12 Simple Traditional Chinese New Year Desserts

 

These simple Chinese New Year desserts are perfect for ringing in the new year, but they’re also tasty any time of year.

In Chinese culture, the Chinese New Year is a significant occasion when families gather to have the most important meal of the year, tuán niánfàn, or New Year’s Eve dinner.

Dessert is a course meal that most people consume at the end of their meal to complete. Sweets dominate the majority, with a few fruits thrown in for good measure. It may also include a beverage, such as wine or another type of alcoholic beverage.

 

Easy Traditional Chinese New Year Desserts

Coffee and tea, on the other hand, are classified as the same thing in other parts of the world. Desserts in China differ from those in the West. Their texture, shape, flavor, and make-up application are all distinct.

Chinese desserts typically differ from western sweets in that they are usually served in between meals, as opposed to being offered after the meal. Snacks are frequently encountered throughout the day, and breakfast often includes the consumption of certain desserts.

So, without further ado, here are 12 Chinese New Year delights to brighten your year.

 

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1. Nian Gao (Chinese New Year Cake)

Get the full recipe from Healthy Nibbles

A classic Chinese Lunar New Year treat is nian gao, a steamed rice cake prepared with glutinous rice flour and brown sugar.

 

2. Taro Ball Soup (Chinese New Year desserts)

Get the full recipe from Panda Cheffy

Taro Soup is a popular snack and part of Fujian cuisine.

It’s also a popular snack in Taiwan. You can enjoy Taro soup and Caramel Cashew Clusters whether you prefer them hot or cold. They are perfect for both winter and summer, so you can indulge in them all year round!

 

3. Egg Custard Tart Recipe (Chinese New Year desserts)

Get the full recipe from Dessert First

Chinese Egg Tarts are a delightful and cherished treat during the Chinese New Year festivities. People believe that indulging in these tasty treats will bring you good luck and blessings for the year ahead.

 

4. Tang Yuan (Chinese New Year desserts)

Get the full recipe from Red House Spice

The Lantern Festival concludes the 15-day Chinese New Year celebrations, with a delicious dessert known as Tang Yuan (Chinese glutinous rice balls) served as part of the family reunion supper on the last day.

Tang Yuan is one of my favorite Chinese sweet delicacies, with a distinctive texture and flavor that I serve as a dessert at dinner parties all year.

 

5. Homemade Chinese Sesame Peanut Brittle

Get the full recipe from The Woks of Life

Chinese New Year delicacies such as handcrafted Chinese Sesame Peanut Brittle and Sesame Walnut Peanut Brittle represent sweetness and happiness for the future year.

 

6. Eight-Treasure Glutinous Rice Pudding (Chinese New Year desserts)

Get the full recipe from What To Cook Today

The sweet and sticky glutinous rice pudding, filled with candied fruits, nuts, and seeds, goes by the name of ba bao fan. A simple Chinese New Year meal.

You can also make this dish in an Instant Pot.

 

7. Rose Ginger Steamed Sponge Cake (Ma Lai Go)

Get the full recipe from Goodie God Mother

It’s also fun to imagine you’re preparing a cake. The airy, bouncy texture of the cake is due to steaming. I used two huge stock pots with aluminum foil wrapped around the bottom as a makeshift insert to keep my 6″ bamboo steamer baskets above the water because I didn’t have a steamer.

 

8. Sesame Seed Dessert Balls

Get the full recipe from The Spruce Eats

In China and Taiwan, sesame seed balls are an absolute hit! You can find vendors selling them on the streets or enjoy them at delightful dim sum restaurants.

These delectable treats boast a fantastic combination of flavors. They have a roasted, nutty, and sweet taste that will make your taste buds dance with joy. Imagine biting into a crispy outer layer, only to discover a delightful and chewy interior.

To make these little balls of joy, a simple dough made from sugar, water, and rice flour is wrapped around a scrumptious filling of red bean paste. The whole package is then deep-fried to a perfect golden brown. It’s a true delight for your senses!

 

9. Rice Dumplings (TANG YUAN)

Get the full recipe from What To Cook Today

Try these Sesame Glutinous Rice Dumplings for Chinese New Year (Tang Yuan).

They’re delectable black sesame dumplings with a sticky filling. It’s a little nutty, with a roasted flavor and a tinge of sweetness.

 

10. Fried Dough Twists

Get the full recipe from Chinese New Year

Fried dough twists are available in both savory and sweet flavors. They are often fried till golden brown.

They’re comprised of enormous, thick strips filled with a range of healthful and delectable ingredients.

 

11. Chinese Fa Gao (Fortune Cake)

Get the full recipe from China Sichuan Food

Fa Gao is a popular steam cake that can be found in China’s north and south.

In China, each spring festival is held in a different area. Its name means “wealth and development” in English.

 

12. Chinese Almond Cookies

Get the full recipe from Simply Recipes

Chinese almond cookies are buttery, sweet cookies that taste similar to sugar cookies but contain almond flour for a nutty flavor.

During Chinese New Year, they are quite essential!

 

 

I hope this list of 12 Chinese New Year desserts helps you plan your menu this Holiday season.

What are your favorite Chinese New Year desserts? Tell me more about them in the comments! 

 

 

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