'I tested four viral recipes – there was one clear winner'

Ever wondered if those viral recipes flooding your feed actually taste as good as they look?

As a recipe developer, as well as creating my own recipes, I myth-bust popular social media ones. I find out if those compelling, heavily edited recipe videos actually reflect the reality.

While there are a few gems out there, mostly I need to rework them if they're going to be any good, IRL.

Here are four I've recently tested.

One of the main selling points of the many tortilla (or wrap) kebab videos out there is that they're so quick and easy to make.

A wrap is spread with a mince and veg mix then topped with another, and the process repeats until there's a layered tower, which is cut, skewered and fried.

They look great. But although the recipe itself is simple, it sure isn't quick.

Yes, chucking mince into a bowl with some spices, onion, garlic and harissa paste takes a matter of seconds, but when it came to layering up the meat-covered wraps, things slow down considerably.

If you've got your game face on, that process is going to take you around 20 minutes.

Clever video editing and misleading prep time aside, this recipe is a decent party option that'll be a real talking point.

Reviews are mixed on these two-ingredient recipes – video comments are equal parts delight and annoyance.

The positive: They look super quick. You just mix yoghurt and flour into a dough and shape it.

The negative: To give some kind of interest in terms of texture and flavour, you need to add more ingredients, like seasoning, egg wash and seeds. The name is somewhat misleading then, which makes people pretty angry.

Scouring comments sections, I could also see complaints about them being undercooked, too.

After a few attempts, I found there are three golden rules to making a brilliant two-ingredient bagel:

1. Don't over-work the dough. It'll end up too tough. This isn't one to treat like bread flour.

2. Let your dough rest for 5–10 minutes. This lets the raising agent in the flour do its thing.

3. Let the bagels cool after cooking. You'll avoid a claggy and doughy result.

Of course, there's the argument to be made that these are in no way actually even bagels. But in their own right, they're a decent, legitimately quick and easy (looking at you, wrap kebabs) alternative.

Dubai-style chocolate hit the mainstream last year. Now, influencers are coming up with novel recipes to put that pistachio-pastry-chocolate combo to work in different ways.

Behold the Dubai chocolate trifle.

Although the recipe is simple, I quickly noticed one big problem after my first attempt. The pistachio cream and pastry layer solidified and became devastatingly stodgy when left in the fridge.

There's an easy – if not super convenient – solution to that though. Don't pre-make it. The success and enjoyment of this dish hinges on a last-minute construction.

But, given that the recipe is reasonably straightforward, that's not the end of the world. And if you're thinking the result is overwhelmingly sweet and heavy, you might just be pleasantly surprised.

This was my absolute favourite of the recipes. Let me explain.

In 2025, American cookie brand Crumbl went viral for its aesthetically pleasing (albeit pricey) bakes.

Across the pond we watched the video reviews with curiosity.

So, I set out to make my own version that was as tasty as it was pretty, using another social media trend, tiramisu, for flavour inspiration.

Because the coffee is punchy, I offset that with a creamy mascarpone and vanilla topping which I piped over soft and chewy cookies.

Why not crunchy biscuits? These need to be refrigerated ('cause creamy topping), and soft cookies keep a great texture even in the fridge.

It took lots (and lots) of attempts and tweaks to nail a solid recipe for this one, but the result is perfection in a biscuit (if I do say so myself).

It was hands-down my favourite of the four recipes to work on.

Social media recipes can be risky. So, before giving an impossibly simple looking, drool-worthy, must-try recipe a go from a social video, stop and do a quick check to see if any trustworthy sources have had success with it first. Then, who knows, you might just end up with something really rewarding.

Originally published December 2025. Updated March 2026.

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