The Best New Cookbooks of 2022

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Best Sure-to-Be-a-Classic: "Cook This Book" at Amazon

Many of the included recipes have accompanying QR codes that link directly to videos of Baz executing certain steps of the instructions.

Best for Families: "The Unofficial Aldi Cookbook" at Amazon

First-time shoppers and repeat customers will be surprised by the variety of dishes and beverages they can create from one shopping trip.

Best Sequel: "Cook Once Dinner Fix" at Amazon

Readers will be pleasantly pleased to discover how many different meals can be made from one entrée.

Best Instant Pot: "The Lighter Step-By-Step Instant Pot Cookbook" at Amazon

Most recipes are adaptable for a keto, paleo, gluten-free, vegetarian, or vegan diet.

Best Vegan: "Dada Eats: Love to Cook It" at Amazon

This cookbook will be a welcome addition to any kitchen thanks to Dada’s fresh takes on favorites that require minimal ingredients and labor.

Best for Easy Recipes: "The Pepper Thai Cookbook" at Amazon

Thai-inspired fare is the focal point of every dish, most of which requires eight ingredients or less to make.

Best for Dessert: "How to Cook That: Crazy Sweet Creations" at Amazon

Wow family and friends with elaborately decorative desserts that taste phenomenal using this baking primer.

Best for Italian: "The Italian Deli Cookbook" at Amazon

It's all about putting Italian delicatessen staples to good use by making memorable lunches and dinners or when entertaining guests.

Best Celebrity Chef: "Nadiya Bakes" at Amazon

This cookbook of hers is primarily focused on baked goods “high in demand” around the United States.

The included dishes are variations of street food it’s possible to stumble upon in various regions around the world.

Recipe repertoires occasionally need a refresh. Luckily, there is no shortage of cooking inspiration thanks to an array of food bloggers and professional chefs willing to share their go-to meals online or in print. Providing the inside scoop on creating new delish dishes, along with time-savings tips, has indeed boosted the popularity of home-cooked eats once more—so much so that a 15 percent increase in overall cookbook sales occurred in one year, according to market research company The NPD Group. The list below is fully loaded with trending themes curated for foodies ready to solidify their A game in the kitchen.

Here are the best new cookbooks.

Best Sure-to-Be-a-Classic: Cook This Book

What We Like

Kitchen tool recommendations
Digital resources included

What We Don't Like

Slang and acronyms may be confusing

Since departing her previous day job as an editor at Bon Appétit magazine, Molly Baz has been utilizing Instagram, YouTube, and a recipe club on Patreon to regularly share advice and demos with fans. Her first cookbook channels the upbeat, yet down-to-earth mannerisms Baz is known for into a “foundational” guide for learning how to level up one’s cooking skills. In fact, many of the included recipes, like orzo al limone, pastrami roast chicken, and mushroom toast, have accompanying QR codes that link directly to videos of Baz executing certain steps of the instructions.

Number of Recipes: More than 90 | Pages: 304

Best for Families: The Unofficial Aldi Cookbook

What We Like

Modifiable recipes
Inexpensive cookbook

What We Don't Like

Many ingredients only sold at Aldi

Thanks to its economical prices and wide product selection, Aldi is a prime shopping destination for parents. Author Jeanette Hurt has compiled a selection of wallet-friendly and tasty meals that can be made by using solely Aldi products. First-time shoppers and repeat customers will be surprised by the variety of dishes and beverages they can create from one shopping trip. Dalgona coffee, baked onion soup, pancake cereal, baked salmon with honey-mustard sauce, and cannoli dip are just the beginning of the affordable sustenance Hurt has developed specifically for busy families.

Number of Recipes: 75 | Pages: 128

Best Sequel: Cook Once Dinner Fix

What We Like

Gluten-free options
Low-cost ingredients

What We Don't Like

Hardcover edition is pricey

Certified holistic nutritionist and Fed + Fit creator and podcast host Cassy Joy Garcia’s latest cookbook is all about repurposing leftovers to maximize taste, in addition to the number of servings. Filled with over 100 recipes, readers will be pleasantly pleased to discover how many different meals can be made from one entrée, such as when the “leftover roasted garlic turkey breast transforms into spiced turkey potato soup or dry-rubbed barbecue brisket becomes crowd-pleasing cheesesteak-stuffed peppers.”

Number of Recipes: 120| Pages: 304

Best Instant Pot: The Lighter Step-By-Step Instant Pot Cookbook

What We Like

Cook time specs included
Allergen-friendly recipes

What We Don't Like

“Basics” challenging for new Instant Pot users

YouTube chef and Pressure Luck blogger Jeffrey Eisner’s second cookbook focuses on using an Instant Pot to make cuisine well-suited for a variety of food sensitivities. Most recipes, like the Mexican street corn, turkey taco soup, chicken congee, and pork pozole, are adaptable for a keto, paleo, gluten-free, vegetarian, or vegan diet, plus there are step-by-step photo instructions for each condiment, side dish, and main course.

Number of Recipes: More than 90 | Pages: 272

The 12 Best Instant Pot Cookbooks of 2022

Best Vegan: Dada Eats: Love To Cook It

What We Like

Whole-food focused
Flexible substitutions

What We Don't Like

Small-size font for text

In her debut cookbook, Samah Dada, host of NBC Digital’s #Cooking with Samah Dada, shows how easy it is to go plant-based. Combining stellar recipes with stories from her life in California, New York, and London, this cookbook will be a welcome addition to any kitchen thanks to Dada’s fresh takes on favorites requiring minimal ingredients and labor. Many of the recipes are also allergen-free, gluten-free, Whole30- and keto-compliant, and vegan. With a mix of hits from her blog and brand new recipes, home cooks will learn how to make modern, veggie-only versions of staple dishes, such as masala scrambled eggs and caramelized onion savory oatmeal.

Number of Recipes: 100 | Pages: 256

The 8 Best Vegan Cookbooks in 2022

Best for Easy Recipes: The Pepper Thai Cookbook

What We Like

Easy-to-follow steps
Contains celebrity information

What We Don't Like

Not a photo for every recipe

Fans of Chrissy Teigen’s “Cravings” and “Hungry For More” will want to snag a copy of her mother Pepper’s new cookbook. Thai-inspired fare is the focal point of every dish, most of which requires eight ingredients or less to make. The easy execution of the recipes is a big rave for readers. The same goes for Pepper’s contemporary spin on Southeast Asian cooking—best showcased in her renditions of roasted lemongrass chicken, pad see ew, and massaman beef curry.

Number of Recipes: 80 | Pages: 256

The 7 Best Meal Prep Containers of 2022

Best for Dessert: How to Cook That: Crazy Sweet Creations

What We Like

Metric and imperial measurements stated
Affordable ebook

What We Don't Like

Time-intensive recipes

Get ready to wow family and friends with elaborately decorative desserts that taste phenomenal, too, using this baking primer written by award-winning YouTube series "How to Cook That" star and Australian food scientist Ann Reardon. Novelty cakes resembling popular "Minecraft" and "My Little Pony" characters are her jam, in addition to making fancy sweet treats adults will equally love, such as watermelon pizza and soft-serve Nutella-flavored ice cream.

Number of Recipes: 50 | Pages: 200

The 10 Best Baking Cookbooks to Read in 2022

Best for Italian: The Italian Deli Cookbook

What We Like

High-quality photos
Authentic recipes

What We Don't Like

Some expensive ingredients recommended

Chef Theo Randall has run restaurants in London, Bangkok, and Hong Kong, but his newest cookbook is about putting Italian delicatessen staples, like fine cheese, wine, cured meats, smoked fish, and olives, to good use by making memorable lunches and dinners or when entertaining guests. Popular entries include the spaghetti alla puttanesca; trofie with pesto, potatoes, and green beans; and sausage and squash risotto.

Number of Recipes: More than 100 | Pages: 256

Best Celebrity Chef: Nadiya Bakes

What We Like

Many photos
Metric and imperial measurements given

What We Don't Like

Less recipes than some other cookbooks

Whip up brioche, flan, scones, and much more using the detailed instructions British baking maven Nadiya Hussain provides in her fifth cookbook for adults. This one, however, is primarily focused on baked goods “high in demand” around the United States. So "Time to Eat" and "Nadiya Bakes" fans will have a chance to test out a handful of recipes Hussain has not previously demonstrated on either show, such as spiced squash strudel, cheat's sourdough, and raspberry amaretti biscuits.

Number of Recipes: More than 100 | Pages: 256

The 12 Best Cookbooks to Read in 2022

Best Popular Culture: Street Fighter: The Official Street Food Cookbook

What We Like

Dynamic illustrations
Fun read

What We Don't Like

May lack general appeal

In the video games realm, "Street Fighter" has become a cult classic, and this book is a quirky continuation of the journey a teen martial artist (Sakura Kasugano) embarks on, plus the other fighters—and their favorite foods—she encounters along the way. The included dishes are variations of street food it’s possible to stumble upon in various regions around the world, like platanos maduros, everything bagel, and matcha affogato.

Number of Recipes: Over 80 | Pages: 208

Best Meat-Alternative: Super Natural Simple: Whole-Food, Vegetarian Recipes for Real Life

What We Like

Quick meals
Includes nutritional advice

What We Don't Like

Some content already published online

Best-selling cookbook author Heidi Swanson is back with a new roundup of meals that don’t require a lot of time or ingredients to make. Frugal vegetarians and flexitarians will appreciate her low-maintenance approach to preparing drinks, breakfasts, snacks, lunches, dinners, and desserts. Good recipes to break in this book include the dirty chai baked oatmeal, puffed rice party mix, California blender cookies, red-spiced tempeh with broccoli, and beet and feta socca.

Number of Recipes: 120 | Pages: 288

Best for Baked Goods: Zoë Bakes Cakes

What We Like

Useful definitions
Many photos

What We Don't Like

Small print

Prolific baker Zoë François lets her expert skills and Magnolia Network flair shine in her first solo book. The introductory sections are packed with very helpful explanations for beginners related to separating eggs, making vanilla extract, and selecting oils and flours. Once the perusal of those initial pages is complete, getting started on creating a François-original, like raspberry Charlotte royal, blueberry muffin cake, and coconut candy bar cake, should be a cinch.

Number of Recipes: More than 85 | Pages: 275

The 8 Best Baking Sheets in 2022

Best for Southern Inspired: Rice: A Savor the South Cookbook

What We Like

Gorgeous photography
Historical and cultural facts referenced

What We Don't Like

Less recipes than other cookbooks

Famed chef Michael W. Twitty reveals the key role rice plays in numerous soul foods, Creole, Low Country, and Gulf Coast cuisines. It’s not uncommon to consume a varietal of this grain via dishes eaten for breakfast, lunch, or supper in Southern homes and restaurants. Therefore, he demystifies how to maximize this staple’s versatility in such savory eats as Louisiana okra soup, Edna Lewis’s wild rice, sausage pilau, and crab fried rice.

Number of Recipes: 51 | Pages: 120

Best for Middle Eastern: The Arabesque Table: Contemporary Recipes from the Arab World

What We Like

Diverse book
Unique content

What We Don't Like

High price point

Award-winning Palestinian writer Reem Kassis uses the rich history of traditional Islamic dishes to help home cooks understand the ongoing evolution of modern Arabic cooking. This bridge between the past and present is further illustrated by the collection of recipes she shares, demonstrating that foods from this region has always been and remain nourishing on a holistic level, especially when eaten in flavorful pairings, like pomegranate molasses and Aleppo roast chicken, mustard greens and labaneh, and muhallabiyeh and hibiscus rose tart.

Number of Recipes: 130 | Pages: 256

Best for Korean: The Korean Vegan

What We Like

Gorgeous photography
Easy to read

What We Don't Like

May not appeal to meat eaters

The “real-life” narration synonymous with Joanne Lee Molinaro’s TikTok @thekoreanvegan has been authentically captured in captivating food photos and personal reflections on her lifelong journey to embracing her passion for cooking. Plant-based versions of traditional Korean cuisine, such as banchan, tteokbokki, kkanpoong tofu, and gamja guk, are the clear forerunners of this debut cookbook, which makes for a compelling read even when one is done using the oven.

Number of Recipes: More than 80 | Pages: 336

The 10 Best Korean Cookbooks of 2022

Best for Kids: Kitchen Chemistry

What We Like

Vibrant graphics
Contains educational information

What We Don't Like

Not as many recipes as other books

Cooking isn’t just an art—it’s also a science. "Kitchen Chemistry" provides readers ages 8+ with the scientific know-how to be better cooks. This fully illustrated book pairs kid-friendly food (like overnight bread, gluten-free pizza crust, and chocolate candy shell) with chemistry lessons that explain why the recipes work the way they do. Also included is a logbook to rate the recipes, plus stories about chefs, inventors, and entrepreneurs—past and present—who have played a useful role in creating and developing many products we eat today.

Number of Recipes: More than 30 | Pages: 112

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What to Look for in a New Cookbook

Easy-to-Follow Instructions

If you're confused by the instructions or wording in a recipe, you’ll end up with a headache and subpar food. Before you buy a book, browse through a few recipes to preview the writing style. Is it clear? Easy to follow? Well thought-out recipes should be a joy to read and make.

Pictures

Pictures can be much more than just pretty previews of what you want to make. People who are visual learners benefit from seeing what the food is meant to look like at various stages in the recipe. Nice photos can help you stay on track or notice when something is off.

Clean Layout

Like well-written instructions, a clean layout is key to a good cookbook. Cookbooks that are cramped, have too much going on visually, or are drowning in obnoxious color might do more harm than good. Look for something that has enough space and is arranged in a way that flows smoothly through the recipe.

Tips and Extras

As a helpful bonus, many great cookbooks have pages or sections dedicated to cooking tips, measurement conversion guide, substitutions, or the author’s personal story. While not strictly necessary, it’s something that can boost a cookbook from good to great.

FAQs

How many recipes are in a cookbook?

The number of recipes included varies from book to book. Smaller, more independent cooks might have fewer recipes in their collections compared to big collections by well-known companies or world-renowned chefs. If you Google the average number of recipes in a cookbook, you get answers anywhere from 150 to 400.

What makes a good cookbook?

There are many elements that go into making a good cookbook. Some of the most important factors include: a variety of recipes, easy-to-follow instructions, high quality pictures, an appealing layout, a personalized story from the author, helpful tables, and bonus tips.

What kind of cookbooks are there?

There’s a cookbook for just about every type of food and then some. Whether you're looking for big collections spanning multiple cuisines or highly focused recipes that focus only on one ingredient, there are books out there dedicated to a vast amount of topics. There are cookbooks for beginners, vegetarian cookbooks, cookbooks for chocolate desserts, Cuban cookbooks, breakfast cookbooks, celebrity cookbooks, dim sum cookbooks, even movie-inspired cookbooks.

Why Trust The Spruce Eats?

Rachel Werner is a cookbook reviewer, culinary writer, and former World Food Championship judge. Her lifestyle content, food styling, and photography have appeared in a variety of regional and national publications including Fabulous Wisconsin, BRAVA, and Hobby Farms Magazine. A selection of Rachel's recipes is also included in "Wisconsin Cocktails," a regionally themed mixology book (University of Wisconsin Press, 2020). Recent examples of her pro foodie pics are available on Instagram @trulyplanted.

Allison Wignall, who updated this article, is a writer who focuses on food and travel. She’s always in the kitchen trying to recreate recipes from around the world. Her work has been featured in publications, such as Food & Wine, Travel + Leisure, and Southern Living.

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Additional reporting by

Allison Wignall

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