It’s been a busy year here at Out of the Box Baking and emotions are running high as we wrap up what has been a stellar twelve months.
2022 Was a Great Year for Out of the Box Baking
First, a huge “Thank you!” to you, my readers, for your love and support! I could never have made it through this year without you! You inspired me, challenged me, supported me, baked alongside me, and kept me encouraged every step of the way. Thanks to you, I was able to get this blog monetized a little more than halfway into the year. (Go us!)
The year was not without its chaos! After all, I posted over 200 recipes in 2022. Whew! I’m tired just thinking about it, and all the more when I realize that every one of those recipes required a day in the kitchen to bake up the product and then take photos. It’s a busy life but it’s one I wouldn’t trade for anything.
Where Did my 2022 Recipes Come From?
Many came from my mother’s recipe book, the one she left to me after she passed away in 2017. Still others came from family members like my sister-in-law Stacey, my step-mom, Jeanene, and my daughters. Others came from friends and loved ones, and still others came from the Internet or various recipe share groups I belong to.
Not every recipe was a winner. I experienced a few duds along the way. But I’m learning that even the recipes I’m not fond of can turn out to be someone else’s favorite, which is why I leave the ones that don’t hold as much appeal to me.
Wrapping up 2022. . .
I thought it would be a fun idea to wrap up the year by posting my top 22 recipes. These are personal favorites and fan favorites–recipes that have won the heart of readers like yourself. I’m going to list them starting with #22 and working my way up to #1 (at the bottom of the post). No jumping ahead!
With that in mind, here are the top 22 recipes for 2022:
22. Easy Peanut Brittle
If you love the crisp sweet flavor of brittle with the yummy crunch of peanuts, this is the recipe for you. This brittle is a family recipe, passed down over multiple generations. It’s easy, and definitely one you’ll pass on to your friends and loved ones.
21. Old-Fashioned Banana Bread with Mayonnaise
If you’ve been on a search for the best banana bread recipe out there, search no more! This one is absolutely perfect! Best of all, this Old-Fashioned Banana bread recipe is super easy to whip up in a hurry! It’s loaded with flavor. . .and thanks to a secret ingredient (mayonnaise!) it’s moist, flaky, and super tasty!
20. Traditional Coconut Cake
Coconut cake is a popular offering in the south, but there’s no reason why we need to limit it geographically! This luscious cake is perfect for families across the globe and great for Christmas, Easter, and every day in-between!
19. Fudgy Pecan Pie
In this post I’m going to share a luscious pecan pie recipe that incorporates an extra ingredient sure to make you swoon. . .chocolate!
18. Poppy Seed Cake with Orange Glaze
It you love a luscious poppy seed cake but enjoy a hint of orange flavoring, you’re going to flip over this simple homemade cake. It’s truly perfect, inside and out.
17. Cinnamon Poke Cake
Every now and again you stumble across a recipe that’s so simple, so luscious, so delectable, that you have no choice but to share it. This is that recipe.
16. Old-Fashioned Pound Cake with Whipping Cream
If you’re looking for a classic pound cake to serve at your next get-together, you can stop looking! I’ve got a luscious butter pound cake recipe for you that’s going to thrill and delight your guests and make you proud to serve it!
15. Easy Pineapple Coconut Cake
If you’re in the mood for a summery cake filled with tropical flavors, you’ve come to the right place. This delicious Pineapple Coconut Cake with Lime will make you feel like you’re on a Caribbean beach, ocean waves crashing in the background.
14. The Best Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake
If you’re looking for a rich, moist cake, loaded with flavor, you’ve come to the right place. This Old Fashioned Chocolate Mayonnaise cake is a southern favorite guaranteed to please everyone on your guest list. And this yummy recipe takes things a step further, adding a rich chocolate frosting with mayonnaise in it, as well!
13. Strawberry Lemon Cream Scones
The juicy berries, the tartness of the lemon zest. . .wow! Talk about a flavor explosion! I simply loved these (so much so that I had to pass them on to a family member to keep from eating the whole batch).
12. Cut-Out Sugar Cookies
If someone gave me a nickel for every single one of these Cut-Out Sugar Cookies I’ve made over the past 8 years I would be a wealthy woman, indeed. Talk about the perfect sugar cookie!
11. Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies
Every baker needs an amazing chocolate chip cookie recipe, one that causes people to stop in their tracks and say, “Oh my goodness, this is the best cookie I’ve ever eaten!”
This recipe will bring that sort of reaction. It’s got the charm of a traditional chocolate chip cookie with something extra–the bliss of browned butter.
10. Easy Blackberry Pie with Decorative Crust
If you’re looking for a luscious pie with both fantastic flavor and a memorable look, you’ve come to the right place! This blackberry pie is delicious and beautiful.
9. Luscious Lemon Bars
They’re tart, sweet, crisp and creamy. These luscious lemon bars are all of the above. . .and then some!
8. Strawberry Lemonade Cake
The tartness of the lemon cake. The sweetness of the strawberry. The tang of the lemon curd. The delicious balance of strawberry preserves and fresh strawberries. And, on top of it all–homemade whipped cream, stabilized with lemon pudding. Yes, please! This Strawberry Lemonade cake is visually stunning and (truly) one of the best cakes you’ll ever put in your mouth.
7. Easy Mexican Wedding Cookies
These cookies go by different names. Some call them Mexican Wedding Cookies, some call them Snowballs. Some call them Pecan Sandies, others call them Pecan Balls. Some folks call these soft bites of wonderment Italian Wedding Cookies, Mexican Wedding Cakes, or Russian Tea Cookies, others call them southern pecan butterballs. No matter what you call them, they’re delicious and super easy to make.
6. Perfect Peanut Butter Cookies
Light, fluffy, loaded with peanut butter. . .these cookies are the perfect combination of salty and sweet. And, for the true peanut connoisseurs, they’re like fluffy clouds of peanut butter heaven, soft pillows of nutty delight. (How’s that for a tasty description?)
5. Ooey-Gooey Chocolate Chip Blondies
Have you ever had a hankering for something sweet but couldn’t quite put your finger on what you really wanted? These chocolate chip blondies are perfect for days like that! Not quite a cookie, not quite a brownie, not quite a cookie bar. Gooey, chewy, and crisp on the edges. . .they are (in a word) perfect.
4. Traditional German Chocolate Cake with Coconut Pecan Frosting
If you love the sweet flavor of German Chocolate cake and you’re nuts about coconut pecan frosting, you’ve definitely come to the right place! In this post I’m going to give you my tips and tricks for one of the most classic cakes of all time–German Chocolate! And best of all. . .it starts with a boxed mix!
3. Mint Oreo Trifle
If you love creamy layers of chocolate fudge brownies, mint chocolate mousse and whipped cream, along with bits of minty Oreos, you’ve come to the right place! Today’s post will delve into one of my favorite recipes, a delicious Mint Oreo Trifle.
2. Best Italian Cream Cake
Whether you’re needing a birthday cake, a wedding cake, or an anniversary cake, we’ve got just the recipe for you! Italian cream cake is one of the most popular cake flavors around. . .for a reason!
1. Easy Coconut Cream Pie
This Coconut Cream Pie is lush, rich, sweet, and loaded with coconutty goodness! It’s perfect for special occasions or any day of the week!
About the Author
Janice Thompson is an author, baker and all-around mischief maker! She has overcome a host of baking catastrophes, including a toppled wedding cake, to learn more about the baking process. Janice has published over 150 books for the Christian market but particularly enjoys writing recipes and baking devotions. To learn more about Janice or to drop her a note, visit her About the Author page.