These celebrity cookbooks offer an intimate glimpse into the personal worlds of your favourite stars
The kitchen has become Hollywood’s hottest set, and the celebrity cookbook is the new backstage pass. What used to be just recipe collections has morphed into glossy, personal lifestyle bibles—part memoir, part dinner party manual, all wrapped in star power. Whether it’s Robert Downey Jr’s planet-friendly plates or Dolly Parton’s unapologetically Southern spread, these books go beyond food. They reveal how celebrities eat, celebrate and unwind when the spotlight fades.
From homegrown comfort food to hip-hop-tinged culinary adventures, here are the celebrity cookbooks that bring flavour, personality and a touch of fame to your kitchen.
Above ‘Cool Food: Erasing Your Carbon Footprint One Bite at a Time’ by Robert Downey Jr and Thomas Kostigen (Cover: Blackstone Publishing)
Tony Stark’s real-world alter ego channels his superhero energy into planetary salvation through food. Robert Downey Jr teams with bestselling author Thomas Kostigen to transform environmental consciousness into accessible, delicious action. With two dozen carefully crafted recipes and eye-opening carbon impact insights (“the power of ancient grains” or “future foods made of thin air”), this cookbook is a mission statement served with spectacular meals, proving sustainable eating doesn’t mean sacrificing flavour.
Above ‘I Love You: Recipes from the Heart’ by Pamela Anderson (Cover: Voracious)
The Baywatch star transforms her activism into intimate plant-based cuisine, originally crafted as love letters to her sons. Pamela Anderson’s 80 vegan recipes, from minty pea-potato pierogis to rustic sourdough loaves, showcase compassionate cooking’s romantic possibilities. The book also reflects her evolution from TV darling to environmental advocate who is now devoted to soul-satisfying meals that nourish both body and conscience.
Above ‘Snoop Dogg Presents Goon with the Spoon’ by Snoop Dogg and E-40 (Cover: Chronicle Books)
Following his surprise hit From Crook to Cook, hip-hop legend Snoop Dogg reunites with fellow rap artist E-40 for Goon with a Spoon. Their 65+ recipes, like the Roll It Up ’Rito, a breakfast burrito with chorizo, draw inspiration from musical catalogues, shared meals and E-40’s Filipino food business. The tome transforms decades of friendship into crowd-pleasing dishes that blend soul food classics with Filipino-inspired creations.
Above ‘Open Wide: A Cookbook for Friends’ by Benny Blanco and Jess Damuck (Cover: Dey Street Books)
Benny Blanco, the hitmaker behind chart-toppers for Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber (and Selena Gomez’s fiancé) reveals his passion for cooking for loved ones. Featuring themed dinner party menus and “insane recipes” with playful titles like the Lose Your Mind Lobster Rolls, this cookbook captures Blanco’s belief that the best meals happen when you’re having too much fun to worry about perfection.
Above ‘Good Lookin’ Cookin’: A Year of Meals’ by Dolly Parton and Rachel Parton (Cover: George Ten Speed Press)
Beloved country legend Dolly Parton opens her heart and kitchen alongside sister Rachel Parton George, serving up a year’s worth of cherished family recipes paired with heartwarming stories. This celebration of Southern hospitality features over 80 dishes and 12 complete seasonal menus, each infused with the warmth and wisdom that make Dolly an international treasure. Expect traditional comfort foods and modern twists on classics: she has recipes for barbecue spare ribs, Slaw of Many Colours and strawberry shortcake. The cookbook is pure Dolly—generous, genuine and guaranteed to make you feel like family.
Above ‘Does This Taste Funny?: Recipes Our Family Loves’ by Stephen Colbert and Evie McGee Colbert (Cover: Celadon Books)
Late-night comedy king Stephen Colbert and his wife, Evie McGee Colbert, transform their pandemic lockdown cooking adventures into this New York Times bestseller. Born from family dinners during those challenging times, the cookbook captures the Colberts’ discovery that shared meals create the perfect recipe for connection. The collection features beloved recipes from family and friends, seasoned with the host’s signature humour and the couple’s genuine warmth. Of desserts, Stephen remarked, “This is one of the largest sections of the book. Evie always reminds me that desserts are a great way to postpone clearing up.”
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