Tieghan Gerard became an internet sensation after catching the attention of readers with her Half Baked Harvest recipes.
“One day, when I was 16 years old, my mother and I were walking together,” he wrote on his website, further explaining how he decided on the name. “He encouraged me to start a food blog as all I did in my free time was cooking!” He came up with the ‘baked’ part of our name because my family is ‘half baked.’ And by that I mean we are all over the place and crazy! I’ve always loved the word harvest, so Half Baked Harvest was it!”
While publishing several cookbooks, Gerard has continued to share his passion for cooking with his more than 5.4 million Instagram followers. In 2026, however, Gerard revealed that he had decided to step back from social media after dealing with “haters.”
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Tieghan Gerard grew up in Ohio
Gerard shared on his Half Baked Harvest website that he spent the first 14 years of his life in Cleveland, Ohio, before his family moved to the “snowy mountains of Colorado.”
“Now I live in a converted horse barn and work out of a studio he built nearby. It’s a special place that I’ve been able to design entirely around my lifestyle,” he wrote. “It’s where I shot my third cookbook, and where I spend my days trying out new recipes, photographing my creations, feeding my family, and making a big splash in time. My hope is to inspire the love of food in others, and the courage to try something new!”
Tieghan Gerard Has 7 siblings
Gerard is one of seven siblings. “I have 7 siblings…6 brothers and one sister. Here we are in order: Creighton, Trevor, Brendan, Tieghan, Malachi, Red, Asher, and Oslo,” she shared on her website. Gerard noted that his younger brother Oslo was adopted at birth.
Tieghan Gerard Attended Fashion School
At the age of 18, Gerard attended fashion school in Los Angeles for design and merchandising. However, Gerard returned home after giving up.
“All my life I had big plans to live in LA and become a fashion designer. I moved to LA and was about to go to school at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising when I decided that living in LA wasn’t for me. I was young and completely homesick, so I moved my butt away from home,” she told All My Types. “It was my mother who encouraged me to finally start HBH. Once I started writing, cooking and photography I never looked back, and I’ve been working on it ever since.”
Tieghan Gerard Has Been the Recipient of Many Awards
After starting his blog in 2012, Gerard continued to be featured on the Food Network, HGTV and other outlets. Half Baked Harvest was named Readers’ Choice Favorite Food Blog by Better Homes and Gardens in 2014 and 2016, and Gerard also received Saveur Magazine’s 2016 Most Inspired Weeknight Dinners Award and Bloglovin’ Best Food Blog Award of 2016, according to his website.
Tieghan Gerard Takes A Step Back From Social Media
In 2026, Gerard took to his Instagram Story to explain that he had taken a step back from social media after dealing with “haters.”
“I had to back off a bit, but I’m back, guys,” he said at the time. “I feel very happy, I feel very good, I’m here in Miami right now, I’m enjoying the sun, I’m working. [and] all things. Everything is fine, very good, and at the end of the day, I’m just here to share the good stuff with you. I am here to share my best recipes with you [and] great ways to present those recipes.”
Although Gerard’s post has sparked controversy online over claims of cultural appropriation, intellectual property, rights and defamation, he has denied any intentional harm. Gerard shared that he wants to be able to “share [her] life” and his followers.
“It means a lot to me, and you know I love you a lot,” he added, giving a life update since his hiatus from the Internet. “I’m in Miami. I rented here for one year. I needed to get away from the cold, I needed to get away from Colorado, to be in a big, warm, sunny place. You know I love it here.”
Gerard continued, “I love working here and I actually get to see my family a lot more. It’s been very special, and I’m really excited to spend time here and share it with you because I have a lot to share. We work on a lot of things without seeing each other.”
Although Gerard is “proud” of his upcoming launch of Half Baked Harvest, he said he feels “sad” that he hasn’t been able to reveal more on social media.
“Finally today, I can say, ‘You know what? “I don’t want to be quiet. You can take it, you can leave it, you can criticize me all you want, but I love doing this. I’m here to share a little bit of good and happiness, and that’s all I really care about at the end of the day.”
