Sometimes creativity strikes, while other times it seems to be running on empty. Regardless, the show must go on. A recipe needs to be concocted, and a blog post must be published. So, where do you turn when you find yourself fresh out of ideas?
Here are five places where you can discover inspiration for popular and trending recipes. These sources not only provide you with inspiration and ideas for creating your own unique adaptations, but they also give you insights into the recipes that are currently making waves.
Note: It’s important to remember that recipes should never be directly copied. When using the ideas below, think of yourself as an artist visiting a museum. Seek inspiration that sparks your creativity, rather than duplicating someone else’s work. For more clarity on this subject, you can review this episode of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast.
Table of Contents
1. The Food Blogger Pro Blog
Yep, you can find out about trending recipes right here! We started a “Trending Now in Food Blogging” series on the FBP blog a few years ago, and it has become a great resource for discovering what’s new and trending in the world of food.
In these articles, we delve into annual trends and current popular food searches. Our aim is to help you create content that aligns with your readers’ interests and gets them excited. These articles are published on the last Thursday of every month, making it the perfect time to plan your editorial calendar for the following month!
2. Google Trends
Google Trends allows you to gauge the popularity of search terms relative to the overall volume of searches on Google. As a food blogger, you can utilize Google Trends to identify the best time of the year to post a specific recipe.
Take a look at this screenshot showcasing the five-year results for the search term “snickerdoodles”:
The graph clearly shows that the most popular time for searching the keyword “snickerdoodles” is in December each year. Furthermore, Google Trends provides additional related search terms and rising trends, making it a valuable tool for brainstorming new recipes.
3. Pinterest Trends
While not exclusively focused on food, Pinterest Trends is an excellent platform to discover food-related topics that are currently trending on Pinterest. It not only gives you insights into popular recipes but also highlights the types of images that are resonating with Pinterest users.
By clicking on a specific trend, you can explore further and find popular pins related to that keyword.
Please note that Pinterest Trends only displays search terms popular in the US, UK, and Canada within the past 12 months. However, even if you reside outside of these countries, you can still gain valuable insights into trending keywords on Pinterest.
Bonus! Top Pins of The Year
Pinterest also features a “Top Pins of The Year” board, showcasing the most popular pins in various categories from the previous year. While there aren’t any specific food boards from 2020, you can still find food and recipe pins among the different boards!
4. Simple Pin Media
Speaking of Pinterest, Simple Pin Media, owned by Food Blogger Pro Expert Kate Ahl, is an incredible resource that not only teaches you how to leverage Pinterest as a content creator but also helps you uncover trending searches and topics.
We absolutely love Pinterest (it’s one of the top traffic-drivers for our food blog, Pinch of Yum), and Pinterest users utilize the platform to enhance their cooking skills, discover new recipe ideas, and explore diverse cuisines.
You can download Simple Pin Media’s FREE Pinterest Keyword Guide for content recommendations specific to each season. Be sure to explore their podcast and blog content, which cover various pin trends throughout the year.
5. Exploding Topics
Exploding Topics is a relatively new tool that helps identify super trendy food trends. They specialize in spotting “exploding topics” before they reach the pinnacle of popularity. By utilizing this tool, you have the potential to be one of the early adopters of a specific keyword or term.
Their website features a dedicated section on food trends, and each trend is labeled accordingly:
- Regular: The term’s popularity is growing at a normal pace.
- Peaked: The term’s search growth has already reached its highest point.
- Exploding: The term is experiencing steep, hockey stick-like growth.
You can learn more about how this tool works here.
What about you?
Where do you seek recipe inspiration? Do you have any other tips for finding popular or trending recipes? We would love to hear your thoughts in the comment section below.
