Our Favorite Smitten Kitchen Recipes (2024)

Nowadays, there is no shortage of food blogs, with hundreds to scroll through as you rummage for the perfect weeknight dinner and scrumptious desserts to serve your family. Weekly meal planning can be admittedly stressful, and looking for that late-night nosh shouldn’t cause a headache.

But like an old friend, warm and welcoming, Smitten Kitchen, run by Deb Perelman since 2006, opens her door to every fuss-free recipe you could possibly imagine. Deb Perelmans’ Smitten Kitchen has tucked away something for everyone. Her drool-worthy photos of food p*rn will make you say it’s time to turn up the heat and let’s eat! But first, explore some of Smitten Kitchens’ best recipes for inspiration!

Jacked-Up Banana Bread

When you search for the most popular banana bread recipes, you’ll be bombarded with an assortment of choices; from Chrissy Teigen’s banana bread to Flour Bakery, there are many choices. Smitten Kitchen’s banana bread is among one of the best banana breads out there, and only you can be the judge!

Jacked-Up Banana Bread from Smitten Kitchen nailed it in the flavor department with bourbon, nutmeg, and cloves. A warm, cozy slice of this banana bread will put you on cloud nine.

Consummate Chocolate Chip Cookies, Revisited

After a thoughtful revamp, Deb Perelman believes that she has the ultimate cookie on her hands with the Consummate Chocolate Chip Cookie, and we do too! Pooling with melted chocolate in every bite, chocolate fiends will go absolutely bonkers for this decadent treat! The magic of these chocolate chip cookies lies in the Valrhona feves, which give these cookies puddles of rich chocolate that’s held together by warm cookie dough.

Lazy Pizza Dough

Say goodbye to take out pizza with Smitten Kitchen’s Lazy Pizza Dough. Adapted from Jim Lahey’s No-Knead Pizza Formula, with adjusted yeast levels to fit busy schedules, lazy pizza dough from Smitten Kitchen is the perfect Friday night dinner for when you need to unwind! Deb Perelman warns home chefs that the most annoying thing about this pizza dough is it’s quite sticky, which may put some into immediate panic mode. But, don’t worry, you’ll be enjoying artisanal pizza with mind-blowing flavor in no time.

Chocolate Olive Oil Cake

Smitten Kitchen’s Chocolate Olive Oil Cake pays homage to the vintage style wacky cakes and depression cakes of yore. Don’t let the simplicity of this cake fool you; the olive oil paired with cocoa make this cake positively divine with a down-to-earth, robust flavor.

No eggs or butter? No problem! Chocolate olive oil cake is largely popular for its ease of preparation, using kitchen staples that most folks have on hand when they’re craving something sweet. Chocolate olive oil cake is also allergy-friendly, suitable for gluten-free and dairy-free diets if dairy-free chocolate chips are used when preparing the sweet chocolately glaze.

Chicken Chili

Whether you cook Smitten Kitchen’s Chicken Chili in a crockpot or the Instant Pot, it will come out smashingly delicious every time! This chicken chili is a true set-it and forget-it weeknight meal for those busy bees that don’t want to go home after work and prepare a feast. All you need to do is throw everything in the pot and turn the heat on! Even the beans don’t even require presoaking; how easy is that? Serve your chicken chili with sour cream or Mexican crema with your favorite tortilla chips.

Everyday Meatballs

Spaghetti and meatball lovers can now rejoice will Smitten Kitchen’s everyday meatball recipe that is anything but complicated! No fussing around with pre-frying or pre-baking to help the meatballs retain their shape. Smitten Kitchen’s meatball recipe includes extra egg, which allows the meatballs to stay together while staying tender throughout the cooking process. Just toss them right into the sauce, they’ll hold together. Deb’s got your back!

These tasty Smitten Kitchen meatballs are so simple to prepare you’ll want to make more than just spaghetti and meatballs, we guarantee it! Try pairing them with buttery mashed potatoes, a side of hearty greens, or create a toasty meatball sub with melty mozzarella cheese.

Sweet Potato Tacos

Are you looking for a unique recipe to spice up your taco Tuesday? Let’s taco about it! Look no further than Smitten Kitchen’s Sweet Potato Tacos! These vegan-style tacos will show anyone that you don’t have to have meat for a flavorful taco Tuesday celebration. Toss some baked sweet potatoes in a mouth-watering spice blend, and then pile them on a schemer of refried black beans in a charred flour tortilla. Finish it off with a refreshing slice of avocado and sour cream for a dreamy plate of tacos that will rock your world.

My Favorite Brownies

Ditch those miserable cakey brownies, because we’ve found a winner! Amongst countless brownies recipes online, Smitten Kitchen’s Brownie recipe outshines the rest! Only needing seven ingredients, these easy brownies can be whipped up in just 10 minutes! Deb Perelman of Smitten Kitchen proclaims the magic to any good brownie is in the unsweetened chocolate, and her favorite brownies have three ounces of high-quality unsweetened chocolate that give this rich, chewy dessert its intensified chocolatey flavor.

Easiest Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Every home cook should have a homemade macaroni and cheese recipe in their culinary arsenal. Smitten Kitchen’s easiest baked mac and cheese recipe is ideal as a quick dinner, summer side dish for bbq, or an easy potluck dish for any larger gathering.

The main stars in this baked mac and cheese recipe are the blended full-fat cottage cheese and sour cream to give this mac its deep, cheesy taste and creamy texture. Alternatively, ricotta or mascarpone could be swapped for the cottage cheese. After pairing these unconventional ingredients with your cheddar, you’ll be smitten!

Related Reading

1. A Definitive Ranking of Chrissy Teigen’s 10 Best Recipes
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3. Our Most Popular Recipes of 2020