The 14 best recipes to bake in January
Whoopie pies, quiche, savory rolls, and more.
Date
January 2, 2023
You did it! All the cookies have been baked and the festive cakes consumed. You might be asking yourself, “What’s next on the baking agenda?” If you’re coming up blank, don’t fret. This month is actually a sneaky great time to bake: With winter weather settled in, it’s time to hunker down and tackle a project bake you’ve always wanted to try. Or use this time to bake all the recipes you were dying to make while cookies and candies took up your time in December.
To inspire you, I’m sharing my favorite recipes — from hearty entrées to breakfast treats to sweet indulgences — to keep you and your family warm and well-fed this month.
1) Mocha Whoopie Pies
Embrace the darker side of winter with these devilishly dark whoopie pies. They feature espresso-enhanced cake rounds sandwiched around a rich chocolate ganache filling. Pair with a warm mug of hot cocoa or your favorite cup of coffee.
2) Popovers
If you think it’s difficult to whip up freshly baked treats on a cold winter morning, think again. I love popovers for their simplicity — they’re made with only four ingredients and five minutes of prep time — and their versatility. Serve with jam for breakfast (my preferred way) or in the breadbasket for dinner. Heed my warning: Keep that oven door closed while baking! If you open the door, the popovers may not fully “pop,” ruining the “whoa-you-made-those?!” effect these tend to elicit.
3) Chicken and Dumplings
Born and raised in Pennsylvania, I have a soft spot for this variation of the traditional Pennsylvania Dutch recipe. (I even remember eating it in my elementary school cafeteria when I was a little girl.) This quick and easy recipe features fluffy, homemade dumplings (made even easier with self-rising flour!) that sit atop a flavorful chicken soup-style filling. A one-pot recipe, it’s perfect for your Dutch oven.
4) Salted Caramel Stuffed Cookie
A mashup of an oatmeal cookie, coffee cake, and muffin, these impressive cookies are stuffed with warm, gooey caramel for the ultimate decadent dessert. Senior Recipe Developer Molly Marzalek-Kelly spent countless hours perfecting the ratio of cookie to caramel to streusel topping, and she nailed it. Unlike your average cookie, they’re baked in a muffin pan to ensure they’re adorably chubby and perfectly round.
5) Classic Scalloped Potatoes
This recipe is simple to make, quite affordable, and makes a lot. With layers of thinly sliced, tender potatoes and a creamy sauce made with just flour, milk, and butter, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better way to eat these seasonal tubers.
6) Fudge Brownies
I have baked numerous batches of brownies, and I keep returning to this recipe. They’re easy to make and taste so much better than boxed. This recipe also taught me how to accomplish the perfect shiny crust quintessential to a picture-perfect brownie. (The secret? Chocolate chips!) There’s a reason these brownies are beloved by everyone at King Arthur — they're simply the best.
7) Cinnamon-Sugar Crunch Bagels
We’ve got Recipe of the Year on the mind since our 2023 recipe, Cinnamon-Crisp Coffee Cake, just made its debut. This sweet bagel recipe is a twist on our 2022 Recipe of the Year — Ultimate Sandwich Bagels — and the well-loved Cinnamon Crunch Bagel from Panera. It’s distinguished by its spectacularly crunchy crust, made from a streusel topping that shatters with every bite and includes coarse sparkling sugar for a sprinkle-like crunch.
8) Roasted Butternut Squash & Spinach Quiche
I love quiche for its versatility, and this recipe is no exception. Butternut squash and aromatic herbs provide a rich, earthy, comforting flavor, but you can just as easily substitute other winter squashes or vegetables you have on hand. Baked in a buttery, flaky pie crust with a creamy custard filling, it’s great for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or even dinner.
9) Chocolate Cream Pie
The silky-smooth chocolate filling is what really takes this luscious pie over the top. Crowned with lightly sweetened whipped cream reminiscent of a blanket of fresh snow, this pie is a diner staple that’s even better when made at home. Add some shaved chocolate on top for an elegant touch. Make sure to check out our vegan-friendly version too: No-Bake Vegan Chocolate Pie.
10) No-Knead Harvest Bread
Made with whole grains, dried fruit, and nuts, this hearty bread is hands down my favorite bread to toast for breakfast. It packs flavor and texture and needs only a small smattering of butter to bring out all its flavors. No-knead breads are also some of the easiest you’ll ever make thanks to the longer resting times that replace kneading.
11) Homemade Pierogi
These little pockets of mashed potatoes and cheese are a recipe to put on repeat all winter long. They’re easy to make, and you can customize your fillings based on your taste — sauerkraut is my personal favorite. Serve them like I do, with a dollop of sour cream.
12) Classic Kouign-Amann (Breton Butter Cake)
If you’re snowed in and want a baking project, give this traditional French cake a whirl. Kouign-amann translates to “butter cake,” and for good reason. Like a croissant, it’s made by layering dough with sheets of butter, creating delicate layers that melt in your mouth — but with the pleasant addition of sugar in each of those layers. This recipe is a great place to start if you’re new to laminated doughs, as it’s very forgiving.
13) Tahini-Scallion Rolls
These rolls are unlike any I’ve had before. Creamy tahini lends a slightly nutty flavor that sets them apart from your average dinner roll, while the scallions add a somewhat peppery flavor. I like to sprinkle Everything Bagel Topping on top for added flavor and crunch. (And if you like tahini, don’t miss this Tahini Poppy Seed Pound Cake.)
14) Gruyère-Stuffed Crusty Loaves
Filled with melty Gruyère cheese and pizza seasoning, these crusty loaves are just what every dinner table needs. I like to utilize the long rest option included at the bottom of the recipe page so I can more easily fit this recipe into my schedule.
For more recipes to bake this winter, check out our recipe collection Cold Weather Classics.
Cover photo (Mocha Whoopie Pies) by Shilpa Iyer.
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