Stress baking is an official hobby of 2020. So I thought it would be fun to poll some of my friends and ask them just what their go-to stress baking recipes are this year! And since food bloggers only bake up their most favorite things (on repeat) you know these recipe recommendations are going to be GOOD. And I love all the commentary that these bloggers added to their recipe choice!
Here’s What Bloggers are Stress Baking!….
2020 Mood: Get in Your Kitchen
If you have found yourself running to your kitchen, turning OFF your phone and diving into flour, yeast and sugar a bit more often this year — you are not alone! Stress baking (and cooking in general) is one of the official hobbies of this crazy year.
And look, with all the depressing things going on, I’m actually kinda thrilled to see people in the kitchen more often! One perk of staying home more.
I personally have never cooked this much in my life for such an extended period of time – and I wrote two cookbooks! I have cooked every meal, snack, sip and treat our fam has eaten since early March. No takeout for that long is huge for us!! And I love it!
Cooking As Therapy
Cooking is such a great way to gain some distance from media and news and just immerse yourself in an activity that is creative, fun and practical!
And for me, baking is the best way to have some cooking therapy.
And so obviously, I wanted to know what everyone else was baking on repeat! But first me….
What I’ve Been Stress Baking…
I’ll include my faves in the list below, but real quick for ya, here are the three recipes I have made over and over and over the past few months. These are recipes that I actually use as my own sort of cooking therapy lol, when I’m having a messy or overwhelming day. I love having recipes that I know so well I barely need my recipe anymore. It turns baking into a sort of meditative process.
Oh, and the smell of carbs in the oven is kinda the best thing everrrrr. Especially if there happens to be chocolate involved.
My three main stress baking recipes:
- Bagels! So many batches of bagels this year. Oh my. Start here and get creative with these recipes: cinna-raisin, hemp + pumpkin seedy…
- Loaves, Breads and Muffins. The flavors shift from blueberry muffins to chocolate loaf to banana bread… but the basic fluffy goodness outcome is the same.
- Sweets! Cinnamon Rolls + Peanut Butter Cookies – The cinna rolls phase has passed, but it was definitely OOC for a good month, lol.
I talked a bit about stress baking in this post.
Pop Sugar said it on Twitter …
“We’re calling it, summer 2020 is the season of stress baking.”
– popsugar
And since stress baking is a thing this summer, I fee like I’m part of a flour-covered-clothes community.
Check your pants, got some flour dustings on there? Welcome to the club.
Ok, so let’s see what stress baking recipes that everyone else – in this club – in the kitchen this year…
Here’s What Bloggers are Stress Baking!
1 – The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
Oh yeah, chocolate chip cookies are one of my fave stress baking recipes and these look incredible. Sophia always nails it!…
“The recipe I have been stress baking most is my soft batch chocolate chip cookies because the minute they come out of the oven my family has been stress eating them all! I need to have an extra secret stash of extra cookie dough to bake just for me.” – Sophia, Veggies Don’t Bite
2- Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
“The recipe I have been stress baking most the past few months is banana bread. Since I have also been stress shopping, and buying too much food, I ended up with more bananas then I knew what to do with! So at one point I ended up with a couple dozen brown bananas, peeled them and froze them into sealed containers to have ripe bananas ready to go! For a good month straight, I made a banana bread loaf every, single, week. No regrets!” – Rosa, This Healthy Kitchen
3 – Bagels
Yup, probably my number one stress baking recipe this year…
“Yup, I have made more bagels this year than in my entire life, ha! I love changing up the recipe a bit. And they are so much easier than I ever dreamed! Definitely use bread flour and give yourself 2-3 batches to really get the hang of your ‘perfect dough.’ You want it soft and pliable, but not sticky. Seriously, nothing beats fresh, warm bagels with vegan cream cheese!!!” – Kathy, me, Healthy Happy Life
4 – Sourdough Bread
Bread! The most classic and perfect stress baking recipe there is. And oh my goodness, this sourdough from Amanda looks absolutely perfect. Swoon!
“Baking sourdough bread is a process, and in that, comes therapy for my hands and heart. In such an unsettled, stressful time, I needed something to distract that could also bring me comfort. There’s a bit of magic in sourdough, too. That such lovely bread can be made with just water, flour, and salt. This everyday sourdough recipe is straightforward enough for beginners, and the one I make every single week.” – Amanda, Heartbeet Kitchen
5 – Funfetti Cookies
Add some fun and color to your stress baking recipe routine…
“Nothing relaxes me more than the smell of fresh cookies baking. We’ve all had our fair share of failed cookie attempts, but this is a fool-proof recipe I just keep coming back to! It’s hard to feel stressed when you bite into a warm & chewy sugar cookie loaded with rainbow sprinkles. Trust me! These have been on repeat every week the past few months. Plus, since the dough is fully vegan, it’s edible too!” – Claire, Eat with Clarity
6 – Classic Coffee Cake
Cozy! Love this idea for a stress baking recipe. Coffee cake all day please…
“The recipe I’ve been stress baking is coffee cake! It’s the perfect way to calm those nerves! The sweet cinnamony smells from the oven, a warm slice with your mug of coffee in the morning or for dessert at night…it’s the perfect buttery sweet cozy treat. It can take you back to your favorite local coffee house or cafe when you can’t be there in person, but you can still enjoy the taste with your loved ones inside!” – Rebecca, strength and sunshine
7- Watermelon Granita
“The recipe I’ve been stress making the most is my easy watermelon granita. The combination of the summer heat, being 7 months pregnant, and being stuck at home with an active toddler has got me hot, tired and craving a refreshing but healthy treat all the time. I buy at least one huge watermelon every week I eat it so much.” – Joanna, Raised on Veggies
8 – Fresh Blueberry Muffins
Yup, another classic stress baking recipe, blueberry muffins! Move over banana bread…
“These gorgeous fluffy, buttery muffins are exploding with plump fresh blueberries. I think this is my favorite muffin of the year and every time I have blueberries on hand I want to make more! Cozy muffins baking = instant stress reducer!” – Kathy, me, HHL
9 – Banana Bread
…Speaking of banana bread, yup, this one is another top three stress baking recipe in 2020, I think it’s in a fight with sourdough for the top spot.
“I’ve been stress baking banana bread like a lot of people!! It’s just so cosy.” – Shivani, Shivani Loves Food
10 – Blueberry-Lemon Poppy Seed Scones
“The recipe I’ve been stress baking the most the past few months are these Blueberry Lemon Poppy Seed Scones! The soft buttery inside and golden outside are SO comforting and something I look forward to enjoying every morning with coffee! I’ve loved them so much lately I think I am probably 50% scone at this point. Which is completely acceptable and healthy since these scones include fresh fruit, right!?!” – Nicolette, Homecooked Roots
12 – Sugar Cookies
“The recipe I’ve been stress baking the most is my vegan sugar cookies, because it’s the one treat my whole family agrees on. My son likes to cover his in icing. My husband likes his with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. And I like mine piping hot, right off the baking sheet. Even our two dogs get a cookie from each batch.” – Nicole, Delicious Everyday
13 – Almond Butter Muffins
Love the idea of putting nut butter in muffins!…
“The recipe I have been stress baking is my Almond Butter Raspberry Muffins. At the beginning of our first lockdown period (we’re now in our second 6 week stint) I went a bit mad making nut butters, freezing fruits and vegetables and pickling anything that wouldn’t move. Now I have a ton of frozen fruits and jars of nut butter for days. I bake with my 6 year-old. It’s something we can do together when things are feeling a little “hectic” in the house. Baking soothes the cabin fever.” – Amanda, my goodness kitchen
14 – Texas Sheet Cake
Sheet cakes fix every problem, dontcha know??… Really. This one looks magical.
“The real question is, what haven’t I been stress baking? My kids and I have spent a lot of time in the kitchen during this quarantine—hey, cooking is a great way to teach math AND science! The recipe we’ve made the most is my mom’s Texas sheet cake! My mom always made this cake when I was a kid, and the each bite takes me instantly to my childhood! Hopefully, many years from now, my kids will associate the flavor of this cake with being safe and cozy at home during a wild period in their lives….stuffed with cake!” – Sarah, Fried Dandelions
15 – Chocolate Chip Cookies
“I’ve been stress baking and then taking. I share my treats so I don’t pack on pounds. And I have veganized my mom’s recipe for chocolate chip cookies and it helps me remember her during these challenging times. I have the best tip for making them chewy and crispy at the same time.” – Cindy, intentionally eat
16 – Chocolate Loaf
Chocolate fix! This one is a keeper. Your house will smell like chocolate heaven…
“I love this chocolate loaf warmed up as a snack or dessert, but even better, crumble it over top some creamy banana ice cream!” – Kathy, HHL
17 – Banana Bread Donuts
Do not forget the donuts! Fun, cute and a total stress baking winner…
“The recipe I’ve been stress baking the most the past few months is my banana bread donuts because shopping only once every 3 weeks means I buy 3 weeks worth of bananas but they’re all basically ripe at the exact same time so then I stress out about using them all up before they go bad haha. Also, banana and chocolate together are like a cure for everything bad in the world.” – Robin, vegan dollhouse
18 – Vegan Chick’n Wraps
You do not have to BAKE to be stress cooking. Love these wraps by Cadry!!!…
“While we have done a bit of baking the past few months, that sort of fell to the wayside after the first few weeks. But the recipe I’ve been turning to again and again isn’t much of a recipe at all. It’s a simple wrap with pre-made vegan chick’n strips, non-dairy feta, leafy greens, and fresh vegetables. Then it’s finished with a lemon tahini drizzle. There’s a healthy mix of salt/fat/crunch, as well as more nutrient dense stuff too. It’s really fast, and it always sounds good. That kind of low stress cooking is winning out right now.” – Cadry, Cadry’s Kitchen
19 – Rosemary Bread
This unique bread is certainly one to try! Love all the good stuff in here!
“The recipe I’ve been stress baking every single week is my favorite Rosemary Bread. It gives the satisfaction of bread, but it’s so much healthier. Packed with protein and fiber, this plant based gluten free bread is so healthy you can eat it every day! Top it off with vegan cream cheese and everything seasoning and you’re set! Bonus, all you do is mix it in one bowl and bake. So easy!” – whitney, a wellness space
20 – Pesto Pizza
Put pizza on your stress cooking menu – for sure…
“All of the main “baking phases” of lockdown seem to have bypassed me completely. I never made banana bread or sourdough in lockdown (not when I can buy organic sourdough made with locally grown wheat for €2 with my veg box). But pizza is one dish I kept coming back to. I made a vegan deep dish that reminded me of pizzas from my childhood. I made a vegan margherita while reminiscing about travels through Italy. And I made this vegan pesto and cashew ricotta pizza on a “Zoom cooking call” with a friend to satisfy a craving for pesto pizza from a sorely missed local eatery. All of these pizzas reminded me of the past, and also gave me hope for the future — seeing my family again, traveling once more and the simple act of eating out with friends!” – Caitlin, the vegan word
21 – Oatmeal Chia Bread
All the loaves, breads and bakes please. This oatmeal bread looks divine…
“The recipes that I keep on “stress-baking-repeat” are the banana bread that I love eating for breakfast with coffee to start the day off right and these chocolate crunch cookies because crunching something chocolatey always feels good – and they’re super easy to make!” – Renee, veeg
22 – Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
“I totally fell in love with these decadent, chewy vegan chocolate chip cookies and made them over and over for a good month!” – Kathy HHL
23 – Seeded Rosemary Crackers
“We are in the process of selling our house and moving across country (fingers crossed). I have been spackling holes with one hand, painting walls with the other and stress eating a crap ton of unhealthy snack food all the while. Last month I made a huge batch of these healthy crackers in the middle of the night and the family inhaled them in 24 hours. So now I am making them every few days. Just making the dough alone in the kitchen at midnight is so soothing plus I’m grateful to have a healthy food to snack on during the day.” – Johanne, Sunnyside Hanne
24 – Vegan Mug Brownie
Speedy stress baking fix! Mug cakes and brownies like this….
“I have been seriously doing this vegan mug brownie because it is soo easy, healthy and quick to make!It is a healthy treat that I enjoy almost every day with a good sip of coffee while I stay at home working, it makes me feel great because it is full of slow-release carbs that keep me active before lunch time” – roberto, natural goodness
25 – Chocolate Banana Bread
“The recipe I have been stress baking most is my vegan chocolate banana bread. It has become ritual to have this loaf every few days. We start with breakfast and eat it through dessert. I bulk buy bananas and use the overripe ones to make this family favorite. The chocolate and coffee help with sweet cravings.” – Prajakta,
26 – Brownie Fun Cake
And yeah. This one works! All your stress melts away in just one bite, yes?
“I’m a school teacher and with suddenly being shoved into distance learning and then spending my summer preparing for every inevitable scenario for opening this fall, I’ve been stress baking more than usual. When I’m stressed I turn to chocolate! These chocolate cake brownies with fudge frosting are chocolate on chocolate and so rich and moist!” – Cindy, veggie fun kitchen
27 – Jam Tarts
These pretty tarts are a total stress baking winner!..
“My family has been stress baking these vegan jam tarts – when we finally managed to get hold of some flour again that is! There’s something so simple and therapeutic about making pastry by hand. We’ve been enjoying them on picnics in the garden. And we used up a lot of random jars of jam in the process!” – Sophie, vegan on board
28 – Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
“These cookies remind me of all things cozy! I cannot always make them because my husband is not a raisin fan, but when I make them for me, oh my goodness are they addicting!” – Kathy, HHL
29 – Spinach Mushroom Quiche
Balance out all your stress baking recipes with this stress quiche recipe!! Oh wow this looks incredible…. Brunch all day.
“The recipe I have been stress baking the most the past few months is vegan quiche. For me, this is the ultimate comfort food. I love the entire process – from creating my own flaky buttery pie crust to filling it with veggies I may have on hand along with creamy vegan cheeses. While it bakes, the house is filled with the most delicious aroma and when it is done, I have a complete meal for my family.” – connie, the carrot underground
30 – Orange Cardamom Buns
Lovely buns on your stress baking menu, done and done.
“The recipe I’ve been stress baking most the past few months is this vegan orange cardamom buns recipe. Watching it go from easy cupboard ingredients through the dough and then shaping that into gorgeous knot shapes has done so much for my mental health these past few weeks. I feel like it’s therapeutic because it’s the perfect combination of easy, but visually impressive – whenever I made them I’m so proud of myself and it gives me a sense of achievement which is something I think we all need right now.” – Tatia, my vegan minimalist
31 – Cookie Fries
Add a little fun to your baking routine with these dippable, dunkable cookie fries..
“The recipe(s) I have been stress baking most the past few months are my Vegan Cookie Fries because they are so easy to make and so satisfying to dip. I love a good comforting sweet treat when I’m stressed. Also, I have been stress “baking” my 5 Ingredient No Bake Granola Bars. Not technically a baking recipe but I’ve been making it on repeat each week since my motivation has been lower lately. It’s incredibly easy to make and is the perfect quick snack to sustain me when I’m not in the mood to make anything. I’ve been relying on it heavily lately and it never disappoints.” – rachel, health my lifestyle
32 -Cinnamon Rolls
And yeah, you can never go wrong with cinnamon rolls warm from the oven. Turn off the news and fork-dive into one of these…
“Yup, there was a good month, when temperatures were cooler, when we were obsessed with our after dinner cinnamon roll! Cinnamon rolls are so fun to bake, I love every chance to make these swirled treats!” – Kathy, HHL
That’s it for now! I hope you get a chance to hop in the kitchen and try a few of these recipes very soon! Be sure to let the blogger know how much you loved it, I’m sure it would make their day. 🙂
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