At-a-Glance Flavor Combinations

This chart will help you mix things up in ways you might not have previously imagined. To use it, first find the primary flavor of your recipe in the left-hand column; then see what makes your mouth water in the second and third columns. The result will be a whole that’s greater than the sum of its parts. (The fourth column has some of my own personal favorite combinations.)

DOMINANT FLAVOR: Almond

GOES WELL WITH: Stone fruits

PLUS: Corn or cornmeal

TRY THIS: Plum Frangipane Tart in Cornmeal Tart Crust; Almond-Cherry Cornmeal Cake with Macerated Fruit

DOMINANT FLAVOR: Almond

GOES WELL WITH: Pistachio

PLUS: Brown butter

TRY THIS: Financiers with Pistachio Gelato

DOMINANT FLAVOR: Apple

GOES WELL WITH: Cinnamon, ginger, and other warm spices

PLUS: Brandy, bourbon, or rum

TRY THIS: Apple Pie with Brandy-Spice Hard Sauce

DOMINANT FLAVOR: Apple

GOES WELL WITH: Caramel

PLUS: Vanilla

TRY THIS: Tarte Tatin with Crème Anglaise

DOMINANT FLAVOR: Apple

GOES WELL WITH: Cheddar

PLUS:: Vanilla

TRY THIS: Cheddar-Chive Biscuits with Apple Butter; Apple Cobbler with cheddar topping

DOMINANT FLAVOR: Banana

GOES WELL WITH: Rum

PLUS: Brown sugar, honey, or maple syrup

TRY THIS: Bananas Foster with Rum-Raisin Ice Cream

DOMINANT FLAVOR: Banana

GOES WELL WITH: Caramel or dulce de leche

PLUS: Walnuts, pecans, or peanuts

TRY THIS: Banana Bread with Dulce de Leche

DOMINANT FLAVOR: Berry (summer berries like blackberries, blueberries, currants, raspberries, strawberries)

GOES WELL WITH: Balsamic vinegar

PLUS: Walnuts, pecans, or peanuts

TRY THIS: Fruit Sorbet or Strawberry Semifreddo with Balsamic Syrup

DOMINANT FLAVOR: Berry (summer berries like blackberries, blueberries, currants, raspberries, strawberries)

GOES WELL WITH: Lemon

PLUS: Meringue

TRY THIS: Pavlova with Lemon Curd and fresh berries; Lemon Meringue Pie with raw Fruit Sauce

DOMINANT FLAVOR: Berry
(summer berries like blackberries, blueberries, currants, raspberries, strawberries)

GOES WELL WITH: Buttermilk, cream cheese, or yogurt

PLUS: Mint, thyme, or basil

TRY THIS: Buttermilk Pie with Blueberry-Basil Sorbet

DOMINANT FLAVOR: Berry
(summer berries like blackberries, blueberries, currants, raspberries, strawberries)

GOES WELL WITH: Cinnamon or ginger

PLUS: Cream

TRY THIS: Blackberry Buckle with Spice Ice Cream

DOMINANT FLAVOR: Caramel

GOES WELL WITH: Pecans

PLUS: Coffee

TRY THIS: Pecan Pie with Coffee Whipped Cream; Caramel Cake with Coconut-Pecan Filling and Not-Too-Sweet Coffee Buttercream

DOMINANT FLAVOR: Caramel

GOES WELL WITH: Chocolate

PLUS: Salt

TRY THIS: Salted Caramel Popcorn Bars with Chocolate Ganache; Caramel-Peanut Pie in Chocolate Tart Crust or Cookie Crumb Crust made with chocolate wafer cookies

DOMINANT FLAVOR: Citrus (orange, lemon, lime, or grapefruit)

GOES WELL WITH: Almond

PLUS: Caramel

TRY THIS: Claudia Roden’s Middle Eastern Orange-Almond Cake with Caramel Sauce

DOMINANT FLAVOR: Citrus (orange, lemon, lime, or grapefruit)

GOES WELL WITH: Ricotta, cream cheese, goat cheese, or mascarpone

PLUS: Corn or cornmeal

TRY THIS: Lemon-Ricotta Cheesecake in Cornmeal Tart Crust

DOMINANT FLAVOR: Citrus (orange, lemon, lime, or grapefruit)

GOES WELL WITH: Coconut

PLUS: Almonds

TRY THIS: Key Lime Pie with Nut Tart Crust and Vegan Whipped Cream

DOMINANT FLAVOR: Citrus (orange, lemon, lime, or grapefruit)

GOES WELL WITH: Olive oil

PLUS: Other fruit

TRY THIS: Olive Oil Cake with Jam Glaze, Fruit Compote, or raw Fruit Sauce

DOMINANT FLAVOR: Coconut

GOES WELL WITH: Mango

PLUS: Lime

TRY THIS: Coconut Layer Cake or Coconut-Lime Pound Cake with Mango Curd; Mango-Lime Pie with CocoNut Tart Crust

DOMINANT FLAVOR: Coffee

GOES WELL WITH: Chocolate

PLUS: Coconut

TRY THIS: Coffee Crazy Cake or Flourless Chocolate-Espresso Cake with Vegan Whipped Cream; Chocolate-Coconut Tart with Coffee Ice Cream

DOMINANT FLAVOR: Coffee

GOES WELL WITH: Date

PLUS: Walnut

TRY THIS: Date-Nut Bread with Coffee Caramel Sauce

DOMINANT FLAVOR: Corn

GOES WELL WITH: Honey or maple syrup

PLUS: Walnut

TRY THIS: Cornmeal Pancakes, Corn Waffles, or Southern Corn Bread with Honey or Maple Whipped Butter

DOMINANT FLAVOR: Cranberry

GOES WELL WITH: Walnut

PLUS: Maple

TRY THIS: Cranberry-Walnut Torte with Maple Glaze; Cranberry Slump with Nut Crumb Topping and Maple Whipped Cream; Maple Pie with No-Bake Fruit and Nut Crust, made with walnuts and dried cranberries

DOMINANT FLAVOR: Figs

GOES WELL WITH: Honey

PLUS: Mascarpone or goat cheese

TRY THIS: Fig Tart or Roasted Figs with Mascarpone, drizzled with honey

DOMINANT FLAVOR: Ginger

GOES WELL WITH: Molasses

PLUS: Lemon

GOES WELL WITH: Gingerbread with Lemon Curd; Gingersnaps with Lemon Glaze

DOMINANT FLAVOR: Hazelnut

GOES WELL WITH: Cranberry

PLUS: Cream Cheese

TRY THIS: Hazelnut Gelato with Cranberry Slump or Cranberry Cornmeal Cake

DOMINANT FLAVOR: Hazelnut

GOES WELL WITH: Pear

PLUS: Oats

TRY THIS: Pear-Hazelnut Tart with Oat Crumb Topping

DOMINANT FLAVOR: Hazelnut

GOES WELL WITH: Chocolate

PLUS: Lemon

TRY THIS: Chocolate-Hazelnut Scones with Lemon Curd; Chocolate-Hazelnut Torte with lemon-infused Whipped Cream

DOMINANT FLAVOR: Honey

GOES WELL WITH: Peanuts, sesame, or walnuts

PLUS: Cinnamon

TRY THIS: Spice Ice Cream in a sundae with Baklava

DOMINANT FLAVOR: Maple

GOES WELL WITH: Walnut

PLUS: Banana

TRY THIS: Banana Bread or Banana Cake with Maple-Nut Ice Cream

DOMINANT FLAVOR: Maple

GOES WELL WITH: Corn

PLUS: Blueberry

TRY THIS: Maple Corn Bread with blueberry jam or blueberry compote; Maple Cornmeal Pudding with fresh berries and Whipped Cream

DOMINANT FLAVOR: Maple

GOES WELL WITH: Ginger

PLUS: Pumpkin

TRY THIS: Pumpkin Spice Cake with Maple Buttercream

DOMINANT FLAVOR: Pear

GOES WELL WITH: Brown sugar or caramel

PLUS: Cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, or cloves

TRY THIS: Pear Brown Betty with Ginger Ice Cream; Pear Croustade with Ginger Butterscotch Sauce

DOMINANT FLAVOR: Pear

GOES WELL WITH: Rosemary, sage, or thyme

PLUS: Oats

TRY THIS: Oatmeal-Almond Pear Crisp with Pear-Rosemary Sorbet

DOMINANT FLAVOR: Pear

GOES WELL WITH: Port or red wine

PLUS: Vanilla

TRY THIS: Red Wine–Poached Pears or Red Wine–Poached Pear Galette with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

DOMINANT FLAVOR: Pineapple

GOES WELL WITH: Brown sugar or caramel

PLUS: Rum

TRY THIS: Pineapple Upside-Down Cake with rum Hard Sauce

DOMINANT FLAVOR: Pumpkin, sweet potato, or carrot

GOES WELL WITH: Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, clove, and/or allspice

PLUS: Brown sugar or molasses

TRY THIS: Pumpkin Pie or Sweet Potato Pie in gingersnap Cookie Crumb Crust

DOMINANT FLAVOR: Pumpkin, sweet potato, or carrot

GOES WELL WITH: Pecans

PLUS: Bourbon

TRY THIS: Pumpkin Spice Jalousie with Bacon-Bourbon-Maple-Pecan Ice Cream

DOMINANT FLAVOR: Pumpkin, sweet potato, or carrot

GOES WELL WITH: Buttermilk, sour cream, or cream cheese

PLUS: Coconut

TRY THIS: Sweet Potato Coconut Cake or Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

DOMINANT FLAVOR: Rhubarb

GOES WELL WITH: Strawberry

PLUS: Ginger

TRY THIS: Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie (page with Ginger Glaze

DOMINANT FLAVOR: Stone fruit (peaches, nectarines, apricots, plums, and/or cherries)

GOES WELL WITH: Honey

PLUS: Basil, tarragon, or mint

TRY THIS: Broiled Peaches with mint- or basil-infused Whipped Cream or ice cream

DOMINANT FLAVOR: Stone fruit (peaches, nectarines, apricots, plums, and/or cherries)

GOES WELL WITH: Bourbon

PLUS: Ginger and cinnamon

TRY THIS: Peach or Other Stone Fruit Pie with Bourbon Butterscotch Sauce

DOMINANT FLAVOR: Stone fruit (peaches, nectarines, apricots, plums, and/or cherries)

GOES WELL WITH: Berries

PLUS: Buttermilk, sour cream, or yogurt

TRY THIS: Raspberry-Peach Crisp with Buttermilk Ice Cream