One of the few things we love about Chinese New Year? The mind-boggling variety of snacks that bakeries and restaurants creatively conjure up. We’ve narrowed down a list of delicious CNY goodies from a myriad of brands, so you know just what to zero in on.
Note: Prices are based on current promotional prices and are accurate at the time of writing.
It’s best to pop the pineapple tarts from this store whole in the mouth — the signature Melt In Your Mouth Pineapple Tarts ($24.90) pretty much describe the bite-sized morsels. The crust leans more powdery than buttery for that fine texture, and within, the pineapple filling’s zesty with a restrained sweetness, which is great for those who prefer theirs less sweet. You can also go for other interesting variations, including salted egg ($28.90), spicy Mala ($26.90), and ondeh ondeh ($19.90) with a delicate fragrance of pandan, coconut and gula melaka.
Pineapple tarts aside, the brand also stocks various CNY staples, including the Auspishewous Premium Cashew Nut Cookies ($19.90), Xing Fu – Premium Almond Cookies ($19.90) (both of which are deliciously crumbly), as well as love letters (there’s a sambal version) and hae bee hiam prawn rolls.
Order here
Over at this familiar bakery that was established in 1968, the confections are handmade and homemade. Its beloved buttery and crumbly pineapple tarts run the gamut from the traditional to the novel (from $19.90 to $21.90), with options like Matcha, Earl Grey, Chilli Crab and even Sour Cream, which are sure to surprise guests this Chinese New Year.
Its other cookies have also gotten rave reviews for their buttery, melt-in-the-mouth texture, from the almond cookies to Nutella tarts. And if it’s savoury snacks you’re after, don’t miss its spicy and crunchy prawn rolls, salted egg fish skin, and fried crab sticks (there’s also a mala option).
Order here
Goodwood Park Hotel Singapore is heralding the Year of the Dragon with a new array of goodies and confections. These include the Auspicious Firecracker roll cake ($138) filled with decadent mao shan wang durian puree, Pandan Pineapple ‘Huat’ Tarts ($68.80 for eight pieces) with homemade pineapple chutney and pandan flavoured almond cream, and spectacular pound cakes crafted in the shape of the lucky bamboo ($148) and the dragon ($138).
A popular gifting choice, the Flourishing Prosperity Tier set (from $118 for 16 pieces) of afternoon tea treats returns with a variety of intricately crafted pastries.
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If nian gao is your CNY must-have, you’ll want to swing by Shangri-La Singapore. This year, it’s serving up five takes on the rice cake. Apart from the classic, it’s also serving up the new Trehalose, Peach Gum, Rose and Coconut Milk Nian Gao, the Mung Bean and Dhal Nian Gao, and the returning favourite Three Layers Nian Gao with purple sweet potato and pumpkin. There’s also the savoury Radish Cake with Dried Scallop, Shrimp and Preserved Meat. From $32.80 to $72.80.
Cookies-wise, snack on options such as the Original Pineapple Tarts in auspicious ingot shapes ($55.80 for 16 pieces) or the new Yuzu Pineapple Tarts ($64.80 for 16 pieces). Other snack-worthy bites include the luxurious Truffle Sambal Prawn Roll ($34.80) and Crispy Pork Floss Roll ($36.80).
Order here
Originating from Johor, this Malaysian family bakery has amassed a following in Singapore with its line-up of moreish and addictive Chinese New Year goodies, all handmade in Muar, Malaysia. Its range runs from the Award-Winning Premium Melt-in-Your-Mouth Pineapple Tart Ball ($22.90), to variants like the Mango Pineapple Ball ($24.90) that uses fragrant Alphonso mangoes from India and the sweet-savoury Salted Egg Pineapple Ball ($22.90).
Other delish treats that’ll impress your guests include the Premium Peanut Folded Love Letters ($21.90) and Gula Melaka Kueh Bangkit ($18.90), alongside crowd favourites such as the Premium Hae Bee Hiam Roll crackers ($17.90) and Crispy Salted Egg Crab Stick ($18.90).
Order here
For cookies with a Peranakan flair, head to Baker’s Brew. For added nostalgia, they’ve packaged their snacks in miniature old-school biscuit tins, which have been updated with luxurious Oriental motifs this year.
A must-try is its signature Ondeh Ondeh Cookies. Made with a pandan-infused dough and filled with a generous amount of gula melaka coconut filling, these moist and flavourful cookies are simply irresistible. Bak kwa lovers will enjoy the Pineapple Bak Kwa Cookies, which puts a savoury spin on a favourite. For something unique, there’s the Hae Bee Hiam Cookies, made with umami shrimp and spicy sambal. It also has the cheesy Pineapple Pillows (Less Sweet), as well as Peanut Almond Cookies. All are at $29.80 each. Want to savour all five flavours? Get the Oriental Collection ($138) and collect all the uniquely designed tins.
Order here. Get 10 per cent off when you place your orders by Jan 14, 2023. Minimum of three tins. Use code CNY2024SEB at checkout.
Savour something new from one of Singapore’s most-known patissiers. Janice Wong, who has trained under some of the world’s best chefs, has rolled out some interesting treats for the Year of the Dragon, such as the Lion Head Set of 5 chocolate bonbons ($68), Chocolate Pineapple Tarts ($38), Chocolate Bak Kwa Cookies ($29.50) and the stunning Pecan Orange Chocolate Koi ($58 for a box of three), which are shaped in the form of koi fish and painted with Wong’s signature paint swirls.
Bundles and hampers are available too, from $98 to $360.
Available at all Janice Wong outlets, or order here.
From artisan bakery cafe La Levain, you’ll get classics with a fresh interpretation. Executive chef and co-founder Wythe Ng has churned out 14 cookie flavours, including unique flavours like Bobochacha Cookies ($24.80) crafted with Taiwanese sweet potatoes and natural pumpkin and purple yam powder as well as the tongue-tingling Sakura Ebi Laksa Cookies ($26.80), and Peanut Shrimp Cookies ($26.80).
Order here
Let Mdm Ling Bakery take your tastebuds on a journey with a variety of sweet and savoury flavours. New for this year are the aromatic Pandan Pineapple Balls ($23.80), but you can also shop other treats like kueh bangkit, honeycomb biscuits, love letters and molten chocolate cookies.
For gifting, the bakery has various sets in pretty, festive packaging, including five new floral-themed cookie tin designs. There’s the ‘Wheel of Fortune’ ($180) — a functional and decorative turntable with various tins of cookies, the boldly coloured Abundance Array cookie tin, which houses a curation of its crowd favourite options. And if kueh lapis is your weakness, then get your hands on the dense and buttery Layers To Success kueh lapis (now $62.40 for a box of four), with four scrumptious local-inspired flavours – original, pandan, chocolate and hawthorn.
Available on Mdm Ling Bakery’s CNY booths, online and from the flagship Mdm Ling Bakery store at Lazada and Shopee
Family-owned bakery 603 Tau Sar Piah is best known for its mung bean as well as old-school pastries. And for the festive season, it’s doling out an array of celebratory specials.
For one, don’t miss its Yam Cake ($28.80), cut and shredded by hand then steamed till soft, and filled with cured Chinese chicken sausage, dried scallops and shiitake mushrooms, as well as tender chunks of yam. And to fill your snack table, it’s got 26 different goodies (from $12), from pineapple rolls and tarts to salted egg cookies, shrimp rolls, arrowhead crisps and crabstick crisps.
If you’re looking for a gift, it’s got a Lunar New Year gift box ($60) with a curation of four treats, including pineapple balls and kueh bangkit.
Order here
Love pineapple and apple cakes from this Taiwanese brand? SunnyHills’ hallmark non-GMO pineapple paste is encased in a soft block of pastry. It also offers the Kougyoku Apple Cake, as well as the Pineapple Fortune Cake (with the pineapple-inspired motif) that has salted egg for a savoury spin. These are available in various bundles made for gifting (from $40 to $285).
For the festive season, it has also teamed up with renowned chef Karen Chai from Kitchen Confidante for kueh lapis starring striking geometric shapes and SunnyHills’ Japanese Apple jam that’ll make for a conversation starter. There are also the egg rolls, available in different toothsome flavours, from caffe latte, to black sesame and pork floss.
Order direct from SunnyHills or from the official SunnyHills store on Lazada and Shopee
At Pan Pacific’s Pacific Marketplace, the Signature Caramel Walnut with Sesame Seeds ($42), Pineapple Pastry Combination ($85 for 16 pieces) set that has a mixture of Tangerine, Pineapple Tiles, Black Gold and Okara Citron cookies as well as the Prosperity Lunar New Year Koi Fish Nian Gao ($46 for two pieces) are set to impress.
If you want something cute for gifts, consider the Lunar New Year Zodiac Macarons ($76 for 12 pieces) or the Lunar New Year Prosperity Macarons ($78 for 12 pieces).
Order here
Liven up the Lunar New Year festivities with Paradise Group’s special handmade Chinese New Year goodies such as the Steamed Yam Cake with Chinese Sausage ($29.80), Steamed Nian Gao with Coconut Milk ($27.80), and Steamed Carrot Cake with Chinese Sausage ($29.80). Otherwise, you can get the Festive Cake Trio Set ($82.80) which consists of all three.
For the sweet-toothed, get your hands on the Festive Goodies Duo Set ($76.80) which comes with addictive Pineapple Tarts and Almond Cookies that will be a hit with guests coming to your place.
Available at Taste Paradise, ParadiseTeochew, Seafood Paradise, Beauty in ThePot, Paradise Dynasty, Canton Paradise, and Paradise Classic, excluding Canton Paradise. Find out more on Paradise Group’s website.
The Fullerton Hotel Singapore has prepared a whole range of traditional cakes and desserts to celebrate the Lunar New Year. These include the rose-scented Rose Water Chestnut Cake ($38), the ‘gram-worthy Harmony Koi Fish Osmanthus Nian Gao ($46) and Fortune Radish Cake ($38).
For little bites to nibble on, there are the Lion Dance Eight Treasures Cookies ($58 for six pieces), The Fullerton Bak Kwa (from $68), Chocolate Chestnut New Year Cake shapes as mini pineapples ($16 each) and the signature Yam Paste Nian Gao tarts ($42 for nine), among many others.
Order here
Kele is well known for having one of the top pineapple tarts in Singapore, so you can be sure you won’t be disappointed with any of its offerings. Each year, it puts a novel spin on the pineapple tart like the Rose Pineapple Tarts ($32.22 for 700g) in 2019, the Purple Sweet Potato Pineapple Tart ($32.22) in 2020 and in 2022, the Golden Osmanthus Pineapple Tarts ($34.92) created using the namesake tea from collaborator and fellow local company Gryphon Tea Company.
This year, it has rolled out the Black Sesame Pineapple Tarts, as well as the Black Sesame Pineapple Tarts (Low Sugar), both priced at $32.22.
Other festive goodies to shop for include shrimp and chicken rolls, shiitake mushroom crisps, love letters, and green pea cookies.
Order direct from Kele or the official Kele store on Lazada and Shopee
Homegrown halal bakery franchise PrimaDeli has a line-up of five Prosperity Cookies this year, with flavours that include the Deluxe Almond Cookies, Cashew Nut Cookies and Cornflake Raisin Cookies (each $21.80 per tin). This is in addition to its Supreme Pineapple Tarts ($27.80) – made with freshly-grated pineapples and premium European butter —and other pineapple creations, the Pillow Pineapple Tarts ($21.80) and the fruit-shaped Fortune Pineapple Tarts ($2.50 each).
Visit Primadeli’s website for more information or purchase at its physical stores.
You might not think to get Chinese New Year treats from this Italian restaurant chain, but Da Paolo Gastronomia has introduced a line-up of fusion festive morsels. Sink your teeth into flaky Nian Gao Croissants ($23.60 for four) with sticky, oozy nian gao woven into the pastry, and delicate Almond Crisps ($22) packaged in a CNY-themed tin.
For those who have dietary restrictions or want to go vegan and gluten-free, get ROA’s cookies (from $10 for 50g) with flavours from dark chocolate to lychee rose. The former is a sandwich cookie consisting of two chocolate cookies hugging a creamy dark chocolate centre. It is also made with avocados, unrefined sugars and artisanal chocolate so you can indulge with less guilt. For the latter, you get a mix of fruity and floral flavour from lychee flesh and rose petals.
Available here.