Zamora 6 years ago
This isn’t funny. It’s ppl who can’t cook batting way out of their league with both instruction reading and cooking.
Jessica Stohr 6 years ago
Is it really "expectations" plural? Am I just stupid on this subject or should it be "expectation"?
Laurie Ostergaard-Overbey 6 years ago
i think several of the commenters need to get over it and enjoy the funny pictures and stop telling everyone how to 'do it correctly'....get over yourselves, and yes, Crazy Cow Lady, you especially!!
Matt Harding 6 years ago
Yea these are just morons doing things they shouldn't. Im gonna start performing amateur plastic surgery and then post the "fails". If you dont have the ability, materials, skills, or intelligence to do something, maybe you shouldn't. But apparently these people aren't being told the truth often enough.
Alia Gail 6 years ago
Baking a strange looking cake doesn't actually HARM anyone though. Seriously, can't you just enjoy something? Nobody has to walk around with a squished muffin forever, it's ENTIRELY different than a surgery or something like such. If you're going to troll people you might as well use something that makes sense.
Load More Replies... Ayra 6 years ago
A lot of them make me kind of angry: People do you even look at the original?! Use the same "materials", go get a baking mold already! And please please: Frosting only AFTER baking and AFTER the cake is cold! Does anyone read the instructions? Very little have to do with expection vs. reality. You can't expect anything to look like "A" when you don't follow instructions or use material for "B", or rather "Z" :/
Alida Saxon 6 years ago
Agreed. I mean some projects are just truly advanced projects, but most of them go wrong because of not reading instructions or taking short cuts.
Load More Replies... mocochang 6 years ago
Honestly, most of those "reality" ones look like they weren't even trying...
Kimberly Robinson 6 years ago
I'm starting to understand why people have always called me an excellent cook. Some of these are just cringe-worthy. You have to read the instructions. You have to use the right ingredients. You need piping tips for frosting. There's a reason that professionals get paid a lot to make food.
Christina Woodruff 6 years ago
My mom used to say that I knew how to cook better than most of the grown women she knew by the time I was 7. I was so proud of it. Then I grew up and saw the things/way most people cooked. I feel so bad for people and how they were never taught what to do.
Load More Replies... Janice Foster 6 years ago
I love 'fails'. Too often in the online world, people try to impress others and make out they have perfect lives.
Janice Foster 6 years ago
There's something really sweet and honest about "OMG, look how badly I stuffed up - isn't it funny?!"
Load More Replies... Rogue Angel 6 years ago
I'd have sued the a*s off of some of these 'professional cake makers' you order cakes from. If you can't make it, don't say you can. You don't present someone with a cake that looks nothing like the one they asked for, especially when they're paying for it.!
Tinpot 6 years ago
Sue??? Really? How about just not paying for it. You're going to go to a lawyer and spend time in court over a cake?
Load More Replies... Lorraine Coxon 6 years ago
I'm laughing so hard at these photos that I feel sick! Brilliant post!
bapriga 6 years ago
The secret to good/excellent cooking, as has been pointed out by others, is pay attention, read instructions, take direction and use the right ingredients. If you're a novice- NO SHORTCUTS! As I have told others, you can never expect quality results if you start out with inferior ingredients or don't follow directions. Obviously these tips can apply to many things in life. I will though, admit that novice cooks/bakers might not understand the importance of temperature- such as butter at room temperature, flour at room temperature (To preserve flour it is sometimes kept at cooler temperatures) and eggs at room temperature. This tip is often missing in a recipe. Working with egg whites is an art. All too often they are not whisked stiff enough or brought to room temperature. Still it was a cringe worthy experience going through these posts.
Maxwell Wolf 6 years ago
Hey some of these weren't bad. Yeah they weren't as spectacular as the original but they still looked good!
robbie2499 6 years ago
I doubled over laughing at my desk! Thank you to all who baked and posted!! On a more serious note....people truly need to lighten up. Truly.
Donna J Howorko 6 years ago
lol love it. I hate cooking or baking for this reason-you spend all the stupid time in the kitchen and then it all goes to s**t-even if you follow everything so closely. its definitely not for everyone. it is not as easy as it looks.
Cherie Barnard 6 years ago
How do you even f**k up this bad? Does anyone read the instructions at all? Are these people colour blind? Blind?? how???
Sarene Mun 6 years ago
I've actually made a lot of these and I've done them pretty well (I'm no amazing baker either). Most of these kitchen fails were not "expectations vs reality" but more "expectation vs I got lazy at the end and this is what came out" or "expectation vs I used wrong materials/skipped steps but hey I think it's edible"
Natalie Stewart 6 years ago
Well they made me laugh, as stupid as they are. Laughter versus Anger?
Melissa Hardy 6 years ago
Oh, and a helpful hint. It's very, very easy to overwarm chocolate for coating things. Never, EVER add milk to thin it. Only use vegetable shortening, or it will turn out soupy.
Melissa Hardy 6 years ago
Okay, this bears repeating till people drill it through their thick skulls. NEVER FROST A WARM CAKE! Seriously, it need to be at LEAST room temperature, preferably a bit cooler even. Star tip cakes done with slathered on icing are not going to work. Star tips take time, and patience, and more time, and more patience. I watched my mother make years and years worth of them for our childhood birthdays. Never once did she half do it. If you know you're not going to have time, just do simple. That said, a couple of these were not that awful, and if my wife tried baking for me as a surprise, well, I'd just be thrilled she'd even tried. And can we all give a nod and a kick to the woman who made her first ever cake? A nod that she managed to do even that well for her first time, and a kick for trying something so complicated for a very first time.
Pragya Fating 6 years ago
I think with food all that matters is , is it tasty(nd healthy, occasionally). I mean it's just so useless to decorate food when it's just gonna get turned into a smoothie.
Marion Friedl 6 years ago
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA I don´t have the time to click through all 21 pages, but what I saw made me laugh so hard that I almost peed myself!!!
Mike Smith 6 years ago
If I tried any creative baking, I'm pretty sure it would turn out like some of these, if not worse.
Lyone Fein 6 years ago
So many of these just illustrate why our world is such a crappy place to live in. People do not even try to follow the directions. They substitute with lower quality ingredients and expect things to turn out the same. They don't bother to match colors, or even to pay attention to the basic shapes of the originals.......just so much laziness.
Melissa Baker 6 years ago
True! Those 'pumpkins' with the Rice Krispies on the outside .... they didn't even dye the Krispies orange! No wonder it looked like c**p!
Load More Replies... Mick Gi 6 years ago
Most of the time it's just people too lazy to do things correctly, or they're comparing to an unfinished "masterpiece" from Pinterest looking crazy, which could be made out of plaster you wouldn't even know. That and the many shitposts that had no interest whatsoever, BoredPanda is looking for views and likes regardless of the content, it seems.
Glynis Lailann 6 years ago
These 'failed' photos are giving me a headache. I get the feeling that these amateurs are those who don't know the first thing about basic cooking or baking and who live off fast food outlets.
Kenny Kulbiski 6 years ago
I thought these were really funny but some of the "befores" were so extreme they were just as ridiculous as the "afters. It's food. Someone is going to take a quick look at it and then eat it and get on with their life.
Crochet lady 6 years ago
So many of these people fail simply because they ice things before they have cooled off. How dumb would you have to be? It makes me suspect people want to fail so they can make it big in articles just like this.
Johanna Zamora 6 years ago
This isn’t funny. It’s ppl who can’t cook batting way out of their league with both instruction reading and cooking.
Jessica Stohr 6 years ago
Is it really "expectations" plural? Am I just stupid on this subject or should it be "expectation"?
Laurie Ostergaard-Overbey 6 years ago
i think several of the commenters need to get over it and enjoy the funny pictures and stop telling everyone how to 'do it correctly'....get over yourselves, and yes, Crazy Cow Lady, you especially!!
Matt Harding 6 years ago
Yea these are just morons doing things they shouldn't. Im gonna start performing amateur plastic surgery and then post the "fails". If you dont have the ability, materials, skills, or intelligence to do something, maybe you shouldn't. But apparently these people aren't being told the truth often enough.
Alia Gail 6 years ago
Baking a strange looking cake doesn't actually HARM anyone though. Seriously, can't you just enjoy something? Nobody has to walk around with a squished muffin forever, it's ENTIRELY different than a surgery or something like such. If you're going to troll people you might as well use something that makes sense.
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