AI Cooking & Recipe Shorts (No Kitchen Required)

Food content dominates social media, and you don't need a kitchen to create it. Here's how to build a faceless recipe channel using AI voiceover and stock footage—no cooking required.

Why Recipe Content Works

• Massive demand: People search recipes daily
• Shorts goldmine: Recipe Shorts get millions of views
• Evergreen content: Recipes rank forever
• Multiple platforms: Works on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest
• Good CPM: $5-12 depending on audience

Content Formats

1. Recipe Shorts (60 sec)

• Quick recipe demonstration
• Ingredient list + fast assembly
• Satisfying final reveal
• Voiceover or text overlay

2. Recipe Compilations

• "10 Easy Dinner Ideas"
• "5 Meals Under $5"
• "Week of Healthy Breakfasts"
• "Best Comfort Food Recipes"

3. Cuisine/Theme Guides

• "Authentic Italian Recipes at Home"
• "High Protein Meal Prep"
• "Keto Recipes That Actually Taste Good"
• "One-Pot Dinner Ideas"

4. List-Style Content

• "Foods You've Been Making Wrong"
• "Kitchen Hacks That Actually Work"
• "Mistakes Home Cooks Make"
• "Restaurant Secrets for Home Cooking"

Sourcing Footage

Free Stock Footage

• Pexels: Excellent food preparation clips
• Pixabay: Cooking and ingredient footage
• Coverr: Kitchen and cooking B-roll

Premium Sources

• Storyblocks: High-quality cooking sequences
• Envato Elements: Food photography and video
• Artgrid: Cinematic food footage

AI-Generated

• Midjourney: Beautiful food imagery for thumbnails
• DALL-E: Recipe illustrations
• Runway: Custom food clips (experimental)

Recipe Research

Sources

• AllRecipes: Tested home recipes with ratings
• Serious Eats: Scientific approach to cooking
• Food Network: Professional recipes
• Reddit r/Cooking: Community favorites
• Pinterest: Trending recipe ideas

Script Structure - Shorts

Script Structure - Long Form

Voice Selection

Food content works with warm, friendly voices:

• ElevenLabs "Rachel": Warm, approachable
• ElevenLabs "Bella": Friendly, engaging
• Fliki voices: Good variety for food content

Production Tips

Shorts Strategy (Priority)

Recipe Shorts are extremely viral:

• Start with finished dish (hook)
• Speed up preparation steps
• Text overlay for ingredients/steps
• Satisfying reveal at the end
• Loop-friendly for replays

Monetization

1. AdSense

• CPM: $5-12 (food/lifestyle niche)
• Shorts RPM building with food content
• 8+ minute compilations for mid-roll

2. Affiliate Programs

• Amazon: Kitchen tools, appliances, ingredients
• Thrive Market: Healthy ingredients
• HelloFresh/meal kits: High commission per signup
• KitchenAid, Instant Pot: Appliance affiliates
• Cookbook publishers: Recipe book recommendations

3. Digital Products

• Recipe ebooks
• Meal planning guides
• Printable recipe cards
• Cooking courses

SEO Strategy

Keywords

• "easy [dish] recipe"
• "how to make [dish]"
• "[diet type] recipes" (keto, vegan, etc.)
• "[meal time] ideas" (breakfast, dinner)
• "[cuisine] recipes"
• "[ingredient] recipes"

Title Formulas

• "[Dish] Recipe - Ready in [Time]"
• "The Best [Dish] You'll Ever Make"
• "[Number] [Meal Type] Ideas for Busy Weeknights"
• "How to Make Restaurant-Quality [Dish] at Home"

Thumbnail Strategy

• Beautiful finished dish photo
• Bright, appetizing colors
• Steam or action (pouring, cutting)
• Minimal text—let food speak
• Use Midjourney for stunning food imagery

Niche Options

Channels to Study

• Tasty: Short-form recipe format pioneer
• Delish: Quick recipe videos
• Pro Home Cooks: Technique-focused
• Mob Kitchen: Budget-friendly recipes

Cross-Platform Strategy

• YouTube: Long-form compilations + Shorts
• TikTok: Recipe Shorts (huge potential)
• Instagram Reels: Visual-first recipes
• Pinterest: Recipe pins drive traffic

Getting Started Checklist

• Choose recipe sub-niche
• Build library of cooking stock footage
• Create text overlay template for ingredients
• Set up friendly voice in ElevenLabs
• Research your first 20 recipes
• Set up cross-posting to TikTok/Instagram
• Start with Shorts—easier production, faster growth

Recipe content is perfect for faceless creators—it's all about the food, not the cook. Start with Shorts to build momentum quickly, then expand to longer compilations. With AI handling voiceover and stock footage providing visuals, you can produce consistent recipe content that serves the millions of people searching for their next meal idea every single day.