A bizarre toy oven that appears to turn dough into freshly baked plushies is topping kids' wish lists this holiday

• Cookeez Makery appears to be one of the hottest toys this holiday season.
• Some retailers have been selling out and people are reselling the toys for much higher prices.

A children's oven that looks like it turns dough into freshly baked plushies is in high demand among kids this holiday season, leaving some parents scrambling to track them down.

A Cookeez Makery set, typically retailing at $34.99, contains ingredients that you mix together, put into an animal-shaped mold, and place in a small oven made from cardboard and plastic. After 90 seconds, the oven pings and you can open the door to reveal a scented and warm freshly-baked plushy – or so it seems.

The New York Times reported that the oven shelves actually move around once the timer is set, meaning the dough moves into a hidden bottom shelf and is replaced with the plushy. Pellets in the animals' bodies give them their smells and the toy heats up when squeezed.

There are currently three different models of the toy, and each could come with a cat, dog, or rabbit – it isn't clear which one you're getting until you open up your set and see which animal mold is included.

Moose Toys, the Australian company that makes Cookeez Makery, said in a press release that it was the top-growing new toy brand in October, citing data from Circana. Business Insider has contacted Circana for confirmation. On Amazon it's ranked as the best-selling toy cooking appliance, and it's listed as a best seller on Walmart's website too.

Moose Toys said Cookeez Makery had "flown off shelves" since its release in the summer, which The New York Post reported was leading to some retailers selling out and people reselling them online for much higher prices. Moms have been scrambling to find it on sale at a sensible price in time for the holidays, and one TikToker expressed her surprise at being able to snap one up for $24.96 at Aldi.

Dozens of videos on TikTok show people trying out the toys. The Toy Insider has listed it as one of the hottest holiday toys for 2023.

"I fully expected maybe not to love this but I do love it," one toy reviewer said on YouTube. "You could play with this over and over, like you could reset it and do it again. I think it was worth $to 35."