The 13 best recipes to bake in February
A baker's dozen reasons to hit the kitchen this month.
We’re in the depths of winter, which means it’s time to appreciate the great indoors. Good thing there are plenty of holidays and events to bake for this month, from romantic bakes on Valentine’s Day to trophy-winning snacks for your Super Bowl parties. It’s also an excellent time to cozy up with an inspiring project bake or comforting classic. Whatever the baking occasion (or even no occasion at all), we’ve got you covered this month.
1) Rich Chocolate Mousse
Celebrating Valentine’s Day at home? Nothing says love and romance like an entire bowl of chocolate mousse. Grab some whipped cream and two spoons and dive right in.
Get the recipe: Rich Chocolate Mousse
Shop the recipe: Guittard Semisweet Chocolate Wafers
If you like this recipe, you may also like: Quick Pots de Crème, Easy Chocolate Pudding
2) Homemade Cheese Ravioli
If you have a food processor and a bag of all-purpose flour, you’re already halfway to making your own cheese-filled pasta. Better than store-bought but surprisingly simple to make at home, these pillowy, herbed ravioli just need a simple red sauce and a garnish of basil.
Get the recipe: Homemade Cheese Ravioli
Shop the recipe: 14 Cup Food Processor and Pasta Machine
If you like this recipe, you may also like: Savory Pumpkin Ravioli, Fresh Pasta
3) Scallion Sesame Hot Dog Buns
If you like pigs in a blanket, you’ll love these hot dogs swaddled in pillowy milk bread dough — a Chinese bakery classic. They’re the hand-held snack your Super Bowl party is missing. (And if you need more ideas, here are 16 of our best Super Bowl recipes.)
Get the recipe: Scallion Sesame Hot Dog Buns
Shop the recipe: Baker’s Special Dry Milk
If you like this recipe, you may also like: Pretzel Pigs in a Blanket, Stuffed Pretzel Bites
4) Bananas Foster Banana Bread
Just like its namesake, this fancy quick bread features the flavors of butter, dark brown sugar, rum, and vanilla. A brush of rum glaze after baking adds a glossy, caramelly finish that tastes like cooked sugar and booze — a true homage to bananas foster, without the tableside flambé.
Get the recipe: Bananas Foster Banana Bread
Shop the recipe: Vietnamese Cinnamon and Tea Loaf Pan
If you like this recipe, you may also like: Double Chocolate Banana Bread, Banana Snacking Cake with Chocolate Malted Cream Cheese Frosting
5) Almond Croissant Milk Bread
Love soft, squishy milk bread? How about rich, buttery almond croissants? Well, this recipe combines them both into a gorgeous almond-flecked loaf that’s streaked with frangipane and encrusted with sugared nuts. It’s almost too pretty to slice.
Get the recipe: Almond Croissant Milk Bread
Shop the recipe: Swedish Pearl Sugar
If you like this recipe, you may also like: Marbled Matcha Milk Bread, Frangipane and Fruit-Filled Wool Rolls
6) Slice-and-Bake Valentine Cookies
These buttery, lemon-scented Valentine cookies are a fun, festive way to spread the love. To make the heart in each cookie, you’ll make a “tower” by stacking small heart cut-outs, then wrap the vanilla dough around it to form a neat cylinder. Cut the cylinder to reveal a red heart at the center of every cookie.
Get the recipe: Slice-and-Bake Valentine Cookies
Shop the recipe: Plant-Based Food Colors set of 4
If you like this recipe, you may also like: Mini Raspberry Palmiers, Citrus Sparkle Slice-and-Bake Cookies
7) Scallion and Cheddar Cathead Biscuits
Pastry chef Cheryl Day is known for her biscuits. These oversized examples (so named because they’re as big as a cat’s head) are tender (thanks to the inclusion of cake flour), with crispy edges from the addition of a generous amount of cheddar cheese. And because they’re drop biscuits, they’re especially easy to make. (For more ways to celebrate Black History Month in the kitchen, see our list of 10 recipes to bake for Black History Month.)
Get the recipe: Scallion and Cheddar Cathead Biscuits
Shop the recipe: Unbleached Cake Flour
If you like this recipe, you may also like: Buttermilk Biscuits, Savory Cheddar Biscuits
8) Strawberry Cream Cheese Babka
For a bright, fruity bake that doesn’t require fresh fruit, try this pink-hued babka. Instead of cinnamon or chocolate, the soft, rich bread is filled with swirls of cream cheese spiked with freeze-dried strawberry powder, which is always in season.
Get the recipe: Strawberry Cream Cheese Babka
Shop the recipe: Quick Bread Pan and Loaf Pan Lifters
If you like this recipe, you may also like: Apple Pie Babka, Plum Almond Babka
9) Super-Fast Thin-Crust Pizza Dough
This smart recipe yields homemade thin-crust pizza in under an hour — nearly as fast as delivery. The simple dough is made with both baking powder and yeast, yielding a super-thin, super-light crust. Mildly crunchy while still pliable, this crust is ready for any toppings you care to throw on it — just don’t be too heavy-handed, as the thin dough can’t support a heavy load.
Get the recipe: Super-Fast Thin-Crust Pizza Dough
Shop the recipe: King Arthur Bread and Pizza Stone
If you like this recipe, you may also like: Thin-Crust Pizza, The Fastest Homemade Pizza Ever
10) Sweet Potato Bread
Forget pumpkin or banana — this soft quick bread gets its tenderness and flavor from mashed sweet potato. A dash of cardamom adds floral spice, while the sweet potato’s moisture makes the cake extra plush and tender. A crumb topping adds crisp crunch to each slice.
Get the recipe: Sweet Potato Bread
Shop the recipe: Cloud Forest Ground Cardamom
If you like this recipe, you may also like: Sweet Potato Sandwich Bread, Sweet Potato Biscuits
11) Chocolate and Vanilla Pudding Cups
These delightful two-tone pudding cups are both nostalgic and sophisticated. They’re made with one base pudding, which you split to make two flavors. A combination of egg yolks and cornstarch gives the pudding a perfect set-but-soft texture, while the sweetened condensed milk turns it incomparably silky and creamy. And perhaps best of all, the pudding doesn’t require any egg tempering.
Get the recipe: Chocolate and Vanilla Pudding Cups
Shop the recipe: Guittard Semisweet Chocolate Wafers
If you like this recipe, you may also like: Simple Stovetop Vanilla Pudding, Entirely Homemade Banana Pudding
12) Crème Brûlée Buns
Who knew buns could be such a scene-stealer? These no-knead brioche buns have the flavors and textures of classic crème brûlée, but in an adorable handheld form. With their caramelized sugar cap and creamy vanilla custard filling, they evoke the classic French bistro dessert.
Get the recipe: Crème Brûlée Buns
Shop the recipe: Pure Vanilla Extract and Pastry Bags and Tips Set
If you like this recipe, you may also like: Ube Bibingka Custard Buns, Pineapple Buns (Bolo Bao)
13) Sourdough Tortillas
These sourdough tortillas are a delicious way to use a whole cup of sourdough discard, which adds its signature subtle tang to these tender, versatile flatbreads. Made with just a few simple ingredients and ready in about an hour, whip up a batch for quesadillas, tacos, or wrap sandwiches.
Get the recipe: Sourdough Tortillas
Shop the recipe: Field No.8 Skillet
If you like this recipe, you may also like: 50/50 Corn and Flour Tortillas, Flour Tortillas
Need more baking inspiration? How about 15 brownie and bar recipes for sweet, simple baking.
Cover photo by Patrick Marinello; food styling by Yekaterina Boytsova.
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