Did Santa bring you a shiny new immersion blender for Christmas this year and you’re trying to figure out how to use the kitchen toy? No worries, we’ve got you covered with flavorful, simple, and Instagram-worthy recipes.

From herbaceous soups and zesty salad dressings to crowd-pleasing dips and chocolatey pastry filling, this little tool is destined to become your new favorite kitchen appliance. Here are 18 of our favorite recipes you can make with your immersion blender ASAP.

Considering buying an immersion blender? Here’s our favorite. It comes with a whisk and milk frother attachment and costs only $35.

Photo via Amazon

Italian Broccoli Parmesan Soup by @britacooks 

This recipe from Instagram chef @britacooks is forever in my weekly meal rotation. The addition of an immersion blender adds even more textures to take your soup from good to great. Plus, this recipe allows you to experiment with your preferred level of seasoning and spice.

Whipped Cream from A Southern Soul

Ready to impress your friends with a dollop of homemade whipped cream? It’s only two ingredients, and you can make as much or as little as you need in minutes. Equal parts powdered sugar and heavy cream, plus a little time with the immersion blender will yield the best topping for ice cream, coffee, pies, and whatever else your heart desires. Move outta the way, Cool Whip!

Cinnamon Honey Dalgona

Olivia Sim

In the early pandemic days, many of us were trying our hand at the TikTok viral Dalgona coffee recipe. Use your immersion blender to create the coffee foam and make one of our favorite variations on the Korean candy-inspired drink with the additions of cinnamon and honey. 

Tomato Soup from Susi Vidal

When it’s grilled cheese night, you can make this hearty and herbaceous tomato soup to pair with it. Even though this soup requires a lot of chopping, consider it a time to hone your knife skills, because your roomies will definitely ask you to prepare this meal again.

Berry Smoothie from The Pioneer Woman

Start your mornings off without the loud sounds of a blender, and instead opt for mixing your smoothie with an immersion blender. This gives you greater control over the thickness of your smoothie and won’t wake up your roommates who have classes in the afternoon. 

Namaleka Cream by @said.pastrynerd

Elevate your baked goods with Saïd M'Dahoma’s recipe for Namaleka Cream. This creates a decadent chocolate ganache-like mixture that is perfect for frosting or decorating cakes or filling buns, cupcakes, pastries, etc. I wouldn’t blame you if you eat this directly from the pan, however. 

Strawberry Milkshake à la Buy This Cook That

If you’re craving a sweet treat at home and don’t want to venture out to a nearby Shake Shack, have no fear. A hand blender and a few ingredients will yield restaurant-worthy results. Bursting with strawberry flavor, this milkshake is totally customizable with toppings and add-ins. Plus, you can even add some homemade whipped cream here, too. 

Orange Creamsicle Smoothie

Jake Popescu

No Orange Julius within your DoorDash radius? You can make an even more delicious and healthy orange smoothie right at home. Combine these ingredients into a tall container and get to blending. Reserve an orange slice for garnishing. 

Gin Sour à la @driftersjoint

Are you ready to show off your mixology skills with only a few ingredients? This Gin Sour courtesy of @driftersjoint contains only gin, lemon juice, simple syrup, and egg white. Blend your ingredients, strain over ice, and your besties will be over-the-moon about your newfound bartender status. 

Salsa via The Kitchen Girl

Taco night just got a whole lot better with this restaurant-style, cilantro-forward salsa recipe and just five short minutes. Keep this in your fridge for up to seven days and enjoy chip and dip snacks all week long. 

Mayo by @themodernnonna

Improve your sandwich game by making your own mayo at home in small batches. Customize with extra squeezes of lemon, garlic, sriracha, and beyond. Store in your favorite jar for up to one week. 

Hummus by Not A Chef

Sometimes, you just crave a filling afternoon snack but don’t know what exactly would do the trick. Having hummus on hand all the time is the fix you need. With a few staple pantry items, you will have a protein-packed dip for a party or just for yourself. You’ll want to have pita on hand 24/7. 

Salad Vinaigrette from @amandacooksneats

Craft a fine-dining-level balsamic vinaigrette right in your kitchen. In seconds, you’ll have a salad dressing that far outranks any bottle you can grab in the grocery store. 

Serious Eats’ Feta Dip

Are you tired of the same old ranch and French onion dips? Simply hand-blend Greek yogurt, feta cheese crumbles, and various add-ins for a high-end-tasting dip. Pair with veggies, crackers, and toast; use as a spread on sandwiches, and much more.

My Food Story’s Pesto

Pesto belongs on top of just about everything, from pasta to toast, to roasted veggies and pizza. Make a jar of pesto with a handful of basil, some garlic, a dash of olive oil, and some walnuts (or pine nuts). Then, you’ll have something truly delicious for your next friend get-together, as well as have it ready to go for dinner after a long day at work or class. 

"Best Soft Scrambled Eggs" from Bon Appetit

Even your breakfast can be blended to perfection with these soft scrambled eggs. Light and fluffy eggs pair great with your favorite toast, in a tortilla for on-the-go eating, or on their own.

Guacamole via A Savory Feast

Guac won’t cost extra when you’re making a zesty batch of your own at home. The immersion blender helps relieve you of mashing up avocados with a fork and allows you to control how chunky or smooth you’d like your dip to be. Chipotle will never get that extra two dollars from you again.

Chocolate Mousse

Cat Taylor

Transform your kitchen into a French pâtisserie with this three-ingredient chocolate mousse. Blend your hot cream, chocolate chips, and egg with a hand blender in a tall container, pick out a cute serving dish, and reserve time to set. You’ll have a decadent dessert in mere hours.