Looking for New Year’s Eve recipe inspiration?
Here are a few top ideas for a spectacular end-of-year, whether you’re staying in and watching movies or entertaining a crowd.
The Best New Year’s Eve Food And Drinks, No Matter How You’re Ringing In The New Year
Here, you’ll find food and drink ideas for a classic New Year’s Eve or a party with a little twist – plus traditions from around the world, tips for big parties, and menu ideas for a cozy night in.
What’s your style for ringing in 2025?
Keep it classic
If you want to celebrate New Year’s Eve traditionally, there are many great options available.
To drink
It’s hard to talk about New Year’s without talking about sparkling wine and champagne, so let’s dive into some recommendations for bubbles right away!
Here are the bottles my favorite wine nerds are popping this year, from least to most expensive:
And for the non-alcoholic crowd, Martinelli’s remains the gold standard, and I’m personally a fan of the products from Curious Elixirs and Simple Times.
Sparkling wine cocktail: French 75 recipe
If you want to jazz up a bottle of affordable sparkling wine, the French 75 is a classic for a reason.
To make a French 75, simply combine in a shaker:
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2 bar spoons simple syrup
Shaker vigorously and strain into the bottom of a Champagne flute. Then add:
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2–3 oz. sparkling wine or Champagne to fill the glass
Garnish with a lemon peel and you’re ready to float away on the bubbles!
To eat
Food-wise, my favorite New Year’s Eve classics are:
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Oysters, freshly shucked or grilled. Prefer your oysters cooked? This recipe from Simply Recipes also works on the stovetop with a lid and high heat if grilling is off the table – I personally prefer the light lemon and herb dressing to anything with cheese
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Caviar! If you’re up for a little splurge, you can order sustainable caviar in smaller portions – or party-size! – for next-day delivery from Pearl Street Caviar. I love their Ossetra options in particular and their ready-to-go bundles like this one
Also, it looks like cheese fondue is making a comeback if you’re ready to get communally cheesy.
Mix it up
Feeling like trying something new? Here are some recipes on my must-try list for this year’s celebrations.
And I’ve personally been making a smoked salmon dip with a kick that’s been a huge hit at parties all holiday season. Here’s the recipe.
Spicy Smoked Salmon Dip
This is a super simple homemade dip that feels really special and tastes amazing.
Prep time: 5 minutes
Ingredients:
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4 oz. smoked salmon, chopped
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2 scallions, thinly sliced
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salt and pepper to taste – roughly 1 heavy pinch salt, 1/2 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
Method:
Add all ingredients to a bowl and stir. Serve in a dip bowl with plain sea salt chips.
For extra flair, you can keep a few scallions and some olive oil or chili oil (if using Mama Lam’s or Chili Crisp) to decorate the top of the dip once plated.
Word to the wise – Mama Lam’s is the hottest of the options I’ve shared here, so depending on your choice of hot sauce, you may need to scale the amount you add to the dip up or down to your heat preference. Feel free (nay, encouraged!) to add a tsp at a time and taste as you go.
Come full circle
Here’s something fun! Did you know that, around the world, many, many New Year’s traditions include things (and especially foods) that are round?
Circles show up over and over because they represent the roundness of a whole year – a full cycle of seasons, time rolling on, everything in balance – plus coins, cash, and prosperity.
So this year, whatever else you do, why not find something round to snack on?
Personally, I love roasting seedless red grapes for parties – it’s so easy but really lifts any snack table. All you have to do is coat the grapes in a little olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and bake at 425° F until visibly blistering, about 25 minutes. If you want, you can sprinkle the roasted grapes with a little balsamic vinegar when they’re out of the oven. Serve them alongside cheese and crackers for a cheese board with a little extra pizzazz.
Entertain in style
If you know that you’re hosting a big group, you’ll want to find ways to make your time and your dollar go further.
To drink
Batch cocktails are a perfect way to do just that – you can mix them once and let your guests serve themselves, and cocktails don’t require a $50 bottle of bubbly to be delicious.
Here are a few of my picks for batch cocktails that serve a crowd that use sparkling wine:
And one more. I used to be a crème de cassis brand ambassador, and we’d make this lighter batch version of a Kir Royale for events.
Kir Royale batch cocktail recipe
Simply pour into a pitcher or punch bowl:
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1 ¼ cups (10 oz.) crème de cassis
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1 750 ml bottle of prosecco
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8 dashes of orange bitters
Gently stir, then add 1 cup of raspberries, if desired. You can serve this like a punch over ice in cups or straight up in champagne flutes – I like it with ice, both to stretch it and to make it a lighter and more refreshing drink.
Having made and had a lot of this punch, my personal preference is to have an orange peel garnish instead of the raspberries, but the raspberries are more traditional (and rather festive).
To eat
As for food, I happen to be a huge fan of picking your battles when it comes to appetizers, especially when you need to make a whole lot of them. You can find my full list of favorite charcuterie board ingredients and pre-made apps in my holiday appetizers article (along with 4 of my top festive app recipes).
Lean into the cozy
Last but certainly not least, if you’re planning a quiet night in, the goal is maximum comfort. Who wouldn’t want to welcome a new year and bid the old one adieu while completely cozy?
Whether you’re thinking about starting a movie at exactly the right moment or staying up playing games, comfort foods are the name of the game.
Here’s what I’m thinking.
To drink
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Catching the last of the glow of the holiday season with mulled wine or eggnog
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Hot or sparkling cider with Angostura bitters and an orange peel
To eat
So, what will you do for your New Year’s Eve dinner?
There are tons of great options here, whether you’re ready to bid the year farewell by partying it up or powering it down. Kind of makes you wish every night could be New Year’s Eve!
The good news is, whatever you decide to make, you can’t go wrong – as long as you spend it with someone you care about, or taking care of yourself!
