Hanukkah

26 Hanukkah Recipes to Celebrate the Festival of Lights

Accompany these traditional (and some not-so-traditional) Hanukkah foods with a game of dreidel.

November 10, 2021
Photo by Rocky Luten

Hanukkah, the Jewish celebration of light, is just around the corner and you can bet we’re breaking out the frying pans, potato graters, and tons of oil. But a whole lotta latkes (although delicious) aren’t the only way to observe the Festival of Lights. There are so many crispy, crunchy dishes that commemorate the miracle of oil. From the traditional, like roasted chicken and braised brisket, to unexpected crowd-pleasers like asparagus latkes, here are 26 of our favorite Hanukkah recipes.


Traditional Hanukkah Foods

1. Slow-Roasted Chicken With Extra-Crisp Skin

Celebrate the Festival of Lights with this foolproof roast chicken that’s perfect for a crowd, and especially great for beginner cooks hosting their first dinner for the Jewish holiday.

2. Sweet & Smoky Brisket

It wouldn’t be a proper Hanukkah celebration —or frankly any family gathering—without brisket. This version has a rich, tangy sauce made with tomato sauce, red wine vinegar, and beef stock.

3. Jessica Fechtor's Five-Fold Challah

Braiding challah bread takes skill and a practiced hand, but this recipe is a little bit more lenient when it comes to technique. The result is just as beautiful.

4. Noodle Kugel With Caramelized Onions & Brown Butter

Dress up egg noodles with both fresh sage and thyme, plus caramelized onions in a nutty brown butter sauce.


Latkes

5. Potato Latkes

Fried potato pancakes are a staple for the Hanukkah menu. The use of baking powder is a surprise addition, but one that will help the latkes to maintain their crispiness, even after they’ve sat at room temperature for a bit.

6. Cheese Latkes

These aren’t exactly like latkes. They’re fluffier, pillowier, and cheesier, thanks to a combination of cream cheese and ricotta.

7. Giant Skillet Latke

Instead of frying dozens of individual latkes, save time (and reduce the chance of hot oil burns) by making one giant latke in a cast-iron skillet. A little bit of matzo meal provides body, and sour cream and applesauce are the necessary accoutrements.

8. Shockingly Crisp Baked Latkes

Traditionally, latkes are deep-fried to ensure that they’re super crispy and evenly golden brown on the outside. (Of course, the deep-fry is also a way to commemorate the oil that burned for eight whole nights). But Assigning Editor Rebecca Firkser achieved the same result just by baking them on a sheet tray in the oven, with plenty of oil of course. Less splatter, same delicious flavor.

9. Asparagus Latkes

“Not my grandma’s latkes or my mom’s. Because instead of starchy potatoes, we’re turning to juicy, sweet asparagus,” writes Food Editor Emma Laperruque. Somehow, we don’t think Emma’s family will be disappointed by this easy green recipe for Hanukkah.


Hanukkah Sweets

10. Sufganiyot (Israeli Jelly Doughnuts)

The most traditional, most coveted, most spectacular, and most likely to disappear from the table in the blink of an eye are homemade jelly doughnuts, also known as Sufganiyot, which are a must-have Hanukkah dessert.

11. Chocolate-Walnut Rugelach

Three (count ‘em three!) types of chocolate—dark, milk, and semi-sweet—are used in the nutty spiced filling for these soft cookies.

12. Mini Black and White Cookies

Black and white cookies are the perfect marriage of chocolate and vanilla, cookie and cake. They are a classic deli dessert, usually about 5 inches in diameter, but here I've made them mini which I find is a much more reasonable amount of cookie,” writes recipe developer Yossy Arefi. The perk of the mini size is that you will still have plenty of room for, say, half a dozen Sufganiyot.

13. The Famous Chocolate Babka

This is the babka recipe that started it all. Or rather, started the trend of swirly twirly chocolate babka that captivated the attention of bakers in New York City and beyond. Is that not reason enough to bake a loaf for Hanukkah this year?

14. Guava Cream Cheese Rugelach

In the middle of December, when the temperature drops, the snow starts to fall, and you can’t leave the house without multiple layers of clothing, these fruity rugelach cookies will give you a taste of the tropics.

15. Cranberry-Ginger Jam Donuts

For a delicious fall twist on the classic jelly donuts, fill ’em with homemade cranberry jam instead! Fresh ginger, vanilla bean, and the zest and juice of lemon and oranges bring brightness to every bite.

16. Very Easy Apple Cake

This apple cake is as light, puffy, and fluffy as it is easy, easy, and easy. It comes together with only four ingredients (not counting salt, an honorary Big Little ingredient) and takes 20-something minutes to get in the oven,” writes Food Editor Emma Laperruque. It’s a delicious dessert to serve on Hanukkah.


For a Twist

17. Fried Mushrooms with Smoked Paprika Remoulade

In addition to the usual latkes, there are so many other things you can fry for Hanukkah for a side dish or just something snackable as you mingle. Recipe developer EmilyC fried button mushroom in a panko breading and the result is an irresistible meaty treat that’s totally vegetarian.

18. Hanukkah Churros

There’s no reason not to serve this Spanish sweet as a Hanukkah dessert. For starters, they’re fried. But they also masterfully balance spicy and sweet flavors and can be served with fruit jam, chocolate sauce, or Nutella.

19. Golden Chicken Broth With Real Egg Noodles

For a light lunch during Hanukkah, or a simple starter to the meal, whip up this simple chicken noodle soup made with egg noodles. And we’re not talking about the dried kind of pasta you buy from the grocery store. These noodles are thin slices cut from a creamy omelet.

20. Zengoula with Lemon Syrup (Iraqi Funnel Cakes)

“Zengoula with Lemon Syrup is a great example of a traditional dish with a little twist that makes a big difference, says recipe developer Alice Medrich. “Instead of plain sugar syrup, the pastries are soaked in fresh lemon syrup. The results are easy to imagine: more fragrant and wonderful and, I have to say it, “zingier" zengoula.

21. Fried Pickles with Herb Breadcrumbs

Pickle lovers will rejoice over these crispy fried bites that have the perfect amount of breading on the outside and delicious dill flavor on the inside.

22. Bert Greene's Potato Scallion Cakes (Fritterra)

This year, Hanukkah falls just days after Thanksgiving, so these potato pancakes are a genius way to use up leftover mashed potatoes from your Turkey Day feast.

23. French Toast Sticks

These deep-fried treats are a far cry from traditional Hanukkah food, but they’re potentially the greatest (or should I say sweetest) addition to this year’s festivities.

24. Samsa (Algerian Almond-Orange Triangle Cookies)

After you light the menorah, serve a platter of these not-too-sweet, subtly floral pastries. They’re a bit of work to make, but you can prepare them a few days in advance so they’re ready to go as soon as the match strikes.

25. Smoky Fried Chickpeas

While you’re having drinks, put out a bowl of these fried chickpeas. They’re easy to stuff into your mouth to avoid answering why you haven’t found a nice Jewish boy or girl to marry yet.

26. Crispy Fried Pumpkin with Salted Egg Yolk

Instead of the usual pumpkin pie, spiced lattes, or quick breads, make use of sugar pumpkins for this extra-special seasonal spice dish.

What dishes will you be serving for Hanukkah? Anything to balance out the fried foods?

See what other Food52 readers are saying.

  • Sheila Malovany-Chevallier
    Sheila Malovany-Chevallier
  • Smadar
    Smadar
  • orit rosen-yazdi
    orit rosen-yazdi
  • metalgrannie
    metalgrannie
  • AnyaLeigh
    AnyaLeigh
Former Food52 Staff Editor

10 Comments

Sheila M. December 20, 2022
How many people might the giant latkes serve for a main meal?
Thanks
Sheila from Paris
 
Smadar December 3, 2021
Most of these are Jewish recipes, not Hannukah recipes :) So many food sites are trying to put together these "Hannukah" lists where they throw in any Jewish or fried food recipe from their database... Better to have a short and more accurate list than a long one that has nothing to do with the holiday in the title :) Just my humble opinion. But some of these recipes are great!
 
Nancy November 25, 2022
Well, Smadar, you’re right.
And there’s one more - less common, but definitely related to the holiday.
It’s (salty) cheese, as fed to the general besieging Jerusalem so he got drunk and vulnerable to beheading. Memory uncertain but maybe Judith and Holofernes.
 
Nancy November 25, 2022
Sorry Smadar I read Orit’s note but had seen your name.
 
orit R. November 27, 2021
There are really 2 traditional foods for Hanukkah: latkes (Levivot) and sofganiyot. The idea is OIL. Anything else that is fried or has lots of oil is welcomed. Oh, and chocolate coins as well.
 
Nancy November 25, 2022
Orit - my note about salted cheese as a Hanukkah related food was meant as a reply to your note about oil.
 
metalgrannie November 27, 2021
I object to the many references out there to churros being Mexican street food. In Spain, they have churros with hot chocolate. Have for millenia. Also, I'm 75 and I remember when I was a very little girl in Cuba we had churros. They can have their jalapenos and other chilies, but churros are not Mexican.
 
Kelly V. November 27, 2021
Thanks for pointing this out! I have updated the article to reflect churros' Spanish origins.
 
AnyaLeigh November 12, 2021
It would be worth nothing that many of these recipes would make for a very unkosher menu. For instance, serving roast chicken or brisket with brown butter kugel would not be suitable for many Jews. The recipes look delicious but I'd recommend checking with any Jewish guests you're hoping to celebrate the holiday with.
 
Kelly V. November 27, 2021
Great point! I have updated the Noodle Kugel description, so as to not suggest that it should be served with roast chicken or brisket. Happy Holidays!