Hanukkah

23 Hanukkah Desserts More Valuable Than Gelt

The Festival of Lights lasts for eight nights, so you have plenty of time to fry jelly doughnuts, decorate star-shaped sugar cookies, and bake nutty rugelach.
Photo of fried jelly donuts.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell

Like many Jewish holidays—and holidays in general—Hanukkah has distinct food traditions. Since the festival celebrates the miracle of the oil (an ancient tale of one day’s worth of oil lasting for eight nights), many Hanukkah foods are fried. Thus, you should expect to find our favorite sweet fritters and doughnuts waiting below—traditional Hanukkah desserts like jelly-stuffed sufganiyot, kitschy funnel cakes, and super-seasonal apple fritters.

Don’t want to spend the night babysitting a pot of hot oil? We have options: Make a cookie platter with star-shaped sugar cookies, puckery lemon bars, and brown butter chocolate chippers. Or go all-in on one showstopper: This Italian Rainbow Cookie Loaf Cake fits the bill. And if you don’t have time to bake on day one, no stress; you still have seven more nights.

  • Photo of fried jelly donuts.
    Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell
    1/23

    Strawberry Sufganiyot

    These jelly-filled doughnuts are a staple Hanukkah dessert. Let the dough proof during dinner, then turn frying and filling into a family affair.

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  • Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Eliza Mozer
    2/23

    Rugelach

    This classic Jewish American cookie recipe calls for a block of cream cheese, which makes the rugelach dough extra tender. We stuff these cookies with dried fruit and nuts, but you can try a chocolate or cinnamon-sugar filling.

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  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich
    3/23

    Philly Fluff Cake

    This regional cake is even better the next day, so one Bundt will last for at least half of Hanukkah’s eight nights. That is, unless you decide to share. You should probably share.

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  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Stevie Stewart
    4/23

    Funnel Cakes

    If you don’t want to wait for doughnut dough to proof (understandable), it takes about 5 minutes to make this funnel cake batter. Just mix the dry and wet ingredients together and you’re ready to fry.

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  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Erika Joyce
    9/23

    Halva 5 Ways

    Keep a slab of this sesame-based candy on the counter and shave off chunks throughout the day. You’ll never get bored of it because this halva recipe includes five variations: chocolate za’atar, pistachio rose, and more.

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  • Photo by Aubrie Pick
    10/23

    Salted Tahini-Chocolate Babka Buns

    This recipe combines two of our favorite baked goods—cinnamon buns and babka—in one delicious package. Bonus: You can eat the leftovers for breakfast.

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  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton
    11/23

    Lemon Bars

    Your grandma baked them, and her grandma baked them, and now you can bake them too. Lemon bars never go out of style.

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  • Photo by Isa Zapata, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boystova
    12/23

    Flourless Chocolate Cake

    Densely fudgy? Check. Extremely chocolaty? Check. Ready in just 30 minutes? Check. This 5-ingredient flourless chocolate cake delivers on all fronts. Needless to say, it’s a classic for a reason.

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  • Photo by Elizabeth Coetzee, Food Styling by Sean Dooley
    13/23

    Stovetop Apple Crisp

    If you don’t want to preheat your oven, look no further than this quick stovetop apple crisp, featuring buttery spiced apples and a crunchy oat streusel topping. Sprinkle any leftover streusel on a bowl of yogurt in the morning.

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  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Anne Eastman, Food Styling by John Bjostad
    14/23

    Double Chocolate Layer Cake

    This one’s for the real chocolate lovers: two layers of moist chocolate cake, swathed in a rich ganache-style frosting.

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  • Lara Ferroni
    15/23

    Classic Glazed Doughnuts

    Not into jelly filling? Go for these classic glazed doughnuts, which look like they came straight out of a Krispy Kreme box. Except they didn’t because you made them yourself.

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  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich
    16/23

    Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

    These brown butter chocolate chip cookies might be the easiest recipe on this list. Since the dough requires chilling, make it in advance of the celebration, then slide the dough balls into the oven as you’re wrapping up dinner.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Nathaniel James, Food Styling by Simon Andrews
    17/23

    Chocolate Mousse

    For a dessert that’s guaranteed to impress the guests, look no further than this chocolate mousse. Serve in cocktail glasses for extra charm.

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  • Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Eliza Mozer
    18/23

    Molasses Cookies

    It’s not the holiday season without chewy, spiced molasses cookies. Roll them in sugar before baking to give the dough balls sparkly flair.

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  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Susan Ottaviano and Stevie Stewart
    19/23

    Chocolate Swiss Roll

    If you’ve always wanted to try a Bake Off–style showstopper, now’s your chance. Prepare for oohs and aahs when it hits the table.

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  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich
    20/23

    Vegan Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

    This chocolaty cookie dough gets nutty depth from whole wheat flour. If you want to make double-chocolate chip cookies, add chocolate chips. Or if you’re a Reese’s fan, go for peanut butter chips.

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Zoe gained her culinary education in kitchens quite literally spanning the country: She’s worked at an artisanal ice cream shop in Alabama, an organic farm-bakery in Maui, and a Michelin-starred restaurant in NYC. Now, she’s putting all that knowledge to use at Epicurious, where her primary objective is to help ... Read More
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