PSA: February doesn’t at all times want a grand gesture. It asks for heat, simplicity, and one thing candy within the oven. That is the month when baking turns into much less about event and extra about feeling, guided by cravings for consolation and somewhat elevate of pleasure.
Our editors’ favourite February recipes lean into the flavors that at all times ship within the late winter months. Assume: cinnamon for fast coziness, citrus for brightness when winter feels lengthy, and chocolate for the type of indulgence that by no means appears to fail. These are mood-boosting bakes made for winter rituals of every kind, whether or not you’re gathering, gifting, or just baking for the pleasure of it. Recipes that fill the kitchen with nostalgia and remind us why February is finest loved one scrumptious second at a time.
Cozy Baking Staples to Preserve in Your Pantry
February baking is all about ease and intention, beginning with a pantry stocked for consolation. Assume versatile components that may flip a sluggish afternoon into one thing nourishing and nostalgic.
- Rolled oats: Hearty, comforting, and endlessly versatile, rolled oats are the spine of cozy baking.
- Cocoa powder: Cocoa powder delivers a deep, moody high quality that makes winter bakes really feel further indulgent.
- Vanilla extract: The unsung hero that makes all the things style hotter and extra acquainted.
- Warming spices reminiscent of cinnamon and cardamom: Cinnamon and cardamom add immediate heat and that unmistakable wintery really feel.
- Honey: Honey lends light sweetness and a smooth, floral heat that elevates each bake.
These staples make baking really feel much less like a challenge and extra like an intuition. When your components are already readily available, it’s simpler to bake on a whim—just because it appears like precisely what you want.
How one can Create a Winter Baking Ritual
A winter baking ritual doesn’t should be elaborate. Begin by selecting a time that feels unhurried. Perhaps a quiet Sunday afternoon or an early Thursday night. Placed on a playlist that alerts calm, pour your self one thing heat like cider or scorching cocoa, and let baking turn into the occasion.
Measure slowly. Benefit from the scents as they construct. Let the kitchen really feel like a haven. Over time, this ritual turns into one thing you sit up for. A small pause in the midst of winter that brings a way of self-care into your days.
Our Editors’ 10 Favourite Cozy Baking Recipes
Chocolate Slice-and-Bake Cookies
That is my go-to February bake after I need one thing severely comforting with little or no effort. Slice-and-bake cookies really feel virtually intuitive—combine as soon as, chill, and bake every time the craving strikes. I like how customizable this model is, with a buttery chocolate base and no matter mix-ins you will have readily available. It’s the type of recipe that matches completely right into a sluggish winter afternoon, and makes it simple to share one thing selfmade, even on a whim. – Isabelle Eyman, Editorial Strategist
Wholesome Oatmeal Cookies
These are the cookies I bake after I need one thing cozy and nourishing that also brings the consolation of a dessert. Hearty oats, simply the suitable contact of sweetness, and that impossible to resist fresh-from-the-oven chew. – Camille Kinds, Editor-in-Chief
Oatmeal Cream Pies
I made these oatmeal cream pies for my household over the vacations and there wasn’t a crumb leftover. The icing is wealthy however balanced by the jam filling (I opted for a savory-leaning strawberry), and the puffy, oatmeal-cake-like cookies are a terrific twist on the traditional chewy model. – Casey McKee, Editorial Assistant
Raspberry Chocolate Chunk Cookies
These have turn into one in every of my favourite cookies to bake with my youngsters this time of 12 months! All of us love raspberries and chocolate, and these cookies hit that candy spot between the 2 (pun supposed). February at all times has me craving cozy, messy kitchen moments with my boys, and these are the proper love-filled deal with to make collectively. – Edie Horstman, Wellness Editor
One-Bowl Salted Chocolate Cake
That is the cake I flip to when February requires one thing deeply chocolatey however blissfully easy. One bowl, minimal cleanup, and a wonderfully tender crumb that feels indulgent with out being excessive. The flaky salt on high is non-negotiable. It sharpens the sweetness and makes each chunk really feel decadent. – Camille Kinds, Editor-in-Chief
Citrus-y Olive Oil Cake
Citrus actually shines within the winter, so I’ve obtained my eye on this citrus-y olive oil cake, in addition to this chocolate orange loaf cake. I typically save cake recipes for particular events, however after an particularly dreary January, I’m in search of any cause to have fun! Even when it’s simply making it by way of the week. Each of those desserts look scrumptious! – Kristen Garaffo, Design Editor
Chocolate Orange Loaf Cake
As Kristen talked about, this loaf cake IS my new weekend baking obsession. There’s one thing about pulling a heat loaf out of the oven on a chilly Sunday morning that may’t be beat. – Casey McKee, Editorial Assistant
Strawberries and Cream Pavlova
When winter begins to really feel lengthy, this pavlova is my reminder that brightness remains to be inside attain. Mild, ethereal, and topped with no matter fruit you are feeling like, it feels celebratory with out being heavy. It’s spectacular however completely unfussy to make forward. I like serving it on the finish of a comfortable dinner, if you want one thing candy however richness seems like an excessive amount of. – Isabelle Eyman, Editorial Strategist
Pumpkin Loaf Cake
Perpetually making this pumpkin cake. It’s a crowd-fave and my private feel-good meals—it comes out excellent each time. Additionally beginning a petition to make pumpkin year-round, not seasonal. – Anna Decker, Social Media & E-Commerce Supervisor
Gluten-Free Citrus Cake with Strawberries and Cardamom Coconut Cream
I used to be fortunate sufficient to do that cake the primary time Allison baked it for the CS Workforce, and I haven’t stopped desirous about it since. Spring strawberries are my private favourite topping, however the fantastic thing about this recipe is how effortlessly it really works with no matter fruit or berries are in season. Proper now, I’d skip the coconut icing and go for orange slices and a easy powdered sugar glaze. It’s additionally gluten-free, making it a straightforward, crowd-pleasing banquet dessert that appears and feels easy (however tastes unbelievable).
– Bridget Chambers, Trend Editor
