Betty Crocker
Betty Crocker is not a real person but a fictional character created in 1921 by the Washburn-Crosby Company, a flour milling business that later became General Mills. Developed as part of an advertising campaign, the name became one of the most recognized brands in America. The Betty Crocker Cookbook was first published on September 8, 1950, with an initial print run of 950,000 copies.
On LuvemBooks, we've reviewed 2 of Betty Crocker's books, including The Betty Crocker Cookbook, 13th Edition and Betty Crocker Lost Recipes.
2
Books Reviewed
The Betty Crocker Cookbook, 13th Edition: Everything You Need to Know to Cook Today
4.7/5
reader rating · 1,561 ratingsThe Betty Crocker Cookbook, 13th Edition is a fully updated and revised reference cookbook published by Harvest on October 25, 2022, containing more than 1,300 recipes — over 375 of them new — designed to bring a century-old American culinary institution squarely into the modern home kitchen. This review assesses the book's content, organisation, and scope based on published sources, not a kitchen test.
Reviewed Apr 15, 2026
Betty Crocker Lost Recipes: Beloved Vintage Recipes for Today's Kitchen
4.6/5
reader rating · 3,345 ratingsPublished by Harvest in October 2017, Betty Crocker Lost Recipes is a cookbook that rescues from-scratch American classics — hot crab dip, applesauce doughnuts, Waldorf salad, slow cooker sauerbraten beef, and more — from the margins of modern cooking, pairing them with archival stories, anecdotes, and artwork from Betty Crocker's history. This review assesses the book's content, organisation, and reception from published sources, not a kitchen test.
Reviewed Apr 29, 2026
Ask LuvemBooks about Betty Crocker
Betty Crocker is a fictional brand character created in 1921, and the two books reviewed on LuvemBooks reflect the practical, instructional approach that has defined the brand for over a century. The Betty Crocker Cookbook, 13th Edition exemplifies this with its comprehensive, technique-first structure aimed at everyday home cooks rather than culinary enthusiasts seeking creative inspiration. Across both reviewed titles, the writing prioritizes clear, step-by-step guidance and accessible language, making the books functional kitchen references rather than narrative reads.
- Where should I start?
- If you are new to Betty Crocker, the best starting point is The Betty Crocker Cookbook, 13th Edition, which functions as a comprehensive kitchen reference covering a wide range of techniques and recipes suited to everyday home cooking. It holds a reader rating of 4.7 out of 5 from over 1,400 Amazon ratings, making it the higher-rated of the two reviewed titles. Its structured, technique-first format means it works equally well as a learning tool for beginners and a reliable reference for more experienced cooks.
- What's their writing style?
- Betty Crocker titles are written in a clear, direct, and instructional voice designed to minimize ambiguity in the kitchen. Recipes typically lead with straightforward ingredient lists and numbered steps, prioritizing usability over narrative or personal storytelling. The tone is approachable and confident without being conversational, reflecting the brand's roots in home economics education. There is little stylistic flourish; the writing treats the reader as a competent adult who wants reliable guidance rather than inspiration.
- Books we've reviewed
- LuvemBooks has reviewed two Betty Crocker titles. The Betty Crocker Cookbook, 13th Edition is a comprehensive all-purpose home cooking reference with a reader rating of 4.7 out of 5 from over 1,400 Amazon ratings. Betty Crocker Lost Recipes is a more focused title that revisits beloved vintage recipes from the brand's archive and adapts them for modern kitchens, holding a reader rating of 4.6 out of 5 from over 3,300 Amazon ratings.
- How do the books compare?
- The Betty Crocker Cookbook, 13th Edition and Betty Crocker Lost Recipes serve quite different purposes despite coming from the same brand. The Cookbook is a broad, all-purpose kitchen reference designed for regular use across a wide range of meals, while Lost Recipes is a more specialized title that focuses on recovering and modernizing vintage recipes from the brand's archive. Both carry strong reader ratings — 4.7 and 4.6 out of 5 respectively on Amazon — but Lost Recipes has more than twice as many ratings, suggesting it has found a larger readership, possibly among home cooks drawn to its nostalgic premise.
- What genre do they write?
- Both books reviewed on LuvemBooks fall under the Cooking & Food genre. More specifically, Betty Crocker titles sit within the American home cooking tradition, focusing on practical, accessible recipes intended for everyday domestic use rather than professional or restaurant-style cooking. The brand's output spans general cookbooks, baking guides, and specialty collections, all sharing the same instructional, reference-oriented format.
- What should I read after the Cookbook?
- After working through The Betty Crocker Cookbook, 13th Edition, Betty Crocker Lost Recipes is the natural next title reviewed on LuvemBooks — it shifts the focus from broad technique to a curated selection of vintage American recipes, offering a different but complementary perspective on home cooking. Readers who enjoy the historical dimension of Lost Recipes may then want to explore other archival or heritage-focused American cookbooks outside the Betty Crocker catalog.
Who is Betty Crocker?
Where should I start?
What's their writing style?
Books we've reviewed
How do the books compare?
What genre do they write?
What should I read after the Cookbook?
Who is Betty Crocker?
Betty Crocker is not a real person but a fictional character created in 1921 by the Washburn-Crosby Company, a flour milling business that later became General Mills. The name was developed as part of an advertising campaign and grew into one of the most recognized brands in American food culture. The Betty Crocker Cookbook was first published on September 8, 1950, with an initial print run of 950,000 copies, and the brand has continued publishing updated editions and specialty titles ever since. Today, Betty Crocker cookbooks are among the best-selling in the United States, with an average Amazon reader rating of 4.6 out of 5.
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