Welcome to Reel Round-Up, a weekly column where Kennedy Dierks highlights the top Instagram Reels creators.
Professional chefs, food bloggers, and home cooks alike have all found a home with Instagram Reels and the Reels Explore page, which provides a new(ish) tool to showcase their culinary skill and interact with followers on a more intimate level. Content creators have jumped on the many trends, kitchen hacks, and foodie must-haves that social media has to offer, and continue to use Instagram as a “home base” to share photos AND videos while growing their community thanks to the Instagram Explore page.
Here are eight Instagrammers whose Reels have made me scroll-crazy this week:
1. @thepalatablelife
Mallory loves her veggies, and her Reels emphasize healthy, nutritious eating to best fuel and take care of our bodies. That being said, Mallory loves a good dessert, as evidenced by her copycat Crumbl cookies, cookie dough brownies, and creme brulee brownies.
2. @thekitchn
What started as an online food blog in 2005 has grown to the Kitchn you may already know and love: an online food publication with 20 daily articles and an audience of 17 million home chefs. Don’t sleep on their Reels, though, which include pro tips and recipes from featured creators for their 1.4 million Instagram followers.
P.S. Kitchn also loves @justine_snacks, a Reel Round-Up original!
3. @foodieonfleek
Born in Seoul, Korea, Skyler shares her love for food and her home country through her Instagram Reels, which feature drinks inspired by K-Pop band BTS, recreations of recipes by Korean musicians, and favorite Korean BBQ spots.
4. @insta.noodls
Noodle lovers, unite. It doesn't matter if it's pop culture-inspired Ponyo Ramen or Ramen Ichiraku from manga series Naruto; a recipe for Ramen (Read: not macaroni) & Cheese; ramen hauls; or a how-much-ramen-can-you-eat challenge — if it's noodles, you'll find it here.
5. @indulgenteats
Based in both Hong Kong and New York City, Jen’s page is a mix of recipes, restaurants, and travel adventures. Her Reels feature foolproof scrambled eggs, a guide to the best pizza in NYC, and go-to orders at her favorite restaurants.
6. @butternutbakery
Tbh, I didn’t even know where to start with Jenna’s page — all of her desserts look absolutely AMAZING. With Reels of recipes including salted caramel brownie ice cream; vegan cheesecake bars (including blueberry and peanut butter); Pop-Tart-inspired shortbread bars; and skillet brownies and cookies, Jenna will leave you longing for a sugar rush.
7. @keltonskitchen
Don’t believe that s’more brownie bars, classic Cordon bleu, or Nashville-style hot wings can be vegan? Look no further than Kelton’s Kitchen, which is aQ with a focus on sustainable recipes that don’t sacrifice flavor. Vegan Milkbar copycat cookies? Yes, please.
8. @thedoubleeaterz
Christina’s Reels showcase Southern California restaurants, with #foodporn shots of mozzarella sticks, cheesy ramen noodles, and runny yolks. More of a sweet person? Christina also dabbles in #dessertporn that includes affogato, sorbet, waffle ice cream sandwiches, and ube cheesecake.
I hope this list helps you find your foodie muse! Or, at the bare minimum, gives you more material to procrastinate with the rest of the week…Don’t worry, I’ll be right there with you, dreaming about the Tiramisu cheesecake, kimchi hot dogs, and diner desserts of the weekend.
Until next week!