Best Baking Cookbooks For Beginners | Reviews & Buying Guide

Baking is a great way to spend an afternoon with family and friends. Although presumably simple, baking can rub you incorrectly if you do not understand the basics. If you’re trying your hand at baking, look no further for the best beginner baking cookbooks!

You can find many baking recipes that are easy to follow and produce delicious results. You might think that baking requires exact measurements and ingredients – but this just isn’t the case!

Top 7 Baking Cookbooks At A Glance

This baking cookbooks are perfect for beginners because they not only provide you with recipes, but also detailed instructions on how to make your baking experience a success. Here is a list of the best baking cookbooks for beginners that can get you started on your baking journey.

The best Baking Cookbooks For Beginners Reviews

The following 7 best beginner baking cookbooks will help you get started to create all kinds of delicious baked goods.

1. How to Bake for Beginners: An Easy Cookbook for Baking the Basics by Mahy Elamin

This is the best baking cookbook for beginners who haven’t versed in the science of baking but have always wanted to learn. If you’re just starting out, this is the perfect book for you! We all know baking requires a knowledge of the science behind it, lots of love, and some MAGIC to the craft.

Let this not sound daunting, but simply an awe-inspiring celebration of the art of baking – which you too can be a part of, thanks to the dependable and straightforward recipes contained in this cookbook. This beginner’s cookbook has the right welcoming tone, ushering you into the world of baking with easy-to-follow recipes, tips, and techniques to make you a pro baker within no time.

You’ll learn the basics, from handling eggs to mixing batter and handling dough the right way. In addition, you will get to know what tools you need, the mark of perfect baked goods, and how to experiment with different flavors.

Learn the ropes of baking pies, cakes, cookies, and bread, as well as how to make your first chocolate mousse and ice cream. You’ll be able to devour sensational bakes such as Vegan Blueberry Muffins and Banana Walnut Bread and discover the secrets to making perfect cupcakes for your next party.

This cookbook is divided into three sections:

• Baker’s Dozen:

This section includes tips and advice on the best baking practices. You’ll also learn the baking vocabulary and how the cooking method affects the results.

• On the Rise:

This section includes tutorials that let you absorb all the essential knowledge confidently.

• Joy of Baking:

This is the book’s heart, containing recipes for numerous savory goodies.

So, if you don’t know where to start but can still picture yourself baking in the next few weeks, this is the starting point. Grab a copy of How to Bake for Beginners and become a pro baker in no time!

What we like:

• Easy-to-follow instructions for beginners
• Includes tips, techniques, ingredients, and tools for baking
• Has a glossary of baking terms and their meanings
• Available in Amazon Kindle and paperback versions
• Affordable

2.    Beginner’s Baking Bible: 130+ Recipes and Techniques for New Bakers by Heather Perine

Are you a beginner and want to be a fantastic baker? This is the beginner baking bible for you.This book explores everything sweet and baked – from muffins to crumbles and everything in between. The recipes are easy to follow and fail-safe, thanks to detailed instructions.

What makes this a best beginner baking cookbook is:

• A breakdown of the baking basics:

This allows you to make use of critical baking techniques. These include kneading, creaming, folding, and mixing. You’ll also learn how to make yourself perfect pie crusts, pastry doughs, batters, and much more.

• Numerous insider tricks:

You’ll be taught how to reveal the window stage, test eggs for freshness, and even create your own sourdough starter. In addition, you’ll also learn ingredient substitution and marshaling batter run amok. There are also tips to make your baking life simpler in the kitchen.

• Over 130 scrumptious recipes:

From pies to loaves of bread, muffins, cakes, cookies, brownies, and frozen desserts – you’ll be able to enjoy your favorite treats after following this best baking cookbook.

So, if you want to be a great baker in no time, this is the cookbook for you.

What we like:

• Easy to follow recipes with detailed instructions, tips, and tricks
• Comes with scrumptious recipes for muffins, pies and breads, cakes and cookies, brownies, and frozen desserts
• Available in paperback and Kindle versions
• Affordable
• For the more adventurous bakers

3. Bread Baking for Beginners: The Essential Guide to Baking Kneaded Breads, No-Knead Breads, and Enriched Breads by Bonnie Ohara

Want to turn yourself from an absolute beginner into a baking artisan in a fantastic time? Then, this is the bread baking book for you.

Unlike other books, Bread Baking for Beginners distinguishes itself as the best baking book for beginners for a couple of reasons. This book shows you how to bake bread like a pro, from the secrets of combining flour, yeast, water, and salt to creating the ultimate hot and delicious breads in the comfort of your household kitchen.

The straightforward guidance, logical sections and instructions, exquisite photography, and a collection of both kneaded and no-knead recipes plus enriched breads, you’ll be making your favorite breads in no time and with ease.

The book is sectioned into various parts to make it more digestible. These include:

• Knead to Know:

Here, you learn the science of baking the practical techniques, tools, and ingredients you need for various bread recipes.

• Stepping Scones:

This section has all the recipes classified according to the type of bread, including different kinds of yeast breads, doughs, and batters.

Start with the simpler ones to the advanced recipes, as you also familiarize yourself with terminologies and the essentials to every great recipe. Each recipe also comes with prep and proof times, allergen notes, tips, and tricks.

• From ‘d’oh!’ to dough:

With the included FAQ section, troubleshoot common baking problems and know the necessary action. You’ll no longer have to deal with deflated baguettes or burnt brioche.

4.    Baking for Beginners: Step-by-Step, Quick & Easy by Ann Nicol

Want to begin your baking journey the vintage way? Then, this is the perfect baking book for you. This best baking cookbook provides a great mix of classic recipes with modern ones to help you create the ideal breads, cookies, doughnuts, cakes, pies, and tarts. With foolproof recipes and detailed instructions with pictures for every step, you’ll have a bountiful time in the kitchen.

What’s more? You get explanations of essential ingredients and equipment. This helps you construct your baking pantry easily and know what to buy. Also explained in detail are the basic techniques, recipes, culinary terms, and a conversion guide.

There is also a recipe substitution table and troubleshooting section for those who like to improvise or make changes, as well as delicious accompaniments such as cheese, pickles, and hot chocolate to complement your baking.

The best part? This cooking book includes the millionaire’s shortbread, and scrumptious cupcakes, along with mouthwatering photography for each of the 90 simple and easy-to-follow recipes.

What we like:

• Detailed explanations and instructions with stunning photography
• Easy-to-follow recipes with ingredients readily available
• Includes a units’ conversion table
• Great value for money
• Perfect for new bakers, chefs on the go, or cooks looking for something unique

5.  Cake Decorating for Beginners: A Step-by-Step Guide to Decorating Like a Pro by Rose Atwater

Are you an aspiring baker who has wanted to learn decorating cakes like they do in reality TV shows? Here comes your chance with this best baking and cake decorating cookbook.

With step-by-step guides, Rose teaches you everything from the basics of prep and baking to decorating and the components of decorating cakes such as frosting, filling, and assembling. You can make impressive fondant flowers, add flawless fine details, write messages, and much more.

What’s great? You also get access to 10 cake decorating tutorials and several cake-cutting templates for various shapes and designs such as ship, heart, and llama. To give you the best decorating basics, Rose includes charts for serving sizes. This way, you’ll never go wrong with the amount of frosting, piping, fondant, or chocolate required for each decoration.

Like with every great cookbook author, Rose cares to teach you prep and baking basics, focusing on tools and techniques. Along the way, you’ll also understand foundational recipes and important troubleshooting tips.

What we like:

• Comes with cake sizing charts
• Detailed tutorials perfect for beginners
• Comprehensive information on the fundamentals of decorating cakes
• Ideal for both beginner and pro bakers

6. Bake Up! Kids Cookbook: Go from Beginner to Pro with Recipes and Essential Techniques by Nicole Hendizadeh

Want to learn from a child’s level and engage the little ones in the kitchen? Then this best baking cookbook is perfect for you. This kids’ cookbook will help you and your kid take your skills from beginner to expert level, all while having fun in the kitchen.

With this best baking cookbook for kids, you can access over 60 simple recipes beautifully illustrated with photographs. Some of the exciting recipes include:

• Ooey Gooey Chocolate Cake
• Tres Leches cake
• Apple Crisp with Sreused Topping
• Cheddar and Herb Scones
• Fudgy Brownies
• Triple Benny Muffins
• Cookie Butter Snickerdoodles
• Unicorn Cream Puffs

So, what makes this a baking cookbook like no other?

• Tutorial Recipes:

Use the tutorial recipes for hands-on learning and experience with key techniques, easy for young learners.

• Special Occasion Recipes:

Nicole also includes a section for high-end cakes and decorations so you can surprise your kids on their birthdays.

• Photo of every recipe:

Nicole’s beautiful and high-quality photographs make it easy for kids to learn new baking tricks.

• Four chapters according to comprehension levels:

This kid’s cookbook is organized into four sections:

1. Beginner: A mixture of basic, easy recipes that kids can make with some guidance.
2. Beginner Plus: Recipes slightly more complicated to follow but still manageable for young bakers.
3. Intermediate: Recipes that involve a few more steps but will still be easy to make with the guidance of an adult.
4. Pro: Recipes that are more complicated to make; should only be attempted by experienced bakers.

What we like:

• The author is a professional pastry chef
• Includes photo for every recipe; this way, children can follow the instructions very easily
• Features recipes classified by reading level
• Fairly priced

Best Beginner Cookbooks Buying Guide

By the best baking cookbooks review, you may have made a decision on your next purchase. If not, don’t worry – below is a quick guideline of what to look for in a baking cookbook:

Author

The baking cookbook author is essential in creating a perfect book. When you buy baking cookbooks, check if the author is experienced with plenty of past exposure in cooking, baking, and instructing. If the author began baking in their childhood, they better know the basics that beginners may take for granted. It’s also a plus when the author has a professional background in cooking and baking.

Format

The layout is important to read through instructions easily without getting confused. It’s best if your baking cookbook features images for every recipe. And it also helps when the author has included a table of contents to find recipes according to baking skill level.

Recipes

Your next step is to check for a variety of recipes. You may also use cookbooks that feature baked goodies such as brownies, cakes, cupcakes, pies, or cookies.

The number of recipes featured in the cookbook is also a factor. If you want to learn more, do an online search for baking cookbooks and sort by recipes included. This way, you can find the best baking cookbooks for beginners and those that offer more recipes.

Price

If you want to learn something new, some of the best beginner’s cookbooks can be expensive. However, most of the time, you get what you pay for. Of course, if your budget is small, don’t worry, as there are still a few quality cookbooks that won’t break the bank.

The aim is to strike a deal with the best value for money. That said, it’s best to compare and contrast the prices and features of different baking cookbooks before choosing your favorite.

Why do you better learn baking from a cookbook?

Baking is a great skill to learn and take to college or your job. Baking cookbooks are ideal for learning recipes for several reasons

• They make excellent gift packs

Baking cookbooks make great gifts for kids and adults alike, and they make life easier for busy working bakers who want to spend less time in the kitchen and more with friends and family. Kids can even learn how to make goodies for their classmates.

• They are easy to follow

Baking cookbooks have detailed instructions that make it easier for you or your kids to learn how to bake. Unlike online materials (videos and articles), cookbooks are offline, thus easy to follow along with visuals and quick references.

• They save time and money

Learning from a book is an excellent alternative if you don’t have access to the internet. With baking cookbooks, you don’t have to spend time researching or improvising recipes for beginner bakers. And with the right cookbook, you can save time in your regular kitchen activities.

• You can use them anywhere

Cookbooks can be taken anywhere because they are offline materials. You can read through them anytime, even while you’re having a snack in the park or waiting for your bus to arrive; after all, they don’t contain only cooking instructions but a ton of other related culinary information.

• They feature a variety of recipes

Baking cookbooks offer different baked goodies for kids and adults to enjoy. Some even feature unique recipes that can be used as a gift for friends and family. In addition, cookbooks show you how each recipe tastes better than just reading about it online.

• They offer everything culinary under one roof

From sourcing ingredients, how to mix them, unit conversions, cooking tips, boiling times, to baking temperatures, pastry techniques, and more, your baking cookbook is the one-stop solution for every baker.

Video: Baking Equipment for Beginners-Excellent Tools

Must try baked goodies you need to try out

You might think baking is restricted to cakes and breads, but there are many things you can bake. Any of the above beginner baking cookbooks will offer a wide variety of bake recipes for things like:

• Banana bread: This is one of the healthiest treats you can make for breakfast or an afternoon snack. There are different types of banana breads ranging from those flavored with chocolate, apple sauce, vanilla extract, and even cinnamon.

• Biscuits: A classic favorite, you can have them for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Biscuits are crispy on the outside and fluffy inside, making them great for dipping in soups, stews, or even chili.

• Brownies: Brownies are rich and chocolatey desserts that can be enjoyed for breakfast or even a mid-afternoon snack. There are different brownie recipes available; some are topped with nuts, while others have chocolate chips or cherries.

• Casserole: This American staple combines meats, vegetables, and sauce. They bake for a few minutes until the sauce bubbles, then cool for a few minutes before eating.

• Cookies: You can make cookies as a present for friends and family or enjoy them as a snack. Cookies are usually sweet with different flavors, from gingerbread to chocolate chip.

• Cupcakes: Cupcakes can be enjoyed for breakfast, snacks, or even with dinner. A treat for both adults and kids, you can make cupcakes with different colors, shapes, flavors, and textures.

• Pie: You can make a pie as your dessert for the day or as a gift for friends and family. Pie crust is a must-have in most pies, and you can use different ingredients from apples, pumpkin, berries, or even vegetables.

• Scones: These classic tea-time treats are made with flour, sugar, and butter. They can be enjoyed with jam or cream and make great snacks for kids and adults.

• Shortcake: This strawberry shortcake is a sweet treat that uses scones as a base, then topped with cream and strawberries.
• Baguettes: This French bread is one of the most delicious breads you can eat. Baguettes are crunchy crust and soft inside; they go great with almost anything you eat.

• Crepes: These thin pancakes can be enjoyed as a breakfast, snack, or dessert and dipped in chocolate, honey, or nuts.

• Brioche: This French bread is very similar to baguettes, but brioche has eggs in the dough, making them softer.

Final Words

Baking cookbooks are an excellent investment for any beginner baker. Not only do they provide you with an array of recipes to try out, but they also offer tips and techniques that can be applied to all your future baking endeavors. With so many different types of baked goodies to choose from, you’re sure to find at least one recipe in each of these beginner baking cookbooks that will become your go-to favorite. Which book is your new best friend?