Whether you've made a New Year's resolution to bake more, want to challenge yourself with a baking project, or are looking to add something different to your weekly dinner rotation, we've got a dozen ideas to get you started in 2025. From comfort, cheesy Gratins to ultra-chocolate cakes, there's something for everyone to get excited about this month.
Photography by Rick Holbrook; Food styling by Kaitlin Wayne
1) Roman gnocchi
January is a time to cozy up with warm, comforting foods, like this creamy Gnocchi alla Romana. It is made from semolina flour that is 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 is baked until it's melted and golden brown.
Get the recipe: Gnocchi alla Romana (Semolina Gnocchi Gratin)
Buy this 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 (Although 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
Buy this 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 fluffy focaccia
This is the focaccia of the moment: it's tall but light, strikingly tall and the perfect size to finish 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 but can be made in the afternoon and on the dinner table Tonight. With its bubbly, bronze top, crisp edges and soft, airy interior, this focaccia deserves a spot in your weekly baking rotation.
Get the recipe: Big and bubbly focaccia
Buy this recipe: Fabulous focaccia pan And Cyprus flake sea salt
If you like this recipe, you may also like: Sourdough focaccia, Crystal bread
Photography and food styling by Liz Neily
4) Jamaican beef patties
For the ultimate handheld snack, look to the savory Caribbean beef patties. Every component is super flavorful: the bright yellow batter 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
Buy this 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 Buitsova
5) Super Fudge Sourdough Brownies
You don't even need flour for these gooey brownies—they're made entirely with sourdough scraps, which shrinks the ingredient list and provides a dense, ultra-fudgy texture. Plus, these come together in a single pan to minimize cleanup and maximize ease.
Get the recipe: Super Fudge Sourdough Brownies
Buy this recipe: Chiptastic Chocolate Chip Blend And Triple cocoa blending
If you like this recipe, you may also like: Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies, Sourdough Chocolate Cake
Photography by Patrick Marinello; Food styling by Yekaterina Buitsova
6) Giant Hostess Cupcake Cake
This delightful nod to the classic hostess cake has the flavors of marshmallow cream and chocolate ganache in a more fun, super-sized format. Nostalgic and charming, this cake beats the store-bought version, and it's perfect for celebrations at any age.
Get the recipe: Giant Hostess Cupcake Cake
Store this recipe: Guitard 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 Buitsova
7) Snacking on pizzas
These mini pizzas are the perfect after-school snack. Everyone can choose their own toppings in the 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 on pizzas
Buy this recipe: Pizza wants 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 Buitsova
8) Earl Gray cookies
Give the humble sugar cookie a little shine with earl gray tea. The tea leaves are incorporated into the buttery batter And A glossy sugar coating, so that subtle floral, bittersweet flavor infuses every bite.
Get the recipe: Earl Gray Cookies
Buy this recipe: Spoon 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-snack enthusiasts.
Get the recipe: Tiramisu for two
Buy this recipe: Espresso powder
If you like this recipe, you may also like: Tiramisu Cupcakes, Berry Tiramisu
Photograph 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 dollop of butter.
Get the recipe: Chocolate sourdough bread
Buy this recipe: Double Dark Cocoa Blending
If you like this recipe, you may also like: Chocolate milk bread, Double chocolate focaccia
Photography by Patrick Marineello; Food styling by Yekaterina Buitsova
11) Simple Stovetop Vanilla Pudding
A bowl of delicious pudding is the definition of a simple pleasure. Plus, we've streamlined the recipe in a number of ways. There's no fooling around with tempering eggs, and using sweetened condensed milk instead of sugar (no grittiness!) gives it the silkiest texture. It's also worth breaking out your fancier vanilla for this recipe.
Get the recipe: Simple Stovetop Vanilla Pudding
Buy this recipe: Vanilla bean paste
If you like this recipe, you may also like: Easy Chocolate Pudding, Chocolate and vanilla pudding cups
12) Chocolate Grandma Buns
While there is 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 Granny Buns
Buy this 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 Fudge Sourdough Brownies) by Patrick Marinello; Food styling by Yekaterina Buitsova.