Meet Chef Bae — Hollywood's favourite celebrity chef

Some call it curious, others nosy—but, if you’re like me, there’s something fascinating about peeking into other people’s lives online. Especially when those lives feel worlds away from our own. No one embodies that contrast quite like Brooke Baevsky, better known to her 1.5 million followers as Chef Bae—the celebrity chef behind the plates of Emma Roberts, Paris Hilton, and Sarah Michelle Gellar. Despite her Hollywood clientele, Brooke’s world feels surprisingly normal.

Her social feed reveals the prep, planning, and countless Erewhon runs that go into her work—and offers a refreshingly unfiltered look at her A-list clients, one that shines the spotlight on friendships over formal NDAs. With an impressive background in food science and R&D, and a mission to make allergy  friendly food that everyone can—and wants to—eat, Brooke has carved a niche. that fuels online fascination, but she has the substance to back it up.

Ahead of her highly anticipated cookbook release, I sat down with the internet’s favourite celebrity chef to talk about challenging creativity, celebrity friendships and the power of keeping it real online.

You grew up in a household of five, with nine different allergies. Does cooking within boundaries actually make you more creative, especially when dealing with clients of differing dietary restrictions and requirements today?
Absolutely. I had to cater to everyone’s restrictions from day one—there was no choice but to get creative. My parents definitely tried some questionable experiments when I was eight or nine, but it taught me how to make things work. These days, I deal with every kind of request imaginable—from allergies to cold water to food that has to be blessed by crystals. I say ‘bring it on!’
The LA ‘clean eating’ culture has its critics and its converts. How do you separate what’s genuinely health-driven from what’s just marketing?
So much of it is trend-based. The minute Hailey Bieber posts something new, I know my clients will ask about it—sea moss gel, charcoal, collagen, you name it. But not every trend fits every person. You can’t just follow hype; it always comes back to balance. Three real meals a day, start with protein, and don’t overcomplicate it.

Via @chefbae
Today’s wellness world feels more crowded than ever—there’s a product or hack for everything. As someone who’s always approached food through a lens of balance and necessity, do you see this growing complexity as progress, or have we lost the plot a little?
A little. Everyone is so different, and no one needs to try to do everything. I see people taking 15 different supplements a day when, in truth, they don’t need half of them. Supplements should supplement your diet, not account for it. A protein bar and five hair-and-nail gummy vitamins aren’t a meal. My advice? Focus on making your plate a rainbow or creating a ‘gut biodiversity jar̓ full of nuts, seeds, grains, and spices to feed your body well.
Walk us through your R&D process—how does an idea spark into something that ends up on a celebrity’s table or FYP?
My clients are my guinea pigs—they know it! Right now, I’m eating, praying, and loving my way through recipe testing for my cookbook, and I love getting their feedback. People are quick to say, ‘I eat everything,’ but no one really does. I’ll ask, ‘Blue cheese? Mushrooms? Cilantro?’ and suddenly the list gets short. From there, I build tailored menus around their goals, tastes and diets—it’s never one-size-fits-all, but I love the challenge of never making the same thing twice.

Via @chefbae
How do you manage the pressure to keep coming up with ‘the next big thing’ or viral moment?
You can’t chase virality. People see straight through that. You can have viral content, but it doesn’t correlate with followingor lend itself to a community, which, for me, is the actual value of building a brand. I learned that the hard way—the real growth, success and community engagement came when I stopped chasing trends and just showed up as myself.
Most chefs’ behind-the-scenes moments stay in the kitchen. Yours end up online. Do you think transparency has fuelled Chef Bae’s success as a brand?
Definitely, people always tell me I’m exactly like I am online—goofy, a little unhinged, and I don’t care what people think. Audiences don’t want a perfect lifestyle; they want something real, something they can relate to. I think what makes my content so fascinating to watch is that you see my celebrity clients looking so polished on the red carpet one minute, and the next, with me, they’re in their pyjamas, tucking into my food or helping me make the kids’ lunches for school. It’s authentic and undeniably relatable.

I hear you’re collaborating with Emma [Roberts] on a recipe for your upcoming cookbook?
Yes! So many recipes are inspired by my clients. Emma’s named a bunch, like the Year-Round Summer Frittata. There’s the Diplorito for Diplo, and potato latkes for Adam Sandler. It’s been so fun.
What else can you tell us about your recipe book? What’s been the driving force behind its release?
It’s 125 exclusive recipes—all gluten-free, dairy-free, refined-sugar-free, soy-free, and blood-sugar-friendly. It’s healthy but not restrictive—there’s chocolate cake in there. It’s about food that fuels you and makes you feel good, no matter what it is. I’ve been gatekeeping favourites like Mindy Kaling’s cinnamon buns, Paris Hilton’s Sliving Lasagna, and Emma Roberts’ go-to cake.
Who would you love to cook for one day?
I’d love to cook for iconic people from my past, like Christina Aguilera, Ryan Seacrest, and the Backstreet Boys, but also for those who have nothing to do with food, like Pitbull—so random, butwhy not? Jennifer Coolidge has followed me for years, and I’m like, ‘Why have you not responded to my DMs, because I would love to cook for you?’ She’s also plant-based, so that would be such a fun challenge. I’m really manifesting that one!

What are some of the biggest misconceptions about the world of celebrity cheffing?
The glitz and glamour of who these people are wears off in like an hour. You realise they’re just normal people living their lives— they just happen to be super talented. But my job is a lot more work than people believe. That’s why I do long-form content on YouTube to show the ins and outs, rather than a quick highlight Reel on Instagram. From athletes in the NBA and NFL to actresses on the red carpet, my clients are worth billions of dollars with entire corporations behind them, so there’s pressure to keep them looking and feeling their best so they can perform to the highest standards. There’s also a misconception that I won’t be there. I’ll be there, and I’ll be scrubbing the floor on my hands and knees at the end of the night!
When someone says, ‘I can't cook,’ what’s the first thing you’d show them to prove otherwise?
Start small. Nail one thing—an egg, a roast potato, pasta—then build on it. For example, add caramelised onions to sauces and experiment with heat levels. Don’t be afraid to take risks and make mistakes. Cooking, unlike baking, is very forgiving. Too much salt? Add a potato. Too spicy? Add coconut cream. But at its core, a plate should include protein, a healthy fat, starch and fibrous veggies.
We’re coming into salad season here in New Zealand— what are your go-to tips and tricks to turn the stereotypically boring salad into a showstopping dish?
I love a chopped salad. Throw everything—chicken, capsicums, cashews, lettuce—into a food processor and pulse it. You get a perfect mix of flavour in every bite.

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