It’s recipe disaster day — one of my favorite posts of the year.
Can you believe it’s been twelve years since I first started sharing my yearly roundup of recipe failures? The tradition continues: I still make a lot of flops in the kitchen, and I’m still having fun with it.
Below are links to previous years’ recipe disaster posts for anyone who wants to stroll down memory lane and see how gloriously wrong things have gone in past seasons:
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
This is a lighthearted way to share all my kitchen mishaps. I spend so much time cooking and testing that failures are inevitable — and frequent. I photograph the worst of them so we can laugh at the results and learn from mistakes.
Ready to see this year’s misadventures?
This year delivered a surprising amount of burnt toast, buns, and bread. Burnt is a theme.
I was aiming for a glossy glaze here — instead it looked sad and uneven.
These were apple cider soft pretzels. They tasted great, but the appearance was, well, imperfect.
Classic mistake: three years running I’ve tried to get blood orange bars to look blood-red. The color just doesn’t translate — and I always forget.
This risotto was the worst I’ve ever made. I wasn’t paying attention and it turned into a disaster.
I’ve been chasing the perfect cinnamon-sugar quick bread for years. It’s a reminder of why I don’t consider myself a baker.
This one looked promising but refused to cooperate — I had several versions that failed. Some recipes just aren’t in the cards yet.
Absolutely terrible: a chicken shepherd’s pie-type dish that was a mess in flavor and texture.
Also a flop — a chicken and sweet potato enchilada bake that never came together. Everything about it felt off.
I’m familiar with cast iron pizzas, but this margherita attempt was underwhelming.
A blueberry pudding cake that collapsed into a sad lump. I’ll keep tinkering for summer.
This coconut shrimp and corn chowder looked unappetizing every time I made it — dense shrimp “bricks” floating on soup. Presentation fail.
An apple cider Dutch baby that fell flat, became soggy, and ended up overly sweet.
And finally, lemon bars with a chocolate crust — rough at first, but I think I’ve worked the kinks out. Expect a better version soon.
What was your biggest kitchen flop this year?