Skip to main content

21OAK may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

How to make incredible Hanukkah doughnuts just like a pro baker

When Hanukkah approaches, our mouths start watering as we get ready to commemorate the holiday with all the most delicious fried foods. While latkes take the prize as one of the most popular and beloved Hanukkah dishes, doughnuts are a fried sweet treat that few can resist. In Israel alone, over 18 million Hanukkah doughnuts are produced and consumed in the weeks around the eight-day holiday. If you’d like to try your hand at some homemade Hanukkah doughnuts this year, we’ve got you covered. We’re going to go over how to make this festive sweet treat like a pro.

What is the significance of Hanukkah doughnuts?

Hanukkah doughnuts, often called Israeli doughnuts or “Sufganiyot,” are a staple treat that is eaten most often during the Jewish holiday Hanukkah. These sweet and divine little bites are traditionally jelly-filled doughnuts that are fried in oil and dusted with powdered sugar.

Hanukkah doughnuts recipe

Tools for the trade

  • Stand mixer with kneading hook (or a wooden spoon)
  • Mixing bowls, small and large
  • Rolling pin
  • Large saucepan or frying pan
  • Deep frying thermometer
  • Straining spoon
  • Cookie sheet
  • Paper towel
  • Wooden skewer
  • Pastry bag and piping tip

Ingredients

  • 3 cups vegetable oil, and a little more to oil your bowl
  • 1 cup jam, any flavor
  • 2 tbsp active dry yeast
  • 1/2 cup water, warmed to 100 degrees
  • 1/4 cup and 1 tsp granulated sugar
  • 2 1/2 cups flour, and a little more to use for dusting
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tbsp butter, at room temperature
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg, freshly grated
  • 2 tsp salt

How to make Hanukkah doughnuts

Making the dough

  1. In a small mixing bowl, mix together yeast, water, and 1 teaspoon of sugar. Set it aside until it gets foamy, about 10 minutes.
  2. In a larger mixing bowl or stand mixer, put the flour in and make a hole at the center.
  3. Drop eggs, 1/4 cup sugar, butter, nutmeg, salt, and yeast mixture into the hole.
  4. Use the kneading hook attachment on your stand mixer and turn it on the low setting to knead the mixture (or stir the mix by hand with a wooden spoon) until a sticky dough forms.
  5. Toss some of your extra flour to dust your working surface and place the dough on top of it.
  6. Knead the dough with your hands for about 8 minutes, adding flour if the dough is still too sticky until it’s soft and bounces back to its shape when you poke it.
  7. Oil a mixing bowl and place the dough inside.
  8. Cover the bowl with a clean towel or plastic wrap and place it in a warm place. After about 1-2 hours, the dough will have risen to roughly double its size.

Kneading and cutting the dough

  1. Dust your working surface again with flour and roll out the dough until it’s about 1/4 of an inch thick.
  2. Use a drinking glass or a round cookie cutter with a 2 1/2 inch diameter and cut out 20 circles of dough.
  3. Lay dough circles on a wax paper-covered cookie sheet and cover them with a clean towel or plastic wrap for about 15 minutes to let them rise.

Frying the doughnuts

  1. Fill a saucepan or frying pan with vegetable oil and heat it over medium heat until it reaches 370 degrees.
  2. Line a cookie sheet with a paper towel to lay doughnuts on when they come out of the oil.
  3. Use a mesh straining spoon or metal slotted spoon to slip dough rounds into the oil. Place only four dough rounds at a time in order to fry evenly.
  4. Fry each batch of dough rounds for about 40 seconds on the first side, then turn them over and fry for another 40 seconds.
  5. Remove the fried doughnuts and place them on the paper towel-lined cookie sheet.

Adding sugar and jam

  1. Roll each doughnut in sugar while they’re still hot.
  2. Repeat the frying process until all doughnuts are fried and rolled in sugar.
  3. Fit a pastry bag with a piping tip and fill it with your chosen jam.
  4. Use a wooden skewer to make a hole on each doughnut’s side.
  5. Insert the piping tip into the hole and pipe in roughly 2 teaspoons of jam into each doughnut.

Making and eating Hanukkah food is a tradition that has been practiced for generations. While many people choose to purchase store-bought Sufganiyot, when it comes to Hanukkah doughnuts, nothing beats homemade. Freshly fried, crispy, and sweet, these doughnuts will be sure to impress the whole family as you celebrate the holiday this year.

Editors' Recommendations

Veronica Sparks
Veronica Sparks is a writer from Milwaukee, Wisconsin who loves writing about gardening, home décor, and DIY life. She’s…
How to store Thanksgiving leftovers so they last (plus 5 tasty recipes)
Turkey, stuffing, and more. Here's how to store your delicious Thanksgiving food for later
Roasted turkey and side dishes on a table

It's that time of year again! You shopped, you cooked, and you ate (and then you ate some more) — you conquered Thanksgiving. But even with careful planning — not to mention the worry that you wouldn’t have enough food — every Thanksgiving you somehow always end up with leftovers. Lots of leftovers. 

Not that we're complaining, of course! Most people probably agree that Thanksgiving leftovers are one of the best parts of the overindulgent holiday. Leftovers offer you another opportunity to enjoy all that tasty food again… and again. But if you’re not sure what to do with all that food, relax — we’re here to help. We’ll tell you exactly how to make the most of your Thanksgiving leftovers — from safe storage ideas to creative recipes that go well beyond the basics. Let’s talk turkey… and more!

Read more
5 delicious Thanksgiving desserts to make if you kind of hate pie
Not a fan of pie? Try these holiday dessert alternatives this Thanksgiving
Autumn spices, pumpkin, and cinnamon

We admit it: We're big fans of fall flavors. And come Thanksgiving, many of those fall flavors are the highlight of the dessert table — whether you prefer apple or pumpkin, there's probably a pie to your liking. Of course, if you're not the biggest fan of pies (we don't judge), it can be disappointing to see this dessert dominate the Thanksgiving holiday.

The good news is, there is a variety of delectable, non-pie, fall-flavored desserts that you can integrate into your Thanksgiving holiday meal. Whether you enjoy pumpkin but not the pie, or if you prefer something different altogether, you don't need to miss out on a delicious Thanksgiving dessert just because of your unique preferences! Here are some amazing Thanksgiving dessert dishes that you can top off your meal with this year.

Read more
4 kitchen gadgets that make cooking Thanksgiving dinner a breeze
Kitchen appliances that'll save you cooking time on Thanksgiving
Cheese in food processor

For those hosting Thanksgiving this year, you're likely well into the planning phase. Timing is everything when it comes to the big meal, so finding kitchen appliances that can help things run smoothly makes the prep less of a hassle. Multi-use, easy-to-clean gadgets can alleviate the stress of getting all of those sides, breads, and of course, the turkey, ready to be served at the same time. You can have the most amazing recipes for the big day, but if they don't cook the right way, everyone will feel disappointed.

There are so many gadgets on the market that it can seem impossible to decide which ones you should spend your time and money buying. Here are four tried-and-true kitchen gadgets that will help you win on Thanksgiving day.

Read more