We just can’t seem to get enough of celebrities and what they eat. Whether it’s late-night snacks, ideal sandwiches, or daily breakfasts, our fascination with famous foodies is never-ending. But when it comes to their recipes, it’s tough to tell whose kitchen skills are bona fide and which celebs should stick to their day jobs. Luckily, Nicole McLaughlin is here to do the dirty work of discerning hits from skips in the world of celebrity recipes.
First, McLaughlin took on everyone’s favorite ingredient, pasta, cooking up pasta dishes from the likes of Stanley Tucci and Robert Pattinson (she’s still recovering from the latter’s recipe). Now, just in time for baking season to really kick off, Nicole is trying six more celebrity recipes. And this time, it’s just desserts.
The Best Celebrity Dessert Recipes, Ranked
6th Place: Snoop’s Buttermizzilk Pound Cake, Cake, Cake, Cake
Peyton Beckwith/Allrecipes
Rating: 3.5/10
In her celebrity pasta taste test, Nicole was a bit underwhelmed by Snoop Dogg’s Spaghetti De La Hood. And unfortunately, his Buttermizzilk Pound Cake, Cake, Cake, Cake from Snoop’s 2018 cookbook, “From Crook to Cook,” did not fare much better.
“I wanted to like that more,” McLaughlin said of the buttermilk-laced pound cake. She found the texture more akin to cornbread than cake, a bit spongy and not dense or sweet enough to satisfy her pound cake cravings. Fortunately, we do have plenty more community-approved pound cake recipes on our website that will do the trick.
5th Place: Willie Nelson’s Banana Bread
Peyton Beckwith/Allrecipes
Rating: 8.5/10
Before you get carried away, McLaughlin is quick to clarify this recipe is not laced with anything *special*. It’s a pretty straightforward banana bread recipe, albeit one made without butter or oil. Instead, it calls for three (rather than the usual two) very ripe bananas, as well as the usual suspects including flour, sugar, eggs, cinnamon, and vanilla. A topping of cinnamon-sugar gives the bread a nice crust, which you get more of since it bakes in a 9×9-inch baking pan instead of the typical loaf pan.
“It’s perfect,” proclaims Nicole. “It’s tender, moist, and tastes like banana. I do not miss the oil or butter [and] I love that sugary crust on top.” She also appreciates how easy it is, with just one bowl and no mixer required. It’s a “would make again” for us.
4th Place: Taylor Swift’s Chai Sugar Cookies
Peyton Beckwith/Allrecipes
Rating: 8.8/10
She may be in her Showgirl era now, but Taylor Swift’s internet-famous Chai Cookies never go out of style. Originally a Joy the Baker recipe, Swift adds a seasonal spin with a packet of chai tea and eggnog frosting.
“Tender is an understatement,” says McLaughlin of these cookies. “You really get all the spices, and you can taste the hint of eggnog. It’s definitely buttery, and it literally melts in your mouth.” And Taylor, if you’re reading this, Nicole has two pro tips: add a pinch of salt to the frosting to balance out the sweet and use a wine glass or another cup to round the cookies into perfect circles while they’re still warm.
3rd Place: Al Roker’s Sweet Potato Poon
Peyton Beckwith/Allrecipes
Rating: 9/10
What is a “poon,” you ask? We don’t really know, but it seems to be Al Roker’s family’s riff on sweet potato casserole. But unlike sweet potato casserole, Roker’s Sweet Potato Poon is served as a dessert and features an additional surprise ingredient: crushed pineapple.
Topped with marshmallows and baked until bubbly and golden, this dessert casserole is pure comfort. And McLaughlin contends this is not a sweet potato casserole—it’s a sweet potato dessert. “I would challenge you, if you like sweet potato pie, try making this instead this year.”
2nd Place Runner-Up: Benny Blanco’s Banana Pudding
Peyton Beckwith/Allrecipes
Rating: 9.2/10
If you’re not familiar, Benny Blanco is a music producer, actor, and, notably, Selena Gomez’s (recently wed!) husband. Blanco also co-authored a cookbook, “Open Wide,” in 2024, so he knows a thing or two about cooking.
This banana pudding recipe, which he says is a favorite of best friend (and Grammy award-winning musician) SZA, is a semi-homemade masterpiece. Mascarpone and sweetened condensed milk elevate what would otherwise be a pretty standard banana pudding with layers of pudding, freshly sliced bananas, and vanilla wafer cookies.
“The thickness and richness of the custard is [chef’s kiss],” according to Nicole. “The only thing I’d do differently is use vanilla pudding instead of banana-flavored pudding, because you can kind of taste that banana flavor is a little more artificial, and having real bananas in there makes this a real banana pudding.”
1st Place Winner: Reese Witherspoon’s Derby Pie
Peyton Beckwith/Allrecipes
Rating: 9.8/10
Now, Reese Witherspoon wrote a whole dang cookbook a few years ago, so you would think she must be pretty good in the kitchen. And you would be correct. McLaughlin was blown away by Reese’s Derby Pie, which is a Southern spin on pecan pie made with pecans as well as walnuts and chocolate.
McLaughlin swaps in a store-bought pie crust for homemade, par-baking it before adding all the gooey, nutty filling. Nicole was particularly impressed by how well the pie filling holds together when sliced, adding that it’s buttery and perfectly sweet but not too sweet. In fact, it’s so good, this Derby Pie immediately earned a spot on Nicole’s Thanksgiving menu. Reese—you nailed it.
