Hanukkah, for many of us, is the most wonderful time of year. Having some really amazing, delicious recipes from around the world to celebrate this holiday only makes it that much better. So, this year as I’m planning our feasting schedule for these eight nights of light, I’m collecting some of the most interesting, tasty, and fun recipes from around the world.
I thought I’d share those recipes I find with you to help you on your quest for the best Hanukkah dishes this year, too. Enjoy!
Fried Eggplant
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So, apparently Jewish people in Italy aren’t as into latkes as the rest of us, so they do a sort of fried eggplant version instead all year, but especially for Hanukkah. With the delicious dish, you can layer in tomato, mozzarella, and other Italian-themed deliciousness to get the full experience.
Zengoula (Iraqi Funnel Cakes)
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In Iraq, Jewish folks enjoy a variety of funnel cakes instead of the traditional jelly donuts. Often they’ll get topped with lemon syrup for a citrusy twist to the decadent dessert.
Sfenj (Moroccan Doughnuts)
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And speaking of donuts, apparently the Jewish community in Morocco (the Maghrebi Mizrachi from North Africa) enjoy their own variety of Suganiyot, called Sfenj, which they adopted in the 1920s to give Jewish bakers more work around the holidays. These are actually, apparently, a lot easier than the traditional donuts. That sounds like a great choice to me!
Delkelekh
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For those who love a cheese pastry, the Delkelekh cheese pastry from Hungary could be the perfect way for you to celebrate Hanukkah this year. I know my husband’s eager to give it a try!
Sfenj – Algerian-Style
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Similar to the Sfenj from Morocco is the Algerian style of the Hanukkah donut. It’s simple to make and absolutely delicious, lightly dusted with sugar.
Gulab Jamun
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From India comes the unique Gulab jamun for Hanukkah. These are balls of cheese-infused dough. They’re fried and then – here’s the twist – soaked in rose syrup! I am not sure what they taste like, but that combination actually sounds pretty amazing to me. I might just give them a try this year.
Sephardic Bunuelos
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You might have heard of bunuelos previously. They’re a popular treat in Latin America, usually with honey. This recipe is pretty simple and celebrates their use in Hanukkah celebrations in Sephardic (Spain) tradition in the Iberian peninsula. They can be made vegan and either drizzled with honey or dusted in powdered sugar – whatever you prefer!
Sufganiyot (Jelly Donuts)
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Probably the most well-known Hanukkah treat is Sufganiyot, the traditional Jewish jelly donut. That might sound a little intimidating – making donuts from scratch – but the right recipe actually makes it super easy. And they’re amazingly delicious. You can fill them with jelly, preserves, cream, or custard, too – whatever you like best.
Rugelach
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Rugelach is another traditional Jewish sweet treat found on holiday tables, especially Hannukah. The crescent-shaped sweets are flaky and filled with cream cheese, cinnamon, and raisins. They’re incredibly delicious. Look for alternative fillings at the bottom of the recipe.
Chocolate Babka
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While babka isn’t necessarily served at Hanukkah specifically, it is a firmly Jewish dish that deserves consideration this Hanukkah season. It looks intense, but it’s actually pretty easy for braided bread. And chocolate. Need I say more?
Caramel Sea Salt Dark Chocolate Coins
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Gelt is and always will be a huge part of the Hanukkah tradition. But let’s be honest – most of what you can buy tastes like cheap chocolate and isn’t worth the money. So, instead, make your own – and everyone will enjoy receiving these gold coins made with caramel sea salt and dark chocolate, not just the littles.
Coconut Macaroons
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Coconut macaroons are often served during Hanukkah because they’re not leavened with flour, baking soda, or yeast. The eggs in them do the trick, making them a kosher delight. And since they’re made of coconut, well, they win the day – at least in my household!
Chocolate Chunk Mandel Bread
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This chocolatey-sweet, wonderful mandel bread is the perfect addition to your Hanukkah table. The bread turns into perfectly crisp, crunchy slices that are sort of like biscotti. Perfect for dunking, snacking, and enjoying together as you celebrate the season.
Chanukkah Sugar Cookies
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Sugar cookies aren’t just for Christmas! These Chanukkah sugar cookies are the perfect way to have some cookie-cutter (and frosting!) fun with the kids or by yourself without a lot of extra work or significant planning.
Crispy Ginger Scallion Latkes
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Not everything we serve during Hanukkah needs to be sweet or traditional. I love the idea of these crispy ginger scallion latkes as a switch-up for the holiday. They’re a great way to add some real punch to the menu without a lot of extra work.
Bimuelos
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Sometimes called zalabia, bimuelos are an Egyptian take on the traditional fritters we enjoy around the Hanukkah season. They’re drenched in sugary syrup and sold on the streets in Egypt – but we can make them at home with a few tweaks of our own.
Polish Apple Cake
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This cake was developed as a kosher alternative to the many European pastries served in the holiday season that usually contain dairy products. Instead, using oil and eggs, we have this delightful Polish apple cake with a golden, crumbly sweet crust. Yum!
Keftes de Prasa
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For savory fritters this Hanukkah season, these amazing Keftes de Prasa from Spain are a delight! They’re made with leeks and other savory ingredients, adapting from the Ashkenazi potato latkes most of us are familiar with to these delightful, flavorful savory dishes we can serve the whole family.
Seffa
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Coming in from Morocco is this delectable couscous dish: Seffa. It’s made with sweet ingredients and dairy and served with wooden spoons.
Cooking note: You don’t want to skip the wooden aspect of the recipes. They impact the flavor of the food!
Cheese and Lemon Blintzes
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Blitzes are a hugely popular treat found in Jewish delis all over America and central Europe (think Poland and Slovakia). They’re absolutely delicious – whatever the flavoring – but these are particularly delightful, focusing on cheese and lemon in that tasty blintz.
Potato Knishes
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This recipe from Delish for potato knishes is the perfect savory delight for your Hanukkah feast. Go with traditional potatoes and caramelized onions or tweak it with spinach and cumin or something else entirely. The choice is yours!
Apple Fritters
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For your basic apple fritter for your holiday feast, check out this simple recipe made with basic ingredients you probably already have on hand for a delicious fried, sweet treat using Granny Smith apples. Yum!
Sweet Noodle Kugel
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For a unique twist on Kugel, this recipe uses egg noodles, sour cream, cinnamon, and eggs for a rich buttery side you’ll love serving this Hanukkah.
Beef Bourguignon Brisket
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Of course, what Jewish holiday feast would be complete without some beef brisket? Well, this slow cooker recipe is the perfect way to make some easily for the holiday so you don’t have to worry about staying in the kitchen all day.
Chocolate-Orange Challah
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Everyone who’s celebrated Hanukkah knows that challah is an important part of the season. But if you’re looking for something a little different from the usual, this chocolate and orange challah is a beautiful version of the already wonderful delectable treat.
Bite-Size Potato and Chard Knishes
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For another twist on the traditional potato knish, check out these bite-sized beauties made up with chard. They’re the perfect appetizer for your Hannukah feast or the extra special addition to the sit-down feast you’re planning. Make them up ahead of time to save cooking time the day of.
Colorful Tzimmes
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Another classic savory and sweet dish for your Hanukkah feast is the colorful tzimmes dish. It uses shallots, sweet potatoes, carrots, orange juice, and prunes to create this delectable delight for your feasting table.
Homemade Chocolate Gelt
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While I’m all about the sea salt and caramel gelt above, this chocolate gelt is a winner, too. It’s for those looking for something a little less sweet, yet equally chocolatey and delicious to share this Hanukkah season.
Tuscany Fried Chicken
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Though I had no clue about this, apparently the Jewish community in Tuscany celebrates this amazing holiday with fried chicken. It’s not any old fried chicken, though. The recipe calls for cinnamon and nutmeg and lemon for the marinade. It’s absolutely amazing!
Loukoumades
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It seems that every Jewish community has its own distinct fritter or donut. The Greek community is no different. Loukoumades are their honey-soaked donuts for the holiday season – and they look absolutely amazing!
Nariyal Burfi
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For those who love a blonde fudge, nariyal burfi from India will ring your holiday dessert bell. The sweet is made from sweetened condensed milk, nuts, and sugar, resulting in a fudge-like texture. Or, mix it up with coconut and sliced almonds. Yum!
Plantains with Avocado Dip
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In Colombia, the Jewish community has been around since the end of the 18th Century. Like all people, they’ve appreciated local flavors and brought them into their own culture. For Hanukkah, one of those special delights is plantains served with avocado dip. They’re decadent and easy.
Potato Latkes
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Of course, we can’t forget the straight up classics. Sometimes, you just want a good potato latke. These are easy and fast – they come together in just 30 minutes – and you can top them with anything you like, from applesauce to chopped (or baked!) cinnamon apples, or sour cream and chives, goat cheese and lemon, or some horseradish for zing.
Everything Bagel-Crusted Salmon
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I would never have thought of doing this, but it seems like the perfect marriage to me for a Hanukkah feast: the Everything Bagel and salmon! Following this recipe, you’ll find a delightful dish at the end of the night, just salmon, seasonings, lemon, and fresh herbs.
Parsnip Potato Latkes With Quick Sautéed Apples
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For this twist on the usual potato latke, parsnips for a sweet earthy tone and sweet and sour sauteed apples for the topping. I’m eager to give these a whirl this holiday for sure!
Sweet Potato Latkes With Greek Yogurt and Smoked Salmon
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Or, if you’re looking for something super savory with a tinge of sweet, consider these sweet potato latkes made up with Greek yogurt and salmon. My tastebuds are watering just thinking about this.
Slow-Cooker Brisket
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For an easy, delicious meal for a sit-down dinner with the fam, check out this slow-cooker brisket recipe. It just calls for onions, garlic, tomatoes, and seasoning (plus, of course, that brisket!) for a simple, easy, and absolutely delightful l dish the whole family will love.
Pecan-Apricot Rugelach
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A sweet spin on the average rugelach is this pecan-apricot rugelach. They’re not as hard as they look, filled with chopped pecans, cream cheese, and apricot preserves for a fruity, creamy delightful bite. They’re perfect for snacks or a post-dinner treat.
Peanut Butter Fudge Dreidels
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For a super Hanukkah-themed treat for the kids, whip up these chocolate peanut butter pretzel dreidels. They’re delicious and fun for the whole family – and so easy to pass out as snacks or after a meal.
Challah Bread
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If you don’t want to mess with the classics, this challah bread recipe is so easy and delicious and works perfectly for French toast leftovers, too next day!
Mendiant
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I like to think of Mendiant as “medals” of chocolatey delight. They’re these beautiful little circles of chocolate, topped with sweet toppings perfect for your Hanukkah celebration. Lots of folks use chopped nuts, dried fruit, fresh fruit with syrup, or even sea salt.
Crispy Zucchini Fritters
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For those looking for an alternative to potato latkes, these crispy zucchini fritters are a great choice. They’re a little like the keftes (leek fritters) made by the Jewish community of Syrian, but made with zucchini, so they’re not quite as bold a flavor. They’re equally delicious, though, and pretty easy to make.
Debla
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Coming from North African Jewish communities, debla is dough rolled out into the shape of a rose. This is then deep fried and dipped in sugary, sweet syrup for the perfect sweet treat for your Hanukkah feast. They’re a little time-consuming to prepare, but they are so worth the effort in the end because of the flavor and the sheer beauty of the finished product!
Frittelle di Chanukah
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Jewish families in Italy delight in these holiday sweet fritters. Fritelle di Chanukah are made with anise-flavored Sambuca, olive oil, honey, and dried fruit. And they look absolutely, utterly delicious!
S’mores Sufganiyot
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For an American variation on a Polish-Israeli treat, consider these S’mores filled donuts. They’re loaded with homemade marshmallow fluff and coated with decadent chocolate topping. Anyone with a sweet tooth is going to love these and beg for them every year!
Falafel Latkes
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If you love a Mediterranean theme for your holiday feast, you’ll want to whip up these falafel latkes – or “falatkes” as some call them. You’ll want to grab some tahini sauce and harissa for the full effect on these amazing savory treats.
Manischewitz Braised Short Ribs With Horseradish Gremolata
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Of course, not all meat at Hanukkah has to be brisket. This Manischewitz braised short ribs recipe with horseradish gremolata is a sure-fire way to draw family to the table. With salty beef broth, herbs, and tomato paste, it’s the perfect accompaniment for latkes and wine.
Chocolate Chili Rugelach
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Here’s yet another twist on the rugelach we all love. With rich cream, cheese dough rolled up with chocolate, and a pinch of cayenne for a kick to your sweets. There’s something powerful about the combination of hot and sweet – and I think you’re going to love it.
Savory Kugel
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Earlier I mentioned a sweet kugel. Now, let’s get back to basics with this incredibly easy, utterly delicious traditional kugel. The cheesy, noodle-y dish is the perfect way to quickly, easily enjoy an old family favorite, even if you don’t have the family recipe.
Strawberry Challah Bread Pudding
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Here’s another twist on challah bread I’m dying to try. This soft, sweet bread comes smothered in decadent vanilla custard and sweet strawberry sauce for the perfect finish to your Hanukkah feast. Seriously. I can’t wait to make this one for my hubby this year!
Dosas
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Dosas are a delicious option from India that can replace those blintzes if you’re feeling adventurous. They’re absolutely delicious, easy, and super kid-friendly, so they make for the perfect treat for family gatherings.
Gribenes
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My last offering for this incredible list of Hanukkah foods to try this year are these gribenes. They’re a savory, crispy morsel of fried chicken skin. Admittedly, they’re not for everyone, but if anyone loves chicken skin, they’ll love them for sure.
Your Hanukkah Feast Awaits!
The one problem with a list like this is that I don’t have enough hours in the day to try all the Hanukkah recipes this year! I highly recommend going through the list and carefully choosing two to three sweets (or, if you’ve got loads of times and plenty of mouths to feed, pick eight – one to serve each night!), a few of the savory sides, and one or two of the mains for your Hanukkah feasting.
Personally, I’m planning to make the Strawberry Challah Bread Pudding, Pecan-Apricot Rugelach, Keftes de Prasa, Bite-Sized Potato and Chard Knishes, and Fried Eggplant.