31 Hanukkah Recipes to Celebrate the Festival of Lights
From shallow-fried potato latkes to deep-fried jelly doughnuts, traditional Hanukkah foods hinge on oil. Typically falling in December, the Jewish holiday, also called the Festival of Lights, celebrates the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem. As the story goes, the Maccabees had enough oil to last just one night, but somehow, someway, it lasted for eight.
Today’s tradition of lighting the menorah for eight consecutive evenings and, yes, eating lots of crispy fried foods, pays homage to that magical flame. But there’s much more to Hanukkah than potato pancakes and sufganiyot. Below we’re sharing 31 all-star Hanukkah recipes, like juicy brisket, noodle kugel, pillowy challah, and more. Just make sure you save room for dessert.
Jeremy Liebman1/31Silver Dollar Latkes
Hanukkah foods don’t get more iconic than latkes. This bite-size iteration of the crispy potato pancakes makes a great holiday appetizer, and you can top them however you want (say, with sour cream and applesauce, or cream cheese and smoked fish).
- Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Mieko Takahashi2/31
Red-Wine-Braised Brisket
This streamlined recipe produces fork-tender brisket and a rich red wine jus with glossy crisp-tender veg on the side.
- Photo by Chelsie Craig3/31
Lemony Latkes
A Hanukkah menu staple for Ashkenazi Jews, latkes can go lots of ways. This riff from chef and author Missy Robbins is cheesy and lemony.
- Photo by Elizabeth Coetzee, Prop Styling by Emma Ringness, Food Styling by Emilie Fosnocht4/31
BA’s Best Matzo Ball Soup
Though traditionally made on Passover, lots of families love matzo ball soup on Hanukkah too. This comforting recipe serves a crowd.
- Photograph by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell5/31
Strawberry Sufganiyot
A beloved Hanukkah food in Israel, jelly doughnuts (sufganiyot in Hebrew) are pure comfort. Since you’re making the doughnuts from scratch, give yourself a break and buy the jam.
- Alex Lau6/31
Classic Applesauce
Want to serve your latkes with applesauce? Try this rosy recipe. Its natural blush comes from the apple skins.
- Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Micah Morton7/31
All-Purpose Fry Batter
Whatever ingredient you want to fry, this all-purpose batter made with rice flour and fizzy seltzer is ready to rumble.
- Photo by Chelsie Craig, Styling by Molly Baz8/31
Crispy Smashed Potatoes With Walnut Dressing
Not mashed potatoes, but smashed potatoes. Boiled Yukon Golds get flattened and dressed with a garlicky walnut and golden raisin dressing.
- Photograph by Joe Lingeman, food styling by Shilpa Uskokovic, prop styling by Marina Bevilacqua9/31
Tahini Hot Fudge Skillet Cake
We’d trade all our chocolate gelt for this intensely chocolaty, fudge-draped skillet cake, which also happens to be gluten- and dairy-free.
- Photo by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Pearl Jones, Prop Styling by Anne Eastman10/31
Spicy Kimchi–Sweet Potato Fritters
Take a break from traditional latkes with these sweet potato fritters interlaced with chopped kimchi and served with gochujang yogurt.
- Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by D’mytrek Brown, prop styling by Elizabeth Jaime11/31
Mushroom Matzo Kugel
If you’ve got a box of matzo that’s still hanging around from Passover (no shame), turn the brittle planks into a creamy, lasagna-adjacent casserole, packed with mushrooms and greens.
- Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Judy Kim, prop styling by Beth Pakradooni12/31
Brisket Bourguignon
This is not your grandmother’s brisket. The sometimes-tough cut of meat becomes extra tender when braised in the style of classic French beef bourguignon, and you can make this impressive holiday main ahead of time.
- Photograph by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by D'mytrek Brown, Props from Meilen Ceramics13/31
Beet Fritters With Beet Greens Yogurt
Potatoes and beets join forces in this colorful fritter recipe, which includes a sidecar of magenta-hued dip.
- Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boytsova14/31
Easy Noodle Kugel
Bouncy egg noodles, cheesy-sugary custard, and a whisper of vanilla. Is kugel a side dish or dessert? Your call. If spiced isn’t your scene, skip the cinnamon.
- Photo by Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski15/31
Radicchio Salad With Sour Cream Ranch
Sour cream, but not for latke-dunking. Here, it becomes a creamy dressing for a leafy radicchio salad.
- Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Pearl Jones, Prop Styling by Dayna Seman16/31
Apple and Honey Rice Kugel
Instead of egg noodles, this lovely kugel from author Michael W. Twitty features chewy, long-grain rice.
- Photo by Alex Lau17/31
Challah
This beloved challah recipe has been in editor Julia Kramer’s family for decades. Eggs add richness and a golden hue, while sesame seeds yield a delightfully crackly crust.
- Photograph by Emma Fishman, prop styling by Elizabeth Jaime18/31
Vegan Leek Latkes
Yet another spin on latkes—this time vegan, with lots of leeks. Instead of egg, almond flour acts as a binder.
- Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by D’mytrek Brown, prop styling by Elizabeth Jaime19/31
Yemeni Chicken Matzo Ball Soup
Chef Einat Admony grew up eating this Yemeni chicken soup every Friday with her family. Feel free to keep or skip the matzo balls for your Hanukkah celebration.
- Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Thu Buser20/31
No-Fail Roast Chicken With Lemon and Garlic
This reliable roast chicken needs only a handful of ingredients: your pick of olive oil or butter, lemon, garlic, and of course, salt and pepper. That’s it.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Michelle Gatton21/31
Roasted Salmon With Citrus Salsa Verde
Yes, 250° is the right temperature. Roasting at a low heat, with lots of olive oil, yields perfectly cooked fish every time.
- Photo by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Cyd McDowell, Prop Styling by Paige Hicks22/31
Super Lemony Olive Oil Cake
With over a cup of olive oil, this lemony cake is super moist and tender. Dust with powdered sugar for an effortlessly pretty presentation.
- Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Judy Kim, prop styling by Beth Pakradooni23/31
Cheesy Roasted Cabbage Wedges
For a vegetarian main, blanket cabbage wedges in a luscious cheese sauce, then roast until charred and tender. This Hanukkah recipe would also be welcome on your Shabbat table year-round.
- Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Dana Bonagura24/31
Maple-Glazed Carrots
The oven takes care of the hard work here. Simply combine carrots with butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, and red pepper flakes, then roast.
- Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne, Prop Styling by Gerri K. Williams25/31
Parsnip Purée
This silky parsnip mash from Ina Garten’s latest cookbook couldn’t be easier (or tastier) if it tried. Serve alongside brisket for a stellar Hanukkah dinner menu.
- Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Judy Kim, prop styling by Beth Pakradooni26/31
Sour Cream and Onion Hasselback Potatoes
Hasselback potatoes go miniature in this utterly charming recipe, which channels the flavor of sour cream and onion soup packets into your new favorite side dish.
- Peden + Munk27/31
Chocolate-Cinnamon “Babkallah”
A well-wrapped chocolate babka will last for days, making it a prime Hanukkah dessert and breakfast the next morning. When it does eventually go stale, cut it into cubes to make babka cereal.
- Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by Pearl Jones, prop styling by Summer Moore28/31
Chewy Date and Dark Chocolate Cookies
Olive oil and earthy tahini give these cookies an ideal sweet-savory balance. If you don’t have a chocolate bar on hand, chop up those chocolate coins you won playing dreidel.
- Photograph by Laura Murray, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Sophie Strangio29/31
Za’atar Chicken Cutlets With Cabbage Salad
Crispy chicken cutlets, garlicky tahini, and a pickle-y cabbage salad: As one reader put it, “This was DELICIOUS!”
- Photo by Laura Murray, food styling by Susie Theodorou30/31
Honey-Dunked Sfenj
These no-knead doughnuts were brought to Israel by Moroccan Jews in the early 20th century. A breakfast treat of the Maghreb year-round, they’re often eaten by Sephardic Jews during Hanukkah.
- Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Susan Spungen, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski31/31
Raspberry Rugelach
With a cream cheese and butter dough, these rugelach are tender-meets-flaky. Freeze-dried fruit adds gorgeous color to this classic Hanukkah recipe.