
Joy the Baker
8,021 FOLLOWERS
Joy shares recipes about sweet treats, savory indulgences, approachable recipes, and good-life inspiration. She is a self-taught baker, turned professional baker, turned food photographer, and three-time cookbook author. This has been her little corner of the internet since 2008.
Joy the Baker
5d ago
These Double Chocolate Olive Oil Cookies are rich, fudgy, and irresistibly chewy, made with good-quality olive oil for a perfectly moist texture. If you’re looking for an easy and indulgent chocolate cookie recipe, these are perfect for Valentine’s Day or anytime you need a simple, sweet treat which is, in fact, everyday.
There’s something about February that sinks in with a bit of dread for me… like here we are, lowkey trapped in the uncertainty and surprises of another year ..read more
Joy the Baker
1w ago
Good Sunday to you friends, and happy Super Bowl Sunday! Right now, I’m having a hard time distinguishing up from down and right from left because of the news. I oscillate between wanting to be informed and being so inundated with information it feels like my head will detach from my body. If you are feeling like I am, friends, I wish there were good words for this. There are no good words for this ..read more
Joy the Baker
2w ago
Hi friends, good Sunday to you!
We made it through January—one down, eleven to go. I’ll go ahead and cross it off the list, though I’d like to formally request that the rest of the year ease up just a bit. No need to come in so hot. I didn’t plan on starting the year at a full sprint, but here we are, catching our breath ..read more
Joy the Baker
2w ago
Friends, good Sunday to you! Please take in this image of The Bakehouse in southeastern Texas blanketed in several inches of snow. SNOW! What I can tell you about this record snowfall is that my house has no insulation but several fireplaces. Texas Sage can apparently survive both brutal summer heat and Texas snow, and I’m glad I kept my Christmas garland up for the twinkling yellow lights alone. We had a few days of a winter wonderland which was, despite its deep chill, such a delight!  ..read more
Joy the Baker
3w ago
Learn how to make the perfect homemade Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Bread with a soft, tender crumb and a rich cinnamon-cocoa filling. This cozy, nostalgic recipe is made with mashed potato for extra moisture and warmth—perfect for chilly days!
Growing up in Los Angeles, a city known more for its endless sunshine than its frigid temperatures, you might think I’ve never truly been cold. But cold is all relative, right? I was raised in what we lovingly called a “Go Put On A Sweater” household ..read more
Joy the Baker
3w ago
Happy New Season of Severance Weekend to all of you celebrating! And, happy Sunday to all of you. How has the start of your year been? January has felt like four years shoved into one: my school moved to a brand new campus so I got to set up my fancy, clean, lovely new classroom! I had my residency week for my MFA program and am preparing to graduate in July! Things have been busy!  ..read more
Joy the Baker
1M ago
When I moved into my house in Bellville, I promised myself I’d be practical. The first piece I bought was a small marble-topped bistro table for the breakfast nook. It felt like a splurge—a cast-iron base with a smooth marble top, something straight out of a French patisserie (though I’ve never actually been to a French café). I justified it as an investment: strong, grounded, sturdy enough to hold the weight of all the life I hoped to live around it ..read more
Joy the Baker
1M ago
A Note from Joy
I spent more than a few years wading through the dating pool before I found my way to Will. I’ve never been afraid of marriage itself, but I’ll admit—I’ve always been quietly afraid of an unhappy one. On our wedding night, as the last of the Thanksgiving dishes were dried and put away here in my Bellville kitchen, I turned to my parents, my aunt and uncle, and my sister and her husband and asked a question I probably should have asked before I said “I do.”
“What do people mean when they say marriage is hard?”
I cringed as the words left my mouth, bracing myself for some inevit ..read more
Joy the Baker
1M ago
Last week Joy mentioned her word/focus of the year is, unironically and beautifully, “JOY.” I loved seeing all of your words and focuses for the coming year, even if it’s proving to be an interesting year so early on. While I haven’t picked a singular word to focus on, I am focusing on romanticizing my every day life. A mechanical keyboard just got delivered, its clackity sounds are oddly soothing (I do love a little ASMR moment ..read more
Joy the Baker
1M ago
Happy New Year, friends! Here we are, standing at the doorway of January, taking our first tentative steps into 2025. If I may offer one little piece of advice for this moment: let’s take it slow. Like, watch-the-sunrise-through-the-window-with-your-hands-wrapped-around-a-warm-mug slow.
January, in all its quiet and stillness, is asking us to rest, despite all this talk of New Year, New Us. I think January invites us to take a breath before the sprint of the year really begins ..read more