25 Best Comfort Food Recipes

We know you’re probably in desperate need of a big bear hug from your bestie, neighbor, or extended family member. Except … social distancing. We don’t know when the restrictions will lift, but we can help you eat your way to a better mood through some quality home cooking. From vegan mac and cheese and Instant Pot soups to Italian-style meatballs and dairy-free ice cream, your comfort food cravings are totally covered.

Best Soup Recipes

Soup is a classic comfort food because it warms you from the inside out. Here are some of our favorite recipes. Round out the meal with a fresh salad and a bottle of clean wine.

Best Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe

The best chicken soup recipe award goes to … a Whole30®-approved pot with turmeric, chicken, and tender zoodles. If you have leftovers, freeze them for later!

One-Pot Ground Turkey and Pesto Stew with Mushrooms, Sweet Potato, and Wilted Greens

We originally created this recipe as a reintroduction meal to close out your Whole30® month, but it’s a hit any time. Pesto, mushrooms, sweet potato, and kale make the perfect partner for this healthy ground turkey recipe.

Seafood Scallop Chowder

Seafood chowder in 30 minutes? Let’s do it! Not only is this soup paleo-friendly, but it’s brimming with tender shrimp and scallops. If you need to make some swaps depending on what you have (like potatoes for cauliflower), go for it.

Gluten-Free Ramen

This gluten-free ramen is made with wonder noodles that are ready straight out of the package—genius! It only takes about 30 minutes to make, and you can toss in whatever veggies you have in the crisper drawer.

Best Tomato Soup

Tomato soup practically begs to be paired with grilled cheese. In this simple recipe, bust out pantry ingredients like ghee, dried basil, and whole peeled tomatoes. Don’t forget to add a slick of Dijon to the sandwiches—it adds an extra kick.

Healthy Lentil Soup

Red lentils are inexpensive, delicious, and quick-cooking. This gorgeous soup is a great one to make ahead and works for gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian diets.

Pasta Recipes

If you saw “comfort food” and immediately thought of carbs, we’re here for you. These pastas will give you extra cozy vibes.

Gluten-Free Fusilli Alla Vodka

If you’ve been tempted to pour yourself a little something in the evenings, add a splash of vodka to your next pasta recipe. The tomato-based sauce for this gluten-free recipe is laced with heavy cream, cheese, and basil for freshness.

Keto-Friendly Lasagna

Is it still lasagna without the noodles? Absolutely. This keto-friendly version uses cabbage leaves to create layers, and covers them with a creamy ricotta filling.

Perfect Carbonara

Bacon, eggs, and cheese are all you need to transform basic noodles into a saucy, comforting dinner. Whole wheat spaghetti adds nice texture, and this recipe gets dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes.

Pantry Pasta With White Beans, Olives, and Capers

Put your pantry to work! Just about everything for this dish (with the exception of cheese, parsley, and lemon) comes straight from your dry goods stash. If you have olives, beans, spaghetti, pine nuts, and chili flakes, you’re on the road to a satisfying supper.

Vegan Shells and Cheese

Here’s a vegan mac and cheese for all the dairy avoiders out there. It’s impossibly creamy—that’s the magic of hummus, cashews, and nutritional yeast.

Healthy Instant Pot Recipes

If you ask us, the Instant Pot is basically a shortcut to instant comfort. These recipes prove it.

Best Instant Pot Soup Recipe

White chicken chili with sweet potatoes is a slam dunk in the comforting soup category. This dish cooks up in the Instant Pot, and is Whole30®-approved, dairy-free, and gluten-free.

Keto Butter Chicken

Add keto butter chicken to your list of chicken comfort food recipes. It’s easy to make your own Indian food at home with spices already in the pantry (and a knob of butter, naturally).

Instant Pot Keto Beef Stew

A big bowl of keto beef stew is basically a warm hug. Dried spices like thyme and rosemary give each bite depth, and the beef will be extra tender, thanks to the pressure cooking magic of your Instant Pot.

Instant Pot Chicken Adobo

You know what we love most about this chicken adobo recipe? It uses only a handful of ingredients that you probably already have, like apple cider vinegar, chicken thighs, and garlic.

Meatball Recipes

Did we just make an entire category for meatballs? You bet we did. From chicken to beef to turkey, take your pick!

Low FODMAP Turkey Meatballs

Avoiding FODMAPs in your diet just got easier, thanks to turkey meatballs. A combination of almond flour and EVOO makes them tender, while fresh herbs make them flavorful. Serve with fresh zoodles for a spaghetti and meatball-style dinner.

Keto Tsukune Chicken Meatballs

We’re taking some inspiration from Japan for this meatball dish. Paleo, dairy-free, and keto-friendly, ground chicken is mixed with Asian ingredients like ginger, scallions, and sesame seeds.

Italian Meatballs

Make it a classic spaghetti and meatballs night with this standout recipe. These meatballs feature a blend of ground pork and ground beef, plus garlic, Parmesan, eggs, parsley, and breadcrumbs for the perfect texture.

Cheesy Meatball Bake

Meatballs and cheese. Need we say more? Baking hearty meatballs in a casserole dish filled with jammy tomato sauce and two kinds of cheese (mozzarella and pecorino) easily meets the criteria for comfort food any night of the week.

Healthy Dessert Recipes

Does your best comfort food involve dessert? Our lineup is a bit more wholesome than your average store-bought versions.

Dairy-Free Ice Cream

Strawberries and cream oat milk ice cream is a sweet way to end your meal. The recipe is made with frozen strawberries (perfect for year-round dessert-making), vanilla beans, and shortbread cookies for crunch.

Creamy Instant Pot Rice Pudding

This warm dish is great for vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, and dairy-free diets. Just add rice, spices, coconut milk, and maple syrup to the Instant Pot and in less than 30 minutes it’ll be ready to serve.

Gluten-Free Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

We’re just gonna say it: You need these cookies in your life. This isn’t exactly a healthy recipe, but we had to sneak it in! Brown butter makes the dough extra nutty, chocolate chunks stud every bite, and a dusting of flaky salt adds a flavorful finish.

Vanilla Bean Dessert Hummus

This is one of those desserts that feels indulgent but is totally sneaking in nutrients. Hummus tends to skew savory, but our sweet version blends chickpeas with vanilla extract, liquid stevia, and almond milk for a creamy treat.

Matcha N’Ice Cream

Here’s another dairy-free ice cream for you. This one’s made with coconut milk, protein powder, matcha powder, and maple syrup. All the ingredients come together in a blender, then just freeze the custard until firm—so easy!

Black Bean Brownie Bites

This is one of our most popular recipes for a reason. You’ll never know it’s made from black beans, and it hits the spot when you’re craving brownies, too.