Are AI Recipes Truly Any Good? I Put One to the Check.
8 min read
Properly at this time’s put up was a enjoyable one, and this can be a little completely different from the content material I often share right here. To be trustworthy, probably the most troublesome a part of at this time’s put up was getting up the nerve to make use of this photograph with my face all contorted like that. I do know we’re our personal worst critics, however geesh.

Anyway, my vainness points apart, most of Synthetic Intelligence (AI) and ChatGPT have made noisy, if not earth-shattering, entrances onto the web. Some individuals assume AI will take over the world and finish humanity, others fear it can put them out of labor. Each are in all probability legitimate issues, however personally I’m simply anxious it’s going to be placing out tremendous crummy recipes.
One of many causes I began this weblog is as a result of I personally was fairly sick of crummy recipes. With out making an attempt to sound too dramatic, I pour my coronary heart and soul (and manner too many $$, gotta cover the grocery retailer receipts from my husband as I check that pistachio cake for the eighth time after telling him I used to be proud of it final week) into each recipe.
So the thought that some robotic within the sky (I do know, I do know, not likely) might give you a greater recipe than I might? It was a bit laborious to consider and a bit offensive. I imply, this faceless entity doesn’t even have tastebuds, come on!
So I put it to the check. I went on-line and I requested ChatGPT (the most recent and most superior model out there) to offer me its BEST recipe for blueberry muffins. After which, I pitted it towards my very own private, rigorously examined blueberry muffins.
Right here’s what ChatGPT got here up with:

I’m going to incorporate the AI recipe in a recipe card on the backside of this put up, as I often do, however I encourage you to learn on earlier than you bounce to making an attempt it. Oh, and I additionally filmed myself making this AI-generated “greatest” muffin recipe from begin to end, so should you actually need to see how this recipe check went down, undoubtedly verify that out on the backside of the put up, too.
My Ideas on the AI-generated recipe
At first blush, this recipe appears very customary and fundamental. I don’t imply that as a criticism — who doesn’t love an excellent straightforward recipe!? In reality, I used to be a bit anxious that my barely extra cumbersome recipe that used barely much less fundamental components wouldn’t stack up.
However I don’t make my recipes not-basic simply to be completely different. I do it as a result of I actually, actually, am making an attempt to make the greatest recipe on the market, and generally meaning a little bit further method or an ingredient chances are you’ll not have used earlier than. And sometimes I’m fairly thrilled with the tip outcomes. I imply, right here’s my blueberry muffin:

Wonderful. I find it irresistible. However again to AI.
The nutmeg that was known as for within the topping sort of appeared a bit uncommon to me, however every thing else appeared customary. I dedicated to giving it my greatest shot and anticipated an honest muffin and truthfully crossed my fingers it wouldn’t be higher than my very own.
Following ChatGPT’s Directions (or making an attempt to)
I prepped all of the components for the recipe and started working. The whole lot began off and not using a hitch… till we bought to step 3. I’d love so that you can learn over that half and inform me what you assume meaning. Will we measure the milk with or with out the vegetable oil? What?
I used to be extraordinarily confused and finally determined I ought to measure the milk individually from the oil, because it had me pour the oil right into a bowl and the milk right into a measuring cup. Properly, after getting this batch of muffins within the oven, I spotted why don’t I simply ask ChatGPT what it meant? And so I did (see under). And guess what? My evaluation was mistaken, so I needed to then return and make one other batch of muffins the “right” manner.

I used to be miffed. However I continued. We then bumped into one other subject pretty shortly.
The recipe has you gently fold the oil, egg, and milk into the dry components and urges you to not over-mix it. I’d say most bakers perceive the significance of this and was happy to see ChatGPT talked about such an necessary step. BUT THEN, it had us stir within the vanilla extract.
Properly, ChatGPT, it’s actually unimaginable to work vanilla extract right into a moist and dry batter with out mixing it rather more than you have to. The dough was like a cookie dough, it was thick and sticky and I used to be each relieved and aghast. I imply, are you kidding me?
Nonetheless, I persevered and popped these infants within the oven for a suspiciously lengthy indicated time frame of 20-25 minutes at 400F.
The ultimate outcomes are under:

Testing ChatGPT’s Blueberry Muffins Towards My Personal
I’m curious what your first thought is upon seeing these. Mine was that they didn’t look half as unhealthy as I believed they’d. I imply, they appear to be muffins, in order that they get some extent for that. Nonetheless, bear in mind the primary, “tousled” batch of muffins that I made by incorrectly following AI’s messy, convoluted directions? These truthfully seemed significantly better, so once I did my closing style check (which I additionally did with a number of blind taste-testers), I included that model as nicely.
For all the photos under, muffin #1 is the “right” and closing model from ChatGPT, #2 is the primary muffin that I made (the “incorrect” model the place I used an excessive amount of milk as a result of their directions are, frankly, terrible), and #3 is my very own pricey candy harmless and gloriously blueberry-y blueberry muffin recipe. Not that I’m biased.
Let’s do a side-view.
Muffin Comparability

ChatGPT’s “greatest” blueberry muffin is a bit shriveled and small, and should you knock it towards a chunk of marble it makes a definite little “knock”ing sound and doesn’t give in any respect. The bake time was undoubtedly too lengthy and the crumb was simply unhealthy, however we’ll speak extra about that in only a second.
The second muffin seemed higher, however the crumb additionally wasn’t nice. It was an appropriate muffin, however not a “good” one.
Then there was mine. With its tall muffin high and nutmeg-free topping, plush melt-in-your-mouth crumb and above-average blueberry rely… My private taste-test wasn’t blind and I’m not unbiased, however it was unquestionable to me which one was the perfect of the three.
Let me present you their interiors, and I believe it’ll be fairly plain to you, too:
Muffin Inside Comparability

ChatGPT’s recipe had a flat, dense crumb. It was crumbly like cornbread. In the event you’ve ever made a vanilla cake that turned out like this, it was doubtless over-mixed and/or over-baked, and that’s precisely what I believe occurred right here. The “incorrect” model had a greater crumb, however it nonetheless wasn’t nice.
The flavour of the AI recipe was regrettably dominated by the nutmeg on high. It was an odd selection for a blueberry muffin, and never a single certainly one of my taste-testers loved it. To be truthful, they had been all associated, so perhaps they share an anti-nutmeg-in-blueberry-muffins style gene; I can’t ensure with out additional testing.

Ultimate Ideas on Synthetic Intelligence Recipes
My closing ideas are that Synthetic Intelligence merely isn’t “there” but by way of recipe improvement. It’s potential that you could be fare higher asking for a cooking recipe than baking ones, as baking typically requires a bit extra chemistry and science and some cooking recipes could also be extra forgiving. For now, and hopefully perpetually, I hope you’ll proceed to go to trusted sources for the recipes for baked items that you simply put together to your households.
But in addition, whereas I truthfully tried my greatest to make this recipe and comparability as pretty as potential I am tremendous biased!
So, I’m together with ChatGPT’s recipe under precisely because it was given to me and I’m inviting these of you preferring to take analysis into your personal fingers to offer it a strive. In the event you do, please let me know what you assume! Oh, and ensure you try the video under… Luke virtually bought kicked out of the household for his take 🤣

ChatGPT’s “Greatest” Blueberry Muffins
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Servings: 12 muffins
Energy: 181kcal
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Directions
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Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a muffin tin with paper liners.
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In a big bowl, mix the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder.
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In a separate, smaller bowl, add the vegetable oil. To measure the milk, first add the egg to a 1-cup measure. Then, fill the remainder of the cup with milk till it reaches the ⅔ mark (it is best to have a complete of ⅔ cup of oil, egg, and milk mixed). Pour this combination into the dry components and gently stir till simply mixed. Watch out to not overmix, as this may make the muffins robust.
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Stir within the vanilla extract, then fold within the blueberries.
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Divide the batter evenly between the muffin cups.
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For the topping, combine collectively the sugar and nutmeg in a small bowl, then sprinkle over the tops of the muffins.
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Bake for 20-25 minutes, or till the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out clear.
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Enable the muffins to chill within the pan for five minutes, then switch to a wire rack to chill utterly.
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Get pleasure from your do-it-yourself blueberry muffins!
Vitamin
Serving: 1muffin | Energy: 181kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 2g | Fats: 7g | Saturated Fats: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 4g | Monounsaturated Fats: 2g | Trans Fats: 0.04g | Ldl cholesterol: 14mg | Sodium: 155mg | Potassium: 33mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 27IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 55mg | Iron: 1mg
Dietary data relies on third-party calculations and must be thought of an estimate solely. Precise dietary content material will differ based mostly upon manufacturers used, measuring strategies, cooking methodology, portion sizes, and extra.
Listed here are some extra blueberry recipes which might be higher than something a robotic might make: