Justin Cooks: Recipes (Mostly Plants) for Finding Your Way in the Kitchen
Overall Ranking: Kitchen Staple
Backgrounder: Justine Doiron, better known to her online followers as @justine_snacks, has carved out a distinct space in the culinary world with her approachable, personality-driven content. She's not your typical classically trained chef; instead, she's a self-taught home cook who's built a dedicated community through her relatable and engaging online presence.
Her online presence, primarily on platforms like TikTok and Instagram, is where she truly shines. She's known for her short, punchy cooking videos that emphasize flavor and ease. She's not afraid to show her kitchen mishaps or admit when a recipe doesn't turn out perfectly. This makes her feel like a friend, not a distant culinary authority.
Most importantly, she is very much herself. In a world where many online personalities are carefully curated, Justine is refreshingly genuine. She is someone who wants to share her love of food, and to have a good time while doing it.
Before you start cooking/baking
Special Equipment Needed
Justine understands that not everyone has a fully stocked pantry or hours to spend cooking. Her recipes are designed to be achievable for busy people with limited resources. I didn't find myself ever reaching for anything out of the ordinary.
If you have any questions on what is needed equipment wise she provides several pages in the introduction going over the necessary items to have in your kitchen to make any/all of the recipes in her book. Big brownie points on that for sure.
Potential Challenges You May Run Into:
Justine's recipes reflect current culinary trends and incorporate influences from various cuisines. She's not afraid to break the rules and create dishes that are both delicious and unique. It means you get some star-studded winners, and it also means that you will get the occasional dish that to you, is going straight in the trash. Yes, I'm looking at you 'Blackened Squash in Tomato Brown Butter'. Straight to trash with ya, go on get.
Recipe Breakdown
- 19% Dependents*, 25 recipes
- 9% Snacks, 12 recipes
- 7% Breakfast, 8 recipes
- 7% On Bread, 9 recipes
- 9% Salads, 11 recipes
- 8% Veggie Sides (favorites), 10 recipes
- 9% Beans, 11 recipes
- 7% Grains/Noodles, 9 recipes
- 9% Proteins (tofu, tempe & fish), 11 recipes
- 4% Bread, 6 recipes
- 12% Desserts, 15 recipes
Why I Love it/Like It/Pass on It/Avoid It:
There's a lot to be wary of in the influencer cookbook world—it seems like people with an audience are churning out book after book these days. This is not one of those books. Does Justine Doiron have a big social audience? Yes, deservedly so. Are her recipes unique, thoughtful, creative, and ready to become a new staple for audiences? Absolutely.
The algorithm introduced me to Justine's Instagram account (@justine_snacks) and I was really impressed with how her recipes simultaneously felt creative and even a little elevated while ultimately remaining very approachable and comforting. She's also got a more mellow, earnest personality and style that contrasts nicely with some of the bigger personalities in cooking right now. I was excited to give her first book a shot and was not disappointed! This is exactly what her online presence had led me to expect -- recipes that are clever, tasty, accessible, and written in her winsome, down-to-earth voice.
The time, thought, and care put into this book is abundantly clear, and the recipes themselves are STUNNING. I've made a number of them, and they taste both delicious and unlike anything else I've tasted before—it's almost like Doiron has taken the flavors of a delicious garden and made them quickly and easily accessible for novice home cooks.
However, it is not without its flaws. There are no helpful tips about substitutions, variations, storage and inspiration for a dish that made her content so approachable and personable. Some flavor combos don’t jive for my tastes—sorry, I’ll never try oysters and you can’t make me!—but there are some unique and delicious flavors in here. Some of the vegetable dishes are more like sides, not full meals, and I did fall prey to making a side as a meal more than once.
I also have one major nitpick and it is that some ingredients are divided use, but it’s only written that way in the method/steps. For example, in the squash cake it calls for 1tsp of cinnamon but in the instructions it says add 1/2tsp to the batter—the other half is saved for the whipped cream but you wouldn’t know that unless you read the entire recipe first. Which you should always do! I always try to myself and still fall prey to it so be careful.
I am beyond estatic to support an independent creator and am excited to see what lessons she learns from this cookbook and is able to pass on to the next. And although I haven't gotten to them yet, I'm actually most excited about some of the desserts featured here (tiny tiramisu cookies!) and would be 0% surprised if she comes out with a full baking cookbook sooner than later.
Who Should Buy This Book?
People Who Enjoy a Modern and Playful Cookbook: Someone who is looking for a cookbook that is as fun to read as it is to cook from.
Those who don't mind a bit of risk: People who are ok with some recipes not working out, in exchange for the ones that do being amazing.
Recipes that wowed or grossed me out: (with pictures)
Miso-Butter Pancakes
Let me tell you, these miso-brown butter pancakes from Justine Cooks are a bit of a stroke of genius. They're good enough that even waffle people (such as myself) will go, oh that's really good.
The key to their irresistible flavor lies in the miso-brown butter mixed into the batter. Toasting the butter with miso until it's dark, nutty, and wonderfully fragrant is a stroke of genius. It creates a rich, umami-infused foundation that elevates the pancakes into something extraordinary. Forget the standard syrup-drenched stack—these beauties have layers of complexity built right in.
The batter, with its blend of oats and brown sugar, is as comforting and perfectly chewy. When cooked to golden perfection, the pancakes develop a subtle crisp edge, while remaining tender and fluffy inside. Serve them hot off the skillet with a drizzle of maple syrup, and you’ve got a balance of sweet, savory, and slightly smoky flavors that will have you coming back for seconds (or thirds, let’s be honest).
⏰ Total Time: 4 minutes 💰 Total Cost: ~$1 🍳Total Dirty Dishes:
Ingredients 🥚
8 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons white miso paste
1½ cups all-purpose flour
2/3 old-fashioned rolled oats
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
1½ teaspoons baking powder
1½ cups whole milk
2 large eggs
Maple syrup, for serving
Directions 📜
1. Set a small pan over medium heat and add the butter. Let the butter fully melt, then whisk in the miso, stirring occasionally until the butter mixture is extremely toasted into an almost burnt, dark brown. There will be larger flecks of miso but that's okay! Remove from the heat and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, brown sugar, salt, and baking powder.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk and miso-brown butter. Add the eggs and whisk until smooth. Pour this mixture into the dry ingredients and mix until you have a smooth batter.
4. Set a large pan over medium heat until hot and then turn the heat to medium-low. Pour batter onto pan (1/4 cup size is what Justine recommends) and cook till golden on each side.
5. Serve with maple syrup drizzled on top to serve
Blackened Squash in Tomato Brown Butter
⏰ Total Time: 2 minutes 💰 Total Cost: ~$1 🍳Total Dirty Dishes: 1
I was excited to try the Blackened Squash in Tomato Brown Butter from Justine Cooks—it sounded like a bold twist on a classic. But, alas, my taste buds and I ended up feeling... unbalanced.
The squash was fine—straightforward, pan-roasted, dependable. It wasn’t the star of the show, but it did its job. The tomato brown butter sauce, however, stole the spotlight—and not in a good way. The acidity was like a one-person orchestra, drowning out any nuanced notes. Instead of complementing the sweetness of the squash, it cranked it up to 11 with the acid and sweetness leaving my palate slightly bewildered and very puckered. While I can respect the creativity, the execution left me wanting a bit more harmony. Maybe a remix of this dish with a mellower sauce could strike the right chord. For now, though, it’s a swing and a miss for me!
Blistered Shishito Peppers in Lemon-Jalapeno Dressing
⏰ Total Time: 4 minutes 💰 Total Cost: ~$1 🍳Total Dirty Dishes:
Let's talk about the Blistered Shishito Peppers in Lemon-Jalapeno Dressing with Crumbled Chickpeas from Justine Cooks. This recipe was an experience. It's a bit of a salad, but also... not quite? Honestly, I’d never had shishito peppers prepared this way before. Typically, you see them blistered and whole as a restaurant appetizer. But here, they’re sliced—seeds and all—and bring a gentle, green heat that’s elevated by a bright lemony jalapeño dressing. One of my favorite ingredients, crispy buckwheat groats, adds much-needed crunch, and the Crumbled Chickpeas? Easily the highlight of the dish. I couldn’t recommend them enough as a topping—they were fantastic! Now, let’s get real. The flavors here are subtle—not bad, but not the bold punch you’d hope for after putting in so much effort. And it is deceptively labor-intensive. We're talking an hour of prep and 13 dirty dishes, most of that time spent painstakingly slicing the peppers. By the time you sit down to eat, you’re tired—and honestly? You kind of wish the flavors packed a stronger punch to make it all feel worth it. Does that make sense?
Dependent: Crumbled Chickpeas
Breaded Beans with Nutty Skhug on Broiled Yogurt Flatbread
⏰ Total Time: 4 minutes 💰 Total Cost: ~$1 🍳Total Dirty Dishes:
I had no idea that you could make beans taste and feel like little chicken nuggets, but somehow Justine Doiron does just that! I would eat the beans by themselves as a little snack or make little flatbread sandwiches out by putting everything on top of a pita. This is really good stuff. Full recipe is below!
Breaded Beans Ingredients🫘
2 (15-ounce) cans butter beans, drained and rinsed
¼ cup whole-wheat flour
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Diamond Crystal kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions: 1) Rinse butter beans but let them stay slightly wet.
2) Toss slightly wet butter beans in a bowl with all the breaded beans ingredients. They should be lightly coated all over. 3) Transfer beans to a baking sheet and shake em up in some olive oil so that they all have some oil on em. 4) Bake in the oven at 425f until golden and crispy! About 20 minutes
5) Serve immediately with Nutty Skhug and the yogurt flatbread. Enjoy!
Dependent: Nutty Skhug
I really liked this stuff. I like thick sauces and gravies so when we get the chance to make a thick 'chutney' esk topping I was all over this. Loved what the nuts added and it kept very well in the refrigerator.
Nutty Skhug Ingredients🥜 💚 2 cups fresh cilantro leaves 1 cup baby spinach 5 tablespoons raw almonds 2 jalapeños, seeded 1 teaspoon ground coriander 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon) 1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt Directions: 1) In a blender, combine all the nutty skhug ingredients. Blend until smooth. 2) Serve and enjoy!
My Favorite Sour Cream Chocolate Chip Cookies
⏰ Total Time: 2 minutes 💰 Total Cost: ~$1 🍳Total Dirty Dishes: 1
One should always try the recipe an author says is their favorite, and Justine Cooks it's the chocolate chip cookie recipe (My Favorite Sour Cream Cookies), and oh boy, what a treat it was! The highlight for me was her quirky twist of using sour cream instead of eggs. It sounds a bit wild, but trust me, it works like a charm. It gave the cookies a teeny tiny bit of a tangy kick, making them stand out in the cookie crowd. The texture? Perfect for a good old-fashioned milk dunk! It turns every bite into a delightful experience, mixing that subtle sour touch with the classic chocolatey goodness. They definitely made my taste buds do a happy dance. Are they good plain though? A touch saltier than you might expect, so you aren't going to feel great just downing four or five. But again, toss them into milk and they're phenomenal. The dough also keeps extremely well in the freezer, and I found myself eating small squares of the raw dough most days. Don't judge me. There are no eggs so it's fine! I have already made these a couple of times now and I will definitely be making these again.
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