February 18, 2025 at 9:41 PM PST
Truly something for every palate.
If you love to cook, chances are you have a stack of cookbooks scattered throughout your kitchen. While they’re packed with delicious recipes, the ones written by Black chefs and food experts offer something even more special—history, culture, and a deep connection to culinary traditions that span generations.
More than just collections of recipes, Black cookbooks serve as a window into the flavors, ingredients, and techniques that have shaped cuisines across the African diaspora. They tell stories of resilience, migration, and creativity, blending heritage with innovation in every dish.
Beyond being a valuable kitchen staple, these cookbooks invite you to explore flavors that have defined communities—from the comforting soul food of the South to vibrant Caribbean fare and beyond. Whether you’re looking for quick and easy meals or eager to dive into a culinary deep dive, these books bring Black food culture to the forefront.
With so many Black chefs, home cooks, and food writers making an impact today, it’s never been easier to bring these rich traditions into your own kitchen. Below, we’ve rounded up five of our favorite Black cookbooks to add to your collection.
A collection of family recipes doesn't begin to describe this book by James Beard Award–winning chef Kwame Onwuachi. Featuring more than 125 recipes, the cookbook celebrates food from different aspects of the African Diaspora, including Nigeria, the Caribbean, and the South Bronx in New York City. The pages are filled with recipes that share the joy of his family's history and stories of their travels. The result is a cookbook that's deeply personal and inspiring for all kinds of cooks.
A 2019 James Beard Foundation Book Award Nominee, this cookbook by Jerrelle Guy, will appease all of us who suffer from a chronic sweet tooth. While the food may be delicious, she also has some healthier substitutes as well. That means everyone from vegans to those who prefer refined sugars can find something they love in this book.
Tabitha Brown is known for her colorful content and flavorful vegan dishes. In her first cookbook, Brown brings her exuberance for healthy cooking right to your table. Her use of spices and fresh vegetables takes plant-based food to a new level, combining them with classic soul food dishes. Even if you're not a vegan, you'll enjoy the tasty morsels and infectious energy Brown brings to each recipe.
BBQ lovers know the name Rodney Scott means business when it comes to richly flavored, smoked meats. Whether it's his traditional whole hog Carolina BBQ or modernized dishes from his Charleston restaurant, the recipes are a celebration of his family's history and his passion for keeping it alive. Beyond the savory and sweet bites, Scott's debut cookbook also tells the story of his success from a small-town BBQ stand to becoming a decorated James Beard Award-winning chef and Black pitmaster.
The pages of this cookbook are filled with classic West African recipes that are as delicious as they are hearty. Each dish feels like a celebration of culture and the foods that traveled throughout the African Diaspora to become staples in Southern cuisines—think black-eyed peas, yams, and okra. Filled with warmth and rooted in tradition, these are the comfort dishes you'll want to cook all year long.
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