We Asked Dozens of Experts—These Are the Best Brands for Baking Essentials

With the holidays coming up, Simply Recipes has been reaching out to some of our most trusted experts to help us load up our pantries with the best brands. In particular, we’ve been consulting the pros for baking essentials like butter and flour because, along with the holidays, usually comes a whole lot of baking.

While we’ve been publishing individual stories loaded with tons of information on each baking essential, we figured it was time to make a master list with all the expert advice on one page. From vanilla extract to Greek yogurt, check out all the best baking brands recommended by our pool of talented experts.

Kerrygold Pure Irish Butter

Which butter is best for baking? All seven of the professional bakers and pastry chefs we consulted favored Kerrygold Pure Irish butter for its color (its golden-yellow hue means cows are undeniably grass-fed), texture (a slightly higher-fat content makes this butter malleable and easy to incorporate), and flavor.

Miro Uskokovic, founder of Hani’s and former Pastry Chef at Gramercy Tavern, says of this Euro-style butter’s flavor: “It’s complex but not too grassy or nutty, making it versatile for many uses, from plain shortbread to brioche or simply spread over warm biscuits.”

Nielsen-Massey Pure Vanilla Extract 

Nielsen-Massey Pure Vanilla Extract won out as the top pick among the baking experts we asked. The six pros recommended this brand due to its high quality, consistency, and deeply condensed flavor. Unlike some other vanilla extracts whose flavor tastes artificial, this bottle boasts a flavor true to the bean from which it is extracted.

The experts also praised the brand’s production practices. “I love how sustainable the company is becoming. I also really appreciate them looking out for the farmers that grow the beautiful vanilla beans they use in the final product,” says Mandy Groom, Pastry Chef at Quaintrelle. 

Guittard Chocolate Chips

There was one clear answer when we asked professional bakers to name their favorite chocolate chips: Guittard. While different pros gravitate towards different bags of chips, most preferred either semisweet or dark chocolate, and all applauded Guittard’s long history of using real ingredients to produce rich, silky chips.

Our experts also championed Guittard chips for the professional look they lend to baked goods. “These chips really stand out for a smooth and glossy coating that hardens with a professional shine,” says Jennifer Pallian, BSc RD, recipe developer and author behind Foodess. “Guittard is my favorite for dipping treats like frozen peanut butter bites. Not only is the flavor amazing, it gives the most satisfying snap when you bite in.”

Betty Crocker Super Moist Vanilla Cake Mix

When it comes to the very best boxed cake mix, our pros unanimously named an old-fashioned option: Betty Crocker Super Moist Vanilla Cake Mix. So many of the pros we consulted had a relatable relationship with the cake mix—it reminds them of childhood. Nostalgia aside, this cake mix hits all the right notes when it comes to flavor and texture. Melissa Kauper, author, chef, and baker, says this particular box “takes the cake because it’s not too sweet and is super fluffy and bouncy!”

Skippy Natural Creamy Peanut Butter

It’s probably no surprise to you that our peanut butter-loving experts all agreed that Skippy makes the very best peanut butter; in particular, they loved the brand’s natural creamy peanut butter. The spread’s ingredient list avoids hydrogenated oils and makes for a super spreadable PB.

“As a chef and recipe developer,” says Jessica Formicola, founder of Savory Experiments and author of Beef It Up!, “I find that Skippy Natural Creamy Peanut Butter bakes well and doesn’t have the tendency to separate. I get a nice peanut butter flavor, but not overly sweet for savory dishes, like a satay sauce.”

Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix

We spoke with food editors to get the inside scoop on what they deem the best cornbread. Their opinions were informed by multi-generational histories of reliance on one brand: Jiffy. They all remember their mom and grandmas whipping out Jiffy’s signature blue box of cornbread mix—a tradition they clearly continue to this day. Take Food & Wine Assistant Editor Lucy Simon, for example. “I grew up making Jiffy cornbread with my mom every summer, and it is still my go-to,” she says. “I love how it’s slightly sweet, and the bread is fluffy and delicious.”

FAGE Greek Yogurt

Whether you’re mixing this thick yogurt into muffin batter or enjoying it topped with honey as a snack, there is one particular brand you should be using according to the recipe developers we consulted: FAGE. “My go-to brand is FAGE full-fat Greek yogurt. It’s incredibly rich and creamy with only a mild tang,” says Jamie Vespa MS, RD, a registered dietician and creator of Dishing Out Health.

The brand makes a two-percent yogurt great for lighter sauces or dips, but the full-fat option makes for a phenomenal dairy addition to baked goods or breakfast bowls. 

Ghirardelli Double Chocolate Premium Brownie Mix

Along with the five other experts we consulted, Mark Beahm, a professional baker, recipe developer, and photographer, crowned Ghirardelli’s Double Chocolate Brownie Mix the winner above all others. Beahm says of the mix, “In high school, my friend and I aspired to make homemade brownies that were as good as the Ghirardelli mix, and nothing quite surpassed it.” The brownies made from this box are fudgy, with a crackly top and the perfect amount of sweetness. 

King Arthur All-Purpose Flour

When asked about the best all-purpose flour, the professionals we spoke with were unanimous: King Arthur’s All-Purpose Flour. Paola Velez, pastry chef and author of Bodega Bakes, opts for King Arthur for any and every kind of flour she may need in her home pantry, but says: “Even when I worked in an industrial kitchen, I gravitated towards using King Arthur all-purpose flour. It boasts of having no GMOs, no bleaches, no bromates, or artificial preservatives, but for folks that don’t understand why that can affect your scratch baked goods, just know that this flour has great flavor for your everyday bakes.” Another huge plus: you can find it in just about every supermarket. 

Califia Farms Organic Unsweetened Almond Milk

When it comes to nut and oat milks, a short and simple ingredients list is key; which is one of the reasons why the three food experts we chatted with all favor Califia Farms Organic Unsweetened Almondmilk. Along with its minimal ingredients, texture and taste are other reasons this almond milk stands out against its competitors. Furthermore, it’s wildly versatile. “I love to use this almond milk in curries, warm drinks, pasta, and breakfast oat recipes on the regular,” says Huma Chaudhry, RD, LDN, recipe developer and founder of A Dose of Nutrition.

_{To learn more about our approach to product recommendations, see HERE.}