The Top Trending Recipe For 2020 In Every State, According To Google
This was a major year for at-home cooking. The coronavirus pandemic kept people sequestered in their homes, with little but bread baking and TikTok hacks to keep them occupied. Truly, if you gained any new skills during 2020, they were probably related to cooking. You learned everything from how to cook fiddleheads to how to make an Old-Fashioned.
But what were the most sought-out recipes during 2020? Apparently, Americans do most of their recipe Googling around the holidays, and crave comfort. Buckeye candy, chocolate chip cookies, prime rib, and black eyed peas were some of the most popular state-to-state. According to data provided by Google, these are the top trending recipes in every state (in the food and drink category) from Jan. 1 to Nov. 30, 2020.
Alabama: Buckeye Candy
Buckeye candy is one of the most popular desserts in America, so it tracks that the confection was a top search in Alabama and elsewhere during 2020. The treat, which is meant to resemble a specific nut, is made by freezing balls of chocolate-dipped peanut butter. The state's second top trending recipe was eggnog — just in time for the holiday season.
Alaska: Fudge
Like Alabama, the people of Alaska also had a sweet tooth in 2020. The state's top trending recipe for the year was fudge, with pancakes following as a close second. Although the treat is something you'd typically find at a dessert shop, it's actually quite easy to make.
Arizona: Royal Icing
The top trending recipe in Arizona for 2020 was royal icing, which is perfect for decorating holiday sugar cookies. Running with the holiday theme, Arizonans were also seeking out how to make mulled wine.
Arkansas: Black-Eyed Peas
For those from the South, black-eyed peas make appearances on every kind of table, from casual weeknight dinners to holiday feasts. In Arkansas, the top trending recipe was black-eyed peas, followed by deviled eggs.
California: Hot Buttered Rum
Many people had a go-to cocktail during quarantine and in California, that drink was apparently hot buttered rum.
Colorado: French Onion Soup
Colorado's top trending recipe is that classic soup made with caramelized onions and finished off with bread and a generous topping of melted cheese. Oh yeah, we're talking about French onion soup.
Connecticut: Beef Wellington
The residents of Connecticut are up for a challenge. The state's most-sought after recipe was beef wellington. The dish consists of a beef tenderloin that is wrapped in puff pastry that has been spread with a mushroom mixture called duxelles. The baked dish will turn dinner at home into a five star dining experience. After dinner, enjoy a hot toddy — Connecticut's second top trending recipe search.
Delaware: Roast Beef
Delaware residents rushed to Google for roast beef recipes, followed by sugar cookies. With the holidays right around the corner, you might consider following the First State's dinner suggestions.
Florida: Breakfast Casserole
You've probably heard by now that breakfast is the most important meal of the day – so don't settle for boring 'ol cereal. Do as the Floridinans do with a breakfast casserole, the state's top trending recipe in 2020, followed by Hoppin' John.
Georgia: Red Beans and Rice
If you're looking to add a little heat to your dinner table, the people of Georgia have the right idea. In this recipe, red beans and rice are given some spice with jalapenos and red hot sauce. The Southern dish is Georgia's top recipe of the year, with Chex Mix coming in second place.
Hawaii: Zoni
Hawaiians were looking to make zoni, or ozoni soup. The traditional Japanese dish is served on New Year's Day. Zoni is made differently in different places in Japan, but it typically consists of vegetables, mochi and a type of broth, like dashi. The state's second trending recipe was bread pudding, which is delicious when made with brioche and served for a sweet brunch.
Idaho: Snickerdoodles
Snickerdoodles are a one-of-a-kind cookie, and in Idaho, the recipe for the confection was highly searched in 2020. The cracked cookies, flavored with cinnamon sugar, are an unmistakable confection perfect for any occasion. Idaho's No. 2 trending recipe takes a savory turn with cream of mushroom soup.
Illinois: Buckeye Candy
Like in Alabama, buckeyes are the No. 1 recipe in Illinois for 2020, though it's an emblem of a fellow Midwestern state, Ohio.
Indiana: Wassail
Indiana's top trending recipe during 2020 was wassail, followed by ham salad. The delicious cocktail is perfect for cold weather — it's a blend of apple cider, orange juice, nutmeg and cinnamon sticks. Skip some of the fuss and mess of making your own cocktail by using an Instant Pot.
Iowa: Puppy Chow
Perhaps the pandemic has Iowans reminiscing on childhood memories. The state's top trending recipe of 2020 was puppy chow, also known as muddy buddies. The vintage dessert is made by stirring Chex cereal with melted chocolate and powdered sugar. Tater tots, another popular childhood snack, came in second as the state's second most-searched-for recipe.
Kansas: French Toast
There are plenty of iconic breakfast foods to choose from, but in Kansas, the people are craving French toast — it was the state's top trending recipe of 2020, followed by an Old-Fashioned. This no-frills recipe for the sweet breakfast dish turns day-old bread into a meal you'll dream about for weeks to come.
Kentucky: Chile con Queso
In Kentucky, the top trending recipe is chile con queso. A smooth bowl of melted cheese infused with green chiles is the perfect snack for any occasion whether it's game day or you're binge watching your favorite shows.
Louisiana: Fudge
Looks like the people of Louisiana have a sweet tooth — this year they overwhelmingly sought out how to make fudge. The rich dessert is a great gift to give around the holidays. Create a lovely Christmas dessert table with another 2020 Louisiana favorite, gingerbread.
Maine: Meatballs
Although the state is known for its seafood, Maine mixed it up this year. The Pine Tree State wanted to learn how to make amazing meatballs, followed by waffle recipes. For this meatball recipe, you'll need ground turkey breast, minced onion, garlic, breadcrumbs and Italian spices to make a hearty, healthy meal in less than one hour.
Maryland: Peppermint Bark
Like Maine, Maryland is also known for having great seafood. But instead of making crab and shrimp at home, the people of Maryland were searching for peppermint bark recipes. If you're looking for a real challenge, make the peppermint from scratch like this recipe does.
Massachusetts: Beef Tenderloin
Folks in Massachusetts must be feeling fancy since beef tenderloin was their trending search of 2020. A holiday favorite, this roast (AKA filet mignon) is the most tender cut of beef. The state's second most searched recipe was for bruschetta — a popular appetizer typically made with tomatoes and basil.
Michigan: Monkey Bread
Whether it's for brunch or a holiday breakfast, monkey bread is a great treat for any spread. Michigan's most searched recipe can even be made in a slow cooker with pantry staples like brown sugar, cinnamon and butter. Just pick up some refrigerated biscuits and you're ready to go.
Minnesota: Russian Tea Cakes
The dessert Minnesotans wanted to learn to make goes by a variety of names. These cookies can be called Russian tea cakes, snowballs, butterballs and more. But no matter what you call the confection, they are a great dessert option for non chocolate lovers. Finely chopped nuts are rolled into dough balls, baked to crumbly perfection and coated with powdered sugar.
Mississippi: Divinity
If you're unfamiliar with Mississippi's trending recipe, divinity, it's time you learn about this dessert made with light and fluffy meringue. This recipe gives the confection a holiday spin by infusing it with eggnog.
Missouri: Coquito
Missourians searched for how to make coquito, a traditional Puerto Rican drink that's made with coconut cream, condensed milk, vanilla and cinnamon. They were also curious about snow ice cream, which is exactly what it sounds like: snow is mixed with milk to make imitation ice cream.
Montana: Waffles
Montana is all about its waffles. According to Google data, waffle recipes were frequently searched in the state. Get a little creative by adding some crispy bacon to your waffle mix, bringing some savory flavors into an otherwise sweet breakfast. What else was Montana whipping up? Sugar cookies.
Nebraska: Chocolate Chip Cookies
Few things can beat a good chocolate chip cookie. It's the perfect dessert for bakers of any skill level, and who can resist warm pockets of dough stuffed with melted chocolate? Not Nebraskans. Chex mix was the second most sought-after recipe in Nebraska.
Nevada: Crepes
It's not always easy to make your brunch at home feel like it's restaurant quality. But if you're in Nevada, you might have tried by making crepes. Turn the thin pancake into a gourmet breakfast dish with ham and Gruyere. Another favorite in the state is that classic quarantine baked good, banana bread.
New Hampshire: Pea Soup
New Hampshire's residents were looking for how to make pea soup and meatloaf. This yellow split pea soup recipe takes it up a notch with the addition of smoked ham. To sweeten the dish up, add in some carrots and sweet potatoes. The smoky soup is the perfect addition to your winter and fall dinner rotations.
New Jersey: Toll House Cookies
There are countless chocolate chip cookie recipes, but folks in New Jersey were particularly interested in the classic Toll House cookie recipe. They were also craving crab cakes, maybe while dreaming of a summer spent at the Jersey Shore.
New Mexico: Posole
If you're from the Southwest, posole is no secret. The traditional Mexican soup is long simmered and packed with tomatillos, stock and your choice of meat, such as chicken or pork.
New York: Sufganiyot
This year, New Yorkers wanted to know how to make sufganiyot, a popular Hanukkah dessert. You can make the confection with a variety of different fillings, like custard, lemon curd and more, but jam is the most common.
North Carolina: Hoppin’ John
You might know it as peas and rice, but in North Carolina, the dish is referred to as Hoppin' John. Hoppin' John is made with black-eyed peas, which are said to be good luck, so it's best to eat it at the start of a New Year. Another highly searched-for recipe? Haystacks, which are made by combining melted butterscotch chips and peanut butter with chow mein noodles.
North Dakota: Chili
North Dakota was searching for comfort food in 2020, namely chili, which is a great dish to serve during colder months. Keep it simple by slow simmering ground beef, beans, onion, tomatoes and tomato sauce in a large skillet.
Ohio: Buckeye Candy
Like in Alabama and Illinois, buckeye candy is a top treat in Ohio for 2020, which makes sense considering it's the nickname for the state. Ohioans also looked for pork and sauerkraut, a popular New Year's Day dish.
Oklahoma: Biscuits
Biscuits are a classic, all-American side to add to any weeknight dinner or holiday meal. Seriously, flaky, buttery biscuits are good any time for any reason, and make great sandwiches too. After biscuits, Oklahomans were looking up how to make peanut butter cookies.
Oregon: Toffee
The top trending recipe in Oregon was for toffee, that delectable treat that is made by melting and boiling sugar and butter, then allowing it to harden. Next in line for curious Oregonians was rib roast, AKA prime rib.
Pennsylvania: Pork and Sauerkraut
Germanic roots are strong in Pennsylvania, where folks were looking for pork and sauerkraut recipes. The popular New Year's Day entree is said to bring good luck to those who make it. To keep it super simple, just toss all of the ingredients into a slow cooker and let it cook on low overnight.
Rhode Island: Macarons
Macarons are an impressive but difficult dessert to make yourself. But it looks like Rhode Islanders are up for the challenge — recipes for macarons were highly searched in the state, followed by gingerbread.
South Carolina: Snickerdoodles
Like in Idaho, snickerdoodle recipes were the top trending recipe of 2020 in South Carolina, followed by black-eyed peas. If you want to take the classic cookie up a notch, try mixing cocoa powder into the mix.
South Dakota: Chex Mix
In South Dakota, the top trending recipe of 2020 was for Chex Mix, followed by sugar cookies. This year, even venturing out to buy our favorite snacks was a task, so learning to make them from home is a valuable skill. Make Chex Mix your own by combining the cereal with your favorites, like pretzels, almonds and cranberries.
Tennessee: Rice Krispie Treats
Rice Krispie treats are the perfect dessert to make with your kids: they're tasty, relatively mess-free and ready in just 15 minutes. Recipes for Rice Krispie treats were the top trending search in Tennessee during 2020, followed by another dessert, peppermint bark.
Texas: Prime Rib
In Texas, folks were looking for prime rib recipes, an impressive protein to serve for holiday feasts. The meat is coated in a hearty rub and slow roasted for hours until it's just right. The second top trending recipe in the state was for a popular Southern holiday dish: black-eyed peas.
Utah: Eggnog
Following the holiday theme, Utah's top trending recipes of 2020 were for eggnog and divinity. Give eggnog a fun twist by turning the drink into a martini.
Vermont: Pancakes
Of course, the state known for its syrup needs something to pair it with. The top trending recipe in Vermont was for pancakes, followed by sugar cookies. These sourdough whole-wheat pancakes will make you question how you ever settled for the boxed stuff. Top the pillowy pancakes with your favorite maple syrup and pay homage to the Green Mountain State.
Virginia: Cinnamon Rolls
In Virginia, the top trending searched-for recipe of 2020 was for cinnamon rolls, and who could blame them? Nothing quite beats biting into the fluffy, icing-topped dough rolled with cinnamon and brown sugar.
Washington: Crab Dip
Need a good appetizer for New Year's Eve or the Super Bowl? Crab dip is the way to go, and Washingtonians agree. In this recipe, piles of cream cheese, lump crab meat and melted cheese are seasoned with Old Bay and baked in the oven until it's hot and bubbly.
West Virginia: Sweet Potato Casserole
A popular side dish in the South, sweet potato casserole was the top trending recipe in West Virginia during 2020. If you plan to make the dish for the upcoming holidays, expedite the cooking process and save room in your oven by making the casserole in an Instant Pot.
For an Instant Pot Sweet Potato Casserole recipe, click here.
Wisconsin: Rib Roast
The top trending recipe in Wisconsin was for rib roast, also known as standing rib roast or prime rib. Serve the dish with horseradish sauce and roasted fennel, or go classic with a side of roasted vegetables and mashed potatoes. Folks in Wisconsin also have dessert on the brain, since monkey bread was the second most searched for recipe.
Wyoming: Sugar Cookies
Like many states, Wyoming got through 2020 with a little help from dessert. The state's top recipe was for sugar cookies. Keep the treat classic with this straightforward recipe for vanilla sugar cookies, or decorate them as snowmen, presents and more for the holiday season. Aside from state recipe trends, there were also a few standouts overall. According to Google, these recipes were the top trending searches in America over the past 12 months.
For a Vanilla Sugar Cookies recipe, click here.
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