A Sweet Rosh Hashanah Menu (Recipes for the Whole Meal)

Published by Amy Kritzer Becker on August 22, 2026

Author of Sweet Noshings · as seen on Food Network, GMA & The NYT

L’shana tova! It is officially time to start planning the sweetest new year spread for Rosh Hashanah. Whether you are hosting the whole mishpacha or bringing a showstopper to someone else’s table, I pulled together a complete Rosh Hashanah menu using some of my very favorite recipes from the blog.

Think of this as a build-your-own holiday dinner. Pick a round challah, a starter or two, a soup or salad, your main, a few sides, and (obviously) dessert or three. Every dish leans into the symbolic foods of the holiday, so there is plenty of apples, honey and pomegranates for a sweet and thriving year ahead. Just click any recipe to get the full instructions.

When Is Rosh Hashanah in 2026?

Rosh Hashanah 5787 begins at sundown on Friday, September 11, 2026, and runs through nightfall on Sunday, September 13, 2026. Because the first night falls on Shabbat this year, you are really cooking for a few meals in a row, so plan for at least one big festive dinner and a lunch or two. Make-ahead dishes are your best friend.

Rosh Hashanah moves around on the Gregorian calendar since it follows the Hebrew calendar, so here is when it falls for the next five years. Bookmark this one and get a head start on your planning:

Year	Rosh Hashanah begins	Ends
2026 (5787)	Sundown, Friday, September 11	Nightfall, Sunday, September 13
2027 (5788)	Sundown, Friday, October 1	Nightfall, Sunday, October 3
2028 (5789)	Sundown, Wednesday, September 20	Nightfall, Friday, September 22
2029 (5790)	Sundown, Sunday, September 9	Nightfall, Tuesday, September 11
2030 (5791)	Sundown, Friday, September 27	Nightfall, Sunday, September 29

What Is Rosh Hashanah?

Rosh Hashanah means “head of the year,” and it is the Jewish New Year. Similar to secular new year but with less champagne and more honey! It kicks off the High Holy Days, the ten Days of Awe that lead up to Yom Kippur, and it is a time for reflection, for hearing the shofar, and for gathering around the table. Above all it is a holiday of sweetness. We dip apples in honey, bake round (sweet) challah, and fill the table with foods that carry wishes for a good, sweet and abundant year to come. Sounds fun, right?

How to Plan Your Rosh Hashanah Menu

A great Rosh Hashanah menu balances tradition with whatever makes your family happy. Here is my simple formula:

Start with a round challah and the apples and honey. These are the must-haves.
Work in the symbolic foods (the simanim, more on those below) so the meal carries a little extra meaning.
Lean on make-ahead mains and sides like brisket, kugel and tzimmes so you are not stuck in the kitchen during the whole meal.
Do not skip dessert or the l’chaim. Honey cake, apple cake and an apples-and-honey cocktail ensure a sweet new year.

Build your plate from the courses below, or read on for the symbolic foods that inspire so much of the menu.

Simanim: The Symbolic Foods of Rosh Hashanah

Simanim (Hebrew for “signs” or “symbols”) are the symbolic foods of Rosh Hashanah. Many families hold a short Rosh Hashanah seder, eating each food with a little blessing, often a pun on the food’s Hebrew or Aramaic name, that expresses a hope for the year ahead. Who doesn’t love a pun? Here are the classics and a recipe for each.

Apples and honey for a sweet new year, the most beloved siman of all. Try apples, honey and goat cheese crostini or a honey tahini yogurt dip for dunking.

Round challah for a full, unbroken year and a crown fit for the King of Kings. Here is my easy round challah.

Pomegranate (rimon) so that our merits multiply like its many seeds. It shines in pomegranate brisket and pomegranate hummus.

Carrots (gezer / mern) a double pun: “gezer” echoes the word for an evil decree we hope to tear up, and the Yiddish “mern” means to increase our good fortune. This is where tzimmes and glazed carrots come in.

Dates (tamar) that our troubles come to an end. Try date malawach with roasted grapes and labneh.

Leeks and scallions (karti) that anyone wishing us harm be cut off. See these fried leek rings.

Beets (silka) that our adversaries depart. I love roasted carrots and beets with tahini yogurt and beet chips.

Gourd and squash (k’ra) that our merits be proclaimed. Pumpkin counts, so pumpkin spice mashed potato knishes fit right in.

Fish or a fish head (rosh) that we be the head and not the tail, plus fish for abundance in the year ahead. Serve lemon caper almond salmon over beet puree or sumac roasted salmon.

The Complete Rosh Hashanah Menu

Want even more inspiration? Browse my full collection of Rosh Hashanah recipes for every course and craving.

However you build your plate, I hope your new year is as sweet as a spoonful of honey (with a little brisket on the side). Wishing you and yours a happy, healthy and delicious Rosh Hashanah. Shana tovah u’metukah!

Amy Kritzer Becker

Amy Kritzer Becker is a Jewish food expert, cookbook author of Sweet Noshings, owner of ModernTribe, and culinary-school-trained chef behind What Jew Wanna Eat — a modern Jewish food blog redefining heritage recipes since 2010. Her recipes have been featured in Food Network, Bon Appétit, Forbes, Good Morning America, and the New York Times.

Round Challah to Start

Apples, Honey and Other Sweet Starters

Soups and Salads

The Main Event

Sweet and Savory Sides

Desserts for a Sweet New Year

Raise a Glass

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