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I've curated this list of 17 Hanukkah Desserts in conjunction with the episode "A Holocaust Survivor Shares Her Story" and Koulourakia: Traditional Greek Orange & Butter Cookies recipe from my podcast guest Regina Frances while you make the perfect Hanukkah desserts during the Festival of Lights celebrations.
Hanukkah, Festival of Lights, is a Jewish holiday that is celebrated for eight days and nights. Each night, family and friends gather to light one additional candle on the menorah, symbolizing the story of a group of Jewish fighters in the 2nd century BCE who liberated a temple after foreign occupation. They rededicated the temple by using sacred oils to light the menorah, and miraculously, the oil burned for eight consecutive days. To honor this tradition, Jewish people eat many foods and, in this post, we focus specifically on desserts. Below you’ll find delicious Hanukkah dessert recipes that honor this tradition with sweet treats fried or baked in oil.
How To Use This List
- There are several spellings of Hanukkah, such as Chanukah, Hanukah, Chanukka, etc., but in this post I will only be using this Hanukkah spelling for clarity.
- There is no way for me to have showcased many of the Hanukkah desserts that are out there in the world, so if you would like to see a specific dessert, please let me know and I will add it to the list!
- Each recipe is formatted as the title of the recipe, followed by a "|" symbol and then the blog or person who it is from.
- I've split this list into the following categories: Fried Dough, Cookies, Cakes, Sweet Breads, Kugels, Pancakes, and Chocolate.
Fried Dough
Oil is one of the most important ingredients celebrated during Hanukkah, so it’s no surprise that fried foods make up the largest category in this post. Dishes like Sufganiyot and Rugelach are traditionally fried in oil, symbolizing the miracle of the oil that burned for eight days in the Hanukkah story.
Sufganiyot | Tori Avey
Learn all the secrets for how to make perfect sufganiyot. These fluffy yeast donuts are a Jewish holiday tradition from Israel. Fill with custard or jam.
Chocolate Rugelach | Baking Moment
Chocolate rugelach: tender cream cheese pastry rolled around rich dark chocolate. A heavenly combination! So good with a cup of coffee.
Buñuelos Hanukkah Donut Holes | Kosher Cowboy
Enjoy Buñuelos Hanukkah Donut Holes from the Kosher Cowboy recipe blog. Recipes spanning from Morocco to the Midwest. Sign up today.
Hanukkah Apple Fritters | Gemma’s Bigger Bolder Baking
Hanukkah Apple Fritters are deliciously crispy fried apple rings spiced with cinnamon and sweetened with powdered sugar!
Hanukkah Sfenj/ Rosquillas Marroquíes | Jewtina y Co
Sfenj are typical Moroccan donuts that are powerfully reminiscent of churros (Mexico) and picarones (Peru). An important difference between churros/ picarones and sfenj, is that the latter incorporate yeast. Typically en...
Cookies
From crispy-chewy latke cookies to playful bow tie cookies, these cookie traditions bring sweet variety to the table while celebrating the joy and warmth of the season.
Koulourakia: Traditional Greek Orange & Butter Cookies | The Storied Recipe
Traditional Greek Koulourakia is a buttery orange cookie with a perfect bite, a crumbly soft inside, and a zesty bright flavor.
Latke Cookies l Sheri Silver
Latke cookies are delicious little treats that look like latkes but are actually crispy-chewy cookies that are perfect for Hanukkah!
Jewish Bow Tie Cookies - J More Living
Soft yet crispy, melting in your mouth before you can even chew. Paper-thin with airy bubbles, each dusted with confectioners’ sugar for a delicate touch of sweetness.
Cakes
Cake isn't as common of a dessert option as fried desserts, though you can still find cakes eaten during Hanukkah, especially oil-based cakes. The recipe for Honey Cake below is usually eaten during Rosh Hashanah but is commonly eaten during Hanukkah as well.
Honey Cake | Belly Full
This Honey Cake is a traditional treat for the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah. It's a simple dairy-free loaf cake where honey really shines, with a super moist crumb and crisp caramelized edges.
Mini Bundt Cakes with Orange, Olive Oil and Poppyseed | ZoëBakes
A little gold gelt adds festive flair to these Orange Poppyseed Mini Bundt Cakes with Chocolate Ganache for Hanukkah. Gorgeous and delicious.
Sweet Breads
Sweet breads like chocolate babka and honey-drenched challah add a festive touch to Hanukkah, filling the home with rich aromas and symbolizing abundance and celebration.
Mandelbrot (Mandel Bread) | Belly Full
Crunchy with a light almond flavor, Mandel Bread is a twice baked, non dairy Jewish cookie that's similar to Italian biscotti. Enjoy with tea or coffee for Rosh Hashanah, Hannukkah, or just because.
Chocolate Babka | Gemma’s Bigger Bolder Baking
Babka, is a sweet braided yeasted bread of Jewish origin, and my Chocolate Babka recipe honors that traditional bread in a chocolatey way!
Kugels
Sweet, rich pasta is the best way to simply describe Kugel. It is a traditional dessert that has many variations, and I have showcased two of those recipes below.
Noodle Kugel Recipe for Hanukkah | Foreign Fork
This noodle kugel recipe is a Jewish dish made with egg noodles, cream cheese, sour cream, and topped with graham crackers. It is perfect for Hanukkah!
Pineapple Raisin Noodle Kugel | Tori Avey
A delectable creamy noodle kugel made with cream cheese, and cottage cheese with sweet a graham cracker topping. Make as written or adapt to your tastes!
Pancakes
Lightly fried in oil and filled with creamy cheese, pancakes and blintzes like syrniki honor Hanukkah’s dairy traditions while adding a warm, comforting sweetness to the celebration.
Classic Cheese Blintzes | Breaking Matzo
Tidy packages of golden pancakes stuffed with a sweet mild cheese and pan-fried to perfection. Hot, warm, or cold, it’s a hard dish to resist.
Sweet and Cheesy Pancakes (Syrniki) for Hanukkah! | Aish
Kids everywhere love these, and they fit in perfectly with commemorating the holiday.
Chocolates
These "gelt" (a Yiddish word for money) chocolates are typically given to children during Hanukkah, which symbolizes the traditional custom of giving money religious teachers and children during the celebrations.
Homemade Gelt | Mama Living Abroad
This is a super easy and fun activity to make with kids. If you can put your hands on a "gelt mold" you can use a miniature muffin pan.
More Lists for Inspiration
Recipe
Hanukkah Desserts
Description
Explore 17 traditional Hanukkah desserts from Jewish communities around the world! Featuring sufganiyot, kugel, rugelach, and more, these sweets honor the miracle of oil and the joy of celebration.
Ingredients
From Guests and Friends of The Storied Recipes.
Instructions
Fried Dough
- Sufganiyot from Tori Avey
- Chocolate Rugelach from Baking Moment
- Bimuelos (Buñuelos) from Kosher Cowboy
- Apple Fritters from Bigger Bolder Baking
- Hanukkah Rosquitas from Jewtina y Co
Cookies
- Koulourakia: Traditional Greek Orange and Butter Cookies from Regina Frances, guest of The Storied Recipe
- Latke Cookies from Sheri Silver
- Jewish Bow Tie Cookies from J More Living
Cakes
- Honey Cake (Lekach) from Belly Full
- Mini Orange Poppyseed Mini Bundt Cakes from Zoe Bakes
Sweet Breads
- Mandelbrot (Mandel Bread) from Belly Full
- Chocolate Babka from Bigger Bolder Baking
Kugels
- Noodle Kugel from Foreign Fork
- Pineapple Raisin Noodle Kugel from Tori Avey
Pancakes
- Sweet Cheese Pancakes (Syrniki) from Aish
- Cheese Blintzes from Breaking Matzo
Chocolates
- Gelt (Chocolate Hanukkah Coins) from Mama Living Abroad
Would love to hear from you!