10 Most Viewed Recipes of 2012

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And the people have spoken with their clicks.

These are the ten most viewed posts on my site in 2012:

10. 15 Recipes Using Cake Mix (and none of them actually make a cake)

cookie butter funetti bars

9. Homemade Thin Mints (no-bake, vegan)

Homemade Thin Mints

8. Old-Fashioned Butter Mints (no-bake, gluten-free)

Old-Fashioned Butter Mints

7. No-Bake Vanilla Cake Batter Chocolate Truffles

No-Bake Vanilla Cake Batter Chocolate Truffles

6. Avocado Cream Cheese and Salsa-Stuffed Puff Pastry (vegan)

Avocado Cream Cheese and Salsa-Stuffed Puff Pastry

5. Homemade Peanut Butter (vegan, gluten-free) – Make in minutes

Homemade Peanut Butter pic collage

4. Pumpkin Spice Latte (vegan, gluten-free)

Pumpkin Spice Latte

3. Peanut Butter Cocoa Krispies Smores Bars

Peanut Butter Cocoa Krispies Smores Bars

2. Raw Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls (no-bake, vegan, gluten-free)

Raw Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls

And the most popular recipe is…

1. Orange Pushup Smoothie (gluten-free with vegan option)

Orange Pushup Smoothie

In general I’m not that surprised per se, but the findings are interesting.

Some of the food wasn’t made in 2012 but continues to make the top ten list annually. For example, the Cookie Dough balls were made in 2009 and each year they continue to be in the top ten; as does the Pumpkin Spice Latte and No-Bake Cake Batter Truffles, both of which were created in 2011.

If given more time, I think the Old-Fashioned Butter Mints and Thin Mints could have surpassed other recipes and ranked even higher, but I didn’t make them until June and July 2012, respectively. I suspect they’ll do well in 2013.

It’s also interesting that two recipes with mint made the top ten and #11 was Triple Layer Fudgy Mint Oreo Brownies

Two beverages made the list and the beverage that took the top spot was an afterthought of a post. I had just returned from Aruba early last January, was swamped, didn’t have time to actually bake something, but needed to make something. So I made a citrus-ey, summery smoothie. In early January. Clearly, I still had Aruba on my mind, but apparently the timing worked.

Things that can be made in a blender or food processor are popular from Peanut Butter to Smoothies to Cookie Dough.

No-Bake is always popular and all but three items on this list are no-bake. The Smores Bars are technically baked, but barely. The Avocado Puff Pastry although it requires baking, it’s more of an assemble-and-bake rather than a baked-from-scratch recipe. The other baked post is the Cake Mix Recipes post.

Cake mix and things that taste like cake batter are always popular. No matter what people say about cake mix and claiming to want to shun it, they click on it. From my 15 Recipes Using Cake Mix post to the No-Bake Vanilla Cake Batter Truffles, cake mix has been around for generations because it’s easy, it works, and it gets the clicks.

Chocolate is present in five of the ten recipes, not surprising. Peanut butter turned up twice; three times if you count the 15 Cake Mix Recipes post.

There’s only one savory recipe that made the list, the Avocado Puff Pastry. Savory or ‘healthy’ recipes never get the clicks that the sweeter recipes get. My vegetable-based recipes, family-friendly casseroles, dinner options, and savory food only ever get a fraction of the clicks on both my site or on the food sites that my desserts or sweeter options generate.

As I look at this list, I feel like many of these recipes are a little underwhelming. They’re not complicated, they’re not involved, I don’t know if they’re ‘classics’ that people will make over and over for generations to come, but they’re what the people wanted in 2012.

It’s a reminder to me that in 2013 I shouldn’t necessarily try to reinvent the wheel with multi-step recipes or things that are too involved. When it comes right down to it, easy, simple, straightforward, and on the sweeter side seems to be what you want.

Thanks for the Elegant Food Gift Box Giveaway Entries

Are you surprised with the results?

Any recipes you’d like to see more of in 2013?

What did you make in 2012 that was memorable?

About the Author

Welcome to AverieCooks! Here you’ll find fast and easy recipes that taste amazing and are geared for real life. Nothing fussy or complicated, just awesome tasting dishes everyone loves!

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Please note: I have only made the recipe as written, and cannot give advice or predict what will happen if you change something. If you have a question regarding changing, altering, or making substitutions to the recipe, please check out the FAQ page for more info.

Comments

  1. I tried to get to the pumpkin spice latte recipe you link to, but I think the link may be wrong – there are two urls in the link. Can you please let me know what the correct link is?

  2. Well selfishly I’d love to see anything gluten-free. But your pictures continue to be amazing, even if I can’t eat the food! Happy New Year’s Eve!

  3. Since I haven’t been following you for years, it’s fun to see some of your older recipes. Thinking back, I’m pretty sure I discovered your blog from your avocado and cream pastries on Pinterest. That smoothie must get made this week. I have an overwhelming amount of citrus and a brand new Blendtec. Match made in heaven….

    Also, you can’t go wrong with thin mints! You did such a fabulous job with that one. Can’t wait to see what you do next year. I’m sure you’ll continue to blow us all away!

    1. That’s funny that you think you discovered me via the avocado puff pastry recipe! And thanks for all your comments & have a happy new year!

  4. Man, oh man, this is a sweet roundup! Those avocado and cream cheese pastries have always been one of my faves of yours, along with your peanut butter, so I’m really not surprised that they’re so popular! And the cake mix recipes… drool and swoon and drool some more…

  5. I’m not surprised with the results–everything you make looks insanely delicious and the photographs are gorgeous! I see your pictures on Pinterest all of the time, including the smoothie–so I’m not shocked it made the list! :) Happy New Year, Averie! Here’s hoping 2013 is your year!!

    1. Here’s hoping 2013 is your year, too! And thanks for not only seeing my stuff on Pinterest but thanks for the stuff of mine you pin, too :)

  6. I could truly go for that orange push up smoothie right now! Yum! It is quite tasty looking. Happy New Year!

  7. I always think it is interesting to share what the “viewers” click on the most…you sure had a lot of recipes that I pinned and pinned…thin mints that one is so easy and so good. I want to make the butter mints…now that orange smoothie that would be perfect to help wake me up this Monday morning. What I am surprised about is no bread and that sure has been a favorite of mine…I just love reading what you write about the recipe and the process…I haven’t made yeast bread yet but I sure love oogling over your photos! and actually I made your banana bread recipe last night does that count for “bread” aka no yeast…LOL

    1. People I think are a bit intimidated by bread and it doesn’t seem to make the cut like other recipes do – it’s the easier, realllllllly simple stuff that seems to make the list. I am so glad to hear you like reading about the recipe and process and that you just made banana bread last nite! I wish I was sharing a piece with you!