My Favorite Cookbooks

As an Amazon affiliate, I make a small commission when you purchase a product from the links in this post.



I am a cookbook fanatic! I absolutely love reviewing cookbooks, trying out recipes, and sharing my recommendations with others. Here are some of my absolute favorite cookbooks that I turn to time and time again, listed in no particular order. They are mainly gluten-free, many are also dairy-free, and some are grain-free and/or refined sugar-free as well.

The Simple Paleo Kitchen by Jessie Bittner: Written by one of my favorite bloggers, this cookbook is a must-have for anyone with young children or with limited time to spend in the kitchen (a.k.a. most of us!). As the title suggests, this is a cookbook of paleo recipes, meaning they are grain-free, dairy-free, and refined sugar-free. Some of my favorite recipes include:

  • Banana-Blueberry Breakfast Bread

  • Pork Chops with Cinnamon Apples

  • Buffalo Chicken-Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

  • Italian Sausage & Peppers Skillet

  • Smoky Beef & Sweet Potato Chili

  • Crispy Baked Zucchini Fries

  • Salted Chocolate Chunk Cookies

  • Fudgy Chocolate-Walnut Brownies

  • Chocolate Chip “Oatmeal” Cookie Dough

30-Minute Paleo by Jessie Bittner: Another cookbook full of quick, flavorful, paleo recipes to both please and nourish the whole family! Some of my favorite recipes include:

  • Creamy Spinach & Artichoke Chicken Skillet

  • Hibachi Chicken & Vegetables with Yum-Yum Sauce

  • Chipotle Turkey & Sweet Potato Taco Skillet

  • Sloppy Joe Chili with Hidden Veggies

  • Cheesesteak Skillet with Paleo Cheese Sauce

  • Combination Pizza Skillet

  • Fish & Chips

  • Southwest Huevos Rancheros Casserole

  • Smoky Shrimp & Sweet Potato Chowder

Cook Once Eat All Week by Cassy Joy Garcia: This book is a meal-preppers DREAM. I would like Cassy to come out with a few more of these cookbooks following this genius concept: each week centers around three main ingredients and makes three completely different meals out of them. The cookbook includes a weekly plan for prepping all of the necessary ingredients at the start of the week so you can throw each meal together in a snap. The recipes are gluten-free and budget-friendly, and while some include dairy and/or grains, Cassy also includes substitution suggestions. Some of my favorite weeks include:

  • Week 4 (Ground Beef, Broccoli, & Yukon Gold Potatoes): Bacon Burgers with Broccoli and Twice-Baked Fries, Picadillo Tacos, Cottage Pie

  • Week 11 (Roasted Chicken, Green Beans, & Yukon Gold Potatoes): Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole, Lemon Ginger Chicken Stir-Fry, Chicken Vesuvio

  • Week 16 (Shredded Pork, Kale, & Plantains): Al Pastor Pizzas, Green Pork Chili, Caribbean Plantain Bowls

  • Week 22 (Shredded Pork, Kale, & Sweet Potatoes): Jerk Pork-Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with Mango Kale Slaw, Honey Garlic Pork Skillet, Sweet Potato Tamale Pie

Eat What You Love by Danielle Walker: Bless Danielle for writing this cookbook, which focuses on remaking old favorites with allergen-friendly ingredients. Buy this for someone you know with food allergies and autoimmune disease, or make them something from the cookbook! Some of my favorite recipes include:

  • Banana Bread

  • Nut-Free Lunchbox Bread

  • Chocolate-Zucchini Muffins

  • Morning Glory Muffins

  • Poppyseed Chicken

  • Sausage-Spinach Skillet Lasagna

Healthy in a Hurry by Danielle Walker: This is the most approachable of Danielle’s cookbooks, and, like her other cookbooks, is grain-free and dairy-free. I love the way this cookbook is set up, with sections for sheet pan meals, freezer meals, no-cook lunches, one-pot meals, and so on. Danielle also includes little “tidbits” of cooking wisdom that I find very helpful. Some of my favorite recipes include:

  • Chilaquiles

  • Salsa Chicken Tacos

  • Chicken & Apricot Stew

  • Moo Shu Pork Pasta

  • Jerk Chicken Wings & Burnt Broccoli

  • Chicken Cordon Bleu

  • Arroz con Pollo

  • Hawaiian BBQ Chicken

True Comfort by Kristin Cavallari: This book is a MUST for the cooler months of the year. As the name suggests, it is filled with comfort foods to warm the belly. This cookbook is gluten- and refined sugar-free, and many recipes are also dairy free. Some of my favorite recipes include:

  • Apple Dutch Baby

  • Pumpkin Banana Muffins

  • Spicy Peruvian Chicken

  • Dad’s Meatballs & Famous Pasta Sauce

  • Skillet Cookie

  • Lemon Cayenne Elixir

Truly Simple by Kristin Cavallari: These recipes are gluten- and refined sugar-free, though many include dairy and grains. The recipes are generally easy to throw together and I’ve been really impressed with the end products. I have found this cookbook to be perfect for this stage of my life with two toddlers clinging to my legs while I prepare meals, plus the dishes are fun and family-friendly. Some of my favorite recipes include:

  • Loaded Quesadillas

  • Mexican Pizza

  • Chicken Skewers with Bang Bang Sauce

  • Tex-Mex Casserole

  • Creamy Proscuitto Pasta

  • Mac-n-Cheese

  • Gluten-Free Honey Cornbread

The Defined Dish by Alex Snodgrass: This is a Whole30 Endorsed cookbook, which means that many recipes are Whole30 compliant and almost all can be modified to be compliant. Thus, they are almost all gluten- and dairy-free. All of Alex’s recipes are wonderful, and this is her more approachable cookbook of weeknight and family-friendly dinners (she even has a “cleaned-up kid food” chapter!). I just wish it had breakfast and dessert chapters! Anyway, some of my favorite recipes include:

  • Skillet Chicken Piccata

  • Weeknight Lamb Bolognese

  • Linguine Puttanesca

  • Healing Chicken Soup (I highly recommend freezing this for postpartum!)

  • Lemony Greek Potatoes with Crispy Greek Chicken Thighs

  • Sheet-Pan Chicken Shawarma

  • One-Pot Chicken Pot Pie Pasta

  • Best Grain-Free Chicken Nuggets

  • Easy Collard Greens

No Crumbs Left by Teri Turner: Another Whole30 Endorsed cookbook! These recipes take a little extra time and attention, but they are 100% worth the effort. I’m holding out hope that she comes out with another cookbook, but until then, here are some of my favorite recipes:

  • Chilaquiles

  • Roasted Grapefruit Chicken

  • Mediterranean Chicken Artichoke Stew

  • Chicken Fricassee

  • Spicy Pepperoncini Beef

  • Slow-Roasted Beef Eye of Round

  • Pot Sticker Fish Cakes

The Primal Gourmet Cookbook by Ronny Joseph Lvovski: Yet another Whole30 Endorsed cookbook; you will see why I love these so much! I love Ronny’s story and his broad mix of multicultural recipes. Some of my favorites include:

  • Marcela’s Paleo Pancakes

  • Chicken with Spinach & Artichoke Cream Sauce

  • Kung Pao Lettuce Cups

  • Roast Short Ribs with Zhug, Tahini, & Almonds

  • Mici

  • Caldo Verde

  • Pan-Fried Salmon with Mustard-Dill Cream Sauce

There you have it! I hope these cookbook recommendations will lead you to a plethora of fantastic new recipes to add to your meal rotation. I am always testing out new cookbooks, so I will update this page as I discover more cookbooks that I love.