Eight Treasure Rice Pudding Chinese new year dish

Eight Treasures Rice Pudding is a traditional Chinese new year pudding. Eight treasures topping is made up with eight different kind of dried fruits, raisin and sweets. You can choose any ingredients which are easy for you to buy. Of course, you don’t have to use “eight” different toppings but the number of toppings you use is really down to personal preference.
I used five different kinds of toppings today because I only a small rice pudding for Chris and I. If I were to use eight different kinds of toppings for a rice pudding this size it would look a bit of a mess
The number eight is a magic number for Chinese people. In Chinese the number eight sounds like another Chinese word “發”. 發 in Chinese means rich and I believe everybody likes being rich. So, eight is a lucky number. Also, this dessert is really colourful and pretty so Chinese people love to have this dessert in Chinese New Year.
China has so many different provinces and different provinces also have different traditions. Whether you go to Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore or even Malaysia, although we all celebrate Chinese New Year the customs are different. Sometimes it’s really hard to say which Chinese dish is a typical Chinese New Year dish but I always say as long as the dish is petty, colourful and has a lucky or pretty name then it’s a good Chinese New Year dish.
Here is recipe for this eight treasures rice pudding. I wish all of you have a great Chinese new year and I hope you will give my recipe a go and make eight treasures rice pudding for your friends and family. Trust me, they’ll love it.
Credit: All photos were taken by Chris at: http://www.chrisradleyphotography.com

Eight Treasure Rice Pudding Chinese new year dish
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 handful sugar glazed cherries
- 1 handful black raisins
- 1 handful yellow raisins
- 1 handful sugar lotus seeds available in Chinese supermarkets
- 1 dried apricot
- 2 cups round glutinous rice
- 100 g red bean paste available in Chinese supermarkets
Seasonings
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1/4 tsp salt
Ingredients for sugar syrup
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tbsp potato starch water (1/2 tsp potato starch with 1 tbsp water, mix evenly)
- 2 drops rose or any kind of flower essence **
Instructions
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Soak round glutinous rice in cold water for 1 hour at least. Cook it in a rice cooker or steamer. Mix the cooked rice with sunflower oil and salt when it’s still hot.
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Brush some oil on a medium size bowl and cut the sugar glazed cherry in half. Place the dried fruits and sugar glazed cherries as shown in the photos.
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Put half of the cooked glutinous rice in the bowl and press down a little bit then put 100g red bean paste in the middle.
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Use a little bit of glutinous rice to cover the red bean paste and place the sugar lotus seeds and sugar glazed cherries around the bowl.
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Put all of the glutinous rice in the bowl and press down. Steam for 30 minutes.
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Use a small pot to boil all the ingredients for the sugar syrup. Stir in potato starch water to thicken the syrup.
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Flip the rice pudding on a plate and brush sugar syrup on top. Ready to serve.
Recipe Notes
** In some traditional eight treasures rice pudding recipes, it says use “sweet-scented osmanthus sauce” but it’s very difficult to get in UK so I use rose essence to replace it.
It’s so beautiful!!! I want to try it!!!
Hi Lucy,
Thank you very much for your kind comment. 🙂
Wow, this is the first time I’m seeing this though, I’m a Chinese myself. haha I guess my family don’t have the tradition with this 8 treasure rice pudding. Btw, do u want some osmanthus ? they’re easily available here 🙂
Hello Swee San,
Thank you for your comment. I know different area of Chinese people have different traditions for Chinese new year. 八寶飯 is one of popular dessert for Chinese new year dinner. We have another popular Chinese new year dessert call 發糕. I might make it on my next day off. I would wish I can have some osmanthus from you but I don’t think you can post seed, flower, plant and food. 🙁 But I’m really thankful for your offer. That’s very kind of you. Love your Chinese writing cup cake too. They will looks amazing for Chinese new year dinner. 😀
Looks delicious! I recently had a variation in Hong Kong where the rice was served in a cooked pumpkin. It was delicious!
Hi Rosie,
Wow, I wish I can try some of those rice in the pumpkin one day. It sounds really tasty. Thank you very much for your kind comment.
All the best. 😀
Wow, this is so amazingly pretty! I love the colors! Would so want to try it too… 🙂
Thank you very much, Claudie. 🙂
Oh gosh, that is utterly beautiful! I’ve never seen nor eaten anything like it before. Even when I went to yum cha as a kid, all we have were dan tarts (It hink that’s what they were called?) 😛
Hello Hannah,
Many thanks for your kind comment. Dan tart is one of my favorite dessert in yum cha. 😀
hi Liv
what a beautiful rice pudding! That would certainly be a welcome addition on any table, and the addition of the fruits really kicks it up a notch! Hope everything is going well in your world, and Congrats on your top 9 today!
Dennis
This is amazing – I like to think that we get a wide variety of Chinese food here in Sydney but I’ve NEVER seen this. I’m going to the Chinese New Year festival launch tomorrow, I’ll have to try this out for my friends! It looks so colourful and festive 🙂
Wow, how gorgeous is that! I’m Peruvian-Chinese and I don’t think I’ve ever heard of such a beautiful treasure! :-p Looks wonderful!
Gratz on making Top 9!!
Congrats on top 9!
This is beautiful and sounds amazing. Rice pudding is delicious and I find it comforting…but that’s just me. Cute blog!
Hello BigFatBaker,
Thank you very much for your kind comment. I really appreciate it. 🙂 Wish you have a great Chinese new year.
What a gorgeous presentation! looks yummy and sooo irresistible!
Congrats on the top 9..you definitely deserve it!
woah woah woah! This is gorgeous!! Hope you have a Happy and prosperous new year!
Sincerely,
Julie
How pretty, and what a delicious variation of rice pudding. Sounds like a great food to celebrate new year. Congrats on the top 9!
Hi Nancy,
Thank you for always being so supportive. I really appreciate it. Wish you have a great Chinese new year. 😀
Congrats on daily 9! This looks amazingly festive. Thanks for introducing a Chinese New Year tradition.
Looks very beautiful and auspicious. Love it.
Hello Mary,
Thank you very much for your kind comment. I really appreciate it. Happy Chinese new year. 🙂
This looks very pretty! Well done!
I searched all round the internet to find a recipe for ba bao fan and yours, with the step by step photos, is the best! Did you take that photo at the top? It’s amazing! 🙂
Thanks a lot for this recipe. Tried this as a bday pudding/cake for my husband… He is not a big fan of normal cakes or sweet things. So it was a success. However missed a few steps you had mentioned… Next time will try to make it even closer…
Wow. Wht a gorgeous dessert! I would definitely give this a try! Yum!
thank you so much for sharing. i love learning about holiday traditions. what a lovely dish!
eight treasure rice is a must for the new year—- pleasant garden nc