We all love the traditions surrounding various New Year's good luck foods. They often focus on Southern classics such as black-eyed peas or collard greens. Black-eyed peas have been considered lucky since the struggles during the Civil War. Collard greens are thought to be lucky because of their color, which symbolizes the green shade of money.
In addition, there are many other traditions worldwide for meals, desserts and drinks using the luckiest ingredients. What cultural culinary practices are you in the mood to try out this New Year's Eve/Day? More importantly, where do you start when looking for the best recipes for good luck foods to ring in a brand new year?
Just in time for New Year's, we've put together a list including 20 of the best New Year's good luck foods. They include other Southern classics, plus unique international finds ranging from Greek New Year's cake to Danish marzipan ring cake. It's also a wonderful opportunity to get creative using lucky foods such as grapes, pomegranates and clementines.
Pick your favorites among these lucky foods to ensure a new year filled with luck, prosperity and super delicious treats. They'll help create a festive start to a new year brimming with both tradition and meaning.
1. Black-Eyed Peas
Black-eyed peas on New Year's Day are the granddaddy of lucky New Year's foods. Their golden color and markings are considered a symbol of coins for a fiscally fortunate year ahead. This basic recipe sticks to tradition and also contains bacon, onion, garlic and spice. It's the perfect starter recipe when you're new to this "food for luck" practice.
Check out the recipe from The Country Cook.
2. Southern Collard Greens
If you're serving black-eyed peas on New Year's, it's almost required that you make collard greens, too. In Southern tradition, the "green" of collards is a symbol of money (and lots of it!) to come. They're also a key component of African American history in the South. These greens go from tough and chewy to soft and delicious with the help of smoked meat and brown sugar for flavor.
Here's the recipe from Butter Be Ready.
3. Southern Fried Cabbage
A lesser-known Southern lucky food served for the new year is Southern fried cabbage. Like collard greens, cabbage represents prosperity and well-being. This recipe is straightforward and uses the power of bacon to elevate the cabbage to someplace tasty. It won't take all day, so you can get your lucky foods prepared early.
Get the recipe from Southern Living
4. Concord Grape Tart
Southerners aren't the only ones with unique New Year's good luck foods. The Spanish believe in "the 12 grapes of luck," to be eaten one at a time at midnight. This recipe for a Concord grape tart is the next best thing. With an oat crust and custard filling, you may want to enjoy 12 slices just for fun.
Find the recipe here from Martha Stewart.
5. Lucky Fish
For many cultures worldwide, eating fish is the luckiest thing you can do on New Year's. The scales of the fish represent coins, which add up to a small fortune since fish swim in schools. This recipe celebrates fish by including a spicy chili paste dressing to keep you going until midnight and beyond.
Here's the recipe from My Delicious Blog.
6. Pork and Sauerkraut
This recipe for pork and sauerkraut is one of the most robust New Year's dishes from Germany. The idea centers on pigs, which "look forward" instead of behind them when finding food. You'll look forward to this New Year's Eve dinner, consisting of roasted pork with sauerkraut, apple and caraway seeds.
7. Italian Lentil Soup
The Italian equivalent to Southern black-eyed peas is lentils. They're seen as a symbol of prosperity, precisely because there are so many of them in each bowl. Including pancetta, tomatoes and parmesan cheese in the recipe doesn't hurt either. This dish uses an Instant Pot, which frees you up to enjoy the day even more.
Check out the recipe from La Bella Vita.
8. Homemade Tamales
Tamales serve as a reminder of both prosperity and a tightly knit family in the traditions of Mexico. Don't worry about making homemade tamales, because this recipe allows you to choose from a long list of fillings. You can also customize the toppings to your liking for a fully personalized new year.
Here's the recipe from Carlsbad Cravings.
9. Soba Noodle Soup
There's a specific reason why, in Japanese culture, soba noodle soup is considered one of New Year's good luck foods. The buckwheat found in soba noodles is resilient. The fact that the noodles break easily when eaten reflects leaving behind old struggles. This classic recipe simplifies Japanese ingredients so everyone can enjoy the ultimate comfort soup.
Find the recipe here from Just One Cookbook.
10. Vasilopita Greek New Year's Cake
If you're Greek, you can count on a vasilopita cake to prepare you for a terrific New Year's. Just as is done with a king cake, a coin is hidden inside this sweet Greek treat for one lucky eater. The addition of Greek yogurt to the cake keeps it super moist right down to the last bite.
Get the recipe from Eat, Little Bird.
11. Pomegranate Panna Cotta
Another Greek practice on New Year's involves smashing a pomegranate. They are an old-world symbol of life and great fortune, which you can use in any New Year's recipe you like. Why not try this light and fruity pomegranate panna cotta? It's a refreshing alternative to many heavier desserts that weigh down your chances of a lucky New Year's.
Check out the recipe from Culinary Ginger.
12. Clementine Crepe Cake
Clementines are best known as the original stocking stuffer on Christmas morning. They're also eaten for good luck and happiness during Chinese New Year. Combine the two traditions in one with an incredible clementine crepe cake this year. The crepe cake stacks multiple layers of buttery crepes into a cake using honey and ricotta filling to boot.
Get the recipe here from Le Creuset.
13. Skillet Cornbread
We'll travel back to the South for one of its most treasured side dishes: cornbread. This recipe comes together in five minutes in a cast-iron skillet, so you can have it ready in no time. The golden color of the cornbread is a no-brainer when it comes to a golden new year — and it's delicious!
Get the recipe from The Pioneer Woman.
14. Hoppin' John
If you've made black-eyed peas before and consider yourself an expert, it's time to try Hoppin' John. It's best served over another classic, peas and rice. The flavors are even more memorable because of peppers, bacon and Andouille sausage. It's a real midday meal to fill your tummy with luck and love.
Here's the recipe from A Spicy Perspective.
15. Dutch Doughnuts
The Dutch know a good thing when they see it, which is why their New Year's good luck foods include doughnuts. Called Oliebollen, these doughnuts are simply-prepared fried doughnuts served with dusted powdered sugar. You can probably convince yourself that you'll have better luck with each bite you take.
Get the recipe from Leite's Culinaria.
16. Sunday Night Roast Chicken
In Chinese culture, many find luck in serving an entire roast chicken (including the head and feet). But a regular roast chicken works just fine. This chicken recipe has extras such as honey, lemon and herb butter to separate it from the pack. It transforms a weeknight dinner into a New Year's Day feast.
Find the recipe here from Once Upon a Chef.
17. Fortune Cookies
It's no surprise that fortune cookies bring luck whenever they go. They might seem impossible to make yourself, but this recipe makes the process easy. Chances are, you've got most of the ingredients already, including egg whites, vanilla extract and cornstarch. They take less than half an hour, which doesn't include the fun process of designing your own fortunes.
Here's the recipe from Lil' Luna.
18. Honey Cake
This recipe for the tastiest honey cake belongs to the Jewish New Year's tradition of Rosh Hashanah. It works just as well for all New Year's celebrations, which associate ring-shaped desserts with luck. With additions such as spice, coffee and whiskey, this is one flavorsome cake that'll become a favorite all year long.
Check out the recipe from Epicurious.
19. Danish Marzipan Ring Cake
Another ring-shaped New Year's cake enjoyed by the Danish is a marzipan cake. It's known as Kransekage. It uses very few ingredients to its advantage to create marzipan-flavored rings. The eye-catching dessert is topped with icing and any festive decorations you like (gold and silver included)!
Here's the recipe from Nordic Food & Living.
20. Lucky Peppermint Pig Cookies
We saved the quirkiest New Year's good luck foods story for last. The Victorians celebrated luck at New Year's with peppermint pig hard candy. This recipe translates the candy into a pig-shaped butter cookie topped with a pink peppermint glaze. The cookies can help welcome in the new year with as much cuteness as possible.
Find the recipe here from Sprinkle Bakes.
