Cooking YouTube Channel Ideas (One Making $1.3 Million Per Year)

Are you ready to turn your love for cooking into a successful YouTube channel? Look no further! In this guide, we share the top delicious and unique cooking YouTube channel ideas to help you stand out and attract a hungry audience.

Keep reading to see a channel that is making over $1.3 million per year! This channel idea will show you how to earn while filling up your stomach!

Cooking YouTube Channel Ideas #1: Recipe Tutorials

If you enjoy cooking, why not share your favorite recipes with the rest of the world? You can develop simple cooking tutorials that show viewers how to make delectable dishes from scratch. Here are some excellent channels for Cooking Tutorials:

Tasty (21 million subscribers)

Tasty is one of the most popular cooking channels on YouTube, known for their quick and easy recipe tutorials, presented in a visually appealing and easy-to-follow format.

The focus of the channel is on the food, rather than the presenter, and the videos often use a top-down camera angle to showcase the cooking process.

One of their best videos based on views is “I Made A Giant 30-Pound Burger” with over 45 million views.

This video alone is estimated to have earned Tasty up to $153,000 in advertising revenue alone.

Tasty is estimated to make up to $790K per year through advertising revenue.

Top Cooking YouTube Channel Ideas: Babish Culinary Universe

The “Babish Culinary Universe” refers to Andrew Rea’s, also known as Babish, world of culinary creations and tutorials.

This is one of the top channels in the YouTube niche of cooking.

Babish is a YouTube personality and chef known for his channel “Binging with Babish,” where he recreates iconic dishes from movies and TV shows.

The Babish Culinary Universe includes his original channel and other channels, such as “Basics with Babish,” where he teaches fundamental cooking techniques, and “Babish Culinary Universe,” which features cooking tutorials and recipes from a variety of cuisines.

Babish’s cooking style is approachable and engaging, making it simple for viewers to follow along and create delicious dishes in their own kitchens.

His love of food and commitment to discovering new culinary concepts have earned him a devoted following, making the Babish Culinary Universe a popular destination for foodies and cooking enthusiasts.

“Binging with Babish: Ratatouille (Confit Byaldi) from Ratatouille“, with over 29 million views and 675K likes, is their most popular video.

This video is estimated to have generated $101,000 in advertising revenue for Babish Culinary Universe.

The channel’s annual earnings are estimated to be $1.3 million.

Bon Appétit (6.22 million subs)

Bon Appétit is a popular YouTube cooking channel that features a team of chefs, editors and hosts who create recipes, food tutorials, and culinary entertainment videos.

They are known for their creative and inventive approach to cooking, often featuring a fusion of different cultural influences and techniques.

Their most popular segment is “Gourmet Makes,” in which pastry chef Claire Saffitz attempts to recreate popular junk foods using high-quality ingredients and traditional pastry techniques.

The best recipe video this channel has is “Every Way to Cook an Egg (59 Methods)” with over 37.6 million views and 733K likes.

The channel is estimated to make around $540k per year through advertising revenue.

Food Wishes (4.35 million subscribers)

The channel is presented in a no-nonsense, straightforward style, with a focus on providing useful cooking tips and tricks.

The presenter, Chef John, is never shown on camera, and the channel’s success is largely due to his engaging voice-overs and clear recipe instructions.

Their best video is “Inside-Out Grilled Cheese Sandwich – Ultimate Cheese Sandwich” with over 10.9 million views and 83K likes.

This video alone is estimated to have earned Food Wishes around $37,185 in advertising revenue.

The channel itself is estimated to make around $263k in annual revenue.

These channels serve as just a few illustrations of the success that a YouTube channel dedicated to recipe tutorials can have.

By providing viewers with high-quality content and engaging videos, these channels have built loyal followings and earned substantial earnings through advertising revenue.

Cooking YouTube Channel Ideas #2: Cooking Challenges

Cooking challenges are another popular type of cooking content on YouTube.

These videos often involve a host or guests attempting to cook a specific dish or using a certain ingredient creatively.

Here are a few examples of successful cooking challenge channels that might peak your interest:

Epicurious (4.62 million subscribers)

Epicurious is a popular food website that also has a YouTube channel featuring cooking challenges and recipe tutorials.

Their best video is “$500 vs $16 Steak Dinner: Pro Chef & Home Cook Swap Ingredients” with a whopping 52 million views and 940K likes.

This video is estimated to have earned Epicurious around $172,000 in advertising revenue and the channel is estimated to be earning around $569,000 annually.

This is a great example of a faceless YouTube channel and how it is possible to make big money without showing your face in videos.

Sorted Food (2.674 million subscribers)

Sorted Food is a British cooking channel presented in a friendly and approachable style featuring cooking challenges, recipe tutorials, and food-related content.

One of their best cooking challenge videos is “THE ULTIMATE BURGER BATTLE – TAKE 2!” with almost 3 million views and 37K likes.

This video is estimated to have earned Sorted Food around $3,000 to $8,000 in advertising revenue.

This channel makes in the neighborhood of $574,000 annually according to Social Blade.

Bon Appétit (6.2 million subscribers)

Bon Appétit, previously mentioned for their recipe tutorials, also features cooking challenges on their YouTube channel.

Their best cooking challenge video is “Pastry Chef Attempts To Make Gourmet Skittles” with over 13 million views and 220K likes.

This video is estimated to have earned Bon Appétit around $40,000 in advertising revenue.

These cooking challenge channels offer a unique and entertaining approach to cooking content on YouTube by pushing the boundaries of what can be done in the kitchen and challenging themselves and their guests.

With over $554,000 per year in ad revenue, this channel is doing quite well.

Cooking YouTube Channel Ideas #3: Add “Humor” to your Recipe

Adding humor to your videos is a fun technique to give cooking individuality and amusement.

It can assist viewers in becoming more interested in remembering the recipe and boost the kitchen’s ambiance.

Here are a few successful and entertaining culinary channels to check out:

Epic Meal Time (6.86 million subscribers)

Epic Meal Time is a popular YouTube cooking channel known for its extreme recipes that feature large quantities of meat, cheese, and other decadent ingredients.

The hosts are known for their irreverent and often crude humor, which has helped to establish the channel as a cult favorite among viewers.

The videos typically feature a group of friends gathering together to cook and eat an enormous, calorie-laden meal.

Some of their most popular recipes include the “Fast Food Lasagna” and the “Bacon-Wrapped Pizza“.

Millions of fans worldwide have tuned in to the channel thanks to its outlandish recipes and engaging hosts, making it a favorite among people who enjoy comfort cuisine.

Their video “Fast Food Lasagna – Epic Meal Time” has 33 million views and is estimated to have already earned around $113k in ad revenue.

You Suck at Cooking (3.07 million subscribers)

You Suck at Cooking is a popular YouTube cooking channel that combines humor and cooking tutorials uniquely.

The channel is known for its quirky humor, skits, and unconventional recipes.

The chef behind the channel is not shown on camera, but his voice and hands are visible as he prepares the dishes.

Each You Suck at Cooking episode focuses on a different recipe, ranging from simple snacks to complex meals.

The videos are shot creatively, with animations and graphics used to enhance the humor and instructional content.

The chef’s deadpan humor and delivery make the videos entertaining, even if you’re not interested in cooking.

You Suck at Cooking has an estimated $119,000 in yearly earnings.

Their video “Modified Ramen (episode 80)” alone has garnered 9.7 million views and has an estimated $13,000 to $33,000 in profits from ad revenue.

How to Drink (1.64 million subscribers)

How to Drink is a channel that offers instructions and demos for making cocktails.

The channel has grown in popularity because of its distinctive fusion of educational and amusing content, and the host is well-known for his dry humor and scathing remarks.

This channel offers tutorials for making cocktails, reviews of various spirits and bar equipment, and special appearances from people in related fields.

The videos highlighting the beauty of the created drinks have great production values and are expertly shot and edited.

Their lectures are simple for viewers unfamiliar with mixology because of the host’s clear and entertaining voice-over.

With 6 million views, their video “Butterbeer from Harry Potter” generated an estimated $20,000 advertising revenue.

Cooking YouTube Channel Ideas #4: Cooking Tips and Tricks

A cooking tips and tricks channel can be your best option if you want to help your viewers become better cooks. To make cooking more straightforward and fun, offer cooking tips, demonstrate to your audience how to use kitchen appliances, and share valuable hints.

Here are some of the best channels that are well-known for their cooking tips and techniques::

ChefSteps (1.16 million subscribers)

ChefSteps is a YouTube channel dedicated to modernist cuisine and avant-garde cooking techniques.

It was founded by a group of chefs and food scientists to make quality cooking accessible to home cooks.

The channel’s films are well-produced and educational, with comprehensive instructions and scientific explanations behind each recipe.

They also offer classes on a variety of cooking and food science topics.

Their Joule app provides precise temperature control for sous-vide cooking, and they provide a selection of kitchen tools and appliances to make modernist cooking more manageable and accessible.

Pro Home Cooks (3.79 million subscribers)

A YouTube channel called Pro Home Cooks is devoted to assisting home cooks in developing their abilities and self-assurance in the kitchen.

Self-taught chef and host Mike Greenfield shares his love of food and cooking with his audience.

The recipes in Mike’s films are typically accompanied by thorough instructions and useful hints. He emphasizes the significance of technique and invites viewers to explore and change recipes to fit their tastes.

Pro Home Cooks provides instructional films on several aspects of cooking, including knife skills and seasoning.

These films are both educational and fun thanks to Mike’s approachable and cheerful demeanor.

Also, the channel has a vibrant viewership that frequently comments on the videos with their cooking advice and experiences.

These channels are great for people wishing to enhance their cooking skills and learn new techniques in the kitchen, delivering helpful tips and tricks and delicious recipes.

Other Faceless Cooking YouTube Channel Ideas

JunsKitchen (Cooking YouTube Channel Ideas)

With 5.32 million subscribers and an estimate of around $75k in annual earnings, JunsKitchen has gained a large following because of its unique blend of beautiful visuals, calming music, and delicious Japanese recipes.

The fact that the chef’s face is not shown adds to the mystery and intrigue of the channel and creates a sense of focus on the food and the techniques used to prepare it.

Additionally, the use of cats in the videos adds a touch of personality and humor that viewers love.

One Kitchen – A Thousand Ideas

A channel with 47.5k subscribers hosted by a Danish woman who never shows her face on camera but instead focuses on creating delicious and easy-to-follow recipes.

Her videos are characterized by their simplicity and approachability, with a focus on using fresh and wholesome ingredients to create tasty and healthy meals.

One Kitchen’s videos often feature classic Danish recipes, as well as international dishes with a Scandinavian twist.

Her friendly and upbeat personality comes through in each video, and her emphasis on using fresh and seasonal ingredients has made her a popular choice for home cooks looking for healthy and delicious meal ideas.

Peaceful Cuisine (2.46 million subscribers)

This is a popular faceless YouTube cooking channel that features soothing, and meditative videos focused on vegan and plant-based cooking.

The channel is hosted by a Japanese man who never shows his face on camera but instead focuses on the beauty and simplicity of each recipe.

Peaceful Cuisine’s videos are characterized by their calming atmosphere and focus on mindfulness and self-care.

The videos feature soothing music and natural sounds, creating a peaceful and relaxing atmosphere that is perfect for unwinding and finding a moment of tranquility in the midst of a busy day.

The recipes featured on the channel are simple and healthy, with a focus on fresh and wholesome ingredients.

This channel’s host often uses traditional Japanese ingredients and cooking techniques, creating a unique fusion of Japanese and Western vegan cuisine.

The videos are filmed with a minimalist aesthetic, featuring close-up shots of the cooking process and the finished dish.

Conclusion

If you love to cook and want to share your recipes and techniques with the rest of the world, create a YouTube cooking channel.

Remember that honesty, creativity and persistence are the keys to success.

Always be brave and try different approaches and formats and always strive to improve your skills and connect with your audience.