Social media recipes are replacing cookbooks, changing the way we shop

• Millennials and Gen Z shoppers are increasingly turning to social media for recipes, replacing traditional cookbooks with platforms like TikTok for meal planning. A recent report found that 67% of consumers have purchased groceries online, with younger generations leading the trend.
• Apps like Sizzle address gaps in social media recipes by scanning videos, creating grocery lists, and connecting ingredients to online shopping carts, offering convenience and affordability.
• Convenience-first cooking reflects a growing shift in people’s attitudes toward food. Tools like Sizzle focus on reducing food waste, saving money, and supporting more accessible grocery shopping.

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More shoppers are ditching traditional cookbooks and turning to social media for meal planning. From TikTok to Instagram Reels, social feeds are quickly becoming the new home for recipes — especially among younger consumers. 

Social media is the new cookbook

A recent report from the Food Industry Association shows that online grocery shopping hit a record high last year. Around 67% of consumers surveyed said they’ve bought groceries online, and millennials and Gen Z shoppers are leading the charge.

Their goal? Make dinner with as little stress, planning and waste as possible.

According to New York City-based commerce advertising platform Chicory, 89% of consumers now rely on digital recipes — often sourced straight from social media platforms.

But there’s a catch. While these videos can make meals look easy, they often skip key details. A creamy pasta clip might rack up views, but it may leave you wondering: was that heavy cream or Greek yogurt?

While I get most, if not all, of my recipes from TikTok, there’s always that one influencer that’s gatekeeping. I’m like, how am I supposed to find the whole recipe?

Luckily, Alexa DaFonte, chief growth officer at Sizzle, had some answers.

Apps like Sizzle fill in the gaps

Sizzle is a new app that scans food videos and builds a full grocery list — even when creators don’t post the full recipe. It can even connect those ingredients to your online shopping cart.

“Sizzle connects recipes to groceries,” DaFonte tells me. “It’s kind of like if TikTok Shop and HelloFresh had a baby. I like to also refer to it as the Uber Eats of cooking.”

Sizzle didn’t come from a tech brainstorm — it came from personal frustration.

“I spent $300 on food in one week, still ordered Uber Eats, and threw half my food away,” DaFonte says.

Younger consumers are looking for options that meet them where they are. That’s why convenience-first cooking and apps like Sizzle are becoming popular. Not everyone wants to commit to a full meal kit, but they still want solutions that save time and money.

“We’re seeing a push toward more accessible, affordable grocery shopping,” says DaFonte. “Meal kits are great, but the best thing you can do is find ways to shop that make sense for your lifestyle — and your budget.”

User feedback drives Sizzle’s updates

The Sizzle team is already working on a “pantry” feature that suggests meals using items you already have at home. It’s one more way the app supports convenience-first cooking while reducing food waste.

“We’re not trying to replace the grocery store,” DaFonte explains. “We’re trying to drive traffic there in a way that makes sense for our generation — and helps people save money.”

The future of food is frictionless

Convenience-first cooking isn’t just a trend — it’s a shift in the way people think about food.

“I think now more than ever, it’s important to understand where the economy is going,” DaFonte says. “What do people actually want to purchase? And how can we make it so easy for them?”

Whether you’re still team cookbook or staring at a lonely bag of spinach in your fridge, convenience-first cooking is here to stay.