90+ Rosh Hashanah Recipes for a Sweet New Year

Nothing says Rosh Hashanah to me like picturing my mom, Bubbe and a few aunts and cousins poking at a brisket exclaiming “Is it done?” “It needs 20 more minutes!” “It’s perfect, not a moment more!” Isn’t that what Shana Tova is all about? Rosh Hashanah, aka Jewish New Year, is one of the most food-centered holidays of the year. And we have a lot. A two-day celebration built around sweet, symbolic dishes that express our hopes for a sweet New Year. Whether you’re hosting your first holiday dinner or feeding a full table of family, here are 90+ Rosh Hashanah recipes organized by course, from apples and honey to brisket, kugel, and honey cake. And all Bubbe approved.

Why we eat these foods on Rosh Hashanah

Many Rosh Hashanah foods are symbolic (simanim), chosen for what they represent as we enter the New Year:

• Apples and honey – for a sweet New Year (apples are a fall fruit and honey is sweet!)
• Round challah – the circular shape represents the cycle of the year and continuity
• Pomegranate – its many seeds (arils) symbolize the 613 mitzvot and abundance
• Honey cake and sweet desserts – more sweetness for the year ahead
• Carrots / tzimmes – the Yiddish word for carrots (mehren) also means “to increase”
• Fish – a symbol of abundance and fertility
• Dates (tamar) – the name sounds like yitamu, a wish that any hatred toward us be finished (more dates, please!)
• Leeks or scallions (karti) – sounds like yikartu, that our enemies be cut off
• Beets or Swiss chard (silka) – sounds like yistalku, that our adversaries depart (we have a lot of enemies, in case you didn’t know)
• Gourd or squash (k’ra) – sounds like yikra, that any harsh decree against us be torn up
• Black-eyed peas or fenugreek (rubia) – sounds like yirbu, that our merits increase
• Head of a fish – so that we may be “the head and not the tail” in the year ahead

Okay! So all those symbolic ingredients makes it really fun to come up with recipes and lends itself to a colorful and seasonal menu all on its own. Here are some of my favorite recipes organized by type. Let me know your menu in the comments!

Appetizers & dips

• Apples, Honey and Goat Cheese Crostini – always popular!
• Pomegranate Hummus
• Pumpkin Hummus
• Pesto Hummus
• Pesto Hummus Stuffed Mushrooms
• Chopped Liver
• Vegetarian Chopped Liver – there is a vegan version too!
• Chicken Liver Mousse
• Gefilte Fish
• Beef and Sweet Potato Knishes
• Garlic Mashed Potato Knishes
• Beet Chips with Spicy Honey Mayo
• Leek Fries with Homemade Ketchup
• Blue Corn Blini with Avocado Salad
• Pumpkin Spice Mashed Potato Knishes

Challah & breads

• Round Challah – my basic challah recipe
• Cinnamon Apple Stuffed Challah
• Pomegranate Beet Challah
• Pumpkin Challah
• Everything Bagel Challah
• Chai Tea Challah
• Whole Wheat Challah
• Spinach and Cheese Challah

Soups

• Pumpkin Spice Matzah Ball Soup – don’t knock it until you try it!
• Matzah Ball and Chicken Soup
• Carrot Harissa Soup with Za’atar Croutons
• Parsnip and Apple Soup
• Pumpkin and Kale Stew
• Babaganoush Soup

Brisket & short ribs

• Red Wine Braised Brisket
• Pomegranate Brisket with Avocado Cilantro Aioli
• Pomegranate Brisket with Cranberry Succotash
• Bourbon and Coffee Brisket with Cranberry Sauce – my personal favorite
• White Wine Braised Brisket with Apricots
• Classic Brisket – Bubbe’s recipe
• Manischewitz Braised Short Ribs
• 48-Hour Sous Vide Short Ribs

Chicken, fish & other mains

• Honey Horseradish Roasted Chicken
• Honey Mustard Roasted Chicken with Apples
• White Wine, Honey and Fig Chicken
• White Wine Braised Chicken Thighs
• Sumac Roasted Salmon
• Salmon with Apple Fig Chutney and Jeweled Rice
• Lemon Caper Almond Salmon over Beet Puree
• Stuffed Cabbage
• Kasha Varnishkas
• Roasted Eggplant with Silan Tahini
• Brie and Apple Blintzes
• Stuffed Cabbage Rolls with White Wine Sauce

Sides & kugels

• Tzimmes
• Tzimmes with Tahini Pesto and Pomegranate
• Glazed Carrots
• Sweet Potato Kugel
• Individual Sweet Potato Kugels
• Noodle Kugel
• Caramel Apple Kugel
• Caramelized Onion Sriracha Potato Kugel
• Vegetable Kugel with Caramelized Leeks
• Potato Zucchini Kugel Cupcakes
• Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Gribenes
• Spinach Squares
• Cheese Blintzes Casserole
• Caramelized Onion, Apple and Goat Cheese Blintzes

Salads

• Apples and Honey Chickpea Quinoa Salad
• Pomegranate, Pear and Gorgonzola Salad
• Israeli Panzanella Salad
• Cardamom Coffee Beet Salad
• Roasted Almond and Cranberry Quinoa Salad
• Grilled Vegetable Quinoa Salad
• Jerusalem Artichoke Salad
• Shabbat Salad
• Tabouli Salad
• Tzatziki Salad Dressing

Desserts

• Jewish Honey Cake with Pomegranate Glaze
• Jewish Apple Cake
• Carrot Sweet Potato Cake (Tzimmes Cake)
• Green Chile, Apple and Honey Galette
• Apple and Honey Doughnuts
• Apple Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
• Apple Cheddar Scones with Honey Glaze
• Nutella Rugelach
• Peanut Butter and Chocolate Rugelach
• Pumpkin Butter and Caramelized Fig Rugelach
• Dark Chocolate Mandel Bread
• Cranberry Chocolate Orange Mandel Bread
• Taiglach – Honey Cookie Bars
• Cinnamon Roll Strudel
• Pumpkin Challah Bread Pudding
• Bubbe’s Famous Brownies
• Tahini Avocado Mousse with Cardamom Whipped Cream
• Manischewitz Ice Cream
• Manischewitz Ice Cream Sandwiches
• Vegan Chocolate Truffles with Manischewitz
• Tahini Stuffed Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Drinks

• Apples & Honey Cocktail
• Manischewitz Sangria

More Jewish holiday recipe collections

• 25 Brisket Recipes
• 15 Must-Have Kugel Recipes
• 20 Best Jewish Bread Recipes
• The 20 Best Jewish Main Dishes

Rosh Hashanah recipes FAQ

What foods do you eat on Rosh Hashanah?

The classics are apples dipped in honey, round challah, brisket or roasted chicken, tzimmes, kugel, and honey cake. Many families also serve pomegranate, fish, and carrots for their symbolic meanings. Browse the courses above to build a full menu.

What is a traditional Rosh Hashanah dinner menu?

A typical menu starts with apples and honey and round challah, followed by chicken soup or a fall soup, a brisket or roasted chicken main, sides like tzimmes and kugel, and a sweet dessert like honey cake or apple cake. Wine and a festive cocktail round it out.

Why do we eat apples and honey on Rosh Hashanah?

Apples dipped in honey are eaten to symbolize the wish for a sweet new year. Honey appears throughout the meal: drizzled on challah, glazed on chicken, and baked into honey cake. We just can’t get enough of it!

What can I make ahead for Rosh Hashanah?

Brisket is actually better made a day or two ahead, as are many desserts, honey cake, and most soups. Challah can be baked and frozen. Make-ahead dishes let you actually enjoy the holiday instead of cooking through it.

What dessert is traditional for Rosh Hashanah?

Honey cake (lekach) is the most traditional Rosh Hashanah dessert, along with apple cake and anything featuring apples, honey, or pomegranate for a sweet New Year!