Popular Recipes for Good Reason
Being popular can be great in some instances, and this is definitely one of those times! These are popular recipes for good reason, and I’m excited to share them with you.
These are the recipes everyone seems to come back to again and again. Some are longtime favorites, some have become readers’ go-to recipes, and a few may surprise you.
Take a look around, see what everyone is making, and find your next favorite recipe. There’s a good chance you’ll find something you’ll want to make more than once!
Start Here: The Most Popular Recipes
These recipes cover a little bit of everything, from easy family dinners and make-ahead meals to desserts, baking projects, breakfast favorites, and homemade versions of foods you might normally buy.
I’ve been sharing recipes here since 2009, and it’s always interesting to see which recipes become reader favorites. Some are recipes I make all the time, while others became popular because someone was looking for a simple solution to a cooking question.
So if you’re wondering what to make next, browse through these popular recipes and see what catches your eye. You may find an old favorite you’ve forgotten about or discover something completely new to add to your recipe box.
And if you’re looking for something specific, you can always visit my recipe index to browse even more recipes by category.
Easy Recipes People Keep Coming Back To
One thing I love about this list is that the recipes aren’t all the same type of food. There are quick recipes for busy days, comforting dinners, easy appetizers, breakfast ideas, and plenty of desserts for when you want to bake something special.
Starting off with some of my personal favorites:
- Baked Ziti
- 2 Layer White Cake
- Luau Cupcakes
- Pancake Recipe
- Jalapeno Bacon Mac and Cheese
- 9×13 Brownie
And the one recipe I look for on any Italian Menu, Chicken Francaise (or spelled Chicken Francese)
These are some of the recipes and helpful cooking posts that readers keep coming back to, from easy dinners and breakfast favorites to cookies, cupcakes, desserts, sauces, and cooking tips.
Some recipes become well-liked because they are easy to make. Others are the recipes people make again and again because they just taste really good. And then there are the recipes that are simply fun to make and share.
Whether you’re looking for an easy dinner, something sweet to bake, a recipe for a party, or a helpful cooking shortcut, take a look around. You might find your next favorite recipe here.
Dinner Recipes
Need dinner inspiration? This is where I’d start.
These recipes are especially helpful when you want something that feels homemade without making dinner unnecessarily complicated. From comforting pasta and baked dishes to chicken, soups, and easy meals you can prepare ahead, these are recipes worth saving for busy nights and family dinners.
Sometimes the best recipes are the ones you can make without a lot of fuss, using ingredients you already know and love.
Oh, there are some really wonderful recipes for you to try!
- Tortilla Empanadas a great, easy meal that is fun and delicious
- Brown Sugar Soy Chicken this is so super tasty, it’s a must-make
- How to Make Lemonade amazing lemonade
- Faux Cream Cheese Frosting this cream cheese frosting hack is so helpful
- Texas Egg Rolls so flavorful you’ll wonder what took you so long to try them
- Pancake Mix Biscuits this fun recipe is one reason to keep pancake mix on hand
- Cheesy Bacon Breakfast Potatoes in 5 Minutes–yes only 5 minutes to make this!
- Pancake Cupcakes with Maple Frosting– these are so fun and taste amazing
- Red Velvet Cookies- my favorite cookies any time of year
- How and Why I Cook Chicken for the Week all at Once- this is just ONE way I get great meals on the table fast, take a look at all the details and recipes.
- Creamy Mac and Cheese Recipe here-this creamy mac and cheese is a staple in my house!
- Brownie Cookie Recipe here-brownie… in cookie form… need I say more!
- Baked Ziti Recipe here- a tried-and-true recipe that is a crowd-pleaser and my go-to meal to make for others when delivering dinner for families in need of a thank-you, helping hand, sick family member, etc.
- Oreo Frosting– a cookies-and-cream lover’s dream frosting
- Pumpkin Peanut Butter Oatmeal Dog Biscuits – the PERFECT dog treat, easy to make and a TOP 10 list of my favorite things for dogs.
- Cherry Pie Cookies – and other fruit pie options, easy and a great dessert for all occasions
- Vanilla Layer Cake – A great vanilla cake layered with pastry cream filling and topped with berries, no-fuss cake!!!
- Hot Fudge Sauce– OMG, this is so good
- Strawberry Smoothie with delicious strawberries available all year long; this is bound to be your new favorite!
- Red, White, and Blue Deviled Eggs – a really fun appetizer for everyday or parties
- How to roast pumpkin seeds – a super delicious snack!
- How to roast a turkey overnight – this is one of the ALL TIME POPULAR posts on my site! I’ve used this method for years, it’s great.
- Red velvet snowflake cookies – a great sugar cookie recipe that is perfect anytime and can be made into any shape to fit any occasion.
- Overnight Oats with Berries- an easy breakfast to make ahead for the whole week!
- Garlic Butter Shrimp- A deliciously tasty dish that will become a favorite.
- PBJ Cupcakes- A sandwich favorite is now in a GREAT cupcake!
- One Pot Chicken Soup- In one pot in 30 minutes, this soup tastes like it’s been simmering all day! You can prep it ahead of time and freeze it for easy meals when you’re not feeling well!
- Prosciutto and Cantaloupe Appetizer-maybe the easiest ever, they are always a huge hit.
- S’more Cupcakes- These are absolutely delicious!
- My favorite Pancake Recipe- no morning should be without perfect pancakes
- How to Frost Rose Cupcakes-no baker of cupcakes should be without knowing this favorite recipe and how-to, including video!
Popular Cookie Recipes and Baking Tips
If cookies are your thing, don’t stop with the recipes above. I also have a collection of cookie baking tips and tutorials to help you get better results, whether you’re making simple sugar cookies or decorating cookies for a special occasion.
From getting the dough to hold its shape to icing cookies without a piping bag, these are the kinds of baking tips that can make the whole process easier.
Here are some of my favorite cookie resources to keep handy:
LOTS of info on baking cookies: which typically become wildly popular recipes around the holidays
- Cookie tips guide
- How to bake perfect cookies
- Easy Cut-Out Cookies
- Cookie Dough Recipe that holds its shape
- Soft Sugar Cookies and Frosting
- How to ice cookies with a piping bag
- Brush on glaze icing
- Resources, recipes, items, and instructions for baking perfect cookies
- Royal icing recipe
More Recipes to Explore
Of course, these are only some of the popular recipes here at Created by Diane. With more than 1,000 recipes on the site, there is plenty more to explore.
If you’re looking for an easy dinner, something to bake, a new breakfast idea, a homemade sauce, or just a recipe that solves the “what should I make?” question, take a look through the recipe index.
I hope you find something that becomes one of your favorites, too. And if you make one of these recipes, I’d love to hear which one you tried!
I have lots of tips and tricks to re-creating recipes instead of buying them that taste so delicious like these popular reicpes everyone likes:
- ketchup
- BBQ sauce
- ranch dressing
- making eggs
- and how to make your favorite take-out!
- and more everyday items
I love to cook and bake, so there is something for everyone on this expansive list. It’s fun to see what becomes popular. I do update this list to provide you with what’s currently popular.
There are items that are perfect for dinner and dessert, to help make meal planning easier with a helpful printable to keep you organized, and so much more, even a daily planner printout.
CHECK out my RECIPE INDEX for more recipes you can search by category or recipe type.
And don’t forget to sign up here for email updates on all new recipes, you can expect a new recipe each week.
~Diane
I just love all these, and I’ve made a couple already but I like that I can find them all in one place. Thanks so much for your great recipes!
I have been making your recipes for years and am so happy every time I get one of your emails with a new recipe.
Thanks for sharing! How far ahead of time can I make?
Which specific recipe did you want that information for?
This is a great recap of posts. The way you bring passion and engagement into the things you do is so wonderful, I love your recipes and make them often.
wow, the cream cakes are great.
Thank you for this I’ve made many of your recipes and they are all so great, I like that they are easy and delicious and use ingredients I am familiar with, your desserts always look so impressive and I’m happy to say mine come out similar, I didn’t think they would, but with your help they do!
Do you have every day recipes for the 4quart insta pot?
I do have an instant pot but have yet to blog any new recipes with specifics, but I’ve used a traditional pressure cooker for over 20 years, so any recipe that you would normally put in a pressure cooker, or slow cooker, can typically be prepared in the “new” instant pots. I often use it to cook chicken and then prep the rest of the meal outside of it as I don’t always like everything cooked together. But Chili and similar recipes are great in it. Here is my favorite chili recipe. https://www.createdby-diane.com/2012/11/my-favorite-chili-recipe.html and here is my green chicken chili recipe https://www.createdby-diane.com/2015/11/green-chicken-or-turkey-chili.html that will both work well in an instant pot you can adjust amounts if you prefer a smaller portion. Timings can be found in the instant pot instruction booklet for specifics. I’m sure as the new year is upon me, I’ll try to make some recipes with timings soon on my blog.
Beautiful collection of recipes Diane, so many winners here! I especially love those whimsical eggs, they make me smile.
Such a beautiful collection, Diane. You are equally skilled at cooking and baking and I always find that admirable. I’m afraid I’ve developed bake-a-phobia, lol.
Your rose cupcakes would win contests!
Well I can certainly see why these are so popular. Great collection and definitely bookmarking to try a bunch 🙂
Your most popular posts are also your prettiest! I love the graphic, they all look wonderful, and I see one of my personal favorites there — the gingerbread cheesecake bites <3
They all look so wonderful Diane -thanks for putting them together in one place for me to drool over! Sharing!