Top Recipes of 2016

Our top 10 reader-favorite recipes of 2016. Butternut Squash Stuffed Shells, Vegetarian Pho, Carrot Breakfast Cookies and more!

Top Recipes of 2016 - Vegan Butternut Squash Stuffed Shells

Happy 2017 everyone! I know everyone is ready to kick 2016 to the curb, but before we forget about it entirely, I wanted to share our top 10 recipes of the past year. These recipes not only top our site analytics, but they’re among the most made and shared recipes on Instagram. If you’re new here, (welcome!) this group of recipes is a great place to start. Click on the links OR the photos themselves to go directly to the recipes.

Vegan Butternut Squash Stuffed Shells (pictured above)
Ok technically I posted this one at the tail end of 2015, but it was such an overwhelming favorite throughout the year that I felt it deserved a place on this list. These little shells are stuffed with a surprising mix of tofu, cashews, spices, spinach and butternut squash – vegan or not, everyone seems to love a pan of creamy stuffed pasta.

Top Recipes of 2016 - Easy Vegetarian Pho

Easy Vegetarian Pho
I took some liberties and simplified the process of Vietnamese Pho – this recipe might not be traditional, but it’s delicious. One of my favorites from the year as well. This would be a great healthy, yet flavorful, way to start the new year.

Top Recipes of 2016 - Carrot Quinoa Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies

Carrot Quinoa Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies
I’m pretty sure this one wins the prize of “Most Made Recipe of the Year.” As soon as I posted these, so many of you ran to the kitchen to make them! I saw photo after photo of your beautiful creations on Instagram. These are vegan, gluten free and healthy enough to eat for breakfast. They freeze wonderfully as well.

Top Recipes of 2016 - Broccoli Tahini Salad

Broccoli Tahini Pasta Salad
This is my kind of pasta salad – light on the pasta, heavy on the veggie. Instead of a mayo-based dressing it’s tossed with a tangy tahini sauce. It’s a perfect picnic salad, but it’s also a great make-ahead lunch option.

Top Recipes of 2016 - Vegan Raspberry Scones

Vegan (and gluten free) Raspberry Scones
I often get asked for more recipes that use coconut flour. It’s a finicky flour to use, but it worked perfectly in these scones when we (my mom and I) were trying to firm up our oat-based scone dough.

Top Recipes of 2016 - Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
When I’m too lazy to grate carrots, I make these cookies instead of the carrot cookies (above). They’re a little too sweet to be called a breakfast cookie, but they’re a perfect 3pm snack!

Top Recipes of 2016 - Blueberry Coconut Baked Oatmeal

Blueberry Coconut Baked Oatmeal
Admittedly, creamy oatmeal is not my favorite thing, but I love this baked oatmeal that gets crispy on top. It’s packed with oats, hemp seeds, sliced almonds, blueberries and bananas. This is an easy, healthy & hearty dish to serve a group at brunch.

Top Recipes of 2016 - Cauliflower Rice Burrito Bowl

Cauliflower Rice Burrito Bowl
I’m so happy this favorite made the list. I love a burrito bowl, but I really love this one that uses cauliflower “rice” in places of regular rice. So many veggies in one bowl.

Top Recipes of 2016 - No-Bake Almond Oatmeal Cookies

No-Bake Almond Oatmeal Cookies
Another cookie recipe? Do you guys want more cookie recipes?

Top Recipes of 2016 - Rainbow Bowls with Almond-Ginger Dressing

Rainbow Bowls with Almond-Ginger Dressing

Let’s eat the rainbow without eating Skittles. These bowls would be a terrific start your 2017 heatlhy resolutions!

Wishing you all a wonderful year. As always, please let me know if there’s anything you’d specifically like to see here in 2017!

24 comments

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  1. Sooperchef.pk
    03.17.2017

    Fabolous recipes, yummmy, and healthy loving all your food recipes

  2. zeshan
    03.17.2017

    You all recipes a very healthy and delicious

  3. Merry from goo.gl
    01.18.2017

    Wow your recipes are amazing,i am fan of your recipes. Specially Vegetarian Pho is yummy. Thanks for share these amazing recipes.

  4. Louise from thescramblerreview.soup.io
    01.05.2017

    I want to devour all of these. Thank for sharing Jeanine

  5. Maria from almostproperly.com
    01.04.2017

    I must have thing for bowl recipes but the cauliflower burrito bowls and the rainbow noodle bowls with the creative dressing look so so tasty!!! YUM!! You are so creative;)

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      01.04.2017

      those are my favorites too 🙂

  6. Sandra
    01.03.2017

    Love your creative and delicious recipes, I also bought your cookbook. I would love for
    The ” dish photo” of the recipe print as well. The photos are so well done, and also lets me see how the dish should look when completed. Happy New Year!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      01.04.2017

      Hi Sandra, thanks for the feedback, we’ll make that happen sometime soon!

  7. Heidi
    01.03.2017

    Hi Jeanine – a yoga assistant overheard me talking about being a vegan and suggested your site! Loving it…one question/comment though. I notice that you do not include any stats such as calories, protein, fat, etc. I suspect our focus should be on eating healthy, whole foods and these stats keep us focused on the wrong things?! Your thoughts?

  8. Hillary
    01.03.2017

    I would like to make the stuffed pasta shells, but I am off of gluten. Do you have a source of gluten free big pasta shells?

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      01.03.2017

      Hi Hillary, I’m so sorry – I’ve looked but I don’t know of a gluten free jumbo shell source. If I hear of something, I will let you know! Hopefully someone comes out with one soon.

  9. Carol Diamond
    01.03.2017

    You are KILLING ME! Not only do I have to buy your cookbook, but print out all of these recipes so I can get cooking. So Yummy, I can hardly contain myself! Thank you for all your hard work, and wonderful creativity! Loving it!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      01.04.2017

      Thanks Carol! I hope you enjoy the recipes 🙂

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      01.04.2017

      Thanks Jen! I’m so happy to hear that the tacos are a favorite!

  10. Those pasta shells left me drooling, have to try them soon! And the cookies too, ’cause there’s always a time for a good cookie 🙂 Happy New Year!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      01.04.2017

      🙂 Happy New Year to you too!

  11. Fernando @ Eating With Your Hands
    01.03.2017

    That rainbow bowl will fit in quite nicely into many people’s new year resolutions 🙂

  12. Pinned a few of these recipes for trying out in the New Year! I want to be more adventurous in my cooking this year and incorporating more vegan, plant-based recipes is one way I plan on doing it. Thanks for this awesome roundup 🙂

A food blog with fresh, zesty recipes.
Photograph of Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews in their kitchen

Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.

We love to eat, travel, cook, and eat some more! We create & photograph vegetarian recipes from our home in Chicago, while our shiba pups eat the kale stems that fall on the kitchen floor.