Skip to content
Open menu Close menu

Feed your appetite for cooking with Penguin’s expert authors

Christmas 2025 Gift Guide: The best cookbooks to give this year

by Rachel Deeley

published on 29 October 2025

With their beautiful designs, eye-catching photography, and luxurious feel, cookbooks can make the perfect thoughtful gift – whether you’re shopping for a kitchen novice, a budding baker, or an ambitious home cook who loves entertaining.

There’s no shortage of incredible new cookbooks to choose from this year, but here is our pick of 10 favourites for every kind of cook on your Christmas shopping list.

Mary 90

Mary 90: My Very Best Recipes

2025 has been a very special year for Mary Berry, as in March she celebrated her 90th birthday. Marking her incredible career to date as the nation’s favourite home cook and baker, Mary 90 features an array of fan-favourite classics and exciting new recipes – plus personal reflections, essays and photographs from her family archives.

Discover our 10 favourite recipes from the book.

Eat Yourself Healthy

With his first book focused exclusively on nurturing long-term health, Jamie Oliver shows us how to kickstart a manageable, sustainable healthy eating journey – without compromising on flavour. Expect meal plans, breakfast ideas, lunches, dinners, traybakes, sweet treats and more in this comprehensive yet accessible guide to eating well.

Read our selection of 12 must-try recipes.

Rick Stein’s Christmas

In his first dedicated Christmas cookbook, Rick Stein shares all the classic recipes you need to have a truly special festive season – from impressive roast centrepieces to rich, indulgent mince pies. And with beautiful photography and personal essays woven throughout, Rick Stein’s Christmas is the perfect wintry read.

Boustany

Sami Tamimi, co-author of FalastinOttolenghi: The Cookbook, and Jerusalem, pays homage to the food and culture of his heritage with the beautiful collection of over 100 original vegetable-based Palestinian dishes.

Discover Sami’s perfect hosting menu featuring recipes from the book.

Something from Nothing

by Alison Roman

Alison Roman’s latest cookbook is an ode to the untapped potential of a well-stocked pantry. With these deceptively simple recipes, you’ll learn how to turn kitchen staples into smart, flavourful dishes that are equally perfect for weeknight suppers and effortless entertaining.

Bored of Lunch: Healthy Fakeaways

Nathan Anthony, aka Bored of Lunch, has become synonymous with easy, healthy recipes tailor-made for the air fryer and slow cooker. Now, with his latest cookbook featuring tasty calorie-counted recipes, you can use your trusty countertop appliances to recreate your favourite takeaway treats with minimal fuss and prep work.

Discover our roundup of 10 must-try recipes. 

James Martin’s Saturday Morning Cookbook

by James Martin

From the host of beloved ITV programme James Martin’s Saturday Morning comes a collection of simple and failsafe yet elevated recipes that will have you cooking every day of the week – with contributions from beloved on-screen guests such as Si King and Asma Khan.

Good Things

From the bestselling author of Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat comes a beautiful collection of recipes that celebrates the joy of cooking. In addition to the 125 incredible recipes spanning everything from sauces to seasonal dishes to sweets, you’ll find indispensable tips on how to prep, cook and shop like a chef and stock your kitchen with the best staples.

Read more about Samin’s personal favourite recipes from the book.

Easy 10

by Amy Sheppard

Ideal for anyone who wants easy yet delicious midweek meal ideas, this cookbook from bestselling author Amy Sheppard will show you how to turn 10 weekly food shop staples into 100 failsafe dinners with these clever recipes.

FUSÃO

With her latest cookbook, Mezcla author and Ottolenghi Test Kitchen cookbooks co-author Ixta Belfrage draws from her Brazilian heritage in this impeccably researched, beautifully photographed collection of fusion dishes.

Discover 12 must-try recipes from the book.

Share

You might also like


View all

Recipe Collections

Samin Nosrat’s favourite recipes from her new cookbook Good Things

Following on from her bestselling cookbook and hit Netflix series Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, Samin Nosrat is back with a beautiful new book Good Things, a love letter to the...

Book Collections

The ultimate guide to Nadiya Hussain’s cookbooks

Beloved for her bold flavours, down-to-earth approach, and warm personality, Nadiya Hussain brings creativity and ease to the kitchen with her many bestselling cookbooks. Whether you want to indulge in...

Book Collections

The best cookbooks of 2025

The best new cookbooks released in 2025, featuring Nadiya Hussain, The Batch Lady, Dr Rupy, Fitwaffle, and Alexina Anatole.

newsletter

Subscribe to The Happy Foodie email newsletter

Get our latest recipes, features, book news and ebook deals straight to your inbox every week