The 12 best recipes to bake in January

Whether you've made a New Year's resolution to bake more, want to challenge yourself with a project bake, or are looking to add something different to your weekly dinner rotation, we have a dozen ideas for you to kick off 2025. From comforting, cheesy gratins to ultra-chocolatey cakes, there's something for everyone to get excited about this month.

Photography by Rick Holbrook; food styling by Kaitlin Wayne

1) Gnocchi alla Romana

January is a time to cozy up with warm, comforting foods, like this creamy Gnocchi alla Romana. It’s made from semolina flour that’s cooked to a polenta-like consistency, chilled, and then cut into rounds. The slices are layered in a 9" x 13" pan and covered with cheese, gratin-style. The whole thing bakes until it’s melty and golden brown.

Get the recipe: Gnocchi alla Romana (Semolina Gnocchi Gratin)  

Shop the recipe: Semolina Flour and 9" x 13" Pan 

If you like this recipe, you may also like: Semolina Pasta, Sweet Potato Gnocchi

Photography and food styling by Liz Neily

2) Chicken Pot Pie with Biscuits 

You don’t need to master pie crust (though you can and should!) to make homemade pot pie, thanks to this version that uses an easy biscuit topping. The creamy, savory base has all the staples of the best pot pies: cream sauce, chicken, and vegetables. Assemble it all in a beautiful Dutch oven that can go straight from the oven to the table. 

Get the recipe: Chicken Pot Pie with Biscuits 

Shop the recipe: Sublime Dutch Oven 

If you like this recipe, you may also like: Pretzel Biscuits and Classic Chicken Pot Pie 

Photography by Rick Holbrook; Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne

3) Big and Bubbly Focaccia  

This is the focaccia of the moment: It’s lofty but light, strikingly tall, and the perfect size to finish off during dinner — which is exactly why we've crowned it our 2025 Recipe of the Year. Many focaccia recipes call for an overnight rise, but we’ve fine-tuned this recipe so it’s deeply flavorful yet can be made in the afternoon and on the dinner table tonight. With its bubbly, bronzed top, crisp edges, and tender, airy interior, this focaccia deserves a spot in your weekly baking rotation.  

Get the recipe: Big and Bubbly Focaccia 

Shop the recipe: Fabulous Focaccia Pan and Cyprus Flake Sea Salt

If you like this recipe, you may also like: Sourdough Focaccia, Pan de Cristal 

Photography and food styling by Liz Neily

4) Jamaican Beef Patties 

For the ultimate handheld snack, look to these savory Caribbean beef patties. Each component is super flavorful: The bright yellow dough is enhanced with turmeric, ginger, and curry powder, and a heap of garlic and onion amps up the beef filling. Make a double batch to stock your freezer; you’ll thank yourself later.   

Get the recipe: Jamaican Beef Patties 

Shop the recipe: Ginger and Pastry Blender 

If you like this recipe, you may also like: Cornish Pasties, Middle Eastern Meat Flatbreads (Lahm Bi Ajeen)   

Photography by Patrick Marinello; Food styling by Yekaterina Boytsova

5) Super Fudgy Sourdough Brownies 

You don’t even need flour for these gooey brownies — they’re made entirely with sourdough discard, which shrinks the ingredient list and provides a dense, ultra-fudgy texture. Plus, these come together in a single saucepan to minimize cleanup and maximize ease.  

Get the recipe: Super Fudgy Sourdough Brownies 

Shop the recipe: Chiptastic Chocolate Chip Blend and Triple Cocoa Blend 

If you like this recipe, you may also like: Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies, Sourdough Chocolate Cake  

Photography by Patrick Marinello; Food styling by Yekaterina Boytsova

6) Giant Hostess Cupcake Cake 

This delightful nod to the classic Hostess cake has the flavors of marshmallow creme and chocolate ganache in a more fun, super-sized format. Nostalgic and charming, this cake improves on the store-bought version, and it’s perfect for celebrations at any age.  

Get the recipe: Giant Hostess Cupcake Cake 

Shop the recipe: Guittard Semisweet Chocolate Wafers 

If you like this recipe, you may also like: Flourless Chocolate Cake, Ombre Chocolate Cake Bars

Photography by Patrick Marinello; Food styling by Yekaterina Boytsova

7) Snacking Pizzas 

These mini pizzas are the perfect after-school snack. Everyone can choose their own toppings in these personal pizzas, and all you need is a sheet pan to bake — no need to reach for your pizza stone or steel. Want more than a small snack? Serve these with a side salad to make a meal.   

Get the recipe: Snacking Pizzas 

Shop the recipe: Pizza Wheel and Half-Sheet Pan 

If you like this recipe, you may also like: Pull-Apart Pizza Bread, Garlic Bread Pizza  

Photography by Patrick Marinello; Food styling by Yekaterina Boytsova

8) Earl Grey Cookies 

Give the humble sugar cookie a little glow up with Earl Grey tea. Those tea leaves are incorporated into the buttery dough and a glitzy sugar coating, so that subtle floral, bittersweet flavor infuses every bite.  

Get the recipe: Earl Grey Cookies 

Shop the recipe: Tablespoon Cookie Scoop 

If you like this recipe, you may also like: Olive Oil-Orange Cookies, Sugar Cookies 

Photography by Rick Holbrook; food styling by Kaitlin Wayne

9) Tiramisu for Two 

What happens when you want tiramisu, but not a lot of leftovers? Enter Tiramisu for Two. Assembled in Mason jars, this small-batch bake is a match made in heaven for mini-dessert enthusiasts. 

Get the recipe: Tiramisu for Two 

Shop the recipe: Espresso Powder 

If you like this recipe, you may also like: Tiramisu Cupcakes, Berry Tiramisu

Photography by Ed Anderson

10) Chocolate Sourdough Bread 

While this bread is chocolate-forward, it has more bitter coffee-like notes than it does sweet. It’s still an excellent contender for your morning toast — with orange marmalade, whipped ricotta, or just a pat of butter.

Get the recipe: Chocolate Sourdough Bread  

Shop the recipe: Double Dark Cocoa Blend 

If you like this recipe, you may also like: Chocolate Milk Bread, Double Chocolate Focaccia 

Photography by Patrick Marinello; Food styling by Yekaterina Boytsova

11) Simple Stovetop Vanilla Pudding 

A bowl of luscious pudding is the definition of a simple pleasure. Plus, we’ve streamlined this recipe in a number of ways. There’s no fussing with tempering eggs, and the use of sweetened condensed milk instead of sugar (no grittiness!) gives it the silkiest texture. It’s worth breaking out your fancier vanilla for this recipe, too.  

Get the recipe: Simple Stovetop Vanilla Pudding 

Shop the recipe: Vanilla Bean Paste 

If you like this recipe, you may also like: Easy Chocolate Pudding, Chocolate and Vanilla Pudding Cups

12) Chocolate Babka Buns

While there’s no dough braiding involved, these delicious rolls are reminiscent of babka with their chocolate-filled interiors and buttery, enriched dough. An orange zest-spiked glaze ties the flavors together and gives the handheld buns a stunning glossy finish. 

Get the recipe: Chocolate Babka Buns 

Shop the recipe: Vietnamese Cinnamon and Callebaut Semisweet Mini Chocolate Chips 

If you like this recipe, you may also like: Babkallah, Lemon-Blueberry Babka Buns 

Cover photo (Super Fudgy Sourdough Brownies) by Patrick Marinello; food styling by Yekaterina Boytsova.