19 Delicious Recipes For A Happy Hanukkah (2024)

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by Janet Ho

updated November 8, 2023

Celebrate the Festival of Lights with some of our best Hanukkah recipes that will wow your guests. Whether you’re looking for traditional fare or something a little more unique, we’ve got everything from latkes to sfenj to babka.

Related: Best Holiday Cookies for a Cookie Exchange

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1/19

Noodle Kugel

A Hanukkah classic, this baked egg noodle casserole is smothered in cottage cheese, sour cream and crushed cornflakes for a celebratory dish that will leave your guests reaching for seconds.

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2/19

Potato Latke Cake

Theultimatespin on latkes is this giant stack of pan-fried potato pancakes, which is made for a hungry Hanukkah crowd. It comes together in just an hour — and you can slice and serve family-style once ready.

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3/19

Cedar-Planked Salmon

There’s nothing quite like bright, fresh sockeye salmon during the holiday season. The firm, fluorescent-fleshed fish is full of rich, intense flavours and is best enjoyed fresh from BC waters.

Related: Surrey, BC Named One of the World’s Next Greatest Food Cities

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4/19

Carrot and Zucchini Latkes

Crispy, warm carrot and zucchini latkes are a new favourite for the holidays or any special occasion. These are best served topped with sour cream, chives and applesauce.

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5/19

Braised Lamb Shanks

These slow-cooked lamb shanks are smothered in an aromatic red wine broth and served with a hearty medley ofroot vegetables, including baby potatoes, parsnips, carrots and turnips.

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6/19

Brussels Sprout Latkes

Another twist on the Hanukkah classic: Molly Yeh uses Brussels sprouts to transform latkes into a healthier holiday treat. Don’t forget the homemade balsamic Dijon sour cream dip.

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7/19

Sfenj Moroccan Doughnuts

Doughnuts are a Hanukkah favourite, as they are fried in oil — which symbolizes the oil that fuelled the holiday miracle. This sfenj doughnut recipe uses just five ingredients.

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8/19

Rainbow Latkes

Step aside boring russet potatoes, your friends the beet, sweet potato, carrot, zucchini and blue potato are ready to steal the latke show. Easy to whip together with just a handful of ingredients and a whole lot of pizzazz.

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9/19

Upside-Down Apple Cake

This show-stopping desserts combines the Jewish classic of honey apple cake with the more modern flavours of salted caramel. Bonus: you can whip this together with pantry staples you already have on hand.

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10/19

Blackened Trout with Green Beans

If you’re tight for time, this 10 minute blackened trout will be the saving grace of your holiday dinner. Packed with deliciously savoury flavours and served with fresh green beans on the side.

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11/19

Golden Rugelach

This Hanukkah staple consists of flaky dough, similar to pie, that enfolds a variety of fruit and nuts for a mouth-watering taste. This scrumptious version is packed with toasted hazelnuts,apricot preservesand golden raisins.

Related: Homemade Labneh With Roasted Beets, Hazelnuts and Fresh Basil

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12/19

Cinnamon Bun Babka

This mouth-watering dessert recipe might be more time consuming to prep than your typical dessert bread, but the cinnamon bun-like flavours of this sweet treat is worth the effort.

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13/19

Marshmallow Dreidels

Add a sugary-sweet twist to the traditional Hanukkah game this year with these adorable mini chocolate- or cream-covered biscuit sticks topped with blue sugared marshmallows.

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14/19

Chocolate Babka

We all agree that bread + chocolate = two of the best foods on the planet, which is what makes this twist on the traditional Hanukkah classic such a delicious must-have. Swap out white flour and sugar for more nutrient-rich ingredients such as unsweetened almond milk, maple syrup and coconut sugar.

Related: This Indigenous-Owned Maple Syrup Company is a Sweet Story of Tradition

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15/19

Manichevitz and Chocolate Matzo Cake

Ready in an hour (really!), this show-stopping chocolate cake uses coconut between each layer for an added crunch and nuttiness that will impress your guests. Serve thisno-bake treatchilled or straight out of the freezer for a luscious Hanukkah dessert that will become an instant family staple.

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16/19

Coconut-Cranberry Macaroon

Chewy with just the right amount of sweetness, you’ll be glad you made these seasonal cranberry-studded macaroons part of your holiday celebration.

Related: Vegan Cranberry Tarts

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17/19

Baklava Babka

Baklava Babka is one dessert we never knew we needed. This deliciously sweet and fluffy bake is packed full of flavour. If you’re a fan of a classic baklava, you’ll love this fun twist.

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18/19

Cinnamon Twist Cookies

Here’s a dessert you’ll remember. This cinnamon-sugar hugged treat is a classic beloved by many Jewish families. Share this sweet bite with family, friends and definitely the kids.

Related: Our Honest Review of De’Longhi’s TrueBrew Coffee Machine

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19/19

Crispy Potato Latke Waffles

Creative and crunchy, this potato latke waffle is an absolute must-have this season. The savoury bundle of flavour is perfect for early morning brunches with the family. We suggest layering on yogurt, a fried egg or lox to sweeten the deal.

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  • dinner
  • hanukkah
  • holidays
  • Jewish
  • salmon
19 Delicious Recipes For A Happy Hanukkah (2024)

FAQs

What are 4 popular foods at Hanukkah? ›

The eight days of Hanukkah are observed with the lighting of a menorah after sundown and meals featuring foods challah bread, kugel, potato latkes, jelly doughnuts called sufganiyot, and festive drinks. Fried foods recall the miracle at the Temple of Jerusalem, when a day's worth of oil lasted eight nights.

What is a good Hanukkah menu? ›

A Traditional Menu for Hanukkah
  • 01 of 12. Potato Latkes I. View Recipe. ...
  • 02 of 12. Spiced Slow Cooker Applesauce. View Recipe. ...
  • 03 of 12. Applesauce. ...
  • 04 of 12. Most Amazing Challah. ...
  • 05 of 12. Wine-Braised Beef Brisket. ...
  • 06 of 12. Salmon with Lemon and Dill. ...
  • 07 of 12. Crispy Rosemary Chicken and Fries. ...
  • 08 of 12. Roasted Green Beans.
Oct 21, 2020

What is eaten at Hanukkah? ›

Throughout the eight days of Hanukkah, Jewish families like mine celebrate by eating latkes (fried potato pancakes) and sufganiyot (fried jelly doughnuts). Notice a theme? Traditional Hanukkah foods are often fried because they're reminders of the oil in the legendary Hanukkah story.

Can you eat cheese during Hanukkah? ›

"By the 14th century, there's quite a strong tradition that people eat cheese on Hanukkah and it's associated with Judith giving cheese to the enemy to make him drunk," Weingarten says.

What are two fried treats served during Hanukkah? ›

In America, Hanukkah food typically refers to two things: latkes, Eastern European fried potato pancakes, and sufganiyot, jelly-filled doughnuts that are favored in Israel and increasingly popular here.

Is there a Hanukkah dinner? ›

There really aren't any 'traditional Hanukkah' meals, beyond the custom of eating foods fried in oil - typically either potato pancakes or sufganiyot (jelly doughnuts).

What are 3 traditions of Hanukkah? ›

Some nonreligious customs of celebration are eating treats fried in oil (which recalls the miracle of the oil), giving children gifts of money (Hanukkah gelt), and playing a game with a four-sided top called a dreidel.

Are there foods you can't eat during Hanukkah? ›

"Among other rules, eating certain animals, primarily pigs and shellfish, is forbidden; meat must be ritually and humanely slaughtered; and dairy and meat aren't to be eaten at the same meal." Fish and plant foods are "neutral" (parve) and can be eaten with either meat or dairy.

What are the oily potato pancakes eaten during Hanukkah? ›

Eat – latkes, of course! Crispy, fried, slightly oniony potato pancakes with decadent (that's a euphemism for fattening) toppings. Why latkes? The simple answer is that they're meant to remind Jews of the miracle of the oil associated with Hanukkah.

What are the oily foods for Hanukkah? ›

An important part of the Hanukkah tradition is to serve foods fried in oil, which symbolizes a miracle: After the Maccabee tribe recaptured ancient Jerusalem, the lamp in the temple appeared to hold only enough oil for one night yet continued to burn for eight days.

What do the 4 Hebrew letters on a dreidel mean? ›

In most of the world, dreidels have four Hebrew letters — nun, gimmel, hay, and shin — that stand for the phrase: Nes gadol haya sham (“a great miracle happened there”). That refers, of course, to the miracle of the holiday.

Do you light Hanukkah candles left right? ›

Placing The Candles On The Menorah

Each night, add a new candle before lighting. Now, here's the tricky part: candles are placed in the menorah from right to left but candles are lit from left to right. "Left to right, that's how you light!"

What game is played at Hanukkah? ›

Here's what you need to know about dreidel, a popular spinning top game commonly played during Hanukkah. Regardless if you're celebrating Hanukkah or not, it's always fun to partake in a game of dreidel.

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