The perfect companion for health-conscious bakers.
From The Healthy Chef herself comes a new cookbook designed to make healthy, nutritious food more accessible. Feel Good Baking is the latest addition to classically trained chef and nutritionist Teresa Cutter’s catalogue of health and wellness titles, and it’s a hearty collection just like the recipes within.
Baking is the common thread that ties these recipes together, though they come in many forms. The book begins, naturally, with breakfast dishes, before moving on to breads. There’s more than just sourdough on offer, by the way, from Paleo Pumpkin Bread (page 39) to Seeded Rye, Oat and Sunflower Bread (page 60). From here, Cutter explores cakes and cupcakes, a whole chapter on chocolate, pies and tarts, muffins and scones, biscuits and cookies, savoury treats, and finally, essentials and basics. The cookbook concludes with the author’s favourite ingredients and an easy measurement guide for beginners.
To make this collection, the recipes had to be simple and clean, with most of them having minimal ingredients. At the top of each recipe, Cutter explains what makes that dish nutritionally rich and specifically notes which boxes it ticks (plant-based, low GI, or gluten-free, for example). And whichever health category you fall into, there are plenty of recipes to please. The book not only includes 100 recipes, but also dives into different variations of similar dishes, such as Flourless Chocolate Brownies (page 120) and Vegan Chocolate Sweet Potato Brownies (page 123).
Aside from the sheer volume of recipes included, the book stands out for its clear instructions, which are a perfect match for the simplicity of each recipe. Though some of the dishes would seem daunting to a beginner, recipes like the Frosted Hummingbird Cake (page 79) only have eight steps, with each line of instruction containing no more than a few words.
The biggest issue I faced with Feel Good Baking was narrowing down which recipes to make, since there are that many I would try immediately. Post-review, the book remains on the kitchen bench brimming with post-it notes of recipes to try next.
Apple Tea Cake (page 84)
Sorry to be that person, but this was one moist cake. It wasn’t sweet at all, which took some getting used to but ended up being one of my favourite things about this recipe. The texture was light and fluffy, and everyone agreed that it wiped the floor with the store-bought cake that I served next to it in a dessert spread. There were fights over the leftovers!
Blueberry Muffins (page 30)
This is a versatile recipe that would make a great snack or breakfast option, since again, it’s not sickeningly sweet. Since I don’t need to be gluten-free, I added in a cup of self-raising flour as I’d run out of almond meal, and they came out wonderfully spongey. It just goes to show that you can easily make substitutes in a lot of these recipes, and it’s easy to choose alternatives that fit your health goals better since Cutter clearly outlines the health benefits of all her staple ingredients. The apple and blueberry was a winning combo, too.
Oatmeal Choc-Chip Cookies (page 182)
These did not last past a few days in my house. Again, they weren’t overly sweet despite the coconut, instead having bitter notes from the dark chocolate. If you’re not a fan of chocolate for breakfast, you could use raisins instead and happily kick off your day with these. They were quick to make but a little fiddly; they fell apart once on the baking tray and I had to reshape them, but then they were perfectly solidified when they came out of the oven. Trust the process!
Reviewed by Vanessa Elle
Instagram: @vanessaellewrites
The views expressed in this review belong to the author and not Glam Adelaide, its affiliates, or employees.
Distributed by: Simon & Schuster
Released: September 2025
RRP: $55
