Best Cookbooks of 2023

The beautiful books I baked from this year + a few I can't wait to try!

Before we get into my list of cookbook recommendations, I wanted to share that I’m offering 20% off subscriptions to my Extras Newsletter. Treat yourself or a loved one to exclusive recipes, travel recommendations, companion guides to every episode of my show, and more.

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I started writing cookbooks in 2005 before the publishing world discovered the internet. My co-author and I not only cold-called every newspaper around the country, but we also sent copies of our new book to all the food bloggers (there were only a few dozen at the time) to ask if they’d bake from it. They did and many of them wrote about us. It was a long and exhausting process, but we were confident if people tried our 5-Minute Bread method, they would love baking bread as much as we did. Eventually, it caught on, The New York Times wrote about us, and we’ve sold about 1 million copies of the Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day series since then. 

The publishing game has changed a lot, but those early days made me keenly aware of how important it is to pay it forward. These books are a labor of love and a part of the author’s soul, so I want to help them share their talents with the world. Below are just some of the books I’ve loved reading and baking from. 

Please share a book you are particularly excited about in the comments. I have hundreds of cookbooks but am always looking for new ones.

Cookbook Recommendations

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Cruffins with Pastry Cream from 100 Morning Treats

100 Morning Treats by Sarah Kieffer* – By now you know that Sarah is one of my favorite bakers. Her 100 Cookies* is a MUST HAVE and this book is too. Her recipes are delicious, and you can be confident that every bake will come out just like the gorgeous photos. I baked her cruffins filled with pastry cream and I love them so much! You can read my Q&A with Sarah about the book (and Extras subscribers get the recipe for the cruffins!) here. And get a chocolate tart recipe from her book Baking for the Holidays* here.

Chocolate Zucchini Bundt Cake from the True North Cabin Cookbook

True North Cabin Cookbook by Stephanie Hansen – This book is about the love and respect Minnesotans have for the North Woods cabin culture. Starting with a campfire cocktail, followed by comfort foods we want to share with family or just eat in our cozy robe after a winter sauna. Then there are the classic desserts that make you smile and feel good about life. The Chocolate Zucchini Bundt Cake is a must!

Lemon Nemesis from Company

Company by Amy Thielen* – You’ll want to be invited to Amy’s house for a party, but she lives kinda far away, so you’ll be grateful she wrote down, in great detail, how to throw a “radically casual” party yourself. I love throwing a party and she has delicious secrets on how to prep, cook, bake, and be a guest at your own soiree. It’s an art she has perfected, and I am so pleased she shares her menus and advice so freely. I made the Lemon Nemesis for a family gathering and it was dynamite. I even taught my very young (maybe too young) niece how to use a blowtorch, which none of us will forget (especially her dad, my brother). ;)

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Baking Equipment Recommendations

What do you need to go with the new cookbooks? Equipment, of course! People always ask about the equipment they see on my show or what baking pans or utensils I recommend. These are also great gift ideas (or treat yourself)!

• Blow Torch! It’s a super fun and exciting tool that I use as often as I possibly can. It is great for toasting meringue, marshmallows and the sugar crust on creme brûlée.

• A pretty Pie Dish* is super useful and makes it more likely your loved one will bake you a pie!

• My most used equipment: Kitchen scale*, really good rubber spatula*, stand mixer, bench scraper*, heavy gauge baking sheets*.

• Makes baking easier: Cake turner*, offset metal decorating spatulas*. Pie plate*, cake pans*, flour jars*.

• Bread baking equipment* and knives are perfect for those who are getting into baking their first loaf or playing with a 100 year old starter. You can get by with just a few things to bake a great loaf of bread or you can take it to the next level.

• Check out this holiday gift guide for more ideas for the bakers in your life!

• Find even more recommendations in my Amazon shop:

Don’t forget! You can get signed copies of my books as well as aprons in my ZoëBakes Shop!

Whether you’d like to purchase on Amazon or from your favorite local independent bookstore, you can find all the details about Zoë Bakes Cakes right here: