Comments on: Nian Gao (Chinese New Year Rice Cake, 年糕)

By: Wei Guo

Wei Guo — Wed, 04 Mar 2026 17:30:11 +0000

In reply to Annie. Your substitutions sound wonderful, and I’m glad the recipe worked well for you. Air-frying sounds like a great idea too.

By: Wei Guo

Wei Guo — Wed, 04 Mar 2026 16:23:16 +0000

In reply to anne. Thank you for sharing this Anne. Your additions sound lovely. I’m glad you found the instructions easy to follow.

By: anne

anne — Sat, 21 Feb 2026 14:45:21 +0000

I’ve never eaten nian gao, so I don’t know if it came out right–but it tastes wonderful! My ginger went bad (sob sob) so I put chenpi in the sugar water and tiny pieces of candied ginger into the dough. Next time I’ll mince the chenpi and leave it in the syrup for a stronger flavor. The candied ginger turned out really well, little pops of ginger in every bite. (I couldn’t use jujubes this time because I’m sharing with a friend who has many food allergies.)

Thank you for your clear directions. They were very easy to follow.

By: Annie

Annie — Sun, 15 Feb 2026 00:11:32 +0000

This recipe was an absolute success. I replaced the Jujube with a combination of dates and cranberries instead and replaced walnuts with sunflower seeds. It was so simple to make and so delicious! The Nian Gao was tasty enough after it was steamed but the next day we decided to put some in the airfryer and that took it to the next level!

By: Wei Guo

Wei Guo — Thu, 06 Apr 2023 08:13:40 +0000

In reply to Elly Johnson-Smith. You could use light brown sugar to substitute. I find that dark brown sugar has a very nice aroma besides the sweetness. Also it adds a little color to the dish

By: Elly Johnson-Smith

Elly Johnson-Smith — Thu, 23 Mar 2023 22:24:30 +0000

Hello, are we allowed to use light brown sugar instead of dark brown sugar? What is the importance of dark instead of light brown sugar?

By: Wei Guo

Wei Guo — Wed, 26 Jan 2022 15:59:41 +0000

In reply to Shirley. Yes it would work without dates and walnuts. The flour and liquid ratio might be a little different. Adjust if necessary.

By: Shirley

Shirley — Mon, 24 Jan 2022 19:25:41 +0000

Very interested in trying this recipe. I am intrigued in adding ginger into the sugar water as well as steaming it as a dough. I like my nian gao plain. If I omit the dates and nuts does everything else remain the same?

By: Wei Guo

Wei Guo — Mon, 24 Jan 2022 15:40:03 +0000

In reply to Yuu. Yes, you can use roasted walnuts and I still recommend soaking. Through my trails, I've found that it doesn't make too much of a difference whether covering the cake or not. If you see a little water on top of the cake after cooking, simply wipe it off with kitchen paper. That said, please feel free to cover it with cling film if you wish.

By: Yuu

Yuu — Mon, 24 Jan 2022 14:25:48 +0000

Hi there! May I know if I can use roasted walnuts – if so is the soaking step still required? Also, is there a need to cover the nian gao during steaming? Thanks!!