Niche Guides / Recipe

How to Monetize a Recipe Blog and Mix Up a Sweet Profit

Learning how to monetize a recipe blog properly is a crucial part of turning your passion for cooking into a full-time business. Here's how:

By Andrew Fiebert Updated

So, you’ve got the hang of blogging basics like WordPress and content creation. Now, it’s time to make some dough with your recipe blog!

Trust me, monetizing your blog is going to be a blast – it’s where the real fun begins!

Whether you’re just starting out or you’re a seasoned recipe guru, these monetization strategies will help you turn your blog into a money-making machine. Let’s dive into each one!

Why You Can Trust Our Recipe Blog Monetization Guide

Lasso is installed on over 8,000 websites, including many recipe blogs.

Our team has built multiple 7-figure blogs in a wide range of niches.

We have hands-on experience working with founders to grow and monetize their recipe blogs.

1. Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is the best monetization method for recipe bloggers because it hits the sweet spot between time investment and earning potential.

Affiliate marketing is a form of advertising where a publisher (the site owner) links to a product in their content and earns a commission from the advertiser (the affiliate program) if readers click on that link and make a purchase.

TIP: With all monetization methods, the rule of thumb is the easier it is to accomplish, the less money you can make, and vice versa.

Also, since you can add links to your existing content, it’s the perfect method for beginners. You’ve already written content, so you’ve already done the hard part.

How to Start Affiliate Marketing for Recipe Bloggers

Some different kinds of affiliate products to recommend in the recipe blogging niche include:

  • Cookware sets: Recommend high-quality pots, pans, and kitchen gadgets to your audience.
  • Recipe books: Suggest popular cookbooks or specialized recipe collections for your readers.
  • Meal delivery services: Partner with meal kit companies for convenient cooking solutions.
  • Food subscription boxes: Promote curated food boxes featuring unique ingredients.
  • Ingredient brands: Feature specific ingredient brands you use in your recipes.

Once you’ve identified which products will solve problems for your readers, you need to sign up for their affiliate programs.

You should start by joining the Amazon Associates affiliate program.

Most physical products in the recipe niche will be available on Amazon, and the conversion rate on Amazon is insane.

Yes, Amazon’s commission rates are rough, and they only offer a 24-hour cookie duration, but the conversion rate makes up for it. Plus, you’re nearly guaranteed to get accepted into their program.

For products that aren’t available on Amazon, just Google “[Product] affiliate program,” and you’ll find their program’s signup page.

To save you some time, here are a few of the best affiliate networks for recipe bloggers:

  1. Rachael Ray

    Rachael Ray

    Commission Rate: 5% Per Sale

    Cookie Duration: 30 Days

    The Rachael Ray Store sells a beautiful assortment of cookware, cookbooks, dinnerware, bakeware, and more.

  2. Ketoconnect

    Ketoconnect

    Commission Rate: 40% Per Sale

    Cookie Duration: 90 Days

    KetoConnect is a globally recognized brand for its authenticity and quality content towards improving health and fitness through a keto diet.

  3. Cuisinart

    Cuisinart

    Commission Rate: 10% Per Sale

    Cookie Duration: 45 Days

    Cuisineart sells various kitchen appliances and tools. Get a 10% commission rate and 45-day cookie duration with their affiliate program!

TIP: We maintain a database of the best affiliate programs. Click here to see the best cooking affiliate programs.

Once you’ve been approved for the product’s affiliate program, the program will give you your affiliate link, and you can start inserting it into your content.

Inserting links into WordPress

How To Monetize A Recipe Blog With Affiliate Marketing

To add your link to your content, go to your post editor, highlight the relevant text, and insert the link.

Here are a few best practices for adding affiliate links to your WordPress blog:

  • Add links where it’s helpful. Adding too many links to your blog posts is just like adding too many ads; it’s annoying. Add links to product titles, images, CTA buttons, and the first time you mention a product. That’s plenty.
  • Disclose your links. Every blog post with affiliate links should have a disclaimer at the beginning, and every CTA or product image should also.
  • Use direct sales language. When you are writing your call to action, be direct. It’s not rude to say, “Check the price” or “Buy this product today.” Being too passive makes you look unconfident.

Or, take it a step further by creating product displays.

You Can Double Your Affiliate Sales With Lasso Displays

Great Displays Increase Conversions!
COSORI 5 QT Air Fryer
$99.99 $79.90
Buy from Amazon Put This Display On Your Site
We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
02/18/2025 10:19 am GMT

You can create displays manually using the post editor to add links to images and buttons.

However, it can be time-consuming to create these displays and keep them updated if you’re doing it all by hand.

Luckily, monetizing your blog with affiliate links is simplified when you’re using a tool like Lasso.

Lasso makes it super easy to add links and product displays to your posts. You can add product displays to posts right from the post editor; no coding is required. It’s as simple as clicking your mouse three times.

You can also automatically import product info from retailers like Amazon. Just paste the link into the Lasso dashboard, and Lasso will populate the display with the product title, image, and price.

With all of this, remember to follow the guidelines in the affiliate program’s terms and conditions. Amazon, in particular, is pretty stringent.

But everything Lasso does is compliant with Amazon Associates’ TOS, so you never have to worry about being booted from the program.

That’s just scratching the surface of what Lasso can do to help you monetize your recipe blog. If you’re ready to start making a serious affiliate income from your recipe site, sign up for Lasso today.

Best for Monetization
Lasso: The All-In-One WordPress Plugin for Affiliate Marketing

A WordPress plugin that lets you add, manage, and display your affiliate links from any program, including Amazon. Increase conversions. Find new affiliate link opportunities. Earn more revenue! Less than 5 minutes to set up.

Learn More Create Displays Like This

Affiliate Marketing Pros and Cons for Recipe Bloggers

Affiliate marketing can be a great source of passive income for Recipe bloggers. By promoting products or services related to cooking, baking, or kitchen tools, bloggers can earn a commission on sales generated through their unique affiliate links.

However, it's essential for Recipe bloggers to carefully select the products or services they promote to maintain credibility with their audience. Over-promotion of products that are not relevant or of poor quality can lead to a loss of trust from readers.

Another advantage of affiliate marketing for Recipe bloggers is the potential to monetize their passion for cooking and sharing recipes. By partnering with brands that align with their values and target audience, bloggers can create valuable partnerships that benefit both parties.

On the downside, affiliate marketing can be time-consuming, requiring bloggers to continually create high-quality content and promote products strategically. Additionally, bloggers must stay up-to-date with the latest trends and products in the cooking industry to ensure their affiliate partnerships remain relevant and profitable.

2. Display Ads

The second best way to monetize your recipe blog is with display ads. Ads are the internet's favorite monetization method, but they have severe drawbacks.

How to Monetize a Recipe Blog With Display Ads

Monetizing a recipe blog with display ads couldn’t be easier.

First, choose an ad network to join. Networks have traffic requirements, so here are the best ad networks to join based on your site’s page views:

  • 100,000+ Visitors per month - Raptive
  • 50,000+ Sessions per month - Mediavine
  • < 50,000+ Visitors per month - Ezoic

NOTE: WordPress is an open-source software found on WordPress.org. WordPress.com is a premium blogging platform, but you never need to pay to install WordPress on your website, even if it’s self-hosted.

Once you’re accepted to an ad network, follow their instructions to integrate their ads into your site. They will have documentation for every type of content management service (WordPress, Joomla, Ghost, etc.).

If your chosen ad network has a dedicated accounts manager, they will guide you through getting their ads on your site.

And… that’s it. Let the ads run and wait for your deposits to hit your account.

TIP: Optimize your display ads for user experience by using your chosen network’s software settings or talking to your account manager. Keep the ads in the sidebar and footer whenever possible.

You’ll make a lot of money in the long run if you put your readers ahead of quick profit.

Display Ad Pros And Cons For Recipe Bloggers

Display ads can be a great way for recipe bloggers to monetize their content. They are easy to set up and can generate passive income for the blogger. By displaying relevant ads on their blog, bloggers can earn money whenever a visitor clicks on the ad or makes a purchase through it.

However, there are some drawbacks to using display ads on a recipe blog. One major downside is that they can be distracting to readers and take away from the overall user experience. Additionally, some ads may not align with the blogger's brand or values, which can lead to a disconnect with their audience.

It's important for recipe bloggers to carefully consider the placement and frequency of display ads on their blog to ensure they are not overwhelming or intrusive. By finding the right balance, bloggers can effectively monetize their content while still providing a positive experience for their readers.

3. Digital Products

Selling your own digital products is a great way to increase your earnings per visitor in the recipe niche.

A digital product is anything you can sell on your recipe blog that the customer will receive via download.

  • Digital Recipe Books: Collections of recipes with photos and detailed instructions.
  • Cooking Video Tutorials: Step-by-step videos demonstrating cooking techniques and recipes.
  • Meal Planning Templates: Printable templates to help plan weekly meals and grocery lists.
  • Nutrition Guides: E-books with information on healthy eating, ingredient substitutions, and dietary restrictions.
  • Cooking Webinars: Live or recorded webinars with cooking demos and Q&A sessions.

A lot of people search for simple checklists and guides related to different topics. They’d happily pay you for them.

Pros and Cons of Selling Digital Products for Recipe Bloggers

One of the main advantages of selling digital products for recipe bloggers is the potential for passive income. Once you create and set up your digital products, such as eBooks or online courses, they can continue to generate revenue without much ongoing effort on your part.

Another pro is the ability to reach a wider audience. By offering digital products, you can attract customers from all over the world who are interested in your recipes and cooking expertise. This can help you grow your blog's reach and increase your overall revenue.

On the flip side, a challenge of selling digital products is the initial time and effort required to create high-quality content. Developing an eBook or online course can be time-consuming, especially if you want to ensure it provides value to your audience and stands out in a crowded market.

Additionally, selling digital products may require investing in marketing and promotion to attract customers. Without effective marketing strategies, your digital products may not reach their full potential in terms of sales and profitability.

How To Monetize a Recipe Blog By Selling Digital Products

The first thing to do is create your digital product.

Look at which content your audience interacts with the most, and brainstorm digital products to help serve their search intent.

That’s what I did when I created our Ultimate Blogging Guide:

Then, create the product using whatever tools are at your disposal. For example, use Microsoft Word to create an ebook PDF, or Google Sheets to create interactive spreadsheets and checklists.

Next, you have to figure out how to distribute your product. The easiest way to distribute PDFs is by uploading them to your WordPress media library. Then you can give customers the link, and they can download the PDF from there.

Lastly, you’ll have to set up payment processing and order fulfillment. A plugin like Woocommerce can automate most of this, but you’ll have to tie it to a processor like Stripe or PayPal.

Woocommerce can even connect to an email tool like ConvertKit, so as soon as your customer finishes their checkout, they’ll get an email with a link to their download.

TIP: You can still use Lasso to get more clicks to your digital products. Just create a Lasso display with the link pointing to your product’s sales page.

Barring any issues, you won’t have to do anything but watch your bank account grow.

4. Email Newsletter

One effective way to monetize a recipe blog is by creating an email newsletter. This method allows you to build a loyal audience and engage with your readers on a more personal level. Let's explore how to monetize a recipe blog with an email newsletter and the pros and cons of email marketing for recipe bloggers.

How to Monetize a Recipe Blog with an Email Newsletter

One effective way to monetize a recipe blog is by utilizing an email newsletter. By building a list of engaged subscribers who are interested in your recipes, you can promote products, services, or affiliate links to generate revenue.

To monetize your recipe blog with an email newsletter, start by creating valuable content that your readers will find useful. Offer exclusive recipes, cooking tips, and special promotions to incentivize people to subscribe to your newsletter.

Once you have built a strong email list, you can collaborate with brands to promote their products to your subscribers. Consider featuring sponsored recipes, kitchen gadgets, or cooking ingredients that align with your audience's interests.

Pros and Cons of Email Marketing for Recipe Bloggers

  • Pros:
  • Direct communication with your audience: Email newsletters allow you to engage with your readers on a personal level and build a loyal following.
  • Monetization opportunities: You can promote products, services, or affiliate links in your emails to generate revenue for your recipe blog.
  • Targeted marketing: With email segmentation, you can tailor your promotions to different segments of your audience based on their interests and preferences.
  • Cons:
  • Potential for unsubscribes: If you bombard your subscribers with too many promotional emails, they may unsubscribe from your list.
  • Email deliverability issues: Your emails may end up in spam folders or not reach your subscribers' inboxes, affecting the effectiveness of your email marketing efforts.
  • Time and effort required: Building and maintaining an email list, creating engaging content, and managing email campaigns can be time-consuming tasks for recipe bloggers.

5. Consulting and Coaching Services

Consulting or coaching is exchanging your expertise and time for a fee. Your customers need an expert, and you’ve proven yourself to be that expert.

As you become an authority in the industry, people will reach out to you with questions about topics they consider you an expert in.

Now, you don’t have to charge for being helpful, but you should place a dollar value on your time.

As a recipe blogger, you extensive knowledge of the industry. If a reader reaches out to you asking for help, you should get paid for that effort.

How To Monetize A Recipe Blog With Consulting Services

Monetizing a recipe blog with consulting services is similar to selling sponsored posts.

Put a “Coaching” option in your nav bar that goes to a landing page outlining your consulting services and your hourly rate. This will help head off some of the people looking for free advice.

TIP: Again, you can use Lasso to drive more clicks to your coaching pages. Just create a Display with a link to your sales page, and insert it into blog posts.

Then, wait for requests to come in, evaluate them, and propose your offer. If the customer accepts, send them an invoice using PayPal or another payment processor, and schedule the call.

Pros and Cons of Selling Consulting Services for Recipe Bloggers

One of the main advantages of selling consulting services to recipe bloggers is the opportunity to share your expertise and knowledge with others in the food industry. By offering your services, you can help bloggers improve their content, grow their audience, and ultimately increase their revenue. This can be a rewarding experience for both parties involved.

Another benefit is the potential for a steady stream of income from consulting services. As a consultant, you can charge for your time and expertise, allowing you to earn a consistent income from working with recipe bloggers. This can be a great way to supplement your existing income or even turn consulting into a full-time business.

On the flip side, selling consulting services to recipe bloggers can also come with its challenges. One potential downside is the time and effort required to build relationships with bloggers and establish yourself as a trusted consultant in the industry. It may take time to attract clients and build a solid reputation.

Additionally, there may be competition in the market from other consultants offering similar services to recipe bloggers. It's important to find ways to differentiate yourself and showcase your unique value proposition to stand out in a crowded market.

Earn More Money From Your Recipe Blog

Supercharge your earnings with Lasso. Create no-code product Displays and Tables that convert, find and fix broken links, and gain valuable business insights with revenue analytics.

Learn More

Recipe Blog Monetization FAQs

What Is The Best Way To Make Money From Recipe Blogging?

If you want to build a successful recipe blog, then affiliate marketing is the best way to monetize it. It’s the least intrusive way to make a lot of money from your site without much extra effort.

Can I Make A Full-Time Income From Recipe Blogging?

Absolutely! Some recipe blogs, like Delish and Epicurious get hundreds of thousands of monthly visitors. That’s enough for a full-time income for a small team of people.

How Do I Start a Recipe Blog?

Learning how to start a recipe blog is the first best way to use your expertise to start an online business.

You need to register a domain, install WordPress, and publish great content. It's a lot of work, but totally worth it!

How Do Recipe Bloggers Get Paid?

Most recipe bloggers make money through affiliate commissions and advertising fees. Both of these monetization methods pay out one or two months after the fees have been generated.

Some recipe bloggers also sell sponsored posts, consulting services, or their own products. In these cases, a payment processor like PayPal or Stripe is necessary.

Is Recipe Blogging Easy?

Nothing worth doing is truly easy, but that doesn’t mean recipe blogging isn’t fun.

As a recipe blogger, you’ll get to go places, try new things, and meet new people. And it will be part of your business! What could be cooler than that?

Is It Worth Starting A Recipe Blog?

It’s absolutely worth it to start a recipe blog. Not only can you make a living from it, but you can also build a community and control the conversation.

Once you’re an established authority, people in recipe-related industries will take you seriously.

Final Thoughts on Monetizing a Recipe Blog

So, now you’ve got all the inside info on how to make money from your recipe blog. But here’s a little bonus nugget of wisdom for you:

Don’t put all your eggs in one basket!

Having multiple ways to make money is key to keeping your blog thriving in the long run. If one method falters, you've got others to fall back on.

So, mix it up! Try affiliate marketing, display ads, and selling your own goodies. That way, you’ll be prepared for any curveballs that come your way.

With a diverse income strategy, some elbow grease, and smart planning, you’ll be well on your way to earning what your recipe blog truly deserves.

Why You Should Trust Our Recipe Blogging Content

You may be thinking, "that's all great, but what does Lasso know about recipe blogging?"

Quite a lot, actually.

Here's why you can trust our process for building a successful recipe blog:

We've Built Wildly Successful Blogs

Lasso is built for affiliate marketers, by affiliate marketers. We're not gurus; we've walked the walk.

Our team members have built multiple blogs from the ground up, some of them earning over seven figures in revenue.

We put that experience into every guide we write, so you can trust we're giving you a process that works.

We Talk To Recipe Bloggers Every Day

Lasso's WordPress plugin is installed on over 8,000 websites, including a lot of recipe blogs.

Our team supports those bloggers every day as they create awesome content and earn lots of money.

These communications give us a bird's-eye view of what's new in the recipe industry. We take that information and use it to keep these guides as up-to-date and accurate as possible.

We're Super Nerds

We've put a lot of company focus into learning everything we can about blogging, affiliate marketing, SEO, and anything to do with online entrepreneurship.

We attend conferences, collect high-level contacts, read tons of books, and distill all of that information into our content. We pass information onto you that was previously only available to industry insiders.

Earn More from Your Recipe Blog

Why Lasso Is The Best Affiliate Marketing Plugin For WordPress

Tired of slow results? Lasso increases conversions and pays bonus commissions on eligible products. Grow faster with Lasso.

We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
Using a Secondary CTA Button to Improve Your Conversion Rate

Just putting a CTA button on your site is not enough. You need to optimize for all types of visitors and not everyone is ready to buy today.

We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
👆 This was created with Lasso.

Capture the full value of your existing links.

Use Lasso product displays and automations to earn more with your blog.

Get started