After a full year of cooking and baking, these 10 recipes came out on top.
How do you measure a year? Well, in the Broadway musical Rent, a year can be measured in anything from cups of coffee to smiles. At Taste of Home, we could probably measure 2025 in actual measuring cups. And, spoiler alert: We used a lot!
As we cooked and baked our way through all that life had in store for us this year, we came across some truly amazing recipes that stopped us in our tracks. They impressed our family and friends; they came together quickly without compromising on flavor; or they gave us a newfound appreciation for certain ingredients. These are the Taste of Home team’s 10 favorite recipes of 2025.
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Ellie Crowley For Taste of Home
Vanilla Bean Cheesecake
It was super creamy and had good structure. I got super clean cuts when slicing it, which was so satisfying. This vanilla bean cheesecake was not only visually appealing, it was super delicious. It’s now my go-to recipe for cheesecake whenever have to make one! -Ellen Crowley, culinary producer
I’m a huge baker who loves to make all sorts of intricate dessert recipes, but I found something so refreshing about the simplicity of our lemon olive oil cake. It’s a really easy recipe—just make sure to splurge on good olive oil for the best flavor. You can change the recipe as needed, too: Swap oranges for lemons, dapple fruit into the batter, or use gluten-free flour in a pinch. I topped mine with homemade whipped cream, lemon curd and a few lemon slices, because I can’t help but make everything at least a little fancy. –Val Goodrich, food writer
My husband made this chicken and dumplings recipe and it was truly delicious. This is comfort food at its best, but it didn’t feel out of place when we had a few friends over for dinner. I served it with a crisp, full-bodied chardonnay. Perfection! –Lesley Balla, editor
My husband and I love shrimp in any form, but chili lime shrimp has become a new favorite. This 30-minute sheet pan meal (how easy!) has fresh flavors from the lime juice, cilantro and avocado. –Julie Schnittka, deputy editor
I can’t stop thinking about this Moroccan apple beef stew from Taste of Home community cook Trisha Kruse. The apples, dried plums and honey lend a little bit of sweetness. Serve it with rice or couscous to soak up every last drop of that spiced broth. –Ellie Martin Cliffe, content director
To me the best part of sugary cereal is the milk at the bottom of the bowl, so this easy cereal milk latte is right up my alley! Our recipe calls for Lucky Charms, but you can swap in your favorite cereal—I know this is controversial, but I like it with Corn Pops. –Rachel Vigoda, deputy editor
I made these Cuban sliders for a potluck, and they were such a huge hit that my friends asked me to make them again for the next gathering. The buttery topping is what takes them over the edge; it browns in the oven, giving the soft rolls a slightly crispy finish. I usually go the extra mile to add shredded pork to this recipe. I buy pork shoulder when it’s on sale, and I smoke or braise a big batch. After shredding it, I freeze it in portioned bags so I always have some ready to go for recipes like this. -Lindsay Mattison, senior editor
The best thing I made all year was November’s Bakeable challenge: chocolate-hazelnut babka buns. It was a fun baking project and they were absolutely delicious. I froze half of them and pulled them out for brunch a few weeks later—they were a big hit! -Emily Parulski, senior editor
The best recipe I’ve made this year is strawberry pretzel salad poke cake. My grandma used to make traditional strawberry pretzel salad when I was a kid, so I was certain that a twist on that beloved recipe would be a hit at my next family gathering. I was right! -Lauren Pahmeier, editor
This is an extremely unpopular opinion, but I don’t like cheesecake. The Dubai chocolate cheesecake bars looked so pretty, though, that I had to try them. I’m so glad I did! The crunchy kataifi and graham cracker crust held up well under the cheesecake filling and ganache topping. The texture alone made me a cheesecake convert. I will say that pistachio cream can be a splurge, but using it in this dessert was worth every penny. My family has asked me to make these bars several times since. –Rosie Siefert, senior editor
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