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Sweet Nian Gao is an iconic steamed ‘cake’ of sorts that’s popular as a Chinese New Year food, thanks to its name which translates to “Year High”, or the idea that there will be growth and new highs in the coming year.

Made up of a sweet batter that combines glutinous rice flour, rice flour, and wheat starch, the end product is lightly sweet, chewy, and oh so satisfying… especially when pan-fried with egg!

Not to be confused with Shanghai Style Nian Gao (as seen in this pan fried Shanghai-Style Nian Gao recipe), this iteration of the dish is a tasty dessert, and a must-have during New Year. Many shops will carry them pre-made during this time of year, but once you see how quick and easy it is to make at home, you’ll never go back.

So, keep scrolling for our foolproof Sweet Nian Gao recipe. After trying it once, you’ll be wanting to make it Nian stop.

Ingredients for Our Sweet Nian Gao Recipe

230g (8oz) glutinous rice flour
40g (1.5oz) rice flour
30g (1oz) wheat starch
220g (8oz) Chinese brown sugar
215mL (3oz) water
120ml (4oz) coconut milk
2 tbsp oil
1 Chinese date (for garnish)

Step by Step Instructions for Our Sweet Nian Gao Recipe

This sweet Chinese New Year treat is shockingly easy to make. All it takes is a little patience with the steaming process! Here are the step by step instructions!

Boil water and add brown sugar. Once mixed and dissolved, set aside.

Add everything else besides oil in a mixer and mix for 10 minutes, then add 2 tbsp oil and mix for two more minutes.

Grease the side of a round glass dish and add your mixture.

Cover the tray with some tin foil.

To steam, either use a steamer (if you have one) or put a steaming rack inside a large pot, and place your Nian Gao on top. Fill the pot with a few inches of water (just under the height of the steaming rack, so water never touches the tray). Turn the heat up to medium, put the lid on, and allow the Nian Gao to steam it for about an hour.

After an hour, turn off the heat, top it with a Chinese date, and let it cool.

After about 4 hours, you can slice it and eat it, although when prepared as a Chinese New Year food, it is often displayed around the house for a few days before slicing it up and eating.

The Nian Gao can be eaten plain, but (in my opinion), it tastes best when pan fried with some egg coating! To prepare it that way, simply cut your Nian Gao into thin rectangular slices.

Then, in a bowl, crack 1-2 eggs (depending on how much you intend to fry up). Beat the eggs slightly, then add in your Nian Gao slices, tossing them around to coat them evenly in egg.

Heat up a pan to medium heat, and add a tsp of oil, then fry your Nian Gao on both sides until golden brown.

Plate up and enjoy!

Super Easy Sweet Nian Gao (for Chinese New Year)

Taking only minutes to prepare, this sweet Nian Gao recipe is going to wok your world! This chewy and satisfying dessert is a staple of Chinese New Year celebrations, and once you see how simple it is to make, you’ll never go for store-bought ever again. Read on for the full recipe.

Ingredients

230g (8oz) glutinous rice flour
40g (1.5oz) rice flour
30g (1oz) wheat starch
220g (8oz) Chinese brown sugar
215mL (3oz) water
120ml (4oz) coconut milk
2 tbsp oil
1 Chinese date (for garnish)

Instructions

Boil water and add brown sugar. Once mixed and dissolved, set aside.
Add everything else besides oil in a mixer and mix for 10 minutes, then add 2 tbsp oil and mix for two more minutes.
Grease the side of a round glass dish and add your mixture.
Cover the tray with some tin foil.
To steam, either use a steamer (if you have one) or put a steaming rack inside a large pot, and place your Nian Gao on top. Fill the pot with a few inches of water (just under the height of the steaming rack, so water never touches the tray). Turn the heat up to medium, put the lid on, and allow the Nian Gao to steam it for about an hour.
After an hour, turn off the heat, top it with a Chinese date, and let it cool.
After about 4 hours, you can slice it and eat it, although when prepared as a Chinese New Year food, it is often displayed around the house for a few days before slicing it up and eating.

We Hope You Enjoy Our Sweet Nian Gao Recipe!

Let us know in the comments if you have any questions, or be sure to let us know if you’ve tested the recipe out. We’re always looking to improve our recipes and make sure they taste great for everyone.