20 Delicious Recipes For Your Kwanzaa Celebration

Kwanzaa is a Pan-African holiday created in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Ron Karenga, professor and chairman of Black Studies at California State University, Long Beach. It celebrates the combined traditions of the global African Diaspora, which was largely a result of the triangular, or transatlantic, slave trade. The name Kwanzaa comes from the Swahili phrase, "matunda ya kwanza," meaning "first fruits," and refers to the harvest celebrations that are common throughout Africa.

Though people celebrate it differently, Kwanzaa's purpose is to honor and celebrate collective ancestral roots. Across seven days, family and friends share history, engage in dance, read poetry, tell stories, and eat food. Each night ends with children lighting a candle that represents one of the seven principles, which are discussed, and on the sixth day, everyone gathers for a large traditional meal called "Karamu," comprised primarily of Black American soul food, alongside dishes from Africa, the Caribbean, and South America. 

The spread varies depending on the cultural makeup of the family, and each year presents an opportunity to taste a different part of the African Diaspora, which is what makes Kwanzaa so special. If you plan on joining in on the festivities, here are some delicious recipes to prepare for your Kwanzaa celebration. 

Chef David Hoover offers a unique spin on two Southern classics, pairing black-eyed peas with crispy collard greens, which during Kwanzaa symbolize good luck and fortune, respectively. Hoover uses a special heirloom variety, though regular black-eyed peas work just as well.

Try this departure from tradition if you're looking to shake up the holiday. That said, you can also strip away the collards and egg yolk and enjoy Hoover's approach to classic black-eyed peas instead.

Recipe: Black-Eyed Peas with Crispy Collard Greens

With roots in Louisiana, red beans and rice are the perfect soul food side dish and can also be enjoyed as a main with the addition of sausage. This vegan twist can be whipped up in just under an hour with an Instant Pot. 

While Beyond Meat Italian sausage is recommended, any plant-based sausage brand works, from Impossible Foods to Field Roast. Or, you can always add real meat sausage. Either way, it's simple yet filling and sure to impress during Kwanzaa and beyond.

Recipe: Instant Pot Vegan Red Beans and Rice

Fans of Caribbean and Latin American cuisine are all too familiar with fried plantains, which exist somewhere between a banana and a potato. This simple dish can be prepared sweet or savory, can enjoyed as an appetizer or a side, and make a great addition to your Kwanzaa celebration.

Choosing ripe plantains is the most important step. Look for the ones that are yellow with black spots. They take less than 10 minutes to cook and pair with all sorts of delicious dishes, including those on the Kwanzaa table.

Recipe: Easy Fried Plantains

Mac and cheese is a must-have Kwanzaa dish, and it's one of the crown jewels of Southern cuisine. The best way to make this cheesy classic is to keep it simple, and this recipe does just that. However, for a little textural twist, it includes crumbled butter crackers.

That's the best part, too, because you have the option of making separate batches, one with crackers and one without, giving your Karamu feast more cheesy variety.

Recipe: Simple Mac and Cheese (with Crunchy Topping)

For a savory, spice-forward Kwanzaa dish, look no further than Jamaican jerk. While it's primarily associated with chicken, jerk is actually a style of seasoning and marinade used for pork, fish, vegetables, and more. 

That said, the jerk seasoning gives the chicken a robust umami flavor and delectable charred undertone that's truly special. It's worth noting that jerk is pretty peppery by nature, so it's okay to use fewer chilis if you're sensitive to heat.

Recipe: Flavor-Packed Jerk Chicken

Former "Top Chef" contestant Kwame Onwuachi delivers his take on Nigerian jollof rice: a popular West African dish with a tomato-y, piquant punch that's perfect for Kwanzaa. He spruces this version up with dried crayfish, Jamaican curry powder, and habanero chile, elevating it from a side to a filling and flavorful main course. 

If you follow a plant-based diet, you can easily veganize this recipe by swapping the crayfish for fried tofu or plantains. 

Recipe: Nigerian Jollof Rice

Looking for a quick bite to hold family members over until the feast is ready? These Jamaican beef patties are the perfect handheld Kwanzaa appetizer. Though they may look like a simple stuffed meat pocket, they're actually composed of a complex blend of spices and crumbled crackers. 

The patty crust is flaky yet moist, though thin enough not to overwhelm the filling. The only caveat is that you'll probably have a hard time eating just one. If you enjoy these, you'll love other filling types, which include various meats or vegetables.

Recipe: Baked Jamaican Beef Patty

Okra is an acquired taste for many people, but you'll definitely want to add this pan-fried approach to your Kwanzaa menu, especially since okra is traditionally one of the first vegetables to be harvested in Africa.

Pan-frying requires less oil than deep-frying, giving you better control of the texture. The result is a tender, crispy, and flavorful bite, rather than the sliminess okra is known for. Enjoy it as an appetizer or alongside other dishes.

Recipe: Pan-Fried Okra

From Louisiana, by way of West Africa, gumbo is the pride and joy of Cajun and Creole cuisines. It's a hodgepodge seafood stew that is actually derived from West African okra stew, and some people refer to it as "gombo." 

In this case, however, we bring you a sausage and seafood gumbo recipe from Chef Ron Iafrate of Chef Ron's Gumbo Stop, featuring a variety of crave-worthy crustaceans. It's bursting with Bayou flavor, and when you pair it with rice, you'll have a certified Kwanzaa hit.

Recipe: Sausage and Seafood Gumbo

While crispy collard greens are a nice departure from tradition, nothing beats classic Southern-style collard greens, a dish with West African roots. Beyond enjoying hickory-smoked ham-infused deliciousness, this recipe also gives you a chance to share the greens' association with the holiday.

It's important to note that the recipe takes nearly three hours to cook, so plan accordingly. You can easily make it vegan too; simply swap the chicken broth for vegetable broth and the ham hock for hickory-smoked salt.

Recipe: Southern Collard Greens

These golden, golf ball-sized treats are essential Kwanzaa snacks. These crispy, moist, and savory hand-helds are believed to have originated in the American South. The best part is that they consist of simple ingredients that you probably already have on hand.

The recipe suggests making buttermilk from scratch, as it only requires a small amount. That said, after you try these dippable bites, there's a good chance you'll be frying up more batches.

Recipe: Crispy Fluffy Hush Puppies

Candied yams have a way of enhancing savory soul food dishes, and the same is true when you pair them with foods from the wider African Diaspora. One reason is that yams, which are often confused with sweet potatoes, can be traced back to Africa and Asia. They're also highly customizable.

While some recipes include marshmallows or pecans, this one infuses them with fruity citrus flavor. For convenience's sake, both yams and sweet potatoes can be used, and you're more than welcome to top them off with marshmallows.

Recipe: Simple Candied Yams

Your Kwanzaa celebration isn't complete without fried chicken, a dish that takes on countless forms around the world. No matter how you pluck it, most historians credit the American South with popularizing it. 

Origins aside, fried chicken is easy to muck up, but thankfully, this recipe will ensure that your chicken is crisped and seasoned to finger-licking perfection. Although it requires a 12-hour marinade, that'll be the last thing on your mind after taking the first bite.

Recipe: Classic Buttermilk Fried Chicken

This Southern staple has Native American roots but became a popular recipe for Black American slaves because cornmeal was one of the few ingredients available to them. 

Wow the family with this herbaceous take on honey cornbread, which is elevated with fresh sage. It uses a skillet-baked approach to ensure a moist, golden-crusted finish, delivering a delicious balance of salt, honey, sage, and cornmeal. Enjoy it solo with milk, as a side, or crumble it up and blend it with collard greens or red beans and rice.

Recipe: Honey Sage Skillet Cornbread

Jambalaya, another quintessential dish of Cajun and Creole cuisine, features what Louisiana locals call the "holy trinity" — a foundational base of diced onion, celery, and green bell pepper. The blend is a derivative of the French mirepoix, which historians believe was combined with jollof rice by slaves and later evolved into jambalaya. 

Jambalaya is a hearty affair loaded with meat and seafood and flavored with savory seasonings and aromatics. Pair it with cornbread, collard greens, or balance out the heft with a fresh salad.

Recipe: Traditional Jambalaya

Here's a filling recipe loaded with flavor and fall-off-the-bone tenderness. To achieve such deliciousness, you'll need over three hours and unshakable patience, but when the irresistible aroma of braised oxtail emanates from your bowl, you'll know the wait was totally worth it.

Oxtail stew is particularly popular in the Caribbean, where it was derived from African one-pot cooking traditions. Nowadays, the stew isn't made exclusively with the tail from an ox but works with the tail of any cattle variety. Pair it with mashed potatoes, cauliflower, or collard greens.

Recipe: Slow-Braised Oxtail Stew

In the South, the "fish fry" began as a culinary tradition among Black Americans during slavery. It was a way for people to come together and connect after a hard day's work. Today, "fish shacks" are common in Black communities nationwide, and fried catfish is one of the most popular varieties.

Though a slight departure from traditional Southern-fried catfish, this modernized take, which incorporates Chinese flavors, can spice up your Kwanzaa menu. Serve it hot with your favorite dip or enjoy it with a side of fries.

Recipe: Salt and Pepper Fried Catfish

Sweet potato pie and pumpkin pie look similar, but in a Black American household, confusing the two is blasphemous. The pie became popular among enslaved Africans due to the sweet potato's similarity to yams, the latter of which being a major crop in West Africa. Today, it's considered the quintessential soul food dessert.

This twist on traditional sweet potato pie lightens the load, which is helpful when you have a feast to prepare. It works with either fresh or canned sweet potatoes, and instead of making the crust from scratch, you can use the frozen variety.

Recipe: Simple Sweet Potato Pie

The Portuguese introduced corn to Central and West Africa, where it became an indelible part of the local cultures. During Kwanzaa, corn is referred to as "muhindi" in Swahili andsymbolizes the children and the future they represent. 

It's also one of several essential symbols used as table decorations, which is why Kwanzaa is incomplete without a corn dish. This grilled corn on the cob recipe is buttery, garlicky, and takes very little time to prepare.

Recipe: Easy Grilled Corn on the Cob and Garlic Butter

Peach cobbler has European origins but was adopted by enslaved Africans, who developed it into the down-home dessert we know and love today. Aside from being a soul food staple, it's a delicious way to cap off your Kwanzaa feast. 

Here's a family recipe designed for fresh peaches, but is flexible enough to substitute with other fruits, meaning you can make it for Kwanzaa and beyond. What's more, you can spruce it up with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of your favorite ice cream.

Recipe: Classic Peach Cobbler