25 Top Food Blogs Of 2014 (Slideshow)

For the fifth year running, then, we're ranking the top 25 food-oriented blogs, judged according to readership and social media following. 

Since 2007, nutritionist Sarah Britton has been sharing her love for whole foods and holistic nutrition on this blog, which features vegetarian, raw, vegan, and macrobiotic recipes, as well as plenty of words of encouragement for those looking to live a healthy lifestyle. Be on the lookout for her first cookbook, coming out March 31, 2015. 

"Celebrating the awesomeness of food," this simple and fun blog recently won the 2014 Saveur Magazine editor's choice for best cooking blog and blog of the year. It features recipes inspired by their favorite restaurants "or just whatever's in the fridge," but that doesn't mean they're uninspired: they range from Chinese sausage carbonara to California roll nachos, and are illustrated by gorgeous photos. Many of these fun and creative recipes made it into the blog's cookbook, Easy Gourmet, which was released earlier this month. 

"It all begins at the family table" is the tagline for this popular blog, which is "devoted (mostly) to helping parents figure out how to get family dinner on the table." Founder Jenny Rosenstratch produces the blog with her husband Andy, and it runs the gamut from family-style recipes to ruminations on everything from lunchbox notes to pantry stocking. Her newest cookbook, "Dinner: The Playbook," is a must-read for anyone struggling to keep family dinners creative. 

Shauna James Ahern has been living a gluten-free lifestyle since 2005, and on her blog she has been writing about her experiences living with celiac disease along with recipes and cooking videos from her husband, "the chef." She's published three books and the site has become a must-visit for anyone interested in a gluten-free lifestyle.

Jeanine Donofrio runs this three-year-old "healthy, seasonal, whole foods cooking and lifestyle blog," which is loaded with creative and healthy mostly-vegetarian recipes as well as beautiful photography. Jenny creates the recipes in her Austin kitchen, and her husband Jack taste-tests. 

This renowned cookbook author also runs this entertaining and informative blog, chock-full of recipes, entries about the dining scene in New York and Paris, and general musings on her life and travels. 

This blog started out as a venue for family and friends to view the recipes developed by husband-and-wife duo Maria and Josh. Soon their page views began piling up and they decided to turn Two Peas into a full-time blog. Maria has become so well-known for her outstanding cookie recipes that in 2012 she published an e-book featuring her favorites called Cookie Cravings, and Buzzfeed frequently features her creations.

Local Milk is run by Beth Kirby, a Tennessee stylist, photographer, writer, and recipe developer, and the gorgeous blog is a culmination of all her talents. Recipes are categorized by season, meal, gatherings, sweet and savory, and each one is accompanied by a stunning photo and insightful commentary. 

Jaden Hair, a professional recipe developer, food columnist, and food photographer, runs the show at Steamy Kitchen. Dishing out "fast, fresh, and simple" recipes (many of which are modern Asian), the blog has become a favorite of busy home cooks.

Founder Angie Dudley was inspired to start baking and blogging after taking a cake-decorating class. Bakerella focuses on "fun and easy baking," featuring recipes, decorating tips, the occasional giveaway e-books (the most recent one is for Halloween), and lots and lots of dessert.

Geared toward those on special diets, Elana's Pantry is an amazing resource for those who are grain-free, gluten-free, nut-free, paleo, agave-free, dairy-free, egg-free, or on the candida diet. Elana doesn't just provide recipes; she offers information on the fundamentals of everything from flaxseed meal to yacon syrup, and also posts articles on ways to lead a healthy lifestyle. Last year she released her first cookbook, Paleo Booking from Elana's Pantry. 

Deb Perelman's Smitten Kitchen has it all: beautiful food photography, contemporary twists on classic comfort food, and cooking technique tutorials. Perelman's recipes are inspired by her quaint New York City kitchen, and her cookbook is a great tool for anyone with a small kitchen. 

Jennifer McGruther's blog is focused on "culinary heritage, health, and sustainable farming," and recipes range from sprouted hummus with garlic and chiles to homemade Worcestershire sauce. She also answers reader's questions, gives advice on getting kids to eat healthy, and shares her expansive knowledge on everything from tigernuts to a chickpea flatbread called socca. Intrigued? You can also buy her cookbook, which came out earlier this year. 

Acclaimed former professional pastry chef and ex-pat David Lebovitz has a food blog that's chock-full of recipes, reviews, and all things Paris. With seven cookbooks under his belt, Lebovitz uses his blog as a place to share musings on his travels and newly created recipes.

Since way back when in 2003, Heidi Swanson has written about her meals, travels, and interests on her beautifully-designed blog 101 Cookbooks. Swanson's recipes — taken from her personal cookbook collection, friends, and family, or created by Swanson herself — focus on utilizing natural, whole foods and ingredients. While a large portion of the site's recipes are for savory vegetarian dishes, Swanson occasionally features desserts as well.

Celebrating 10 years online, Adam Roberts' endlessly amusing and informative Amateur Gourmet is indispensable for those looking to learn about food and be thoroughly entertained at the same time. Roberts has reviewed restaurants all over the country, developed some great recipes (including a killer fried chicken one), published how-to's on everything from painting your kitchen to making guacamole, produced plenty of videos, and published a cookbook called Secrets of the Best Chefs. 

Punctuated by world-class food photography, Food52 was founded to "bring cooks together from all over to exchange recipes and ideas and to support each other in the kitchen." At the smartly designed site, you'll find recipes, columns about everything from apple picking tips to advice on gluten-free baking, recipe contests, a kitchenware shop called Provisions, and a "hotline" where you can post all your food-related questions.

The charming Cake Wrecks documents the most outrageous, silliest, and creative cakes out there. Users submit snapshots of the "cake wrecks" they come across and the best are hand-picked by founder Jen Yates for publication.

This hilarious blog combines recipes and other food-related content with some profanity-laden, R-rated instructions that will have you cracking up. The two-year-old site's tone might have you thinking it doesn't take its recipes seriously. But behind each one there's a real commitment to promoting a healthy lifestyle ("Stop the shameful snacking. Make your own G****mn dip. Don't buy into that Frito-Lay F***ery.") And for those who can't get enough, there's a book hitting shelves next month.

Lori Lange left her post as an elementary school teacher in 2005 to start Recipe Girl. The blog includes nearly 3,000 recipes (mostly developed by Lange, though she occasionally posts curated submissions from users). Lange served alongside Paula Deen as a judge of the Real Women of Philadelphia Cream Cheese Cook-Off in 2010 and published the first Recipe Girl Cookbook last year.

Skinnytaste features recipes developed by author and founder Gina Homolka. Skinnytaste's recipes are "healthy dishes that don't sacrifice any of the flavor" of their full-fat counterparts, and there's a store selling "kitchen essentials." Be on the lookout for The Skinnytaste Cookbook, coming out next week.

A virtual recipe box of founder Elise Bauer's favorite homespun dishes, Simply Recipes features her tried-and-true recipes, along with those crafted by family and friends. Bauer started the blog in 2003 as a way to document the recipes that she grew up with and those that she developed, categorized by main ingredients, special diets, course, season, and cuisine.  

Serious Eats Founder Ed Levine has assembled a team of knowledgeable food writers to explore everything from how to sear a perfect steak to how to differentiate between pizza styles, with recipes, restaurant reviews, taste tests, and plenty of other food-oriented content mixed in. There's also a very active community of commenters, and J. Kenji Lopez-Alt's The Food Lab has developed a following all its own.

Pioneer Woman Ree Drummond documents her life as a "domestic country wife," with photos and recipes that she whips up for her husband and four young cowpokes. Three years ago, Drummond went from blogger to television host, bringing her "cowboy-friendly" dishes to Food Network.

The Kitchn is the food-focused arm of the home improvement site Apartment Therapy, but it's become a hit all unto itself. The Kitchn believes that "simplicity and luxury are not mutually exclusive," and provides its readers with simple tips, how-to's, videos, and recipes. Be on the lookout for the blog's first cookbook, coming out October 7.