A New Way To Bake Cookbook Review

A new way to bake: Re-imagined Recipes for Plant-based Cakes, Bakes and Desserts

We return to our cookbook reviews with A New Way to Bake, the award-winning debut from pastry chef Philip Khoury.

In this book, Philip offers more than another collection of plant-based recipes, he proposes a genuine rethinking of modern baking, one rooted in technique, curiosity, and an ambition to design desserts for the future.

Rather than treating plant-based baking as a niche or specialized corner of pastry, Philip approaches it as a natural extension of how many of us cook and eat today. His recipes are grounded in everyday cravings and familiar comforts, but they’re informed by a mindset that prioritizes clarity, flavor, and thoughtful technique.

The result is a book that feels warm and welcoming from the outset, encouraging readers to explore a style of baking that is both intuitive and refreshingly forward-looking.

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A Reinvention of Baking’s Building Blocks

From the very first pages, Philip makes his intentions clear: to rebuild pastry from the ground up using plant-based, globally accessible ingredients without sacrificing flavor, texture, or craftsmanship.

Instead of treating vegan baking as a workaround, A New Way to Bake positions it as a natural evolution, one rooted in the same core principles that define great pastry: balance, structure, and precision.

The book opens with a concise but engaging history of baking, which leads into the Plantry, a detailed exploration of the ingredients that underpin Philip’s approach.

Each ingredient is introduced with purpose, what it does, why it matters, and how it behaves in the kitchen. This section alone offers tremendous value for bakers curious about the science and intention behind the recipes.

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A Practical Guide to Smarter Baking

The recipe collection spans beloved classics and modern favorites: Apple Pie, Banana Bread, Lamingtons, Tiramisu, and many more. Each recipe is broken into clear, digestible steps, guiding readers not only through the method but also the rationale behind each technique.

Philip’s tone is approachable yet precise, offering tips, clarifications, and small insights that make a big difference in execution. Whether he’s explaining how to replicate structure without eggs or how to build nuanced flavor using traditional plant-based ingredients, his teaching is steady and generous.

The inclusion of QR codes throughout the book is a clever touch, allowing readers to jump between sub-recipes and techniques with ease.

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A Clean, Modern Visual Approach

Beautifully photographed, A New Way to Bake emphasizes process, ingredients, and the tactile nature of pastry.

Hands shaping dough, surfaces settling, crumbs breaking away, these images reflect the book’s technical spirit and Philip’s attention to detail.

The layout is modern and uncluttered, giving the recipes space to breathe while keeping everything easy to follow. The physical production supports the philosophy behind the book: practical, thoughtful, and forward-thinking.

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Final Thoughts

A New Way to Bake it’s a comprehensive guide to rethinking pastry. Philip’s commitment to cleaner, smarter baking and his ability to communicate technique with clarity make this debut both timely and enduring.

For readers searching for a cookbook that teaches, challenges, and inspires, while still delivering irresistible results, this is one to keep close at hand.

A New Way to Bake sets a new benchmark for plant-based pastry and delivers exactly what its title promises: a fresh, intelligent approach to baking for the future.