CPG Brands with Recipes: What Works and Why

‍Why Recipes Are a Strategic Asset for Food Brands

In a world where digital touchpoints influence nearly every stage of the customer journey, recipe content has become an essential strategy for CPG brands aiming to stay top of mind. Consumers increasingly rely on online inspiration for what to cook, and nearly 9 in 10 now use digital recipes to plan meals each week. What’s more, 43% of shoppers search for recipes while they’re in-store, blending inspiration with purchase intent in real time.

As this Recipe Kit Report highlights:

• 95.7% of millennials and 87.2% of Gen Z use online recipes for cooking inspiration, creating a huge opportunity for brands.
• Recipes solve a real problem - deciding what to cook - while showcasing products naturally.
• Shoppable recipes link directly to online grocery purchases, catering to the 56% of consumers shopping for groceries online more often.
• Recipe content builds trust and loyalty by offering practical, valuable ideas for using products.

This makes shoppable, SEO-optimized recipe content more relevant than ever. Brands that design recipe pages with mobile users in mind, link directly to retailers, and offer practical ideas tied to their products can meet shoppers where they are and drive meaningful engagement.

From a performance standpoint for retailers, the ROI is clear. According to a case study reported by Grocery Dive, grocery chain Reasor’s saw measurable increases in product engagement and basket value after introducing shoppable recipes. 

Likewise for CPG brands, Social Sellinator notes that recipe-based and contextual ad formats can achieve click-through rates between 0.5% and 0.7%, significantly outperforming static display ads, which average just 0.1%.

The true power of recipe content lies in its ability to turn a product into a story. A great recipe doesn’t just promote an ingredient, it makes it essential. It gives people a reason to try it, a framework to enjoy it, and a trigger to come back for more. Recipes allow you to build SEO presence, it endorses social sharing, and are an essential part of omni-channel retail strategies, all while building long-term loyalty through actual use and value.

‍

What the Best CPG Recipe Pages Have in Common

‍

‍

While no two recipe strategies are identical, standout CPG brand recipe pages tend to share a few critical elements that consistently drive performance and engagement:

• Tested, High-Quality Recipes: Every great branded recipe starts with a tested, reliable formula that consumers can trust. The brand’s hero product is consistently featured in a way that mirrors how people actually cook at home: practical, simple, and delicious, and not overly polished or styled beyond recognition. Brands can invest in in-house studios, partner with recipe photography agencies or use the newest wave of AI-powered Food Photo Generation tools, to create world class recipe content.
  

• Strong Visuals and Clear UX: Recipes need to look and feel approachable. The high-quality step-by-step photos or short-form videos help clarify each step, but this also needs to be presented within mobile-first layout for recipe pages ensuring users can cook, scroll, and shop all from the same screen with minimal friction. Avoid overwhelming users with lengthy text or excessive ads. Instead, create subtle, intuitive features—like easy serving size adjustments and quick access to nutritional info—to keep users engaged and returning to your recipe platform.

• SEO-Optimized and Structured Pages: Visibility begins with strong technical foundations. Recipe schema, internal links, and keyword-optimized metadata ensure that branded content ranks well in search engines and shows up at the right moments during a shopper’s journey.
  

• Integrated Commerce: The most effective recipes don’t just inspire they convert. Integrated commerce features like clickable ingredients, add-to-cart buttons, and cross-promoted SKUs guide users directly to a purchase decision, whether through DTC channels or retail media integrations.

Together, these elements drive not just engagement, but action — turning inspiration into measurable results.

‍

Examples of Brands Executing Recipe Content Well

‍

To see how recipe strategies work in the real world, let’s look at a few standout case studies from CPG brands who have used content to drive engagement, loyalty, and conversion.

Nestlé Toll House shows how seasonal recipe content can drive measurable business results. During a holiday baking campaign on Pinterest, the brand featured bundled ingredients alongside festive recipes that inspired both new and returning customers. According to Pinterest Business, the campaign drove an 8% lift in incremental sales — and notably, half of that growth came from new buyers. It’s a strong example of how thoughtful recipe integration across digital platforms can turn seasonal inspiration into sustained brand growth.

‍

Chobani offers one of the cleanest examples in the space, pairing seasonal recipe collections with beautiful food photography. Their Greek Yogurt is a centerpiece in dishes ranging from smoothies to savory dips, often appearing in recipes that promote healthy eating habits. According to Food Business News, in 2021 Chobani launched an oat milk–focused campaign featuring plant-based recipes designed for cross-category appeal, which boosted engagement and broadened usage occasions.

‍

Hellmann’s uses recipes to tell a broader story of versatility. One standout example is their “Make Taste Not Waste” campaign, which focused on reducing food waste through flexible fridge-cleanout recipes using their mayonnaise. This campaign inspired 200 million viewers across North America, helped reduce household food waste by 46% during a four-week pilot, and significantly increased category penetration, especially among millennials. The recipes were integrated across social media, Pinterest, and on-site hubs, all tied to shoppable retail integrations, according to a Unilever case report.

‍

Content Formats That Maximize Recipe Impact

‍

The best recipe strategies go beyond individual posts. Here are three proven formats that smart brands use to make content easier to discover, save, and share:

• Recipe Collections by Use Case: Bundling recipes around specific needs or moments like “5-Ingredient Meals with [Brand]” or “Game Day Favorites” helps users find relevant content fast and drive deeper exploration.
  
  
• Short-Form Video for Social & Retail Media: Quick, loopable recipe videos optimized for TikTok, Instagram Reels, or Pinterest can amplify reach dramatically.
  
  
• Downloadable PDFs and Meal Plans: Whether it’s a printable guide or email-gated download, this format boosts engagement and list growth while positioning the brand as a kitchen ally.

‍

How to Improve Discoverability and Usability

‍

Creating standout recipe content is only half the challenge. Ensuring it’s discovered and drives action is where strategy makes the difference. Here’s how top brands improve reach and usability:

• Use Intent-Based SEO: Instead of relying only on branded search terms, optimize for real user queries like “healthy pasta with Greek yogurt” or “vegan substitute for sour cream.” Use structured data and cluster related recipes into helpful categories.
  
  
• Make Recipes Shoppable: Every touchpoint should nudge toward purchase. shoppable recipe advertising strategies make it easy to add products to cart and close the loop between inspiration and action. Embed add-to-cart buttons, connect with retailer media programs like Instacart or Kroger, or partner with marketplaces such as Amazon or Walmart. The goal is seamless conversion — whether online or in-store.
  
  
• Promote Across Channels: Email newsletters, influencer collaborations, and QR codes on packaging can extend the recipe’s reach. Syncing this content with seasonal promos or product launches creates even more impact.

‍

Final Thoughts: Great Recipes Build Great Brands

‍

For more strategic insights and examples, view our Client Success Stories, or check out how  SideChef can help your brand use recipes to grow your business:

• Recipe Platform Solutions: solutions to build or enhance your own recipe section within your brand platform
• In-Recipe Campaigns: boost your product sales with in-recipe campaigns
• Food Image Creation: create realistic, high-quality recipe photos in seconds with AI
• Shoppable Recipe Tech: make your recipe content shoppable, connecting inspiration to commerce.

To conclude: a strong recipe marketing strategy isn’t just nice to have anymore for food brands. It's one of the most effective tools CPG brands can use to connect, convert, and retain customers. When executed thoughtfully, recipes support every part of the funnel, from discovery to purchase.

Ready to turn your products into recipes that convert? Partner with SideChef to scale branded content across every touchpoint.