Cooking for others is food for the soul: Consistent momentary, but mixed trait‐level well‐being benefits for home cooks

Prosocial behavior can promote well‐being, yet the effects of everyday acts—such as cooking for others—remain understudied. Across four studies ( N > 1,500), we developed and validated a Prosocial Cooking Scale and examined its well‐being effects using cross‐sectional surveys and ecological momentary assessment (EMA). Cross‐sectional analyses linked prosocial cooking to greater positive affect—but also higher negative affect—at the between‐person level. EMA studies revealed within‐person benefits: Individuals reported increased positive affect and subjective happiness—and, in our larger community‐based sample, higher self‐esteem, vitality, and lower negative affect—during prosocial cooking episodes. However, trait‐level associations were modest and inconsistent, emerging most reliably for positive affect. Notably, benefits—including positive affect and self‐esteem—were strongest for introverts, supporting a person‐activity fit perspective. These findings highlight prosocial cooking as an accessible act conferring well‐being gains, and illustrate how EMA captures the impact of kindness in everyday life.