Top 10 Recipes of 2018

by Lisa Bryan

8 Comments

Updated Mar 19, 2021

This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy.

The top 10 recipes on Downshiftology this year were smash hits. 2018 was the year of video (my YouTube channel growth was mind-blowing) and egg tutorials were the clear recipe winner.

Top 10 healthy recipes on Downshiftology in 2018.

Top 10 Recipes of 2018

2018 was a year of enormous growth for Downshiftology. I far exceeded the “stretch goal” that I had originally set for myself back in January, which really blew me away. It was also the year of video – because video was 100% instrumental in supercharging that growth.

The content on Downshiftology was viewed 10 million times in 2018 (up from 3 million in 2017) – which translates to more than 3x growth! But my YouTube channel is what seriously blew my socks off. I started the year with 26,000 YouTube subscribers and finished with 375,000 subscribers. And my most popular video was viewed 3.3 million times this year!

I still remember when 100,000 YouTube subscribers seemed like such a far off goal and yet somehow we blew right past that. I’m still stunned. And while I’m a data-driven person naturally, I’m most thrilled with the engaged, kind and supportive community that’s developed. All of YOU.

At the end of the day, it’s your comments that light me up and motivate me to continue creating content for Downshiftology. It’s hearing your personal stories, hearing your recipe successes and quite simply, just relating with wonderful, like-minded folks. So thank you for making my recipes, taking the time to comment and just being all around awesome.

Alright, so what was popular this year? Well, eggs won hands down with my posts on Hard and Soft Boiled Eggs, Poached Eggs and Deviled Eggs taking top spots. Then there were several healthy basics like my Balsamic Reduction, Lemon Vinaigrette and Guacamole along with easy, healthy meals like my Dijon Salmon and Carne Asada.

You can see from my Top 9 on Instagram that my meal prep posts took center stage and they were the clear winner on YouTube as well. You really love my meal preps. And good news – I’ll have a new one in January. But for now, let’s dive into the most popular recipes this year.

Here are the top 10 most viewed new recipes in 2018:

1. Perfect Soft Boiled and Hard Boiled Eggs (Every Time)

Learn how to make hard boiled eggs (and soft boiled eggs) so they turn out perfectly every time. My hard boiled eggs recipe is super easy and allows you to cook a variety of eggs for the entire family - all in one pot.

2. Poached Eggs: How to Poach an Egg Perfectly

Poached Eggs are the perfect healthy breakfast recipe. Here's how to poach an egg perfectly every time.

3. Best Ever Guacamole

This guacamole recipe is simple to make and uses fresh, high quality ingredients. It's easy, authentic and delicious!

4. Balsamic Reduction

It's easy to make balsamic reduction (balsamic glaze) at home. It just takes one ingredient and 15 minutes!

5. Dijon Baked Salmon

Dijon baked salmon is one of my favorite easy salmon recipes. It's incredibly flavorful and the dijon topping keeps the salmon moist, light and flaky. It's the perfect healthy dinner recipe and can be made in under 30 minutes.

6. Deviled Eggs

Deviled eggs are hard boiled eggs where the yolk is mixed with mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper. A little sprinkle of paprika on top helps make these the best deviled eggs recipe.

7. Carne Asada

An easy, delicious and flavorful carne asada recipe. When it comes to authentic carne asada you'd find in Mexico, this comes pretty darn close!

8. Baked Zucchini Fries

These baked zucchini fries are ultra cheesy and flavorful with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. They're also gluten-free, low-carb, paleo and keto-friendly for a delicious, healthy snack recipe.

9. Strawberry Banana Smoothie

This strawberry banana smoothie is made from four simple ingredients - strawberries, banana, milk and yogurt.

10. Lemon Vinaigrette

This lemon vinaigrette is the perfect dressing for a variety of healthy salad recipes.

Those were the top 10 most popular recipes posted in 2018. But if you’re interested to know what the *all-time* most popular recipes and posts are (since Downshiftology started at the end of 2014), here you go:

It’ll be interesting to see how the all-time rankings change as this blog and wonderful Downshiftology community grows. Best wishes to all of you for a Happy New Year!

xo, Lisa

PS – If you’re keeping track, here were the Top 10 Recipes of 2017 and Top 10 Recipes of 2016.

About the author

Lisa Bryan

Lisa is a bestselling cookbook author, recipe developer, and YouTuber (with over 2.5 million subscribers) living in sunny Southern California. She started Downshiftology in 2014, and is passionate about making healthy food with fresh, simple and seasonal ingredients.

Read More About Me

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8 Comments

  1. Lisa..i love love love your recipe for Avocado Pudding. I was quite skeptical at first worried the combination of those ingredients wouldn’t work well together. When you said to trust you about how good it was..I did! this is one of my favorite deserts now1

    Reply

    1. You could honestly use it on any fish. It’s super versatile! So happy you love my channel and videos. :) x

      Reply

  3. I came to your website through your YouTube meal prep (and hummus!) videos. I really enjoyed the way you put together your videos. So many meal prep videos rely on freezing heavy meals or eating the same thing all week. Others need a ridiculous amount of time and ingredients to make them impractical for an average week. I love how you make meal prep easy and practical, and give meal ideas for all of the ingredients you prepare. I am now storing my celery and carrot in jars of water and enjoying light healthy meals. Thank you so much, you deserve your success!!

    Reply

  4. Congratulations Lisa! Your YouTube growth is really amazing!! What an enormous jump! I’m so happy that I found you this past year! Looking forward to 2019!

    -Madi xo

    Reply

    1. Thanks so much Madi! Yes, the growth this year was quite amazing. I can’t wait to see what 2019 has in store! (PS – I’d recommend not putting your website in the comments as it will get flagged as spam by most comment systems. Just wanted to let you know.). :)

      Reply