Cookbook Club: What It Is, How to Start One, and Fun Theme Ideas

This February, I hosted my very first Cookbook Club, and I can confidently say it was one of the most meaningful gatherings I’ve hosted in a long time. Our first meetup theme was “Made with Love,” where everyone brought their favorite dish—something comforting, nostalgic, or simply special to them. The result? A table full of incredible food, stories, and connection.

If you’ve never heard of a cookbook club before, or you’ve been thinking about starting one yourself, here’s everything you need to know.

What Is a Cookbook Club?

A cookbook club is exactly what it sounds like—a social gathering centered around food, cooking, and community. Unlike a traditional book club where everyone reads the same book, a cookbook club typically involves:

• Choosing a cookbook or theme

• Each participant cooking a dish inspired by it

• Gathering to share the meal, discuss the recipes, and enjoy time together

It’s less about perfection and more about connection, creativity, and sharing food. Cookbook clubs are casual, welcoming, and a great excuse to try new recipes (or revisit beloved ones).

How to Start a Cookbook Club

Starting a cookbook club is easier than you think. Here’s a simple way to get going:

1. Gather Your People
Invite a small group of friends—anywhere from 4–8 people is a great place to start. You don’t need everyone to be an expert cook; enthusiasm is the only requirement.

2. Decide on a Structure
You can rotate hosting duties or keep it at one location. Decide how often you’ll meet—monthly or bi-monthly tends to work best.

What works best for my group is at the end of each cookbook club meetup, we discuss who will be hosting the next gathering as well as some theme ideas. 

We also have been throwing around the idea of involving crafts into our gatherings. For our first meet up, we did a simple craft - just used pinterest for some ideas and painted small dollar store canvas as we gabbed and ate our snacks.

3. Choose a Theme or Cookbook
For your first meeting, I highly recommend starting with a theme rather than a specific cookbook. It takes the pressure off and allows everyone to bring something meaningful. However, if you have a cookbook at home you've been wanted to use, you can 100% still use these gatherings to utilize learning each recipe. 

4. Assign Dishes (Optional)
Depending on your group, you can assign categories (appetizers, mains, desserts) or let everyone choose freely. We found it more fun and creative to let everyone choose freely their dish. To avoid any repeat meals or categories, we use a shared Google doc to share who is bringing what dish as soon as they decide. Also in the Google doc, we share the recipes for each item so anyone is able to recreate at home.

5. Keep It Low-Pressure
This is the most important part. The goal isn’t fancy plating or perfect execution—it’s about showing up, sharing a meal, and enjoying girlhood together. The best part is being able to laugh with your friends and eat some bomb meals. 

Our First Theme: “Made With Love” ❤️

For our February kickoff, we chose the theme “Made with Love.” Everyone brought their favorite dish—something that felt comforting, special, or tied to a memory.

Some dishes were family recipes, others were personal favorites, but every plate came with a story. Our table was filled with a little bit of everything—chocolate-covered strawberries and a festive mocktail, tacos, pink cream bowtie pasta (with and without crumbled sausage), Thai sweet chili meatballs, spinach lasagna roll-ups, and artisan bread served with a creamy feta dip. For dessert, we enjoyed strawberry rolls, and the night was topped off with heart-shaped fig and gorgonzola flatbread and Cupid’s strawberry champagne margaritas. Every dish felt personal, giving an insight into everyone's kitchen, making it the perfect way to kick off our cookbook club.

Fun Cookbook Club Theme Ideas

Once your group gets going, themes are where the fun really begins. Here are some ideas to spark inspiration:

• Seasonal Cooking (Spring Fresh, Summer Produce, Cozy Fall, Winter Comforts)

• A Country or Region (Italian night, Mediterranean, Southern cooking)

• One Ingredient, Many Ways (potatoes, beans, citrus, herbs)

• Meatless Monday or plant-based themes

• Family Recipes & Nostalgia

• Baking Night (bread, cookies, or desserts only)

• Farmers Market Challenge (build a dish around what’s in season)

• Cookbook Spotlight (everyone chooses a recipe from the same book)

Themes are a fun way to try new things while giving everyone a creative direction.

Why You’ll Love Hosting One

Cookbook club is about more than food—it’s about slowing down, gathering around a table, and creating space for connection. It gives everyone an excuse to cook intentionally, try something new, and share stories along the way.

If you’ve been craving more meaningful get-togethers, I can’t recommend starting a cookbook club enough. Our first meeting left me full—in every sense of the word—and I’m already counting down to the next one.