30 Best Baking Cookbooks You Should Have In Your Collection

Many have argued that modern renditions of recipes, which are widely available on cooking blogs, websites, and social media like TikTok and Instagram, will replace the conventional cookbook. We disagree.

There is something nostalgic and magical about opening a cookbook, admiring the high-resolution and mouthwatering photos of food, and selecting a recipe to make. There's an even more special thing about scribbling notes into the margins of the cookbooks after you try a recipe for the first time and passing the same book and annotations down to the next generation of cooking and baking enthusiasts. It's these experiences that you can't replicate on a screen.

We've collected some of the best baking books that any home cook should have in their kitchen. Our standards for the quintessential "good cookbook" are recipes that are easy to follow, accommodate a wide range of baking proficiencies, and cover a swath of recipes. Some books contain classic recipes, while others prioritize novel flavors and ingredients for more new-age bakes.

While we don't exactly love Mark Bittman, "How to Bake Everything" is a comprehensive baking bible that should be in every home kitchen. This book has over 2,000 recipes, including everything from modern American bakes like Baked Alaskas to global treats like Afghan snowshoe naan and Nordic ruis. Bittman also provides home cooks with some advice for ingredient swaps, recipe adaptations to suit different dietary restrictions, and technique demonstrations to show you what to do for more complicated recipes — where words alone won't suffice.

Dominique Ansel created "Everyone Can Bake" as an accessible cookbook to help inspire home bakers to try new recipes and master old favorites. The cookbook, which has been acclaimed by the New York Times, features a "building blocks" style approach for bakers of all skill levels.

He also includes ways the bakes can be used for other things, like crumbling on top of ice cream or making a tart into cookies. The recipes are imaginative, well-tested, and indicative of Ansel's culinary prowess.

"Baked to Perfection" exclusively focuses on all aspects of gluten-free baking. Author Katarina Cermelj highlights gluten-free recipes of all types, including cookies, cakes, loaves, pastry, and bread — as well as some of the science behind gluten-free baking.

The writing is scientific but not overly complicated and accompanied by clear steps and photographs. Plus, her recipes are delicious and almost indistinguishable from gluten-based recipes. This cookbook is nothing short of a treasure for any gluten-free baker.

Nadiya Hussain was known for her appearance on "The Great British Baking Show" where she captivated the hearts of viewers. Her cookbook, "Nadiya Bakes," features over 100 different achievable, methodical recipes for beginner to advanced bakers.

Her recipes include family-friendly bakes like blueberry and lavender scone pizza, mint choc-chip Nanaimo bars, and key lime cupcakes. Overall, we love this cookbook because Hussain's bubbly, whimsical personality shines through in each and every recipe.

Martha Stewart is the queen of entertaining for a reason. Her cookbook, "Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook," includes over 200 recipes for classic, timeless baked goods, including cookies, cakes, pies, biscuits, and scones.

Her recipes are basic enough for amateur home bakers to try or sufficient for home cooks looking for a unique centerpiece for their next gathering, shower, or wedding. The book also contains a glossary of cooking equipment, step-by-step photos, and helpful storage advice. 

Sarah Kieffer was the inventor of the pan-banging trick, so it's clear there's some ingenuity in that baker's brain of hers. Her cookbook, "100 Cookies," highlights cookie recipes beyond the classics.

Her recipe includes fool-proof recipes for cookies, brownies, and bars that will captivate your tastebuds and inspire you to bake beyond your wildest dreams. We love the marshmallow peanut butter brownies and olive oil sugar cookies with a blood orange glaze, but we can also appreciate her three variations on a chocolate chip cookie.

"The Perfect Loaf" is a cookbook for the bread-curious among us. Blogger Maurizio Leo brings his knowledge of sourdough to book form in this 2022 cookbook, which includes numerous applications for this fermented staple.

Leo's writing features troubleshooting sections for bakers just learning about how to work with sourdough and answering commonly asked questions about working with bread. His writing also lends well to experienced bread-bakers with recipe variations, opportunities to use different flours, and fundamental changes in hydration and ratios that will take their bread to a new level.

Peter Reinhart is a well-known name in the bread-baking world. His book, "The Bread Bather's Apprentice," highlights the fundamentals of bread — from pizza to challah.

The 15th anniversary edition of this book takes what Reinhart learned from his experience in French boulangeries and time learning from Parisian bakers. He focuses on the 12 stages of making bread and includes 100 step-by-step photographs to replicate the process at home. Plus, his writing takes cooking to a new level, with scientific and historical connections along the way.

Dorie Greenspan is one of the queens of baking. So it isn't a surprise that her 2021 "Baking with Dorie" cookbook made the list of our favorites.

This landmark cookbook contains 150 of Greenspan's best recipes, like footlong cheese sticks with cream puff dough, apple pie with mulled spices, and a s'mores ice cream cake that's bound to excite eaters of all ages. Her recipes are as unexpected as she is, but she also manages to rein in some of her favorites, which she calls her "Sweethearts."

If you want a book that screams "homestyle," it's "Midwest Made" by Shauna Sever. Although her recipes focus on baked goods that we often think of as American, Sever highlights the immigrant roots of favorites, including pies, cookies, and pastries — all of which are done from a family-friendly angle for bakers of all skill levels. You'll love her ooey gooey butter cake, made with homemade pudding rather than the boxed stuff, and classic oatmeal cookies.

Claire Saffitz is an ingenious baker who uses her book, "What's for Dessert?" to explore 100 easy, ready-to-make recipes that are streamlined to help home cooks get their favorite desserts from their kitchen to the table. Saffitz also includes many recommendations for kitchen substitutes to make baking even more effortless. Her recipes for cocoa-chestnut brownies, a no-bake strawberry ricotta cheesecake, and a honey and tahini matzo are indicative of her style of both practical and whimsical food writing.

"The Magnolia Bakery Handbook" is the brainchild of Bobbie Lloyd — chief baking officer of the esteemed New York City establishment. Since opening in 1996, the bakery has expanded into cities worldwide — and into your home cooking library.

The handbook features 150 classic recipes, including a whole chapter on the bakery's famous banana pudding. Lloyd also shares her tips for home bakers and what kinds of ingredients the bakery utilizes to make some of the Big Apple's (and beyond's) favorite sweets.

Claire Saffitz's baking style shines in her cookbook, "Dessert Person." She shares modern renditions of sweet and savory classics like "Babkallah" (a hybrid of babka and challah), crispy mushroom galettes, and a strawberry-cornmeal layer cake.

Each recipe features common problems and solutions, which always makes the reader feel supported through each step of the baking process. Saffitz's writing style is approachable and personal, making this a perfect book for inexperienced bakers and seasoned chefs alike. After all, we're all dessert people, aren't we?

Mary Berry is the queen of British baking (both recipes and television), and her cookbook is nothing short of fantastic. "Mary Berry's Baking Bible" includes over 250 recipes, which were converted into American measurements in her most recent edition of the book.

You'll find many of the classics that also appear on episodes of "The Great British Baking Show," like the Victoria sandwich cake, Bakewell slices, and chocolate eclairs. If you are interested in mastering the art of British baking, it's a book you'll want to get your hands on.

"Tartine Bread" follows the style of San Franscisco's Tartine Bakery and owner Chad Robertson. The recipe is separated into four sections: basic country bread, semolina and whole-wheat bread, baguettes, and enriched bread, and day-old bread.

After you've mastered Robertson's basic formulations, you can explore how he integrates bread into other meals — like homemade croutons on a salad, classic bruschetta, and breadcrumbs. His recipes feature easy-to-follow instructions and visually stunning photographs, making this book as much of a joy to read as it is to cook with.