Hey! I'm Alex.
I started this blog in the summer of 2011 when I was 18 years old. I didn't grow up baking much (something people always ask me), but I started experimenting in the kitchen with a bread-baking book, and eventually I realized baking was something I really enjoyed doing. Pretty soon I discovered the world of food blogs, and before long I decided I wanted to make my own. That's how this project got started.
What you'll find on this blog is mostly baked goods and other sweets with a few savory recipes and mixed drinks thrown in. I try to make everything from-scratch as much as possible, and my goal is to make baking from-scratch seem more attainable to the everyday person who, like me, doesn't have any formal training in the kitchen.
As of fall of 2017, I officially went gluten-free for health reasons, so all the recipes on my blog from that point on are also gluten-free. Whether you eat exclusively gluten-free or not, I'm hoping to show that gluten-free baking and cooking doesn't have to be any more difficult or any less delicious, and I'm slowly working on revamping some of my old favorites from the blog to make them accessible to the GF community.
More than anything, I hope you'll find a recipe or two here that inspires you to get creative in the kitchen, and ultimately become more confident making food from scratch!
A bit more about me...
I grew up in a small(ish) town called Clovis in California's Central Valley. After moving to Oakland for just over two years, I moved back to my hometown, where I now live with my boyfriend, Greg, and my dog, Jake. Aside from baking, some of my other favorite hobbies include traveling, snowboarding, and going to baseball games (Go Dodgers!). You can always follow me on Instagram for a little more of an inside scoop on what I do outside the kitchen.
Happy Baking!
XOXO
Alex
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Mark G. says
Bright Eyed Baker - 36 web pages of heaven! I love browsing your well-planned website for recipes. Today it's your world-famous chocolate chip cookies (GF).
Thank you for your hard work, and great recipes.
Alene says
What brand of gluten free flour do you prefer to use? I haven't seen you note the brand. Your recipes are beautiful and so easy to follow. Thank you for that!
alexandra says
Hi Alene,
My go-to's are Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Baking Flour (blue bag), King Arthur Flour, or Pamela's. The first two tend to be more common in stores, at least in my area.
And thank you for your kind words! I appreciate the feedback more than you know!
Grommet Farschwaller says
Bright-Eyed Baker - your recipes are the best GF ever.... I went GF in 2010 and I find it very difficult to find recipes that are easy to bake and delicious. Your recipes deliver every time! You have a huge fan and subscriber. Thank you for your blog, it's by far the best one out there.
I'm looking forward to trying out the Financiers (never heard of them before, or knew how they got the name - I like your history teaching too on each item) with the chocolate and hazelnut flour.
I can't wait for your next recipe!
Thank you, G. Farschwaller
alexandra says
Thank you so much!! I appreciate this comment more than you know. Hope you continue to enjoy every recipe. :)
AlexA says
I really like the new changes to your website. I have been following you for a very long time. Your choice of food selections and recipes are awesome. I am not a baker like you but I still enjoy reading your blog and look at the pictures. I shared many of them with people I know like me and/or those who actually are good bakers too. Our family appreciates the time you take to share these exquisite healthy treats and foods. Keep up the good work and I hope someday we can also purchase your items online or in stores near me. ????
alexandra says
Thank you <3
sathya priya says
i m also like do it from scratch person .Wish me luck in my journey too alexandra .u got a new follower from now on ...
alexandra says
Thanks! Glad to have you following along. :)
TOM says
Can we subscribe to your blog?
alexandra says
Yes! You can click here to subscribe by e-mail or here to subscribe by RSS.(These links are also available by clicking on the envelope icon or the RSS icon on the top-right corner of any page on the blog.) Thanks for asking!
J Marie says
Thank you SOOOOOOOO much for the DIY caramel sauce. It was SOOOOO easy and everyone LOVES it. I never thought I could make something like that. I can't thank you enough!!!!
alexandra says
Yayyy! I'm so glad! Thank you for telling me. :D
singadiva says
cinnamon chips!
now you've made a truly bright-eyed novice baker out of me! i ♥ cinnamon! THANK YOU! i chanced upon your DIY cinnamon chips recipe via google as i've never heard of it before (i'm asian). definitely a must-try as soon as i get my hands on some vegetable shortening.
your blog is a breath of fresh air. love the fact that you DIY this & that! gives your food an extra dose of love :) my mum cooks & makes everything from scratch, too! that's how i do it with my family.
i've 2 not-so-little angels who are self-confessed chocoholics so you are the perfect mentor ;) we'll be "studying" your recipes to pick out what to bake pronto.
what a way to start the day :)
sending you lotsa sunshine from dubai!
alexandra says
You made me so happy reading your comment, so thank you! It thrills me when people get something out of reading my blog.
One reader tried the cinnamon chips with coconut oil rather than vegetable shortening, so if that is more accessible to you, you could try that out as well.
And I think you'll find plenty of chocolate recipes to experiment with here! I hope you enjoy them all. :)
Thanks again for making my day!
Max says
I am absolutely in love with your site! You communicate a passion for life and for baking in this blog that I have never encountered elsewhere. I enjoy the sincerity and simplicity of your writing and the fact that you find humor in your own foibles - I found it amusing that you never preheat your oven because you are too slow to get everything ready, as I am the exact same way. I, like you, love the feeling of warm, living dough in my hands, and I love to try new recipes. I have made your pain du chocolat twice already and am in the process of making it again as I write this; it is a recipe that I pull out when I want to impress people. I hope that you continue to enjoy your baking and to update your blog. I bet that you have thousands more readers than you realize, as many of them, like me until just now, are probably too shy to leave a comment. Keep up the good work!
brighteyedbaker says
Your comment means so much to me. You have know idea how great it makes me feel when someone like you comes along and takes the time to share such kind words. I hope you continue to enjoy everything on the site. The pain au chocolat is one of my favorites as well; it definitely is a recipe built to impress! Thanks again for making my day. :)
carolina says
I am absolutely amazed by your wonderful blog... Thanks God, I can read in English and follow your recipes... I am from Spain and have just discovered your page through facebook and obviously had no time to try any of them, but i will, that´s for sure!!! meanwhile, i´ll keep on reading your confessions and decide my next recipe.
Carolina
brighteyedbaker says
Thank you so much for your sweet comment. You have no idea how happy it makes me to read comments like yours. I hope you let me know what you think when you get a chance to try some of my recipes. :)
Faith Thompson says
I absolutely love the danish cookies you can buy in a tin this time of year. In fact I ate whole tin (a small one) by myself yesterday. Everyone goes for the sugared ones. I tried a shortbread recipe thinking it would be close but it was no where near. In fact it was really plain and boring. Do you have recipe that would be similiar, (yet better because it is made from scratch) to the Danish cookies I love so much.
PS. I am going to try your pumpkin chocolate chip scones for Christmas breakfast. Do you top them with anything? A drizzle or raw sugar?
alexandra says
I have shortbread cookie recipes, but none that I've made lately other than these, which are covered with chocolate. Everyone loves those, but if you want something more like the Danish cookies, what I would suggest is to make them but use a dish half the size so they'll be thicker, sprinkle some sugar on top before baking (perhaps coarse sugar) and adjust baking time to be longer if necessary.
As far as the scones, I love them how they are. You can try a chocolate drizzle, perhaps, but I don't think it's needed at all.
Hope this all helps :)
Thanks for stopping by!
foodepix says
Hi there,
I'd like to introduce to you a new website http://www.foodepix.com that we have just recently launched. Foodepix is a photo gallery of delicious and mouth watering food.
We've seen your blog and we love your pictures and recipes. We would love to invite you to register with foodepix.com and upload your pictures.
Hope to see you there. :)
Thanks.
alexandra says
Thanks for letting me know! I'll be sure to check out your website :)