If you’re looking for a collection of authentic and modern Hanukkah recipes, you’ve come to the right place!Whether you spell it Hannukah or Channukah, this collection of ideas will not disappoint. We’ve included a mix of traditional recipes along with healthy upgrades to support food sensitivities, allergies, and healthy eating goals, allowing everyone to indulge and enjoy themselves this holiday season!
Hanukkah Food Traditions
Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday that is celebrated for 8 days and nights, and while there are many food traditions related to the holiday, families don’t typically prepare an elaborate feast 8 evenings in a row. They usually have one big meal with family and friends on either the first or last day, and on the other days, they light the menorah, say blessings, and sometimes give gifts.
As you will see from the list of traditional Hanukkah recipes below, many traditional recipes enjoyed during the holiday are rich in oil and/or cheese. You’ll often find fried foods such as latkes (potato pancakes) and donuts at Hanukkah celebrations. This is in recognition and celebration of the miracle of oil, which kept a menorah lit for 8 days ~2200 years ago. Cheese and other dairy-inspired dishes are also often served during Hanukkah in memory of Judith, and a version of the story of Judith is often ready on the Sabbath during Hanukkah.
Whether you’re looking for traditional Hanukkah recipes, or healthy alternatives to help support your dietary needs and health goals, I hope you enjoy this collection of ideas as much as we have!
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Gwen
Gwen is a 40-something freelance writer and social media consultant who has an unhealthy love for makeup, hair, and fashion. She lives with her husband and 10-year-old daughter in Toronto, Canada and hopes to move to a warmer climate someday. Preferably tomorrow.
Foods fried in oil are traditional and are eaten to commemorate the miracle of the oil. Perhaps the most famous fried item is the potato latke, aka, the potato pancake. We like to think of them as Hanukkah crepes because they can be dressed up with sweet or savory toppings.
Hanukkah recipes often use oil to commemorate that same oil that kept the lights burning, which means Hanukkah foods cooked in oil — and lots of it! We rounded up our favorite crispy latke recipes and fluffy sufganiyot along with other Hanukkah desserts, because what's a holiday without a few sweet treats?
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.
"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.
Fried foods, like potato pancakes and jelly doughnuts, are prepared and eaten throughout the holiday to celebrate the miracle of Hanukkah: oil that kept the menorah (an ancient lamp) lit for 8 days instead of the 1 day it was supposed to last.
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.
"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.
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.
Did you know that in addition to foods fried in oil, we also eat dairy on Hanukkah to commemorate the bravery of Judith? Her courage—fueled by bravery, salty cheese and wine—led to the Maccabee victory.
Latkes, or potato pancakes, are a favorite Hanukkah food. They are fried in oil, which reminds Jews of the oil in the menorah. Latkes are often served with applesauce.
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