Find the perfect gift for the star baker in your life with our pick of the best cookbooks on baking below.
Looking for more gifting inspiration? From the best vegetarian and vegan books, to stocking filler and secret Santa gifts and the perfect recipe book for the cook who has everything, discover all of our Christmas gift guides here.
Learn the fundamentals of accomplished baking with Nicola Lamb
From bread to pastry, cakes to cookies, discover 100 beautiful recipes organised according to the time taken to bake them
A must-have addition to any baker’s cookbook collection
SIFT: The Elements of Great Baking
With her debut cookbook, pastry chef and Kitchen Projects creator Nicola Lamb has created the ultimate baking bible. Find recipes for every kind of baking occasion, whether you’ve got a free afternoon or a whole weekend to dedicate to a passion project. As well as being beautifully photographed and filled with must-try recipes, Sift is a hugely informative cookbook that demystifies the fundamentals of creating perfect cakes, cookies, pastry and more – making it the perfect book for any baking aficionado.
I’ll Bring Dessert
The ideal gift for the designated “dessert person” at every dinner party, Benjamina Ebuehi’s debut cookbook comprises 70 recipes that find the perfect balance between effortless and impressive. From Burnt Basque Cheesecake to Cherry Slab Pie, I’ll Bring Dessert is your one-stop shop for rounding off a good meal with the perfect sweet.
Jane’s Patisserie Easy Favourites
Eeasy Favourites is the fourth collection of recipes from baking sensation Jane’s Patisserie and it’s all about creating simple sweet and savoury treats for any occasion. Jane covers classic favourites – layer cakes, chunky cookies, fluffy cupcakes, cheesecakes and more. As in her previous cookbooks, Jane breaks down each recipe in a step-by-step guide that even novice bakers can follow.
250 classic recipes including 20 brand-new bakes
Every recipe newly tested and photographed
From cakes and brownies, to biscuits and breads
Mary Berry’s Baking Bible (2023 Edition)
Mary Berry’s Baking Bible is an indispensable kitchen companion for anyone wanting to learn the secret to fail-safe cakes and bakes. In the updated 2023 edition, featuring over 250 new and classic recipes, you’ll find cakes, meringues, muffins, scones, bread and more. Whatever you fancy baking, there’s a recipe to guide you all the way through to the first bite.
90 colourful fan-favourite recipes for every occasion
From cakes and cookies to brownies and blondies
Packed with tips and tricks from the team behind the successful bakery
Crumbs & Doilies
London-based bakery Crumbs & Doilies is famed for its cupcakes piled high with icing and picture-perfect layer cakes in every colour of the rainbow. In her new cookbook, founder Jemma Wilson shares ninety of the bakery’s essential recipes, including cupcakes, cookies, traybakes, layer cakes, and more. Bakers will also find equipment lists and plenty of invaluable guidance on how to decorate your cakes to Crumbs & Doilies levels of perfection. Expect fun flavours (hello, baklava cupcakes), brightly coloured bakes, and plenty of whimsy.
100 recipes all designed for one 20cm tin
With brand-new recipes alongside fan favourites
From brownies and blondies to cakes and cookies
Baked In One
Fitwaffle’s Baked in One is the second cookbook from TikTok and Instagram sensation Eloise Head (aka Fitwaffle). It’s the ultimate accessible baking book, given that each of the 100 recipes can be made in one tin. Eloise knows how to create a crowd-pleasing bake and this collection of recipes includes the likes of cheesecake, brownies, fudge, and cookies – many of which require fewer than five ingredients.
Discover 80 plant-based recipes for the beginner to the experienced baker
From cakes to cookies, there is no compromising on taste or texture
Learn to expand your skill-set with step-by-step guides to creating crunchy honeycomb, or luscious chocolate ganache
The Little Book of Vegan Bakes
The Little Book of Vegan Bakes is the essential guide to vegan baking. It includes eighty recipes for cakes, muffins, pastries, and desserts alongside essential tips and information on plant-based ingredient swaps and baking techniques. If there’s a bake or dessert you’ve always wanted to veganise, you’ll find it here, from plant-based mince pies and hot cross buns to sticky toffee pudding and doughnuts.
85 beautifully photographed recipes from the founder of Violet Bakery
From cookies and cakes, to desserts and savoury favourites
Packed with twists on classic English bakes alongside Californian staples
Love is a Pink Cake
Claire Ptak’s cookbook Love is a Pink Cake is a treasure trove of delicious recipes and heartfelt stories. With her unique twist on classics (think Brown Sugar Victoria Sponge, or Tahini Halva Brownies), Ptak guides you through irresistible bakes that can accompany any breakfast, lunch or dinner. You’ll even find the recipe for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s famous Lemon and Elderflower Wedding Cake.
Recipes for 30 kinds of bread, including classic sandwich loaves, rolls, rye, and ciabatta,
Plus 50 meal ideas to help you use up every last crumb of delicious homemade bread
Easy instructions for everyone from total beginners to veteran bread makers.
Bake With Jack
Perfect for budding and veteran bread bakers alike, Bake With Jack: Bread Every Day is a celebration of the perfect loaf. With Jack’s signature no-nonsense instructions for over thirty types of bread and an additional fifty recipes to help you make the most of each loaf, Bake With Jack: Bread Every Day is all about making great bread, minus the fuss.
75 laid-back bakes from the author of The Roasting Tin series
From traybakes to tarts, cupcakes to cookies
With recipes for every season, occasion and skill level
The Sweet Roasting Tin
If the baker on your Christmas list is a fan of Rukmini Iyer’s best-selling The Roasting Tin cookbooks, you’ve just landed on their dream cookbook. The Sweet Roasting Tin is the latest in the series, and this time the focus is on cakes, bakes, puddings, pastries and more, all made in the most common baking tins. Much in the same vein as the recipes across the series, Rukmini’s one-tin bakes promise punchy flavours, contrasting textures, and recipes that deliver results without the fuss.
With 120 show-stopping Bundt recipes for every occasion
For the first time Bundt baker or the experienced cake maker
Classic recipes, experimental Bundt pan bakes, and plenty of helpful advice
Bundt
With their towering stature and intricate design, Bundt cakes are the undisputed beauty queens of the baking world and many bakers can feel a little intimidated by them as a result. In this definitive guide, esteemed food writer Melanie Johnson seeks to demystify Bundt cakes and reveal their endless potential for inspiring designs and ingredient combinations. The one hundred and twenty recipes include the perfect Bundt for every season, occasion and baker.
70 batch baking recipes to make it easier to enjoy your favourite treats
From cookies and pastries, to doughs and frostings
Make ahead now for easy baking later
Batch Baking
Batch Baking is a busy baker’s dream cookbook. The seventy recipes span doughs, batters and dry mixes that can be stored, whipped out and baked when needed. With Cynthia’s helpful advice on making, handling and storing your pre-made mixes, you will always be just a few steps away from freshly baked cookies, cake-ies, pizzas, pastries and more.
Bakes That Break The Internet
Social media is a wonderful place for discovering recipes, and it’s no surprise that there are so many trending bakes. In Bakes That Break the Internet, blogger Kat Buckley (known as @thebakingexplorer) shares recipes for nostalgic treats like Jammie Dodger Ice Cream and School Dinner Cake, as well as show-stopping desserts like Nutella Freakshakes and Faultline Cake. The result? Simple recipes that will impress the guests at your next dinner party.
Bold, colourful, customisable bakes for every skill level
From tea time treats to celebration centrepieces
Accompanied by Jane’s top tips and baking hacks
Jane’s Patisserie
Jane Dunn, the baker behind the website Jane’s Patisserie, is somewhat of a baking sensation. Adored for her easy, customisable bakes, she has amassed hundred of thousands of devoted followers who never miss the opportunity to try out her latest gooey-centred NYC-style cookie, drip cake, no-bake cheesecake or loaf recipe. Her first cookbook brings together the most popular recipes from her website, alongside all-new recipes, and is a must for bakers of all levels.
Browse 75 recipes for showstopping bakes and sumptuous desserts
Follow tips and tricks for more intricate bakes, like tempering chocolate and ‘ombre’ icing
From familiar favourites to impressive celebration cakes, there are bakes to suit every taste
Finch Bakery
Sisters Lauren and Rachel Finch are the founders of popular Blackburn-based Finch Bakery. In their first cookbook they let readers in on the secret to their dreamy drip cakes, fudgy brownies, creative cake jars, and much more. Packed with tips and tricks to help you master everything from a smooth icing finish to different piping techniques, Finch Bakery is all about elevating your baking skills to the next level with Instaworthy bakes to show for it.
A collection of all new baking recipes accompanied by gorgeous photography
Packed with cakes, pies, and puddings to warm the heart and lift the spirits
Including mouthwatering savoury bakes as well as irresistible sweets
Nadiya Bakes
Whether you’re a novice baker or total pro, there’s something in this book for everyone, with fun, creative, and totally unique recipes. Every page is infused with Nadiya’s warmth and enthusiasm, and with her straightforward, step-by-step instructions you can be confident every bake will deliver.
Ottolenghi’s cakes, bakes and desserts
Inspiring ideas for edible gifts
Dinner party and occasion showstoppers
Sweet
If you’ve ever wandered into an Ottolenghi deli and found yourself mesmerised by the counter of baked goods, this cookbook is for you. In his first cookbook dedicated to all things sweet, Ottolenghi goes back to his pastry chef roots with his go-to fellow baker, Helen Goh. Full of beautifully-shot inspiration for all manner of bakes (including all of your deli favourites) it promises precise and easy instructions and results that deliver Ottolenghi levels of flavour and presentation, every time.
A masterclass in baking from Bread Ahead
Inspiring recipes for sweet and savoury bakes
Bread-making made simple
Baking School
A practical and realistic manual for bakers of all levels, Baking School is the cookbook from popular London bakery, Bread Ahead. The ultimate guide to successful baking at home, it teaches readers what is possible using just basic household equipment and a passion for all things dough. Divided into chapters based on different cuisines, it includes recipes for bread, biscuits, pastries and more from across the world, from Italian focaccia to Finnish piparkakut. And don’t miss the recipe for their instafamous doughnuts too.
Beautiful recipes from Claire Ptak, baker of Megan and Harry’s wedding cake
Delicious sweet and savoury bakes
Inspiration for everyday baking and special occasions
The Violet Bakery Cookbook
Claire Ptak hit superstardom in 2018 when Harry and Meghan chose her to bake their wedding cake. Bringing the bakes of her hugely popular East London-based bakery to your home, The Violet Bakery Cookbook is a great choice for adventurous bakers who like experimenting with new flavours and techniques, and incorporating seasonal fruit into their bakes.
100 inspired recipes using only three ingredients
Foolproof recipes for classic favourites
From indulgent desserts to guilt-free treats
Three Ingredient Baking
Tapping into the trend of the moment, Three Ingredient Baking features 100 bakes made with just, you guessed it, three ingredients. This is a cookbook that proves you don’t need a store-cupboard full of ingredients to make accomplished breads, brownies, cakes, biscuits and more. All you need is a little baking alchemy and Sarah’s easy-to-follow instructions.
Decorative biscuits for every occasion
Inventive ideas for biscuits and cakes
Fun family projects and gifts to bake at home
Biscuiteers Book of Iced Gifts
From the popular Notting Hill Bakery, Biscuiteers, this cookbook demonstrates all of the essential recipes and techniques behind their awe-inspiring biscuits. From different types of dough and icing skills, to how to make different biscuit designs, this book is a treasure trove of ideas for the baker wanting to expand and refine their skills.
Celebrating the UK’s best-loved margarine with a collection of mouthwatering bakes.
With savoury treats, nostalgic cakes, and impressive show-stoppers.
Including classic recipes as well as modern twists on old favourites.
Stork: The Art of Home Baking
Stork: The Art of Home Baking marks 100 years of the iconic British margarine brand with 100 recipes spanning breads and brownies, cakes and biscuits, tarts and desserts. With archive material and vintage packaging, this is a nostalgic baking book for classic bakers.
