December 30, 2016

2016: Most Popular Recipes on Bunsen Burner Bakery

posted by Julie in Recipes

It’s time for one of my favorite posts of the year – the Top 10 Countdown!  Of course, I have my favorites that I post each year, but I love seeing what you guys like the most over here on Bunsen Burner Bakery.  It’s a great way to think about what kind of recipes to make next year and a fun reflection on a year of baking and cooking!

2016 was a big year for this little food blog.  Blogging really took the back seat in 2015 (hello, new baby!) and I left off my 2015 year end post setting the goal to do more things that made me feel like “me” in 2016 – which definitely included food blogging. 82 new posts this year – I’d call that a food blogging success.

I moved to WordPress and unveiled a new logo and site design back in May.  I also started actively sharing my content (Pinterest, Instagram, etc) for the first time – and my traffic increased by more than 25-fold by the end of the year.  Welcome, new readers!  Glad to have you.

It’s been a fun – but exhausting – ride.  Working full time in the lab, going to the gym, and parenting a toddler is tiring enough, but adding food blogging?  Well, I’ll make up all that sleep someday. 😉  I can’t wait to see what 2017 has in store!

In past years, I’ve always just looked at the top new posts I’ve written that year, but this year I’m trying something new – these are the top overall posts, mixing both current new posts and posts from prior years.  Now that I’ve started sharing old posts on social media, I’m breathing some new life into formerly stagnant old things!

And now…. the Top 10 posts in 2016, based on pageviews:

{Time Travel!}

2016 Most Popular Recipes

10) Dark Chocolate Cheesecake
The very first post I ever shared on my food blog, all the way back in 2011, made it into my Top 10 recipes for the year!

Rich, decadent deep chocolate cheesecake covered in rich chocolate ganache. No water bath necessary! {Bunsen Burner Bakery}

9) Roasted Tomatillo Salsa Verde
I’m really excited this made the Top 10 list, because it’s one of my personal favorites.  I love when I just randomly throw things together with no plan and it turns out so delicious, I eat the whole thing with a spoon.  Oops.

Roasted Tomato Salsa Verde: fire roasted tomatillos and cherry tomatoes pair beautifully with spicy jalapeno, onion, and garlic in this non-traditional salsa verde. A little sweet, a little tangy, a little spicy - all delicious. {Bunsen Burner Bakery}

8) Blueberry Cardamom Curd
This is another one of those “throw things together and hope for the best” recipes – and it totally worked.  Blueberry and cardamom is an amazing combination, and the curd is perfectly smooth (and so vibrantly purple!).

Smooth, rich curd, bursting with blueberry and cardamom flavor. Perfect for scones, muffins, cakes, tarts, or just eating right off a spoon. {Bunsen Burner Bakery}

 

7) No Bake M&M’s Peanut Butter Pretzel Pie
There’s always at least one peanut butter dessert in my Top 10 Countdown – you guys sure love your peanut butter!  The pretzel crust really takes this to a whole new level.

No Bake M&M’S® Pretzel Peanut Butter Pie: salty, crispy pretzel crust, smooth whipped peanut butter filling, rich chocolate ganache, and crunchy M&Ms combine into the perfect easy pie. Perfect for holiday entertaining! {Bunsen Burner Bakery}

 

6) Vanilla Layer Cake with Blueberry Cardamom Curd
This is certainly my most meaningful recipe of 2016 – the cake I baked for my little guy’s first birthday.  I love that you guys love it, too.

Vanilla Layer Cake with Blueberry Cardamom Curd: A three-layer blueberry vanilla cake filled with blueberry cardamom curd and covered with whipped cream. Simple flavors combine to make a spectacular dessert! {Bunsen Burner Bakery}

 

5) Moroccan Honey Glazed Eggplant
This is primarily a baking blog, but eggplant was a big winner this year – and for good reason. Sweet and spicy, this is a favorite in our household, too.

4) Oatmeal Jam Bars
I always wait until the last minute to do these posts (hi, procrastinator here).  But it’s for a reason – these Oatmeal Jam Bars weren’t posted until December 8th.  And yet, in three weeks – here they are at spot number 4!

Oatmeal Jam Bars: one bowl, one spoon, mix by hand fruit bars. Oatmeal shortbread crust, a layer of jam, and an oatmeal crumble topping. Make ahead - freezer friendly! {Bunsen Burner Bakery}

 

3) Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Bundt Cake
Rich chocolate bundt cake, topped with chocolate ganache, peanut butter ganache, and chopped peanut butter cups?  No explanation necessary for why this one is in the Top 10!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Bundt Cake: dense chocolate cake covered in peanut butter and milk chocolate ganache, topped with chopped Reese's peanut butter cups.  Mix by hand in two bowls for an easy, impressive dessert. {Bunsen Burner Bakery}

 

2) Peanut Butter Crunch Brownies
This is another late star – shared on December 1st, it’s the second most popular recipe on my blog in 2016!  Brownies! Peanut butter frosting! Crunchy chocolate layer!

Peanut Butter Crunch Brownies: homemade brownies, peanut butter ganache frosting, and a Rice Krispie chocolate crunch layer - the perfect make-ahead party treat! {Bunsen Burner Bakery}

 

1) Spiral Vegetable Tart
And that brings me to the most popular post of 2016 — and of my blog altogether.  I knew this was beautiful, but I did not expect this tart to soar in popularity.  Who would have guessed that a vegetable tart would be the most popular post on a baking blog?  I receive more emails, messages, and texts about this tart than anything I’ve ever made, because you guys love making it too.  I love that you’re also willing to put in a little extra effort to make something so visually stunning, and especially that you then come back and tell me about it.  High five, everyone!

Thinly sliced summer vegetables are the visual star of this spiral vegetable tart. With a layer of homemade sundried tomato pesto and a flaky pie crust, this tart is as delicious as it is beautiful. {Bunsen Burner Bakery}

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