A newly released report from Google Trends suggests that current events and TikTok trends influenced the recipes Americans searched for.
This year, Americans searched for recipes including a famous breakfast pastry, life-changing macaroni and cheese, and cookies made famous by an NFL player’s mother.
Here are the top five:
1. “Olympics chocolate muffins”
Google Trends reported that the chocolate muffin from the Olympic village was the most searched-for recipe in the United States.
The muffins gained attention after Norwegian swimmer Henrik Christiansen shared them on TikTok, quickly becoming a viral sensation among Olympians and viewers at home.
Team USA swimmers Abbey Weitzeil and Torri Huske went to try “the famous, infamous chocolate muffins” and documented their experience on Weitzeil’s TikTok account.
“At first glance, it looks like it’s melted on top, but it feels cold to the touch,” Huske said.
“It tastes just like cake,” she added.
“For a chocolate muffin, I’d give it a nine out of 10,” Huske said, noting it would be even better if it were warm.
Now that the Olympics are long over, here’s a dupe recipe to try at home that its creator claims is “better than the real thing.”
2. Tanghulu
Tanghulu, the Chinese candied fruit treat, took TikTok by storm this year and became the second-most Googled recipe in the United States.
To make tanghulu, TikTok creator Jasmine and Tea explained in her April tutorial, you heat a sugar and water mixture until it boils.
The person then dips skewered fruit into the mixture, coating it in the sugar. Once it dries, it forms a glass-like shell.
While tanghulu gained popularity this year, doctors cautioned that hot sugar can cause serious burns, so it’s important to be careful when trying this recipe.
3. Tini’s mac and cheese
Chef and content creator Tineke “Tini” Younger first shared her macaroni and cheese recipe on TikTok in 2023, but it truly took off in 2024. So much so that “Tini’s mac and cheese” became the third-most Googled recipe in the United States.
A Maryland native who now lives in Georgia with her husband, Younger has gained over 10.5 million followers on TikTok.
Her mac and cheese recipe, which she posted versions of in 2023 and 2024, has garnered a total of 220.4 million views on TikTok.
Younger’s macaroni and cheese has won the hearts of both kitchen beginners and seasoned professionals.
Palestrina McCaffrey, a California-based content creator who has made over 30 varieties of macaroni and cheese for social media, named Younger’s recipe as her favorite.
“Tini is still queen,” McCaffrey told Fox News Digital. “She’s unbeatable. I admire her so much. That girl can cook.”
4. Mama Kelce’s cookie
The year 2024 was undeniably Taylor Swift’s year, with her sold-out Eras Tour becoming a global cultural phenomenon.
Her boyfriend, Travis Kelce’s mother, Donna—famously known as “Mama Kelce” across the internet—also garnered significant attention throughout the year.
According to the report, “Mama Kelce’s cookie” was the fourth-most Googled recipe in 2024.
The cookies first gained attention in 2023 when Donna was seen handing her sons, Jason and Travis, each a container before they played against each other in the Super Bowl.
The recipe continued to be popular throughout 2024. Unlike a typical chocolate cookie recipe, Mama Kelce’s version includes cinnamon.
5. Dense bean salad
The fifth-most searched recipe in 2024 also originated on TikTok.
The first “Dense Bean Salad” video, shared by Violet Witchel on her TikTok account @Violet.Cooks on May 25, was viewed over 11 million times.
“Every week, I meal prep a dense bean salad, which is packed with veggies, tons of protein, and a vinegar-based dressing,” said Witchel, who lives in San Francisco.
She added that the salad lasts the entire week and “is basically the only thing that ensures I get enough protein and vegetables throughout the week.”
