Editors’ Collection

Things You Should Make, Not Buy

From marinara to mustard, more than 30 recipes for dishes and pantry staples that are so much better homemade.

Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Spencer Richards.

Recipes

Buttermilk
Melissa Knific
106 ratings with an average rating of 4 out of 5 stars
106
About 10 minutes
or to save this recipe.
Classic Marinara Sauce
Julia Moskin, Lidia Bastianich
12329 ratings with an average rating of 5 out of 5 stars
12,329
25 minutes
or to save this recipe.
Chocolate Trail Mix
Yasmin Fahr
88 ratings with an average rating of 4 out of 5 stars
88
15 minutes, plus 1½ hours cooling
or to save this recipe.
Chocolate Chip Cookies
David Leite, Jacques Torres
20555 ratings with an average rating of 5 out of 5 stars
20,555
45 minutes, plus chilling
or to save this recipe.
Creamy Homemade Yogurt
Melissa Clark
1412 ratings with an average rating of 5 out of 5 stars
1,412
20 minutes, plus fermentation and chilling
or to save this recipe.
Magnolia Bakery’s Cupcakes
Susan Campos
3567 ratings with an average rating of 5 out of 5 stars
3,567
About 45 minutes
or to save this recipe.
Easiest Vanilla Ice Cream
Julia Moskin
966 ratings with an average rating of 4 out of 5 stars
966
30 minutes, plus several hours' chilling
or to save this recipe.
Katharine Hepburn’s Brownies
The New York Times
14515 ratings with an average rating of 5 out of 5 stars
14,515
About 45 minutes
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Tomato Ketchup
Melissa Clark
511 ratings with an average rating of 4 out of 5 stars
511
40 minutes
or to save this recipe.
Bread-and-Butter Pickles
Melissa Clark
836 ratings with an average rating of 4 out of 5 stars
836
About 50 minutes plus 2 hours’ refrigeration
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Creamy Macaroni and Cheese
Julia Moskin
17868 ratings with an average rating of 5 out of 5 stars
17,868
1 hour 40 minutes
or to save this recipe.
Dark Chocolate Pudding
Melissa Clark
1602 ratings with an average rating of 5 out of 5 stars
1,602
20 minutes, plus at least 4 hours’ chilling
or to save this recipe.
Pizza Margherita
Sam Sifton, Carlo Mirarchi, Brandon Hoy, Chris Parachini, Katherine Wheelock
3551 ratings with an average rating of 5 out of 5 stars
3,551
15 minutes, plus 1 hour to heat oven
or to save this recipe.
Mustard-Shallot Vinaigrette
Julia Moskin
2612 ratings with an average rating of 5 out of 5 stars
2,612
10 minutes
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Everyday Pancakes
Mark Bittman
14811 ratings with an average rating of 4 out of 5 stars
14,811
20 minutes
or to save this recipe.
Buttermilk Biscuits
Melissa Clark
1748 ratings with an average rating of 5 out of 5 stars
1,748
30 minutes
or to save this recipe.
Chocolate Ganache
Julia Moskin
860 ratings with an average rating of 5 out of 5 stars
860
5 minutes
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Mayonnaise
Melissa Clark
1559 ratings with an average rating of 5 out of 5 stars
1,559
5 minutes
or to save this recipe.
Buttermilk Layer Cake
Jennifer Steinhauer, "Joy of Cooking"
1148 ratings with an average rating of 4 out of 5 stars
1,148
1 hour and 20 minutes, plus cooling time
or to save this recipe.
Simple Pad Thai
Mark Bittman
4054 ratings with an average rating of 4 out of 5 stars
4,054
25 minutes
or to save this recipe.
Grainy Mustard
Melissa Clark
210 ratings with an average rating of 4 out of 5 stars
210
10 minutes, plus about 2 days’ standing
or to save this recipe.
No-Knead Bread
Mark Bittman, Jim Lahey
22889 ratings with an average rating of 5 out of 5 stars
22,889
1 hour 30 minutes, plus about 20 hours' resting time
or to save this recipe.
Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Julia Moskin
4238 ratings with an average rating of 4 out of 5 stars
4,238
1 hour 15 minutes
or to save this recipe.
Excellent White Bread
Melissa Clark
3061 ratings with an average rating of 5 out of 5 stars
3,061
4 hours 15 minutes
or to save this recipe.
Doris’s Salty Hot Fudge
Kim Severson
408 ratings with an average rating of 5 out of 5 stars
408
10 minutes
or to save this recipe.
Cultured Butter
Julia Moskin, Aki Kamozawa, H. Alexander Talbot
105 ratings with an average rating of 4 out of 5 stars
105
20 minutes
or to save this recipe.
Perfect Corn Muffin Mix
Julia Moskin, Magnolia Bakery
578 ratings with an average rating of 4 out of 5 stars
578
About 30 minutes
or to save this recipe.
Almond Birthday Cake With Sherry-Lemon Buttercream
Melissa Clark
622 ratings with an average rating of 4 out of 5 stars
622
1½ hours, plus cooling
or to save this recipe.
Hummus from ‘Jerusalem’
Julia Moskin, Yotam Ottolenghi, Sami Tamimi
2262 ratings with an average rating of 5 out of 5 stars
2,262
45 minutes, plus overnight soaking
or to save this recipe.
Chocolate Truffles
Mark Bittman
809 ratings with an average rating of 5 out of 5 stars
809
30 minutes, plus at least one hour’s chilling
or to save this recipe.
Eleven Madison Park Granola
Sam Sifton, Daniel Humm
11411 ratings with an average rating of 5 out of 5 stars
11,411
40 minutes
or to save this recipe.
Kimchi Radish Pickle
Melissa Clark, Lauryn Chun, Olga Massov
117 ratings with an average rating of 4 out of 5 stars
117
45 minutes plus overnight pickling
or to save this recipe.
Fresh Ricotta
Melissa Clark
1929 ratings with an average rating of 5 out of 5 stars
1,929
About 30 minutes
or to save this recipe.
Blueberry Jam With Lime
Julia Moskin, Kevin West
230 ratings with an average rating of 4 out of 5 stars
230
About 2 hours, plus overnight cooling
or to save this recipe.
Whole-Wheat English Muffins
Melissa Clark
1208 ratings with an average rating of 5 out of 5 stars
1,208
35 minutes, plus 1 to 1½ hours’ rising
or to save this recipe.
Olive Oil Granola With Dried Apricots and Pistachios
Melissa Clark
2030 ratings with an average rating of 5 out of 5 stars
2,030
45 minutes
or to save this recipe.
Aioli
Melissa Clark
690 ratings with an average rating of 4 out of 5 stars
690
10 minutes
or to save this recipe.
Cream Cheese Frosting
Melissa Clark
1797 ratings with an average rating of 5 out of 5 stars
1,797
10 minutes
or to save this recipe.
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