About Thank You Berry Much

Meet Emily

Hi there, I’m Emily—the professional recipe developer and food photographer behind Thank You Berry Much. I’m a longtime vegan who loves turning classic comfort foods into flavor-forward vegan recipes that tug on the nostalgic heartstrings of my readers.

Before moving into full-time recipe development and running this website, I spent much of my career as an award-winning physical product designer, creating kitchen appliances like espresso makers, air fryers, blenders, and toaster ovens—many of which I now use every day in my own kitchen!

That design background taught me to approach every recipe with deep research, lots of testing, and a dash of kitchen science. Today I’m using the very products I helped bring to market to craft vegan recipes that work the first try, every time.

Emily, author of Thank You Berry Much.

The Recipes

Specializing in plant-based comfort food, Thank You Berry Much proves that just about any dish can be veganized. I focus on crafting omnivore-approved recipes that can replace your childhood favorites—from Vegan Steak to fudgy Chocolate Cake—without sacrificing flavor or texture.

This blog is all about bringing back nostalgic dishes with the tastes and textures you remember, while keeping everything 100 % plant-based and doable with everyday ingredients. Every recipe is written to satisfy any palate, vegan or not. All eaters are welcome here. 🙂

Emily’s Favorite Recipes

Here are a few of my favorite recipes from the blog—though let’s be honest, picking favorites wasn’t easy because I love them all!

vegan pound cake sliced on a marble tray with vanilla icing.

Classic Vegan Pound Cake: Moist with a Tight Crumb!

vegan baked mac and cheese with cracker topping.

Vegan Baked Mac and Cheese

glazed homemade honey buns with a honey pot in the background.

Glazed Homemade Honey Buns

Baked vegan Nashville Hot chicken on a sandwich.

Vegan Nashville Hot Chicken

hot honey tofu with a side of mango avocado salad.

Crispy Vegan Hot Honey Tofu with Avocado Mango Salad

maple balsamic roasted Brussel sprouts in a small serving bowl.

Maple Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts

strawberry crunch sugar cookie with whipped cream and a strawberry on top.

Vegan Strawberry Crunch Cookies

vegan caramel delite samoa cookies on a stone surface.

Vegan Samoa Cookies {Girl Scout Copycat Caramel DeLites}

Over a Decade of Mastering Vegan Cooking & Baking

Like many others, I grew up watching chefs like Ina Garten and Rachael Ray on Food Network. As a teen, I was so into cooking that I even attended a summer culinary course, where I learned how to properly chop and craft delicious dishes just like my favorite TV chefs. 

But when I went vegetarian in 2009—and then fully vegan in 2011—I suddenly found myself without a guide. Vegan resources and recipes were sparse back then. And unfortunately, I could no longer rely on the recipes I’d grown up learning from.

Over the years, and especially since starting this blog, my love of food science has really taken off. Vegan baking and cooking often requires rethinking traditional ratios. And I’ve spent over 12 years testing different egg substitutes, vegan butter brands, and dairy alternatives to find what works best in different situations.

Ultimately, I hope to create the vegan resource I wish I had when I transitioned to a plant-based diet over a decade ago.

Our Recipe Development Process

Tried, Tested & Perfected

In vegan cooking—especially baking—there’s a whole extra layer of science involved. Plant-based ingredients often work differently than their traditional counterparts. Every recipe on Thank You Berry Much goes through multiple rounds of testing to make sure it works for you, no matter your experience level. (Some have been tested dozens and dozens of times like my vegan brownies.)

a slice of the best fudgy vegan brownies with shiny, crackly tops.

When you combine…

A methodical testing process

Science backed substitutions

Rounds of tasting and refining

You get nostalgic comfort food — made vegan and better than ever.

I experiment with different ratios, ingredients, and techniques to get the best flavor, texture, and appearance. And my lovely taste-testing team (a.k.a. my husband, family, and friends) gives every recipe a final thumbs-up so you can be sure it’s a hit. 

Fun fact, my most tested recipe to date (a vegan angel food cake) isn’t even on the blog yet since I have yet to perfect it. Maybe one day soon it will be published.

The Ingredients

The recipes here shine with the use of seasonal ingredients, chosen for their peak flavor and accessibility. And most recipes are crafted using simple, easily available ingredients from your local grocery store. While some dishes are refined sugar-free, most are designed around cost-effective pantry staples, from granulated cane sugar to versatile all-purpose flour.

I typically only use specialty ingredients for more unique dishes like vegan meats and seitan. For these, you may need to order items such as vital wheat gluten online if you don’t have a specialty grocery near you.

Emily’s Favorite Vegan Products & Ingredients Used on the Blog

Over the years, I’ve gathered a few go-to vegan products that help create consistent, delicious results. You’ll often see these in my recipes:

Some Reader Favorites We think you’ll love

Thanks for stopping by!

If you’re looking for comforting vegan recipes that bring back familiar flavors and textures, I’m so glad you’re here. Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you find something delicious to try.

✉️ If you have any childhood favorites or comfort foods you’d like to see me veganize, send me a message here! ✉️