This year was a banner year for cookbooks. These new titles? They helped us get dinner on the table in so many ways. Books for those willing to explore the wonders waiting in their pantry or those who want to wander around other countries for inspiration. Books that celebrate vegetarian cooking, baked goods, and “good things.” There were deep dives into diasporic Pakistani, Ghanaian, Middle Eastern, and Latinx cuisine. With so many excellent titles, how does one go about chronicling the best? By enlisting a group of tastemakers to evaluate and select their favorites. Of course, we barely scratched the surface of all the excellent titles published this year. Luckily, we’ve covered plenty over the past year: peruse our spring, summer, and fall callouts. To round up 2025’s best cookbooks, we consulted a large group: Bon Appétit and Epicurious staffers, as well as other food writers and editors, cookbook authors, and chefs.
While a great cookbook is, as one might assume, a collection of stellar recipes, it should also be enjoyable to read without immediate plans to cook. And wow, do these books deliver on that. Without truly reading these books, we might not have discovered that you don’t need to soften butter for a cohesive cookie dough (Nicole Rucker’s Fat + Flour taught us this); or that an author’s daughter is responsible for curating the playlists peppered throughout the recipe pages (that’s in Hetty Lui McKinnon’s Linger); or that fonio, a grain indigenous to West Africa, is likely the oldest cereal grain on the continent, but remained mostly unknown to Americans until just recently (shared by Eric Adjepong in Ghana to the World).
Read on for 16 books that delighted us in 2025, ordered alphabetically by title. Which will you add to your library?
I was drawn to chef Sami Tamimi’s first solo cookbook, Boustany, because of its subtitle: A celebration of vegetables from my Palestine. Hoping for inspiration for meat-free home cooking, I was not disappointed. The longtime Ottolenghi collaborator centers fresh produce on every page, with vibrant recipes that look exactly like what I want to eat right now (and always, if I’m honest). Colorful salads, robust dips, and a medley of grains and beans fill out chapters on breakfast, weeknight dinners, and special occasions, punctuated by pictures of Tamimi’s boustany—Arabic for “my garden.” I immediately made the Two-Lentil Mejadra, which features an onion salsa with gently roasted onion petals that I know I’ll be coming back to as a topping for other dishes. The bread section is going to see more of me (four words: Fenugreek & Onion Buns), and the fruity desserts, like Tahini Rice Pudding With Grape Compote, all have Post-it notes on their pages. But aside from the recipes, Boustany is also a beautiful ode to Tamimi’s home country, honoring the work Palestinians have done to preserve a culinary heritage rooted in farming and foraging in the face of overwhelming adversity. Showcasing this food culture is not a task he takes lightly; as Tamimi writes: “The responsibility of writing these recipes and stories has weighed heavily on my shoulders. I hope and wish that many of you try the recipes, read the stories, and want to know more about Palestine…this wonderful place I call home.” —Kendra Vaculin, former test kitchen editor
(Recipes from the book: Pan-Fried Turmeric Bread (Kubez Kimaaj), Crushed Lentils With Tahini & Soft-Boiled Eggs (Adas Medames))
If you look at the menu of David Nayfeld’s Che Fico in San Francisco, you may not immediately think, “oh, I know how that guy feeds his kids at home,” because, well, it’s the menu of a cool San Francisco restaurant. But my god does he knock it out of the park in his new book Dad, What’s for Dinner?. It breezily moves between the delicious-but-functional weeknight necessities (a quick marinated grilled chicken) to the aspirational (raise your hand if you’re ready to make fresh pasta with your kids). All the while, he offers flavors that can serve as building blocks to move little ones towards more adventurous eating. One of the most valuable things about this book is the way Nayfeld takes into account the actual lived experience and priorities of so many working parents. Every recipe is classified somewhere between a “meltdown meal” (what you make when you just got home and the kids are screaming they’re hungry, like the aforementioned grilled chicken) and “project cooking” (something you can do on an empty Saturday, like his 5-hour ragu). He also tells you how much cleaning you’ll have to do afterwards, which, if you’ve ever had to do dishes following a prolonged bedtime ritual at 9:30pm, is very important. Some cookbooks change what I cook and the way I cook it. It’s not so much that Nayfeld’s does that, but in addition to new breakfasts and dinners that feature regularly in my rotation, Dad, What’s for Dinner?, serves as an affirmation that, yes, feeding your kids is hard, and you’re doing a damn good job. —Noah Kaufman, senior commerce editor
(Recipe from the book: Smothered Italian Sausage)
I couldn’t help but feel an immediate affinity for Meera Sodha’s Dinner. I eagerly consume her cookbooks and columns (if you aren’t already cooking from East and Made in India, or reading her writing in The Guardian, please join me), and am regularly wowed by her highly flavorful, vegetable-centered meals. But I wasn’t just excited for a new book from an author I respect, it was the story behind the recipes that felt so compelling. Several years ago, Sodha hit a mental and emotional wall and simply couldn’t bring herself to cook anymore. But with a family and herself to feed, she had to somehow do it anyway. Dinner charts her path toward a more joyful, sustainable relationship with cooking. The 120 recipes inside are as well-tested, clever, and delicious as her past work, while centering the sanity and pleasure of the cook. The book is primarily organized by ingredient (a chapter on eggplant precedes one on broccoli and other brassicas), but Sodha provides alternate groupings by season, dish type, and cooking method, and shares advice in short essays too. It’s become my steadfast companion: Her Cheddar and Gochujang Cornbread is now my go-to summer cookout contribution, the Miso Butter and Greens Pasta is on regular weeknight rotation, and I’ll never make cauliflower without a yogurt marinade again. It’s a book that’s inspired me to find real delight in even the most routine cooking. —Kelsey Jane Youngman, senior service editor
(Recipes from the book: Eggplant Roasted in Satay Sauce, Crispy Oyster Mushroom Skewers With Bok Choy Salad, Vodka Gochujang Pasta, Baked Butter Paneer)
Family Style feels like pulling up a chair at Peter Som’s elegant table and being welcomed with open arms. Som, who first made his name as an award-winning fashion designer, now brings that same eye for beauty and detail to the kitchen as a recipe developer and lifestyle voice. What I love most is how the book blends family memory with everyday ease. The chapters move naturally, from asking one of my favorite questions, “Have you eaten?” to kick off the introduction; to the smaller moments (Eggs for Days, Feelin’ Snacky); to the mains (like Fish and Such and Bird's the Word), just like the way we actually gather and eat. I keep going back to the Scallion Corn Pancakes with Five-Spice Honey that fry up golden and crisp, the layered rice bowls (there’s one with butternut squash and turmeric, another inspired by cacio e pepe), and the Big Beautiful Beef Stew that reminds you why slowing down in the kitchen is always worth it. Cooking from this book has shifted the way I think about meals. It’s not just about feeding ourselves, but about being intentional, savoring the process, and celebrating the simple act of sharing food. Family Style is warm, grounding, and made to be shared. —Hawa Hassan, cookbook author, host, and entrepreneur
(Recipe from the book: Brown Butter Miso Mochi Blondies)
I wouldn’t consider baking to be one of my strong suits. But Nicole Rucker, professional baker extraordinaire, crafted such a wonderfully approachable cookbook that even the most apprehensive baker like myself would feel at ease amongst her recipes. Rucker’s second cookbook, Fat + Flour, is visually such a joy to flip through, its pages loaded with tall stacks of cookies and bars, slices of loaf and bundt cakes, pies galore, and five(!) different banana breads. In these early fall days I’ve found myself gravitating towards the Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies that show off her simplistic shortcut cold butter method (where the chilled fat is incorporated into the dry ingredients before adding liquids), as well as her Sesame Crumble Apple Pie—with the easiest pie dough I’ve made (it comes together in a stand mixer). This book feels fuss-free with endless rewards. —Calvin Eng, chef-owner of Bonnie's and author of Salt Sugar MSG
(Recipe from the book: London Fog Brownies)
It’s been a dream of mine to visit Ghana for years—a country whose food, color, and spirit have quietly found their way into my life. So when Eric Adjepong’s Ghana to the World appeared on my screen, it felt like the algorithm finally got me right. Since then, I’ve cooked my way through the book: the Coconut Rice is now a staple in our home, often alongside the deeply satisfying Coconut Curry Chickpeas with Mustard Greens. The buttery grilled corn, tangy-warm piri piri sauce, and adaptable crab fried rice are all extraordinary. Adjepong also introduces us to fonio, an ancient West African grain that’s wonderfully light yet nourishing, great for the gut. He has a recipe for Aburoo and Fonio Salad with Honey Jalapeño Lime Vinaigrette—bright, zesty, and packed with fiber. Ghana to the World invites us to travel through food. It honors flavors passed down from his aunties and grandmothers while offering fresh, imaginative takes inspired by his global journey. It’s gorgeous, modern, and alive—a bridge between continents, memory, and flavor. —Jeni Britton, Floura founder and CEO, and founder of Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams
(Recipes from the book: Fufu, Crispy Baked Wings With Berbere Honey Glaze and Fried Garlic)
“Inside you’ll find my most useful and beloved everyday recipes. You’ll encounter my favorite ingredients, tools, and techniques, as well as stories about the ways cooking continues to be a source of meaning and beauty in my life.” writes author Samin Nosrat in the introduction to her second cookbook, Good Things. “I’ve obsessively collected and refined these treasures, large and small, over a lifetime of cooking. And because I believe sharing life’s pleasures only magnifies them, I’d like to share my Good Things with you.” The book is filled with the things we all want to cook and eat. I baked the Sparkling Banana Bread for a potluck celebrating publication. Nosrat promised wave after wave of cinnamon aroma, and boy, did she deliver. The smells had the kids yipping like a pack of wild dogs by the oven door. From upstairs, I shouted down that it wasn’t for them. But when my timer binged, it was too late: I found my husband in the kitchen with all the boys sitting on the counter in stuffed-mouth silence. Banana-ripening for a remake ensued. —Clare de Boer, writer of The Best Bit newsletter, owner of Stissing House, coauthor of The King Cookbook
(Recipes from the book: Green Beans With Tahini Spagliato, Joojeh Kebab, Sweet and Spicy Zucchini, Grilled Summer Salad With Creamy Miso Dressing)
“This culinary life began with a salad,” writes Hetty Lui McKinnon to kick off her sixth cookbook, Linger. McKinnon’s “salad story” began as a food preparation and delivery service; reflecting on this foundation years later, she notes it “touches upon identity, survival, self-expression, immigration, motherhood, family, friendship and community.” The mark of a truly creative recipe developer is their ability to create a cohesive, personal body of work without becoming repetitive: McKinnon puts her unique point of view into celebrating vegetable-based recipes exactly how she prefers them, touching on modern Asian cooking, family-friendly comfort food, and of course, salad. The beauty of writing about salad in 2025 is that there really is no limit to the dish’s definition: Figs, Farro, and Tahini, a hearty but fresh bowl to linger over as summer becomes fall, feels just as natural in the book as Kung Pao Cabbage with Tofu, a punchy sauce-slicked meal in itself. Chapters are driven by seasonality and cravings, each including sweets or drinks to pair the rest of the menu with, as well as a playlist curated by McKinnon’s daughter, Scout. McKinnon photographed this cookbook herself, in real time, preparing each dish and eating it at home with her food-minded community. Where most cookbooks are shot in a studio, McKinnon notes her intentionality of creating Linger’s visuals this way, to establish a "tangible sense of intimacy and place,” down to the shadows that shift with changing seasons. —Rebecca Firkser, test kitchen editor and author of Galette!
(Recipes from the book: Mapo Tofu Salad, Kung Pao Cabbage With Tofu, Black Sesame Tofu “Basque” Cheesecake)
My friend kept texting me photos of the most gorgeous dishes he was making, like green lasagna with yogurty béchamel, clementines in hibiscus and orange blossom syrup, and rice with an absolute riot of spices and aromatics. It turned out they were all from the same source, Lugma, by Noor Murad, lead member of Yotam Ottolenghi’s test kitchen. The title is Arabic for a bite or a mouthful, and the book is a love letter to the Bahraini food of her upbringing, told with the incisiveness of a recipe and storytelling pro. It is immersive and transporting, but unlike books that can feel like voyeurism, the ingredients, dishes, and stories leap off the page with an urgency that made me want to go out and buy black limes, check my stock of tamarind, and start devoting extra space in my fridge to fresh herbs. So far, I have made her Sautéed Greens with Yoghurt, Fried Onions and Turmeric Oil, and Baked Lamb Koftas with Peppers, Feta, and Oregano (I swapped in chicken instead). While cookbooks typically inspire the occasional weekend project, this one has inspired new approaches to my weeknight cooking. —Chris Morocco, food director
(Recipes from the book: Cardamom Pancakes With Honey Lime Syrup, Vermicelli Chicken and Rice With Cardamom and Cinnamon)
“Where are you from,” is a loaded question. Yet it’s been asked of author Kiera Wright-Ruiz her whole life. Wright-Ruiz is first generation American, half Latinx and half Asian, giving us a fresh take on what we view as Latin American food. This book, with its 100 inventive recipes, serves as a love letter to the diaspora. Pulling from multiple culinary traditions like Ecuadorian, Mexican, and Cuban, with hints of Japanese cuisine folded in, the recipes in this book serve to feed, offer kinship and understanding, and comfort us. Amid the chapters, Wright-Ruiz writes about the complex family dynamics she navigated while growing up, (“the chain of ‘my mother taught me a recipe, which was taught to her by her mother, and her mother before that’ has been broken for a very long time.”) With each recipe, you understand her road to self-acceptance with undeniable grace, candor and warmth. From Ecuadorian Seco de Pollo (one of the most beloved dishes from her father’s home country) to Okonomiyaki Quesadillas, Wright-Ruiz challenges what Latin American food truly is. It’s an inspiring body of work and storytelling that I’ll be reaching back for again and again. —Stacey Mei Yan Fong, baker and author of 50 Pies, 50 States
(Recipe from the book: Sofrito Bolognese)
After being thrust into a full-time caretaking role, Catskills-based cook and author Alexis deBoschnek had to adjust to a more utilitarian way of envisioning nourishment. “I wasn’t thinking about how I’d slowly roast a chicken over potatoes until they became creamy and tender, or how I might try making homemade pasta and cut it by hand (just for fun!). I just needed to get dinner on the table, and quickly,” she writes in her newest cookbook. With two sections: recipes that come together effortlessly on a weeknight and ones to immerse yourself in on weekends, Nights and Weekends is a vow to attainable cooking. The weeknight section is colored with recipes like Saucy Shrimp With Beans and Greens, a one-pan high-reward that’s awfully special (I made it for my anniversary dinner), and Crispy Gnocchi Caprese, a 20-minute spin on the beloved salad, and cover star for good reason. But when time is on your side, do pay homage to the weekend wing. Pistachio sticky rolls smothered in caramel, French Onion Soup Strata, and Tofu Schnitzel With Braised Cabbage, these are the recipes that make you fall in love with cooking. While a lot of cookbooks out there are aspirational, this book will seamlessly meld into your everyday life. —Nina Moskowitz, associate editor, cooking
(Recipes from the book: Crispy Gnocchi Caprese, Sheet-Pan Sausage With Corn, Peach, and Cucumber Salad)
Pakistan by Maryam Jillani feels like an entry into an entirely new, long overdue category of cookbooks. Pakistani food is vastly underrepresented in the medium, often grouped under the umbrella of South Asian or Desi cooking. Jillani’s extensive work as a food writer, recipe developer, and author of the blog Pakistan Eats has been such a great resource and POV on Pakistani food culture. Her cookbook feels like a natural extension of this. While the similarities across the subcontinent are undeniable, Pakistani cuisine can stand on its own, and this book makes that case beautifully. The recipes are divided into eight sections, each offering a well-researched deep dive into the diverse regions and cities across the country. Jillani took on a mammoth task, visiting 40 kitchens to learn and share recipes, stories, and cooking traditions directly from the sources. I’m eyeing the Lahori-Style Fried Fish, which is laden with fragrant coriander, cumin, and carom seeds, a spice combination that is always delicious. And Bihari Kebab, a meat dish where the protein is tenderized with green papaya. It’s typically a restaurant dish and not something people usually make at home. Jillani has done something many of us—myself included as a fellow Pakistani—have been unable to do: record and preserve our recipes. This kind of documentation feels necessary, especially in a cooking culture that is so rooted in memory, hand, and heart (no measurements ever). As someone who cooks Pakistani food often, and usually without any recipes, I found it fascinating to see how the dishes I grew up with, and still cook regularly were interpreted by someone else. —Noreen Wasti, cook and food creative
(Recipes from the book: Borani Banjan (Afghan-Style Fried Eggplant in Yogurt), Lobia Karahi (Red Kidney Beans With Tomatoes), Nankhatai (Semolina Shortbread))
Alison Roman’s cookbooks have taught me over time that one single ingredient, like white wine vinegar or anchovies, when used the right way, has the power to transform any meal from fine to exceptional. This philosophy is one that drives Something From Nothing, her latest book that debuted this fall. In this book, Roman’s style of cooking takes frugal pantry staples and turns them into promising nourishment efficiently. “Gorgeous meals come together easily with perfect produce and well-marbled meats, but nothing gives me more pleasure than rooting around the cans and tins of a dimly-lit kitchen and emerging with the best tomato soup of my life,” she writes. I dove right into the Crushed-Olive Chicken with Turmeric, a showstopping dish that relies on the earthy spice, bright vinegar, and briny Castelvetrano olives to reach its complex flavor. A high-heat oven crisps the meat and leaves behind schmaltz (aka liquid gold)—mixed with other bits and bobs, it becomes the perfect pan sauce. I’ve also been making Deeply Roasted Fennel & Capers and Forever-Roasted Squash with Browned Butter Dates, cornerstones of the Vegetable section. And ones from the Soup & Stew section! And the Meats & Fishes section! They’re low-lift and high-reward, great for even the busiest of Tuesday nights. —Kate Kassin, editorial operations manager
(Recipe from the book: Golden Mushroom Soup With Orzo & A Pat of Butter)
Spilled showcases the intersection of winemaker, farmer, chef, and community. It’s at once a travel book, cookbook, and wine book—standing out to me because of the artful cover, the storytelling, the photography and the rustic recipes. The book takes you on a journey through France and Italy with Stephanie Mercier Voyer (who also wrote Salad Pizza Wine), David McMillian (author of The Art of Living According to Joe Beef and Joe Beef: Surviving the Apocalypse; former owner of Joe Beef), and Zev Rovine (wine importer), photographed by Xavier Tera. Whether you are looking to become more educated on the fundamentals of natural winemaking, or looking for a deep dive into specific winemakers’ philosophies and stories, Spilled is the book for you. You’ll find straightforward recipes that give nods to each winemaker’s ideology and style. Some recipes worth highlighting (all of which were contributed by one of the winemakers the authors met during their journey) are the Roast Chicken with Morels and Vin Jaune, Whole Roasted Harvest Fish, Salad with Pea Vinaigrette, and Zucchini Soup with Fresh Cheese. Filled with captivating yet candid imagery, the entire book makes you feel like you’re on the coolest private food and wine trip. The book is natural and homegrown, just like the wines highlighted. A true culinary delight. —Chuck Cruz, recipe developer and content creator
(Recipe from the book: Île Flottante)
In the summer of 2009 I was having a really hard time finding a restaurant concept, chef, or even a cookbook that could inform, in some way, this abstract vision I had for the Indian street food restaurant that would become Chai Pani. Then I discovered Roy Choi’s first cookbook L.A. Son, a cultural collision of kimchi and taquerias and the street food ethos of LA all wrapped up in a hardcover. Now, sixteen years later, The Choi of Cooking, his most recent book, is in my opinion, the perfect culinary bookmark that speaks to how the way we eat out, cook, and think about food has evolved. The chapters are organized the way my brain works, which is in categories of deliciousness (Make It Grain, Pisces Season) instead of the traditional small plates, salads, mains, etc. The Big Fucking Salad with Dijon Balsamic Vinaigrette is a salad for our times; a metaphor for the big kitchen sink that our lives seem to have become. Choi, right on the cover, tells you this is a cookbook that meets you where you are, and the sense you get from reading it is that he’s got your back. My favorite recipe is the Braised Spicy Korean Chicken, not because of how it tastes, (which by the way, is amazing), but because it’s the way I want to eat right now. A handful of Korean ingredients—among them gochujang, gochugaru, and Asian pear—gives me an excuse to go to the tasty wonderland that is an Asian grocery store, but then there’s almost no other work besides the field trip. You basically buzz everything up in a blender as the flavor bomb for a one-pot dish. While you’re indeed throwing everything into a Dutch oven, there is some technique embedded, for example, searing the chicken breast before braising. This is a book for how people want to approach cooking today: it’s relaxed, fun, and complex but not complicated, tacitly giving us permission to not be perfect and lean into the joy of cooking. —Meherwan Irani, chef, restaurateur, founder of Spicewalla
(Recipe from the book: Tofu Breakfast Burritos)
Umma is a beautiful collection of homey Korean recipes rooted in comfort, tradition, and human connection, by Sarah Ahn (social media manager at America’s Test Kitchen and Ahnest Kitchen recipe developer) and her mom Nam Soon Ahn. Not only do the recipes themselves speak to community and togetherness, but the book is also written by a mother-daughter duo, which further captures the crossroads of family and food in a way that not many a cookbook can. This unique double perspective helps the reader understand Korean food on a deeper, and of course truly delicious, level. The recipes are beautiful, fresh and soulful, organized to be made either singularly or paired together as a part of a more traditional meal. The warming galbitang is something I want to make throughout soup season. When I cook a recipe from Umma, I know I’m in for something incredibly tasty and utterly heartfelt. —Hailee Catalano, recipe developer and author of By Heart
(Recipe from the book: Angel Hair Bibimguksu)
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