10 Best Baking Cookbooks for Beginners

The term “baking is a science” is ultimately valid. And even those who consider themselves great cooks can still find baking a challenge. 

If you’re determined to become a great baker, you will need a handy baking cookbook by your side. I highly recommend the Beginner’s Baking Bible. 

Hi, there! My name is Michelle, and I am a self-taught baker with over ten years of experience. While I’m confident in my baking abilities, I can level with you and say it wasn’t always easy. Having a good baking cookbook can really make your life easier (and don’t forget practice makes perfect).

The Beginner’s Baking Bible is definitely a baking cookbook I’d recommend. It explains how to do basic techniques like kneading and whipping. It also comes with an incredible 130+ sweet and savory recipes “easy as pie” to recreate.

Whether you’re trying to understand the basics or learn to create something specific, such as bread, you will find it in my comprehensive list of the best baking cookbooks for beginners.

What are we waiting for? Bust out your aprons, and let’s get baking!

Best Baking Cookbooks for Beginners: Top Picks

Below you will find ten – yes, that’s right, ten – great baking cookbooks for beginners. You’re sure to find exactly what you’re looking for and bring your baking dreams to reality. 

1. Beginner’s Baking Bible (Top Pick)

• Key Features: Teaches basics like kneading and whipping, sweet and savory recipes, well-structured, easy to follow
• Number of Recipes: 130+
• Number of Pages: 208
• Format: Kindle or paperback

You don’t have to be religious to enjoy this flawless baking cookbook. All you need is a dream, a few ingredients, and a willingness to learn everything there is to know about baking. After all, the Baking Bible shares how to do all kinds of techniques, from kneading to whipping and more.

Aside from must-know techniques, this great cookbook comes with over 130 recipes to satisfy your sweet and savory tooth. From key lime pie to jalapeno cheddar biscuits, you can find exactly what you’re looking for in this recipe book.

The best part is this book is available in Kindle and paperback format. With both options, this book is excellent for those who like to keep it old-school with a paperback book and those who jet-set into technological breakthroughs and prefer reading on their electronic devices.

Surprisingly to buyers, this cookbook doesn’t come with a whole lot of pictures. This is somewhat odd compared to other cookbook styles. However, your final result will be so beautiful and picture-perfect that you won’t miss the images for long.

2. Bread Baking for Beginners: The Essential Guide (Best for Bread)

• Key Features: Teaches techniques, key terms, equipment, all kinds of bread recipes from sweet to savory
• Number of Pages: 176
• Format: Kindle, hard cover, paperback, spiral bound

Can I tell you a secret? Bread was one of the most challenging items I have ever made. It took me a lot of trial and error before I was successful. Let me tell you; I wish I had this Bread Baking for Beginners guide by my side. Life would have been so much simpler!

If you’re planning to make homemade bread and don’t know where to start, I recommend this book. It comes with a wealth of knowledge about bread-baking. Inside, you will find must-know information, including techniques, key terms, and equipment.

Of course, this book doesn’t slack on recipes. Inside are many handy guides to creating delicious no-knead loaves, delectable brioche cinnamon rolls, incredible pizzas, and more. It’s available in four formats, so you can find the style that’s right for you.

Some shoppers said this book had a little bit too much detail, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The ingredients are listed in metric form, too, so that is something to consider when deciding if this book is right for you.

3. Bake Up! Kids Cookbook (Best for Rising Talent)

• Key Features: Great for kids 6 to 12, easy to follow, four skill levels, a special section for holiday treats
• Number of Recipes: 60
• Number of Pages: 182 
• Format: Kindle or paperback 

Are you shopping for a little beginner in your life? Plenty of kids are highly interested in baking and cooking, and I believe they should be encouraged 100%. It is a life skill that they will be glad to have learned at a young age.

So, I present the ultimate kid’s cookbook for the kiddos out there who are just dying to whip up some cookies and muffins. The book comes with four “skill levels,” including beginner, beginner plus, intermediate, and pro, so kids can level up like they would in a video game.

This book comes with pictures for every recipe, excellent for aspiring bakers. It’s geared towards kids ages 6 through 12, so even the youngsters out there can get their hands dirty (and appease their growing palettes).

There were little to no negative reviews about this kid’s baking cookbook. The only “downside” was that some of the recipes required help from an adult (or older child). This isn’t a big drawback, though, considering most parents will want to lend a hand anyway. 

4. 100 Cookies: The Baking Book for Every Kitchen (Best for Cookies)

• Key Features: Includes key techniques, versatile flavor options
• Number of Recipes: 100
• Number of Pages: 304
• Format: Kindle, hardcover, spiral-bound

When you hear the word “baking,” what comes to mind? Cookies, of course! Cookies are one of the easiest (in my opinion) things to bake. Even so, there are plenty of things that can go wrong, such as burnt edges and uncooked innards. What can you do?

I will tell you what to do – buy the 100 Cookies cookbook. This essential cookbook comes with 100 delicious cookies with step-by-step instructions, most of which are accompanied by a picture. It also shares some fundamental info on cookie-baking techniques, including “pan-banging.”

Whether you’re a fan of ooey-gooey chocolate cookies or prefer something lighter with fruit, this cookie cookbook has you covered. You will love exploring the 100 different recipes whether you opt for the kindle, hardcover, or spiral-bound book.

Some people have said that a few of the recipes were labor-intensive or had more sugar than they’d prefer. You have to remember that you can always tweak recipes and still be successful down the line. You can also skip recipes if they’re too challenging. No worries!

5. Nadiya Bakes: Over 100 Must-Try Recipes (Most Unique Recipes)

• Key Features: Unique recipes, wide variety of dessert types, easy to follow, great for any skill level
• Number of Recipes: 100+
• Number of Pages: 256
• Format: Kindle or hardcover

I don’t know about you, but I get tired of the same ole, same ole. I love to find completely unique and out-of-the-box recipes that are delicious and not too tricky. That’s why I added this wonderful baking cookbook from Nadiya Hussain, the sixth season winner of The Great British Baking Show.”

This New York Times’ Bestseller baking cookbook is loaded with over 100 fabulous recipes you likely haven’t seen or heard of before. For example, you can make some delicious Blueberry and Lavender Scone pizzas or Spiced Squash Strudel in no time. Wow.

This book is often referred to as the “ultimate guide for baking” regardless of skill level. That said – yes, even beginners can make these intricate loaves of bread, tarts, puddings, cakes, and more. By the end of this book, you’ll feel like a novice chef.

Unfortunately, this is another cookbook that didn’t come with many pictures. Again, keep in mind that you will be creating the most delectable desserts; you won’t need the images when you’re done!

6. Cheryl Day’s Treasury of Southern Baking (Best Southern-Style Desserts)

• Key Features: Classic southern-style recipes, helpful how-to guides, teaches how to be a better baker
• Number of Pages: 400
• Format: Kindle or hardcover

Plenty of people love Southern food and baked treats. Are you one of them? Then you need this fantastic book by Cherly Day. Not only is this lovely Southern woman a New York Times bestseller, but she’s also the co-founder of the “Back in the Day” bakery in Savannah, Georgia.

Needless to say, this is a woman you can trust. Her recipe book is filled with all the Southern treats you could ever imagine. From Wildflower Honey-Caramel Buns to the classic Sweet Potato Pie, you will learn an immense amount of gorgeous and tasty recipes with ease.

Aside from the top-notch how-to recipes, Cheryl Day’s cookbook teaches you how to be a better baker overall. Her helpful tips and tricks will turn any beginner into a novice chef. Just be prepared for everyone to ask you to bring the desserts on holiday!

Can you guess what the issue is with this cookbook? Yup, you guessed correctly. This is another cookbook that didn’t apply enough images. Kind of a bummer, but the Southern recipes speak for themselves.

7. Dessert Person: Recipes and Guidance for Baking with Confidence (Classic and Mash-Up Recipes)

• Key Features: Classic and unique recipe combos, step-by-step photo instructions, skill levels, practical do’s and don’ts, problem and solutions for each recipe, IACP Award Winner
• Number of Pages: 368
• Format: Kindle, hardcover, and spiral-bound

Are you a dessert person? Of course, you are. That’s why you’re here! Well, it’s not enough to just be a dessert lover. You want to be on your way to being a dessert creator, too. That’s where the Dessert Person cookbook by Claire Saffitz comes into play.

The Dessert Person is a baking cookbook with a unique compilation of recipes, including classic options like English Muffins and mash-ups like Babkallah, a babka-Challah combination. With so many options, you can really wow your friends and family.

To help you with your baking, Claire also adds outlines of potential problems and solutions you might face with each recipe. This is essential for beginner bakers that might not know what’s going wrong. Clearly, this is one helpful cookbook that won’t disappoint.

Some people had issues with the digital Kindle version of this book. I would recommend buying the hardcover or spiral-bound option for the best results. 

8. Baking for the Holidays: 50+ Treats for a Festive Season (Best Holiday Baking Cookbook)

• Key Features: Perfect for all holidays, wide range of recipe ideas, create breakfast, desserts, edible gifts, and more
• Number of Recipes: 50+ 
• Number of Pages: 224
• Format: Kindle and hardcover

Some people only want to bake around the holidays, and that’s perfectly fine. What better time to bake than the holiday, surrounded by loved ones? But if you’re having a hard time putting together some holiday treats, the Baking for the Holidays cookbook is here to help.

This baking cookbook comes with all of the recipes you will ever need for the holidays. Inside this clean, picturesque cookbook, you will find desserts ranging from cinnamon rolls for breakfast to creme brulee pumpkin pie for dessert.

Whether it’s your year to bring the desserts to the family dinner or your surprising friend with edible gifts, this cookbook will see you through it. You will love the easy-to-follow recipes that come out tasting anything but simple.

While there are many recipes in this book, there isn’t as much as the competition. This was slightly disappointing to some readers who wanted “more.” Others wished there were quick bread options instead of solely labor-intensive ones.

9. Chloe’s Vegan Desserts (Best Vegan Baking Cookbook)

• Key Features: Entirely vegan desserts, versatile recipes for morning and night, easy to follow
• Number of Recipes: 100+
• Number of Pages: 272
• Format: Kindle or paperback

A lot of people are opting to go vegan these days. However, that can make baking all the more difficult. If you’re on a vegan journey but want to satisfy your sweet tooth, you’re going to want Chef Chloe’s Vegan Desserts baking cookbook.

This cookbook has everything you need to “wow” your taste buds from morning to night. For example, the New York Style Crumb Cake is perfect for winter mornings with a cup of coffee, while her Award-Winning Chocolate Orange Cupcakes with Candied Orange Peel will delight any summer night.

There are over 100 recipes in this top-notch cookbook, and the best part is, you never have to worry when you lick the spoon, whether you’re making a pie or ice cream. Entirely vegan, there are no potentially harmful raw ingredients. 

Some people thought that many of the recipes contained too much sugar and fat. Just remember that the fun thing about baking is you can swap ingredients for healthier choices and still reap the same excellent benefits.

10. The Big Book of Gluten-Free Baking (Best for Gluten-Free Baking)

• Key Features: Entirely gluten-free desserts, includes essential gluten-free information, includes dairy substitutes for each recipe
• Number of Recipes: 100+
• Number of Pages: 226
• Format: Kindle, paperback, or spiral-bound

Switching to a gluten-free diet? At first, it can be challenging, especially when it comes to baked treats. That’s why I added The Big Book of Gluten-Free Baking cookbook. It has everything you need to make delicious goodies that will doop your friends into thinking it’s the real thing.

At the beginning of the book, you will learn all the technical aspects of gluten-free baking. This essential portion includes plenty of crucial info for success, such as picking suitable gluten-free flour and measuring it. 

From there, you’ll dive into over 100 fabulous recipes that will leave you with a clean plate every time. The book even includes dairy-free substitutions for those going gluten-free with dairy intolerances. Super handy!

Keep in mind that this book has grams instead of ounces, which can be a hassle for some bakers, depending on where you’re located. Some of the recipes are a pinch more complicated, but you’ll get there, newbie baker!

Best Baking Cookbook for Beginners: Things to Consider

You honestly can’t go wrong with any of the baking cookbooks mentioned above. However, there are still a few things to consider before making a final purchase. Let’s check them out.

Type

I have made it a goal to mention as many different types of baking cookbooks as I could find. That said, you should be able to find exactly what you’re looking for. Whether you want to solely learn to make bread, vegan desserts, or enjoy a Southern flair in the kitchen, you can find it above.

Format

Prefer kindle? Spiral-bound? Paperback? While this might not be a dealbreaker, you should always choose your preference. After all, some people have a cookbook collection while others don’t want any books cluttering up their homes. Which one are you?

Number of Recipes

Some of these cookbooks have so many recipes it might take you more than a year to finish them. While this is a good thing, new bakers might be overwhelmed. If you want to keep it simple, stick to less than 100. If you’re embarking on a true baking journey, go over 100.

Number of Pages

Again, this is not a huge concern. It’s more of a personal preference. Not everyone wants a super long book, and others will be disappointed if it’s too short. Pay attention to the number of pages for each cookbook.

Pictures

Some of these cookbooks lack pictures, which can be frustrating. While I don’t personally mind a lack of photos, the same might not be true for you. Check and see which cookbooks have the most images if that’s what you’re looking for.

Verdict

With these baking cookbooks, you’re going to be a baking genius in no time. I’d highly recommend starting with the Beginner’s Baking Bible. It teaches essential techniques you’ll use for a lifetime. Plus, it has some tasty and super simple recipes anyone can accomplish.

Got a better cookbook to suggest? Feel free to share it in the comment below.

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