24 of the Best Baking Cookbooks to Fill Your Kitchen
Updated: Jan. 16, 2023
Besides a full pantry, a bookshelf lined with the best baking cookbooks is one of the most satisfying sights for a home baker. Check out our top baking book picks to keep you inspired.
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Snackable Bakes
by Jessie Sheehan
Not every bake has to be a three-layer, crowd-feeding, mile-high fantasy. Sometimes you just want a homemade treat that comes together fast—20 minutes of prep or less is ideal! Snackable Bakes is full of these delicious everyday recipes. TikTok-famous Jessie Sheehan stirs up plenty of quick-prep recipes in this volume like snack cakes, no-churn ice cream and fruit-filled slumps.
While all these books make great gifts for bakers, this one is particularly practical for anyone that needs a rest from fussy treats and just wants to enjoy simple pleasures.
Must-try recipe:Â Strawberry Sheet Cake. This frosting-free cake needs no further adornment than the berries inside. Use fresh if it’s strawberry season or raid your freezer. Frozen berries work equally well, according to Jessie.
The Book on Pie
by Erin Jeanne McDowell
Whether you’ve mastered the art of pie or are looking to start your journey with this sometimes-finicky pastry, The Book on Pie is for you. Erin Jeanne McDowell dedicates a whole chapter to the creation of the perfect crust with plenty of helpful visuals. Once you get the hang of a great butter pie pastry, Erin explains how you can add more flavor and give your pies the perfect finish with decorative crimping.
But we know that pies are more than just crust! Erin’s book is full of pie classics like the blueberry and apple pies we all love but also has plenty of new recipes featuring some amazing flavor combinations (chocolate-covered raspberry, anyone?).
Must-try recipe:Â The Black Forest Pie in this cookbook gives all the great flavors of a Black Forest cake housed in a crispy chocolate pie crust. Use fresh tart cherries for the most impactful flavor.
Cheryl Day’s Treasury of Southern Baking
by Cheryl Day
Cheryl Day made a name for herself with Back in the Day Bakery, her wildly popular Savannah storefront. On any given day, you’ll find the cases there filled with biscuits, cupcakes, pound cakes and fresh loaves of bread. With Cheryl Day’s Treasury of Southern Baking, you can fill your home with similar flavors.
In this book, Cheryl shares what makes Southern-style baking so special through stories, ingredients and tales from her own family. Inside, Cheryl even lets you know how to master ever-finicky pie crust.
Must-try recipe: Scallion and Cheddar Cat Head Biscuits get their name from their large size, though they pack an equally large punch of flavor. Be sure to use buttermilk for extra-tender biscuits.
Taste of Home Ultimate Baking Cookbook
by Taste of Home Editors
Go in-depth with all the most popular bakes inside Taste of Home Ultimate Baking Cookbook. Here, our editors have assembled detailed step-by-step instructions for our readers’ favorite bakes.
In this baking bible, you’ll learn how to tackle basic techniques like creaming butter and sugar to more challenging tricks like making crack-free cheesecakes, stirring up glossy ganache and getting a perfect cake roll for a traditional Yule log cake.
Must-try recipe: This Lemon Sour Cream Pound Cake is a favorite among readers and our Test Kitchen alike. It’s incredibly plush and citrusy—plus it’s a great excuse to add a new Bundt pan to your collection.
Mooncakes and Milk Bread
by Kristina Cho
In her first-ever cookbook, Kristina Cho highlights the rich café culture of places like Hong Kong and American Chinatowns. Each recipe is presented with love and precision (the latter Kristina attributes to her background as an architect).
Mooncakes and Milk Bread is a fantastic and delicious introduction to a world of baking many of us are unfamiliar with. One peek into this book, though, and you’ll find yourself wanting to be well acquainted with Kristina’s recipes for bao, mooncakes and bubble waffles.
Must-try recipe:Â Kristina’s Black Sesame Souffle Cheesecake is a delicious twist on the classic cheesecake. It’s almost cloudlike thanks to cake flour and has a great nutty flavor courtesy of the sesame paste.
100 Cookies
by Sarah Kieffer
Sarah Kieffer is known for her pan-banging chocolate chip cookies. This technique gives cookies a crunchy exterior, chewy middle and an irresistible appearance. You can try even more pan-banging cookies in her latest cookbook 100 Cookies. But be sure to move onto the other 99 recipes as well!
Each cookie is accompanied by stunning photos and detailed instructions so you can get the perfect bake every time.
It goes without saying that this cookbook makes an amazing gift for cookie bakers (or bakers of any kind).
Must-try recipe:Â Neopolitan Cookies. These tri-colored cookies are so tempting with their charming swirls and mouthwatering aroma. How can you say no to a vanilla-chocolate-strawberry mashup?
A Good Day to Bake
by Benjamina Ebuehi
The Great British Baking Show fans will recognize Benjamina Ebuehi. Since appearing on the show, Benjamina has released two cookbooks. A Good Day to Bake, her latest venture, includes 60 sweet and savory recipes easy enough to prep on a weeknight or when you have a sliver of time on the weekend.
Must-try recipe:Â Rosemary and Honey Scones. With a whisper of honey and fresh rosemary, these tasty scones can easily sway sweet or savory. Try them topped with your favorite homemade jam or use them in lieu of a bun for your next sandwich.
Bake Away
by Sahana Vij
As a high school student, Sahana Vij began developing recipes for Bake Away. The project began as a way for Sahana to grow her writing and baking skills but soon turned into a serious passion project.
Each copy of Bake Away sold benefits No Kid Hungry, a nonprofit organization dedicated to ending childhood hunger. When you grab a copy, know that meals will be donated to this worthy cause—and know that there are plenty of delicious recipes in store.
Must-try recipe:Â Sahana’s Remond Pear Creme Tart takes inspiration from her California hometown. With a gorgeous rose-inspired design on top, this dessert is almost too pretty to eat (almost).
Midwest Made
by Shauna Sever
Author and native Midwesterner Shauna Sever shows that the heartland has plenty to be proud of when it comes to baking. In Midwest Made, Shauna shares 125 recipes that you’ll be wanting to make on repeat.
Start with some simpler bakes for everyday snacking like Scotcheroos, Donut Cake or After-School Specials (a leveled-up twist on oatmeal cookies). When you have a little extra time, try Shauna’s take on potica or her stunning white fruitcake (it’s tasty enough to convert even fruitcake skeptics).
Midwest Made is a great gift for any baker who loves homestyle recipes but will be welcome on the bookshelves of many a Midwesterner (or former Midwesterner).
Must-try recipe:Â Chocolate Chip Cookie Brittle is an absolute must. With all the flavors of chocolate chip cookies and way less prep, you can’t help but keep your cookie jar full of these treats.
Sweet Paris
by Frank Adrian Barron
Pastry aficionados know that Paris is the place to be for the best-ever eclairs, tarts and gateaus. If you’re not jet-setting anytime soon, don’t worry—you can still get a taste of French desserts in Frank Adrian Barron’s Sweet Paris. In this book, you’ll find 59 recipes for French-style desserts with a hint of Frank’s California flair.
Must-try recipe: Lavender Honey Madeleines are the perfect springtime Parisian treat. These cakey cookies get just a touch of lavender which takes them to the next level. While you’re waiting on your copy of Sweet Paris, make our version of this treat: Hazelnut Madeleines.
Wild Sweetness
by Thalia Ho
With chapters like “Bramble,” Evergreen” and “Orchard,” it’s easy to be transported to the serene outdoors in Wild Sweetness. This book is full of inspiring images and a range of recipes that will satisfy your cravings for comforting bakes while also challenging you to try something just a little different.
Inside you’ll find recipes for delicious standards like ganache-filled thumbprint cookies, cinnamon buns and gingersnaps as well as inspired recipes like juniper-white chocolate ice cream, basil sugar pound cake and chamomile shortbread.
Must-try recipe:Â Thalia’s White Peach and Ginger Cake is a thing of beauty. This surprisingly simple cake is covered in streusel and dusted with confectioners’ sugar. The aromas of peach and ginger make waiting for this cake to cool almost unbearable, but if you wait, you’ll be rewarded with a feather-light coffee cake like no other.
Bread Toast Crumbs
by Alexandra Stafford
Bread baking can seem like a daunting task, but Bread Toast Crumbs makes it easy with plenty of no-fuss, no-knead recipes based on recipes from Alexandra Stafford’s family. This cookbook also offers ideas and recipes for what to do with every last bit of bread, from homemade croutons to delicious toast with fresh toppings.
Must-try recipe:Â Peasant Bread is the basis for many recipes in Bread Toast Crumbs. Master this one and you’ll see why Alexandra built a whole cookbook based on this family favorite recipe.
All About Cake
by Christina Tosi
We know Christina Tosi as the queen of cake thanks to her empire of Milk Bar bakeries. With All About Cake, you don’t have to travel to one of Christina’s outposts to get a taste of her many-layered confections.
Inside, Christina reveals her secret for the best-ever desserts, how to decorate cakes in her signature naked cake style and how to give treats more texture and flavor with cake crumbs (a bit of pastry magic that you’ll want to eat all on its own).
Must-try recipe: Christina’s Baller Birthday Sheet Cake is your classic confetti cake only 10 times better.
Dappled
by Nicole Rucker
If you ask Nicole Rucker, fruit can be just as luxuriant as a slice of chocolate cake—and she proves it in Dappled. In her premiere cookbook, Nicole walks readers through how to choose just the right fruit for recipes, how to use frozen fruit during the off-season and how to riff off her recipes with different picks from the farm.
Inside you’ll find recipes to satisfy, from breakfast to after-dinner dessert—even a midnight snack (who could say no to blackberry pie at any hour?).
Must-try recipes:Â Nicole’s Mango Coconut Bundt Cake is just the recipe to slice into on a summer day or whenever you feel like you need a vacation.
BraveTart
by Stella Parks
Stella Parks dedicated BraveTart to midnight snacks. With an opener like that, you know the recipes inside are bound to be downright crave-able.
Each chapter of this James Beard Award-winning cookbook is dedicated to classic American treats: ice cream, doughnuts, candy bars, pies and even favorite brands. What makes BraveTart a standout is its dedicated copycat chapter with recipes for homemade Nutter Butters, Twinkies, Thin Mints and so many more.
Must-try recipe:Â Homemade Oreos. This recipe is right on the cover and is too tempting not to bake the second you come home with this book. Use an embossed rolling pin to get the same effect as the ones in the photo.
Baked to Perfection
by Katarina Cermelj
Don’t think for a second that gluten-free baking means settling for less. In Baked to Perfection, Katarina Cermelj proves that gluten-free baking is every bit as decadent as its flour-filled counterpart.
Katarina opens the book with a useful chapter on gluten-free baking, including tips on identifying naturally GF recipes (things like meringue cookies or flourless chocolate cake that have no gluten) and ones that can be made GF thanks to alternative ingredients. This introduction is worth the price of admission, but you’ll be happy to find that Baked to Perfection is packed with tasty bakes.
Must-try recipe: While GF eaters will appreciate Katarina’s many bread recipes (including one for a hearty baguette), we have to say that the Coffee Cream Puffs might just take the title of our favorite bake.
Small Batch Baking
by Saura Kline
Sometimes you crave a sweet that serves just one or two. Instead of making a giant batch of cookies and looking at all the extras, crack open Saura Kline’s Small Batch Baking. This book is filled with 60 recipes meant to serve two or three. That’s right: You’ll find recipes for small-batch cookies, pastries, muffins and even cheesecakes in this book to satisfy any craving.
Must-try recipe:Â Millionaire Shortbread Bars. Topped with homemade caramel and luxe ganache, you can’t go wrong with this recipe. And because it’s a small batch, we won’t say a word if you eat the whole pan!
Taste of Home Breads
by Taste of Home Editors
Filled with 100 of our most popular bread recipes, you’ll find plenty to love in Taste of Home Breads. Inside you’ll find a whole array of recipes including ones that make use of shortcut ingredients like canned biscuits and frozen pizza dough.
Want to try something a bit more complex? There’s a whole chapter on yeast breads to inspire. Don’t forget to brush up on your kneading and proofing techniques before you begin!
Must-try recipe:Â Skillet Herb Bread. You can make this quick bread right in your cast-iron skillet (just another reason to love this pan!). It’s the perfect addition to a rustic family dinner and you can easily customize the recipe with your favorite herb blends.
Even Better Brownies
by Mike Johnson
Sure, brownies from the box are delicious, but you can make your brownies tastier with tips and recipes from Mike Johnson’s Even Better Brownies.
Inside this cookbook, you’ll find reliably scrumptious recipes for classic brownies, blondies and dessert bars as well as twists on these classics. Who can resist cinnamon roll-inspired blondies or peppermint mocha brownies?
Must-try recipe:Â Samoas Brownies are a riff on the popular Girl Scout cookie. When turned into a brownie, this treat gets even better.
New World Sourdough
by Bryan Ford
Many folks have become obsessed with sourdough lately. If you can’t get enough of this bread, pick up a copy of New World Sourdough. In this cookbook, Bryan Ford walks readers through all the techniques that have helped him create amazing loaves.
Beginner sourdough-makers will especially appreciate Bryan’s approach to bread. He relies less on obsessive monitoring and precision and more on practical tips that home bakers can use. With plenty of step-by-step photos and lots of detailed instructions, you’ll be creating your own sourdough starter and gorgeous breads in no time.
Must-try recipe:Â Pizza dough. Sourdough normally has us thinking of classic boules, but you can use your starter to make extra-flavorful pizza dough.
Layer Up!
by Yolanda Gampp
YouTube star Yolanda Gampp has earned her title as the Beyoncé of Cakes, and you’ll see why in Layer Up! Each recipe in Yolanda’s latest cookbook is absolutely brimming with flavor— after all, the motto of this book is “stylish cakes, flavor first.”
With chapters like “Wonderfully Whimsical” and “Bountiful Breakfast,” you know you’re in for a treat. Get the hang of Yolanda’s core recipes to start and then take her tips for layering towering cakes and filling them with all sorts of extras—including explosions of sprinkles.
Must-try recipe: Try two amazing desserts in one with Yolanda’s Pecan Pie Layer Cake.
Dessert Person
by Claire Saffitz
Love desserts? Then you need this New York Times Bestseller on your bookshelf. In Dessert Person, Claire Saffitz takes classic recipes and adds just a little extra oomph to each. That’s why you won’t see a basic brownie in this book, but a brownie filled with malt powder (delicious!). Similarly, Claire’s flourless chocolate cake gets another layer of flavor thanks to amaretto (or dark rum—your choice).
Must-try recipe:Â Babkallah is the mashup of babka and Challah that you didn’t know you needed. Braided and laced with chocolate and cinnamon, this bake is perfectly giftable.
Sister Pie
by Lisa Ludwinski
Part cookbook, part memoir, Sister Pie is all heart and soul. This cookbook tells the tale of sisters, how they opened their own bakery and all the recipes that made their shop a favorite in Detroit.
This cookbook is obviously a must-buy gift for pie bakers but it also makes a sweet present for sisters.
Must-try recipe:Â Toasted Marshmallow Butterscotch Pie is one of the desserts that put the Sister Pie bakery on the map. Be sure to give it a try (and then move on to more recipes like Rhubarb Rosemary Streusel Pie).
50 Things to Bake Before You Die
by Allyson Reedy
Consider 50 Things to Bake Before You Die the best of the best baking books. Inside, Allyson Reedy has assembled a list of all of the best recipes from bakers at the top of their fields; this includes TV chefs like Duff Goldman, bloggers like Half Baked Harvest’s Tieghan Gerard and even small-town bakers who just make really really good treats.
Must-try recipe: At Taste of Home, we know Courtney Rich of Cake by Courtney makes a dynamite confetti cake. We suggest trying her Ultimate S’mores Cake from this cookbook.
Originally Published: May 19, 2020
