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40 People Who Couldn’t Follow A Recipe Wrote The Most Hilarious And Bizarre Reviews (New Pics)
The internet has been a great source of recipe ideas for any aspiring home chef, but most folks still do their due diligence and check the comments or the reviews. This is where the eagle eyed viewer will find posts by folks that either decided to wholeheartedly ignore the instructions or make bizarre substitutions.
So we’ve gathered the best (or worst) of these reviews for you to marvel at. Get comfortable as you scroll through, upvote your favorites and if you’ve encountered something like this, feel free to leave your thoughts and experiences in the comments section down below.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
First Time Seeing One In The Wild
RELATED:
#2
This Is Horrible Fudge
Nathaniel He/Him Cis-Het 3 weeks ago
Fudging hell, he fudged up that recipe good and proper. I bet he feels like a fudging tool.
#3
Jax Saying What We’re All Thinking
We have all been there, scrolling through a food blog, dodging pop-up ads for lawnmowers and reading a 4,000-word essay about the author’s childhood summer in Tuscany, only to finally reach the recipe for a classic chocolate cake. You scroll down to the comments to see if people enjoyed the moist crumb, and instead, you find Brenda from Ohio.
Brenda gave the recipe one star and wrote a three-paragraph manifesto because she replaced the flour with almond husks, the eggs with a handful of soaked chia seeds she found in the back of the pantry, and the sugar with a splash of sugar-free maple-flavored syrup. "This cake was a gritty, soggy disaster," Brenda laments, "I will never trust this chef again."
#4
Chia Seed Pudding
#5
Math Is Hard
#6
Inability To Read
This bizarre behavior is a cornerstone of the internet experience, and it highlights a fascinating collision between human overconfidence and the cold, hard laws of chemistry. It’s a phenomenon often fueled by the Dunning-Kruger effect, where individuals with a limited understanding of a skill, in this case, culinary science, overestimate their ability to "wing it" and then project their failure onto the expert who provided the instructions.
#7
George Is Not Having Susan's Nonsense
#8
I Didn't Know A Frosting Recipe Could Be Woke
#9
I Didn’t Have Bananas
The fundamental issue is that many home cooks fail to distinguish between cooking and baking. Cooking is an art, it’s a vibe, it’s a soulful conversation between you and a clove of garlic. If you don’t have shallots, you use onions, and the world keeps spinning. Baking, however, is a rigorous laboratory experiment where the ingredients are not just flavors, but chemical reagents.
#10
Thanks For Nothing, Recipe
Huddo's sister 3 weeks ago
I bet they copy and paste the review for every site that doesn't mention vegan recipes
#12
This Is A Smoothie, Not A Carrot Cake
Nathaniel He/Him Cis-Het 3 weeks ago
Peeled in the traditional sense though? Or metaphorically peeled?
When a recipe calls for baking soda, it’s looking for a specific pH reaction to create lift. If you decide to swap it for lemon juice because they’re both "sour," you aren't being a creative Maverick, you are sabotaging a structural process. Research into the chemistry of baking shows that even minor deviations in fat content or acidity can lead to a complete structural collapse.
#13
Encountered One In The Wild
#14
Review From An Orange Juice Recipe
#15
Leslie’s Struggling Over Here
Yet, the internet is full of "culinary alchemists" who believe that a recipe is merely a loose suggestion, like a "Yield" sign on a deserted country road. They approach a sourdough starter with the same reckless abandon that a toddler approaches a finger-painting kit, and when the result doesn't look like the professional photograph, they don’t blame their own substitutions, they blame the person who spent six months perfecting the ratios.
#16
Didn't Read The Recipe And If It Turns Out Bad, I'm Blaming You For It!
#17
Won't Somebody Think About The Shrimp Haters?
#18
Tutorial Video Too Short, How Will I Make Chicken Korma Now?
Then there is the psychological aspect of the "unhinged review" itself. Why do people feel the need to broadcast their self-inflicted failures to the entire world? It often stems from a desire for social validation or a need to regain a sense of control after a frustrating experience. According to studies on the psychology behind online reviews, many people post negative feedback as a form of "altruistic punishment," believing they are warning others about a "bad" product, even when the "badness" was entirely their own fault.
#19
"Suffice To Say, I Added 10x The Amount Of Chilis And It Was Too Spicy. One Star“
#20
You Didn't Say Where To Buy Chickpeas (Found On A Falafel Recipe)
#21
Didn't Have A Crust
In their mind, they didn't ruin the brownies, the brownies failed to accommodate their unique vision of using mashed black beans instead of butter. This cognitive dissonance allows the reviewer to remain the hero of their own kitchen story while the recipe creator becomes the villain who "purposely" wrote a misleading guide. It is a digital age version of shouting at the rain because you forgot your umbrella, except in this version, you also give the rain a zero-star rating on Google.
#22
Imaginary Soup Wasn't Good
#23
The “Yikes” Response From The Creator Made Me Laugh
Nikki Sevven 3 weeks ago
When trying a new recipe, it's extremely helpful to make it exactly as written the first time. If you think it's too sweet, you can try gradually reducing the sugar. I wouldn't automatically halve it, though.
#24
Sorry Folks, Turns Out Eggs Are Dairy
The most hilarious part of this trend is the sheer audacity of the substitutions themselves. We’ve seen people replace heavy cream with lukewarm water and a prayer, or swap out yeast for "a very positive attitude," and then act shocked when their bread has the consistency of a hockey puck.
#25
Wait, There's Ginger In Ginger Crunch?
#26
I Will Admit
#27
I Tried Making This By Guessing The Amounts
There is a specific brand of optimism required to look at a recipe for French macarons, the most temperamental cookies on the planet, and decide that now is the perfect time to see if you can make them keto, vegan, and nut-free using only cauliflower and hope. While food science research confirms that ingredient functionality is the backbone of food texture and shelf-life, these reviewers remain undeterred.
#28
"It's The Recipe's Fault That I Have No Common Sense!!!"
#29
Brenda Can't Cook With Too Many Ingredients
#30
Obligatory "Come On, Eileen..."
They are the explorers of the digital frontier, boldly going where no palate has gone before, usually into the trash can. Ultimately, these unhinged reviews serve as a great reminder that while the internet gives everyone a voice, it doesn't always give everyone a thermometer or a measuring cup.
#31
“Where’s The Recipe?”
Nikki Sevven 3 weeks ago
...after you scroll past the paragraphs of unnecessary BS and the cook's adorable anecdote about the recipe. Most sites offer a "jump to recipe" link, which has saved me from being a serial kîller.
#32
Didn’t Make It… Delicious!
#33
Your Recipe Didn’t Warn Me That My Family Doesn’t Like Black Olives!
#34
Didn’t Make The Recipe, Instead Rated A Local Takeout Version
#35
On A Recipe For Microwave Cheesecake
Nikki Sevven 3 weeks ago
There are terabytes of information on the internet about what can and cannot be substituted in a recipe.
#36
Peanut Butter Tasted Too Much Like Peanut Butter
#37
Croissant Clapback
#38
Used Cherry Tomatoes... In A Cupcake Recipe
#39
Get It Together, Dave
#40
On A Recipe For Carne Asada
#41
Nowhere Did It Say To Proof Overnight
#42
Just Eat The Incomplete-Protein Soup, Steve
Jaya 3 weeks ago
The majority of people eat MUCH more protein than they need, so eating 1 meal without protein is no problem at all. Also, if you eat some rice on the same day, those have the amino acids that lentils are lacking (which is why in the 70s they said vegans could eat rice and lentils in the same meal to get complete protein, but we now know they don't have to be eaten at the same time)
#43
On A Panzerotti Recipe. Deep Frying Isn't Good For Her Tummy
#44
Why Read The Recipe
Upstaged75 3 weeks ago
Most of these could have been avoided with a bit of reading comprehension...
#45
Allergic To Chickpeas
Nathaniel He/Him Cis-Het 3 weeks ago (edited)
What is he difference between a chickpea and a fava bean? Donald Trump did not pay 200,000 rubles to have a fava bean on his face.
#47
Accusations Gone Wrong
#49
American Can’t Use Grams
Nikki Sevven 3 weeks ago
Every American-made measuring cup I own has both imperial and metric measurements, and some of them are 100 years old. Also, any decent kitchen scale can weigh in either system.
#50
Too Hot For Too Long, Trial And Error?!
T (she/her) 2 weeks ago
Increased the temperature and doubled the time. I'm so shocked it didn't work out.
#51
Then Why Did You Even Comment?
#52
“I Do Not Want To Buy An Air Fryer”
#53
Where In The World Would You Get Zucchini Blossoms???
#54
Username Checks Out
#55
Apparently, Dill Is A Perfectly Acceptable Substitute For... Tahini?
#56
At Least They Didn’t Rate It Poorly?
Andy Frederick 3 weeks ago
"I wish you would include instructions for getting it into my mouth."
#57
Found A Goldmine Under A 3-Ingredient Recipe
Roxy222uk 3 weeks ago
Oh for the love of all things holy, why do people not know how to go about things effectively?? So you love the look of the recipe but can’t eat it for some reason then compliment the recipe and the person that created it, and ask if there’s any way they could find their way to creating something similar but suitable for people avoiding x, y. and z. The chef might accept the challenge
#58
Who Tf Uses Salt And Pepper?
#59
On A Recipe For Chickpeas And Kale In A Tomato Sauce
#61
I Subbed Three Major Ingredients And It Was Gross...5 Stars!
#63
Finally Came Across One Myself While Looking For A Beef Stew Recipe
#64
If AI Says Go For It, So Do I
#65
Oh My God I Finally Found One In The Wild
#66
Susan Changed Her Mind
#67
Found On A Beurre Blanc Recipe
#68
Chinese Recipes Too Complex For The Average Working American
#69
I Also Don’t Know What She Did Wrong
#70
Doesn't Understand Weight vs. Volume
Nikki Sevven 3 weeks ago
This is why metric is easier. In imperial measure, an ounce is both a weight and a volume. This person confused the two. A cup of shredded cheese weighs about 4 ounces, but takes up 8 ounces in volume.
#71
Found On A Recipe For Key Lime Pie
#72
You Don’t Know How To Cut Cake!
#73
"Complete Fail... First Off That's Way Too Much Sugar So I Used Half The Amount"
#75
One Star Off Of A Brownie Recipe Because It’s Not Healthy
#76
One Star To Punish Your Use Of Eggs In A Dairy-Free Cake
#77
Violet Laments American Health Care
#78
Banana Bread
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What do you think ?
Emilu 3 weeks ago
I feel so smart after reading this. I love reading recipes where the reviews are all "I subbed everything out in the recipe for anything else and it tastes like shit. 0/10 recipe." They make me lol every time. 🤣
The Other Guest 2 weeks ago
It's even better when they start out with "I followed the recipe to a T" and then list the 27 changes they made.
Load More Replies...
The Other Guest 2 weeks ago
Not necessarily. Allrecipes.com has some generic profile pics that are automatically used when a user doesn't upload one of their own. It's not uncommon to see repeats since the pool of images is limited.
Load More Replies...
Lee Gilliland 3 weeks ago
My initial response, why bother? I spent years developing this and you can't be bothered? Bye bye.
Linda Klokow 2 weeks ago
These people actually are allowed to VOTE! I continue to be amazed at our general level of intelligence.
Emilu 3 weeks ago
I feel so smart after reading this. I love reading recipes where the reviews are all "I subbed everything out in the recipe for anything else and it tastes like shit. 0/10 recipe." They make me lol every time. 🤣
The Other Guest 2 weeks ago
It's even better when they start out with "I followed the recipe to a T" and then list the 27 changes they made.
Load More Replies... The Other Guest 2 weeks ago
Not necessarily. Allrecipes.com has some generic profile pics that are automatically used when a user doesn't upload one of their own. It's not uncommon to see repeats since the pool of images is limited.
Load More Replies... Lee Gilliland 3 weeks ago
My initial response, why bother? I spent years developing this and you can't be bothered? Bye bye.
Linda Klokow 2 weeks ago
These people actually are allowed to VOTE! I continue to be amazed at our general level of intelligence.
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