Whether you're having a quiet night in and cooking for yourself, or hosting a dinner party for 10, having a trusty recipe book to hand is always helpful. While these days we can quickly and easily source recipes online, flicking through a beautiful recipe book is still an unbeatable way to find inspiration in the kitchen!
In our list of the best recipe books, we've included a range of popular and beloved chefs including Mary Berry and Nigel Slater, as well as recipe books for specific cuisines and dietary requirements, so all of your dinner guests can leave happy and full!
Read on to discover the best recipe books, so you can fill your bookshelves, and your bellies!
In need of new kitchen appliances to cook up a storm? Check out our list of the best slow cookers on the market!
The best recipe books for 2024
Love to Cook
Mary Berry
You're in safe hands with Mary Berry when it comes to classic and delicious dishes. The national treasure spoils us with an array of books and television programmes, and this delightful recipe book consists of 120 recipes from her latest series, Love to Cook. So if you're a fan of the show and fancy creating the dishes yourself, this book is a great option.
With a focus on joyful cooking and fresh ingredients, Mary Berry aims to make home cooking a happy experience, making this recipe book a top choice for those who find cooking stressful! There are a number of crowd pleasers in the book - making it a winning choice if you want to cook for friends and family - including crab courgetti and limoncello pavlova. Yum!
Take a look at the best retro fridge-freezers on the market!
East
Meera Sodha
If you're a fan of Asian cuisines, and want to enjoy meat-free dishes, this recipe book is sure to be a hit! This vegan and vegetarian cookbook is written by award-wining food writer Meera Sodha who is often commended for her simple yet inspiring dishes. It includes vibrant recipes from Bangalore to Beijing. You can look forward to exciting flavours such as caramelised onion and chilli ramen, Kimchi pancakes and salted miso brownies!
It also has an incredibly pleasing and eye-catching cover which is always a bonus!
A Cook's Book
Nigel Slater
Nigel Slater shares his favourite recipes to make at home including spicy red lentil soup and hazelnut chocolate cake, in this collection of tempting dishes. There are over 200 dishes to choose from, so whether you're a devoted fan who's followed his work for years, or fancy seeing what all of the fuss is about, you're sure to find recipes that take your fancy! His writing and descriptions alone will have you salivating!
Take a look at the best retro microwaves and upgrade your kitchen countertop!
The Sweet Roasting Tin
Rukmini Iyer
One for those with a sweet tooth! Rukmini Iyer's Roasting Tin cookbook series - which focuses on one dish cooking - has proven incredibly popular. Who wouldn't want to save on washing up? The brightly coloured books are filled with bold and fascinating flavours, and now you can cook exciting cakes, cookies and bakes with the food writer's sweet recipe book. You'll find classics such as bread and butter pudding as well as savoury treats such as chilli-spiked halloumi and courgette muffins.
How to be Gluten Free and Keep Your Friends
Anna Barnett
Whether you follow a gluten-free diet yourself, or have friends and family who do, this helpful guide is sure to come in handy! Bring on the pastry, waffles and pancakes! The recipe book also includes helpful tips on how best to enjoy a gluten-free diet when eating both in and out. It includes an insight into the best flours for making breads, puddings and muffins so you don't have to miss out!
Looking for brunch ideas? Take a look at our tasty gluten-free apple pancakes recipe!
One: Pot, Pan, Planet
Anna Jones
Renowned for her tasty vegetarian dishes, Anna Jones is a fantastic choice if you're looking to make greener choices when cooking. As well as presenting a wide selection of interesting starters, mains and desserts, the popular food writer shares top tips on how to reduce food waste, plastic and what to consider when food shopping. So it's far more than a recipe book.
You'll also find inventive ways to transform vegetables into impressive dishes such as dips, curries and fritters!
Nadiya's Fast Flavours
Nadiya Hussain
This new recipe book from the cheerful and much-loved Great British Bake Off star Nadiya Hussain is a fun and exciting book to have in your kitchen! With a focus on making everyday meals more vibrant with quirky and surprising flavour combinations - including cheese puff macaroni cheese and banana skin bagels - this book is bound to mix up a mundane midweek dinner!
The book accompanies a TV cooking series, so you can cook along as you watch!
BOSH!
Henry Firth and Ian Theasby
Looking for some plant-based recipe inspiration? This vegan cookbook is a winning pick. It contains over 140 recipes that demonstrate the satisfying and comforting nature of plant-based meals. From starters and snacks to junk food and cocktails, it's a super way to cook up a storm while cutting down on meat, dairy and eggs.
For more cocktail inspiration, here's our panettone negroni recipe!
Ottolenghi Simple
Yotam Ottolenghi
If you're cooking up a feast for friends, you can't go wrong with Yotam Ottolenghi. His books are filled with flavoursome dishes that are ideal for impressing hungry visitors.
Simple is cleverly written as each recipe is coded with an S (short on time), I (10 ingredients or less), M (make ahead), P (pantry), L (lazy) and E (easier than you think). This lets you choose your recipe, depending on what's in the fridge, how much time you have, and how energetic you're feeling! The courgette and ciabatta frittata is particularly scrummy!
Keep your tasty creations hot with a food warmer tray!