Hanukkah Donuts: Easy Sufganiyot (Israeli Jelly Donuts)

Outside Israel, Chanukah usually means one fried food: potato latkes. When we moved to Israel, we discovered that here the star of the season is the sufganiyah, a soft, jelly-filled donut dusted with powdered sugar. These are the Hanukkah donuts every Israeli waits for all year.

From the first weeks of winter, every bakery in the country fills its windows with trays of them. Some are classic strawberry, others are filled with caramel, chocolate or pistachio cream. But nothing beats a warm one made at home.

We had never made sufganiyot before, so we searched for an easy recipe. We found a clever method from JEWLISH that went around Facebook: you mix the whole dough in a Ziploc bag. No mixer, no kneading, almost nothing to wash up.

Would they be light and fluffy? Would they be greasy? We had to see. They were easier than we expected, tasted better than we hoped, and they were a lot of fun to make.

Why We Eat Fried Foods on Chanukah

The Gemara (Shabbat 21b) tells how the Maccabees found only one sealed jar of pure olive oil when they rededicated the Temple, enough to light the Menorah for a single day. It burned for eight days.

That’s why it’s a custom to eat foods fried in oil during Chanukah. In Israel, that oil was always olive oil, the same oil that lit the Menorah.

Prep: 30 minutes | Rising: 1 hour 30 minutes | Frying: about 10 minutes | Makes: 12-14 donuts, each about 3 inches (7-8 cm)

Ingredients for Hanukkah Jelly Donuts

• 2¼ teaspoons dry yeast (one packet)
• 1 cup lukewarm water
• 3 cups flour, plus extra for rolling
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon brandy
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1½ tablespoons Galilee Green Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 egg
• Strawberry jam, or any filling you like
• ½ to ¾ cup Galilee Green Extra Virgin Olive Oil for frying
• Powdered (icing) sugar for dusting

How to Make Sufganiyot

1. Mix the dough in the bag. Put all the dough ingredients into a large Ziploc bag in the order listed. Seal it and squeeze and knead it through the bag until it comes together as a dough.
2. Let it rise. Place the sealed bag in a bowl of warm water for one hour. Keep the water warm but not hot, or the yeast will overproof.
3. Roll and cut. Flour your work surface well. Take the dough out of the bag. If it’s very sticky, add a little flour until it’s stretchy and easy to handle. Gently roll it out to about ½ inch (1¼ cm) thick and cut out rounds with a glass.
4. Second rise. Cover the rounds with a clean towel and let them rest for 30 minutes.
5. Fry. Heat the frying oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Fry the donuts for about one minute on each side, until golden. Lift them onto a plate lined with paper towels.
6. Fill and dust. Fill a squeeze bottle with a long spout with jam. Poke it into the side of each donut and squeeze in the filling. Dust with powdered sugar and try not to eat too many!

They weren’t greasy at all. They’re best eaten warm, on the day you make them.

Variation: Honey-Glazed Sufganiyot

For a taste of the Land of Israel, skip the powdered sugar. Instead, drizzle the warm donuts with Galilee Green Raw Natural Honey.

Questions About Hanukkah Donuts

How do you pronounce sufganiyot?

Soof-gah-nee-YOTE, with the stress on the last syllable. One donut is a sufganiyah (soof-gah-nee-YAH).

Is it sufganiot, sufganiyot or sufganiyah?

They’re all the same Hanukkah jelly donut. Sufganiyah is one donut and sufganiyot is the plural. Sufganiot is a common alternative spelling.

Can you fry with extra virgin olive oil?

Yes. Good-quality extra virgin olive oil is stable at normal frying temperatures, around 350°F (175°C). It gives the donuts a light, delicate flavor, and you’re frying with the same oil that lit the Menorah.

Can I use a different filling?

Of course. Try custard, chocolate spread, dulce de leche, or a spoonful of raw honey.

Can I make them ahead?

They’re best fresh. If you have leftovers, warm them in the oven for a few minutes before serving.

Give the Gift of the Land of Israel This Chanukah

Chanukah is a festival of light, and the light came from olive oil.

This year, give your family and friends Galilee Green Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Raw Natural Honey, straight from the Land of Israel. It’s a gift that tells the Chanukah story, supports a small family business in the Galilee, and brings the blessings of the Land into their homes.

Order early and get a free dreidel! Our packages ship from Israel, so order now to make sure your gifts arrive in time for gift giving!

Order Olive Oil Gifts Order Raw Honey

More Chanukah recipes and traditions: Potato Latkes for Chanukah | Healthy Chanukah Latke Recipes | Chanukah Dreidels from Israel

Happy Chanukah, and blessings for a life full of miracles, light, good health and joy!