Hanukkah Sugar Cookies
It’s hard to be a Jew on Christmas, but easier when we have these epic Hanukkah sugar cookies!
This reminds me of when I was studying abroad in Barcelona in college aka the best 6 months ever. No responsibility (except passing our classes) and all the time in the world to try delicious foods and explore. Five of us lived in a circular apartment (picture the bedrooms on the outside circle, bathroom and laundry in the middle, kitchen and living room at opposite ends) and would check the cheapest flights on the weekends and jet off somewhere.
We were in Italy during Thanksgiving, so instead of turkey and green bean casserole, we gorged on 10 courses of Italian delicacies, from liver pate to delicate pasta and lots of limoncello. I was so beyond full, but never felt better. We finished the night with karaoke and lots to be thankful for.
Now I’m not an expert cookie decorator, but that’s not the point with these cookies. Even the ugly ones taste good, right? Royal icing seems intimidating but it’s much easier than it looks and super fun! Make the cookies ahead of time and invite your friends over to decorate. Perfect for kids of all ages. I added some fun sayings like Oy! and I <3 U A Latke. I kept things simple with blue, white and yellow frosting, but get meshugena with toppings and colors if you must! To make the swirls, draw lines first and then run a toothpick through it to create a pattern. Fun!
Why Cookies for Hanukkah?
Let’s be honest: the ancient Hanukkah food tradition is frying things in oil, which is why we have latkes and sufganiyot. Decorated Hanukkah cookies are a newer, very American Jewish tradition. When everyone around you is baking Christmas cookies, you bake blue and white dreidels and menorahs. It is a fun way to bring the kids into the kitchen, and they make great gifts for teachers, neighbors and coworkers.
I also like that the icing does not have to be perfect. Hanukkah is eight nights long. You have plenty of time to get better at it.
Ingredients You’ll Need
For the cookies:
- Unsalted butter, softened but not melted, so the dough holds its shape.
- Sugar, egg and vanilla for a classic sugar cookie base.
- Lemon zest. My secret ingredient. It makes these taste bright instead of just sweet.
- All-purpose flour, baking powder and salt. Just a little baking powder, so the cookies stay flat enough to decorate.
For the royal icing: egg whites, cream of tartar, confectioners’ sugar and a little water, plus blue and yellow food coloring.
How to Make Hanukkah Sugar Cookies
Cream the butter and sugar until very smooth, then beat in the egg, vanilla and lemon zest. Mix in the dry ingredients a little at a time, just until combined, and chill the dough for at least an hour. Roll it out ¼ to ½ inch thick, cut out your shapes, and bake at 375°F for 7 to 10 minutes, until the edges are just barely golden. Let the cookies cool completely before you even think about icing them.
How to Decorate Hanukkah Cookies with Royal Icing
Royal icing looks intimidating, but it is really just about getting two consistencies right:
- Outline icing should be thick, about like toothpaste. Pipe a border around the edge of each cookie and let it set for a few minutes.
- Flood icing is thinned with a few drops of water at a time until a ribbon drizzled back into the bowl disappears in about 10 to 15 seconds. Fill in the outline and nudge it into the corners with a toothpick.
- For swirls, pipe lines of a second color onto wet flood icing and drag a toothpick through them.
- For details like menorah flames, dreidel letters or a little “Oy!”, wait until the base layer has crusted over, then pipe on top.
Keep any icing you are not using covered with a damp towel, since it dries out fast. Let the finished cookies dry completely, ideally overnight, before stacking or packing them.
Hanukkah Cookie Shapes and Ideas
- Dreidels, with a Hebrew letter on each (nun, gimel, hey, shin).
- Menorahs, with little yellow flames on top.
- Stars of David in blue and white.
- Gelt: round cookies iced in yellow or gold.
- Latkes and jelly donuts, because food-shaped cookies of food are very on brand.
- Words and puns like Oy!, Shalom and I <3 U A Latke.
No Hanukkah cookie cutters? A round cutter and some creativity get you gelt, donuts and latkes, and a knife and a paper template get you just about anything else.
Tips for the Best Sugar Cookies
- Chill the dough. Cold dough spreads less, so your menorahs stay menorahs.
- Roll between sheets of parchment to avoid working in extra flour, which makes the cookies tough.
- Do not overbake. Pull them when the edges are barely golden. They firm up as they cool.
- Cool completely before icing, or the icing will melt and slide right off.
How to Make Them Ahead and Store Them
The dough keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Baked, undecorated cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months too, so you can bake before Thanksgiving and decorate during Hanukkah. Once decorated and fully dry, store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.
Hanukkah Cookies FAQ
Can I make these cookies pareve or dairy free?
Yes. Swap the butter for a plant-based butter stick and the cookies will be dairy free and pareve. The royal icing is already dairy free.
Can I use meringue powder instead of egg whites?
Yes. Royal icing made with meringue powder is easier to work with and avoids raw egg whites, which is a good idea if kids or anyone pregnant will be eating the cookies. Follow the directions on the package for the ratio of powder to water.
Why did my sugar cookies spread?
Usually the dough was too warm or the butter was too soft (or partly melted). Chill the dough for at least an hour, and if your kitchen is warm, pop the cut-out cookies in the fridge for 10 minutes before baking.
How long does royal icing take to dry?
It crusts over in about an hour, but it takes several hours (often overnight) to dry completely. Give it time before you stack, bag or gift the cookies.
What colors are used for Hanukkah cookies?
Blue and white are the classic Hanukkah colors, the same as the Israeli flag. Yellow or gold works for menorah flames and gelt, and silver sprinkles make everything feel festive.
What other desserts are good for Hanukkah?
Fried ones, of course! Start with my sufganiyot recipes, or try easy sufganiyot dippers, homemade dark chocolate gelt or Nutella rugelach. For the rest of the meal, check out my full Hanukkah menu and 50+ Hanukkah recipes. For even more sweets, browse my 27 Hanukkah desserts.
Hanukkah Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- For Sugar Cookies:
- ¾ cup unsalted butter softened (not melted)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- For Royal Icing:
- 2 egg whites at room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 4 cups confectioners' sugar
- 1 tablespoon or more water room temperature
Instructions
- In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until very smooth, about 3-4 minutes. Beat in egg, and vanilla and lemon zest for another 2 minutes until combined well.
- In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to the butter mixture a little at a time and mix just until combined. Do not over mix.
- Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight).
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line cookies sheets with parchment paper.
- Roll out dough on lightly floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes with cookie cutters of your choice. Dreidels, menorahs and Texas worked for me! Place cookies 1 inch apart on cookie sheets lined with parchment.
- Bake 7 to 10 minutes until lightly brown on the edges. Cool completely before frosting.
- To make royal icing, use an electric mixer to mix egg whites, cream of tartar and confectioners' sugar until stiff peaks form, adding water as needed, about 5 minutes. Color with food coloring if desired, put in piping bags, and use immediately. Cover icing with a damp towel when not using. Icing takes a few hours to dry completely so keep that in mind!
5 Comments
The cookie dough was crumbly. I added water to salvage it, but the consistency was terrible.
Oh no! Sorry you had trouble. It’s possible you overmixed the dough or added too much dry ingredients or not enough butter. Next time, try letting the dough sit at room temperature to warm up or add a little softened butter.
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I made the dough exactly as written. It was in the fridge overnight . Crumbly and completely fell apart. 🙁
Oh no! Did you try to bring it back to room temperature a bit? Sometimes if dough gets too cold this can happen, but more with pie dough.