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New Year’s Eve has always been my favorite holiday. Trust me, I know that it’s a controversial opinion. It seems like all anyone associates the holiday with is the stress making plans while being exhausted from a jam-packed holiday season.
But I find it, dare I say … regenerative? New Year’s Eve is a moment of reflection for me. I love thinking about who I was in 2025, and who I want to become in 2026. It’s a fresh slate, and a chance to renegotiate my own priorities.
One of the ways I like to do this is by cooking. What were the recipes I saved, but never got around to making? Is there an ingredient I can tackle until it no longer intimidates me? Are there fun occasions coming up where I get to wow my friends and family?
I encourage all of you to find a little more joy on the last day of the year. And to help you do that, I asked my fellow Taste of Home team to share what one recipe they are looking forward to making the most in 2026. Go ahead and bookmark these new year recipe ideas now. Cheers!
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Josh Rink For Taste of Home
Swedish Cardamom Buns
I’m most looking forward to making Swedish cardamom buns in the new year. I’m an avid sourdough bread baker, but I’ve never made these. Between the pretty twist and the floral hit of cardamom, I find them irresistible, and it will be nice not to have to head to my favorite bakery in NYC when a craving strikes. The step-by-step instructions and photos made the process look so straightforward! –Melissa Gaman, editor
I’m excited to make karpatka cake, a Polish dessert that combines two of my favorite things: choux pastry and a vanilla pastry cream. It’s like a cream puff in cake form! While I remember watching my mom make choux pastry for cream puffs and profiteroles when I was a kid, it’s something I haven’t tried yet myself. I know it can be tricky (if you watch The Great British Baking Show, you know), but I’m up for a challenge in the new year. There are only a few ingredients needed for this dessert, but you do need to master a few techniques. This recipe looks like the prefect weekend project. Plus, it was approved by my dog walker, who happens to be from Poland! –Lesley Balla, editor
Lesley Balla’s sheet-pan gnocchi with sausage and peppers has been getting rave reviews—and I’ve been getting FOMO. It’s a quick recipe that I can make on a work night when time is tight. -Ellie Martin Cliffe, content director
Hot take: I prefer baking in the spring more than in any other season. The best spring desserts have a pretty pastel hue and a refreshing flavor—a welcome respite after winter’s heavy, rich bakes. That’s why I’m looking forward to making our matcha tiramisu come springtime. It’s a lighter dessert that has the pleasant earthy green tea flavor I love from matcha. I love decorating my spring bakes with edible flowers, so this one will get a few sprigs of chamomile. -Val Goodrich, food writer
When January rolls around, I’m making comforting soups weekly. I’ll eat anything with gnocchi in it, so French onion gnocchi soup sounds like the best way to change up my normal soup rotation. Plus, I’m always looking for an excuse to pull out my mini cocottes from Le Creuset. –Rosie Siefert, senior editor
My kids gave me an air fryer for my birthday, so I’m excited to try our air-fryer chicken parmesan. I’m new to air-frying, but this recipe has great reviews from our Community Cooks. Plus, I love a good chicken Parm recipe! –Julie Schnittka, deputy editor
The recipe that I’m most looking forward to making in 2026 is sweet potato chowder. I love the idea of putting a twist on a traditional recipe, and in this case we use sweet potatoes instead of regular potatoes to make a starchy, flavorful chowder. On top of that, the combination of smoked paprika (my favorite spice), thyme and sage, salty pancetta, leafy kale and crunchy green pepitas is sure to warm me up this winter—in the most flavorful way possible. –Lauren Pahmeier, editor
I love cheesecake, I love creme brulee, and I just bought a kitchen torch, so I can’t wait to make our creme brulee cheesecake next year! –Emily Parulski, senior editor
Whenever I see this on a menu, I have to order it. It’s so hearty and flavorful—I love the combination of beef, mushrooms and pastry in the winter. But I have been too intimidated to try making it at home. That’s why I’m excited to finally tackle our beef Wellington recipe, which takes away some of the stress by wrapping individual servings in store-bought puff pastry. -Hayley Schueneman, editor
We have so many fun new recipes, it’s hard to choose one! I’m looking forward to making classic dishes—ones with a twist that makes them feel brand new. Dishes like sweet potato chowder, Indian-style butter gnocchi and sheet-pan chicken potpie are all high on my list. –Lindsay Mattison, senior editor
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