Sufganiyot: 9 Hanukkah Donut Recipes (Plus How to Make Them)
Latkes get all the attention, but let’s be real: the best part of Hanukkah just may be the donuts. Sufganiyot are pillowy, jelly-filled, powdered-sugar-dusted proof that frying things in oil is a mitzvah. Okay, maybe not technically. But it should be.
I have been making sufganiyot for years, classic, and of course with my own twists. So below you will find everything you need to know about Hanukkah donuts, from what they are and why we eat them to how to fry them without burning down your kitchen, plus all of my sufganiyot recipes in one place. Some are sweet, some are savory, and one is stuffed with lox and schmear. And it’s delicious.
What are sufganiyot?
Sufganiyot (soof-gahn-ee-YOTE) are round, yeasted donuts that are fried, filled with jelly and dusted with powdered sugar. One is a sufganiyah. The name comes from the Hebrew word for sponge, which is a pretty good description of that soft, airy dough.
They are basically jelly donuts, and they are THE Hanukkah dessert in Israel, where bakeries start selling them weeks before the holiday. Strawberry jam is the classic, but Israeli bakeries go wild with dulce de leche, custard, Nutella and anything else that fits in a piping bag.
Why do we eat sufganiyot on Hanukkah?
It all comes back to the oil. Hanukkah celebrates the miracle of a single day’s worth of oil keeping the Temple menorah lit for eight nights, so we celebrate by eating foods fried in oil. That is the same reason we eat latkes. You do not have to tell me twice.
Jelly donuts came to Israel with Ashkenazi Jews from Central and Eastern Europe, where they had cousins like Polish pączki and German Berliners. In Israel they became the national Hanukkah treat. Sephardi and Mizrahi Jews have their own fried Hanukkah sweets too, like North African sfenj and Sephardic bimuelos, which are fried dough puffs often drizzled with honey.
How to make sufganiyot
Every recipe below has its own measurements, but they all follow the same basic steps:
- Make an enriched yeast dough with flour, yeast, a little sugar, eggs and butter or oil, and let it rise until doubled, usually about an hour.
- Roll and cut. Roll the dough about ½ inch thick and cut out rounds with a 2½ to 3-inch cutter or a glass.
- Let them rise again for about 30 minutes, until puffy. Do not skip this or your donuts will be dense.
- Fry in a few inches of oil at 350°F to 360°F for 1 to 2 minutes per side, until deep golden brown. Drain on paper towels.
- Fill. Poke a hole in the side with a skewer or chopstick, then pipe in jelly (or whatever you are into) with a piping bag fitted with a long tip.
- Dust with powdered sugar or roll in granulated sugar, and eat immediately. That last step is not optional.
Tips for the best sufganiyot
- Use a thermometer. Oil that is too hot browns the outside before the inside cooks, and oil that is too cool makes greasy donuts. Keep it between 350°F and 360°F and let it come back up between batches.
- Fry a test donut first. Cut it open to make sure it is cooked through before you fry the whole batch.
- Do not crowd the pot. Three or four at a time keeps the oil temperature steady.
- Fill them while they are still a little warm, but not hot, or the jelly will run right back out.
- Eat them the same day. Sufganiyot are at their best within a few hours of frying.
Sufganiyot FAQ
How do you pronounce sufganiyot?
Soof-gahn-ee-YOTE. The singular, sufganiyah, is soof-gahn-ee-YAH. If you just say “Hanukkah donuts,” nobody will judge you.
What is the difference between sufganiyot and jelly donuts?
Not much! Sufganiyot are jelly donuts. They are usually filled after frying (not before), have no hole in the middle, and are finished with powdered sugar. The name is what makes them a Hanukkah thing.
Do you need yeast to make sufganiyot?
Traditional sufganiyot use a yeasted dough, which gives them that light, fluffy texture. If you are short on time, try my easy sufganiyot dippers. They are a no-yeast cake donut you can make in about 30 minutes.
Can you bake or air fry sufganiyot?
You can, but they come out more like a soft dinner roll than a donut. On Hanukkah, the oil is kind of the whole point. If deep frying scares you, shallow frying in about an inch of oil works well for smaller donuts.
What is the best oil for frying sufganiyot?
A neutral oil with a high smoke point, like canola, vegetable, grapeseed or peanut oil (skip peanut if anyone has an allergy). You will need enough for 2 to 3 inches in a heavy pot.
Can I make sufganiyot ahead of time?
They are best fresh, but you can get a head start. Let the dough do its first rise overnight in the fridge, then shape, rise and fry the next day. You can also freeze fried, unfilled donuts, then rewarm them in a low oven and fill them before serving.
Are sufganiyot dairy free?
They can be. Make the dough with oil or plant-based butter and water or a nondairy milk, and fill with jelly instead of a cream filling, and they will be pareve.
More Hanukkah recipes
Planning the whole meal? Check out my complete Hanukkah menu, my best latkes recipe, 39 Hanukkah appetizers and Hanukkah sugar cookies.
