Mingle with Jenna from Butternut Bakery

we talk Thanksgiving prep, favorite desserts & dream guests!

Mingle is a monthly interview series featuring some of the best foodies, hosting experts, cookbook authors and recipe developers out there! This month’s guest is Jenna Barnard, the creator behind the popular Butternut Bakery brand.

Back in 2018, social media looked very different, especially in the food space. I met Jenna during my early Yoga of Cooking days and always felt so inspired by her creativity and her warm personality.

Fast forward to today, and Jenna's brand has taken over Instagram and TikTok. Her blog is one of my top picks for baking inspiration (her banana bread is a game-changer!). Jenna seems to effortlessly balance amazing recipes, beautiful photos, and educational reels, and it’s no wonder she’s cultivated such a loyal cult-following.

She seamlessly weaves her love for thrifting, vintage cookbooks, home decor, fantasy books and baking into her stories, making you feel like you're talking to one of your closest friends — that’s why I was so excited she agreed to be the first Mingle guest on Buttery!

We talk about her baking style and influences, what to make on Thanksgiving, stress-free baking, hosting a holiday party and staying grounded. I hope you enjoy our chat!

Now, onto the interview.

Clockwise: Pumpkin Cheesecake, Toasted Marshmallow Espresso Martini, Moist Chocolate Cake, Gingerbread Marshmallow Treats.

Rosana G: Hi Jenna, welcome to Buttery! Tell us a little bit about yourself. 

Jenna B: Hello! I’m Jenna Barnard, the founder and creator of Butternut Bakery where I share all things sweet. I started my blog back in 2018 primarily as a creative outlet. At the time, I was working a corporate job and felt incredibly stifled. Baking has always been something I’ve enjoyed doing ever since I was a kid, so getting in the kitchen on nights and weekends to bake up some cookies or cupcakes really filled up my empty cup. Over time, I learned that this hobby of mine could be turned into a career so 6 years later and here we are! I absolutely love sharing approachable desserts that capture the heart and soul of Midwest baking - humble but so so delicious! You’ll also find gluten and dairy free options as well, as I find it very important to be diet inclusive (being gluten and dairy free myself, but that’s a whole other story!). 

RG: Something I love about your work is that you have a very unique way of pairing flavors and textures. You have a great sense of what you like and your brand continues to have such a strong visual identity. Sometimes I see a dessert and think ‘that’s very Jenna!’. How did you develop your baking style? Who/What are your biggest influences?

JB: Oh thank you! It’s funny because it took me so long to find that style. It was always there from the beginning, but I’ve had to kind of chisel away to really home in on it. I think the seed to any of my recipes is thinking about how it will look up close and personal. I’m all about capturing the textures and colors of a dessert because it’s what makes a sweet treat that much more enticing. So as I’m baking, I’m thinking about how I’m going to make the dessert appear just as good as it tastes - like the bounce of a vanilla cupcake, the squishy center of a cinnamon roll, or the melt-in-your-mouth gooey center of a brownie. Those are the things that make a dessert so special, or it’s the reason why you pick it up to take a bite in the first place. These textures are what keep me inspired. 

Butternut Bakery - Cinnamon Rolls

RG: One of the challenges of social media is the constant need to create new recipes. It's impressive how consistently you come up with new and innovative desserts and cocktails week after week. I’m curious what your creative process is like, where does recipe development start? How do you keep yourself from throwing the towel when things don’t turn out? 

JB: I’ve mastered the art of pivoting. There are SO many times when I have (or think I have) a great idea for a recipe but once it’s baked, it’s nothing like I had envisioned. The next step is then dependent on how I’m feeling. Am I still inspired by this concept or do I just want to abandon it and start something new? Starting new often leads to some of my best recipes. Overall, I find that my heart has to be in the recipe because it’s very obvious when it’s not. This is the same reason why I can’t plan out recipes months in advance. I’m often thinking up recipes on a weekly basis because I typically lose interest if I sit on a concept for too long! 

Jenna @ButternutBakery

RG: Thanksgiving is a relatively new holiday for me. I moved here 16 years ago so I’m still getting the hang of it. With all the dishes and desserts, it can be a bit chaotic. What are your favorite make-ahead recipes to simplify the process? Any tips for stress-free baking?

JB: I think we’re all still getting the hang of it! Thanksgiving prep is always chaotic, even if it looks seamless from the outside. I think the key to making it less stressful, especially for the dessert, is to make something that can be baked ahead and refrigerated. My personal favorite is cheesecake because you just make it a day or two before Thanksgiving, keep it in the fridge, and serve it up with whipped cream. It’s intended to be served chilled so it will always taste delicious and fresh the day of (plus, who doesn't want cheesecake). I also love a no bake tart or pie. I used to go all out and make a layer cake but fridge space is precious around Thanksgiving so I now like to stick to something that can be stacked and easy to transport. 

Butternut Bakery - Maple Brown Butter Cheesecake

RG: It's incredible to see how far you've come since we met back in 2018. Now you have a massive platform with over 2 million followers. How do you stay grounded with the constant pressure to grow and succeed? How do you navigate the challenges of maintaining your online presence and personal well-being?

JB: I’m truly in disbelief every day. I remember in the early days, my husband asked me what an absolutely crazy number of followers would be and I said 500k. Now it’s nearly quadrupled?? I honestly just try not to think about it too much because if I do, I’ll get nervous and lose my authenticity. And although social media is a big part of my job, I rarely ever scroll through Instagram. I find it just makes me anxious and I can very easily slip into a comparison mindset. HOWEVER, I do have an addiction to TikTok but I make it a point to avoid food content. My feed is nothing but funny videos, fashion, and music mashups. I use TikTok as a way to unwind, so I need it to have this clear separation from my work so I can fully turn off. 

RG: If you were hosting a holiday party:

RG: What’s on the menu?

JB: Brisket from our favorite local BBQ spot (because I have not mastered the art of cooking turkey), green bean casserole, deviled eggs, mashed potatoes, charcuterie, pumpkin cheesecake, and a good holiday cocktail. Everyone always loves my cranberry limoncello spritz! 

RG: Who’s your dream guest?

JB: My immediate family. I now live halfway across the country from them so there’s some holidays we don’t get to spend with each other. 

RG: What’s the drink of choice?

JB: Something fruity and bubbly or a good festive margarita. 

RG: How do you set the vibe?

JB: Music! One of my hobbies is creating playlists that are hours and hours long. I have a playlist for just about any occasion. 

Butternut Bakery - Spiced Apple Cider Margarita

RG: What’s next for Jenna + Butternut Bakery?

JB: There is something I want to share but I can’t just yet! It’s a secret project that I’m currently working on and takes years to make. It’s probably easy to guess though ;) 

Rapid Fire Questions:

• Binge-worthy show: Severance!! Season 2 comes out next year and I cannot wait. 

• Last thing you read: The Wedding People by Alison Espach. I absolutely loved it. 

• Favorite holiday tradition: Watching classic Christmas movies. Every year my dad had us watch A Christmas Story and Christmas Vacation. I plan to create the same tradition with my family, starting with Elf. 

• Latest thrift find: A set of vintage floral pillow covered with a matching bedskirt. Who knows if I’ll ever actually use them, but it was $6 for the set so I couldn’t pass it up! 

• Cutest thing your dog does: Well she’s famous for her tiptoes but my personal favorite is when she wants something, she’ll gently press her nose against your leg and look up at you with puppy dog eyes. It works every time. 

• In my fridge you’ll always find: butter and eggs! And some sort of pickle. I’ve been on a pickled okra kick lately. 

• On my wishlist is: a CD player. I’m not big into records because it’s not easy to skip a song, but I still love putting on an album. CDs are like the records of the millennial generation so I’m wanting to grow my collection!

Jenna, thank you for being here on this first installment! Cannot wait to see your secret project — I know it’s going to be amazing. Follow Jenna on Instagram, TikTok and bake along on her blog.

See you next month!

x

Rosana