Here's what our editors and readers loved this year.
Amy Sefton / BuzzFeed
We recently asked BuzzFeed Life's editors, writers, and readers to share the favorite thing they made this past year. Here's what they said.
Amy Sefton / BuzzFeed
1. Banana Cake with Nutella & Cream Cheese Frosting
"It's sweet enough to satiate your craving for sugar, but not so sweet that you can't even finish a piece. I've made this in layer cake form, but usually I put the batter in cupcake pans instead because they're easier to bring on the go. (And they're so good you really will want to take 'em everywhere.)" —Mallory McInnis
2. Stovetop Carnitas
"I made this stovetop carnitas recipe with no real expectations, but it turned out so SO well. The lemon and lime juice evaporate while the pork cooks slowly, and it gets the meat super tender in less time than other methods." —Christine Byrne
3. Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies
Robyn Lee / seriouseats.com
"I am really in love with David Lebovitz's chocolate chip cookies from his book Ready for Dessert. They're the ideal chocolate chip cookie texture: exactly in the middle between cakey and chewy. I put in cashews and sometimes coconut." —Sarah DiGregorio
4. Pesto, Tomato & Broccoli Pasta
"This was one of my staple weeknight dinners this year because it's so quick and easy — and it's loaded with vegetables so I can justify eating pasta with alarming frequency. Plus, pesto and Parm? My ultimate pair." —Melissa Harrison
5. Chocolate Avocado Pudding
"This surprises me every time. It's SO fudgey." —Tashween Ali
6. Easy Weeknight Chicken
Rachel Miller / therewm.com
"This is my old standby that I make every week. It's delicious and is great for people afraid of cooking chicken." —Rachel W. Miller
7. Original Plum Torte
"This year I finally accepted the truth that all other summer desserts look and taste like garbage compared to this legendary plum torte from The New York Times. I usually make it with the tweaks outlined by Smitten Kitchen. It's designed for the long, dark purple Italian "prune plums" that start appearing towards the end of summer, and that's how I love it the most, but the great secret is that it works with basically any fruit (my aunt swears by blueberries). It's such a sweet, gooey, beautiful payoff for so little work. —Rachel Sanders
8. Creamy Brussels Sprouts Shallot Dip
"I didn't realize that I liked brussels sprouts until about two years ago. Ever since then, I've been making up for lost time by ordering them whenever I see them at a restaurant and trying out every brussels-centric recipe I see. This dip is my favorite sprout dish I've made so far: It's eat-with-a-spoon worthy." —Mallory McInnis
9. Homemade Pumpkin Butter & Sautéed Dates
"My favorite kinds of recipes are ones where you take a fruit or vegetable (here, squash and dates, respectively), add pantry staples to them (sugar and olive oil & salt, respectively), and go to town." —Rachel Christensen
10. 2-Ingredient Biscuits
"This was the year I discovered the wonders of self-rising flour, which makes these biscuits possible. They're great. I've made them jumbo-sized with chopped chives and used them for sandwiches. I've also put strawberries in them, then topped with sugar." —Sarah DiGregorio
11. Cheesecake Tart with Apple Roses & Nutella Crust
Alvin Zhou / spoonuniversity.com
"Made with ingredients from the dining hall!" —Alvin Zhou
12. Spaghetti Squash with Bacon, Spinach & Goat Cheese
Lauren Zaser / buzzfeed.com
Lauren Zaser / buzzfeed.com
"I love this recipe because it's full of vegetables but really only healthyish, on account of the goat cheese and the bacon. It's also great because it teaches you how to cook spaghetti squash in a way that makes it sweet and al dente, instead of water-logged and flavorless. —Christine Byrne
Recipe here.
13. Avocado Bread
"This was my favorite thing I tried this year, and is quickly turning into the only bread I need. It's sturdy enough to toast and not too sweet, but still super dense and moist. Highly recommended the warm bread + ice cream combo, too." —Lauren Paul
14. Chocolate & Caramel Covered Graham Crackers
"I love these because they taste like a Heath bar and are made completely out of things that I can pick up at CVS. I tried to make them for a friend recently and they ate so much of it that I had to make a second batch. (So keep that in mind when you're picking up ingredients!)" —Mackenzie Kruvant
Amy Sefton / BuzzFeed
15. Pasta with Sundried Tomato Cream Sauce
"I eat this at least once a month. You can also swap out the sausage for Cajun shrimp." —Margie Lynn W. & Miss Mandi
16. Black Bean & Quinoa Enchilada Bake
"This has become a staple in my house. To make it even more delicious, I make my own enchilada sauce, use homemade stock, and add lime juice when it's done." —MrsH810
17. Green Chickpea & Chicken Curry with Swiss Chard
"I always try making enough so I have leftovers, but without fail, always end up eating it all in one sitting." —KreyKim
18. Spinach Banana Smoothie Muffins
"These are an excellent way to incorporate greens into kids' diets. My little son doesn't even know this muffin has spinach in it."—Antonet Roajer
19. Thai Coconut Soup
"This year I took a Thai cooking class and learned how to make my absolute favorite soup in the world: Tom Kha Gai. I always go to this recipe whenever I need to get my fix." —Sabrina Jayde, Facebook
20. Brussels Sprouts Breakfast Hash
—Leah L.
21. Mushroom Tacos with Goat Cheese Crema
"These changed Taco Tuesday’s forever." —Cailly L.
22. Swedish Meatball Noodle Soup
"When it gets cold here in Michigan, I love making this. Super rich, creamy, beefy — and the perfect comfort food." —Alexis L. Greenley
23. Easy Crock Pot Carnitas
"Super easy thanks to the Crock Pot, and it can feed nine people. I serve it with coleslaw, Mexican street corn, and black beans with rice." —Miss Mandi
24. Mozzarella, Mushroom, and Eggplant Shashuka
25. One Pan Chicken Burrito Bowls
"Chipotle has nothing on this!" —FreeFalling
26. Oreo Truffles
"I used vanilla/white chocolate candy melts, but I’m sure these would work just as well with milk or dark chocolate melts too."—Ashley Ann H.
27. Easy Oven Fajitas
"I've had this recipe for almost every lunch for a couple of months now, but instead of using a tortilla, I make it part of a burrito bowl. Add rice, lettuce, cheese, hot sauce, guacamole — whatever you'd like." —unituna
28. Cheeseburger Gnocchi
"So simple. So delicious." —Leticiamb
29. Cranberry Apple Pie
"This was my festive take on the humble apple pie." —Sandra Guerin
30. Eggs Benedict Brunch Burgers
"I think this might have even been inspired by something I saw on BuzzFeed Food!" —Cristin Scott, Facebook
31. African Peanut Soup
"Two words: Berbere. Spice." —Caroline Evans, Facebook
32. Grilled Cheese with Sriracha BBQ Chicken
"We won a grilled cheese contest with this recipe, and some folks in Wisconsin thought it was one of the best things they ate this year as well." —Chasing Snacks, Facebook
33. Baked Potato Soup with Bacon, Scallions & Cheddar
Emma Christensen / thekitchn.com
"This is my new favorite comfort food. The only changes I made were to halve the original recipe (because it makes tons!) and to use the bacon grease in place of some of the butter. —Emily Handler, Facebook
34. 30-Minute Skillet Lasagna
"I use the tomato sauce that is already seasoned with basil, oregano & garlic to give it more flavor." —Simone Ebanks, Facebook
35. One-Bowl Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls
"So, so delicious. Fed them to my boyfriend and he nearly ate half the tray. He had no idea they were vegan."—Julia B.
