Festive Yet Easy Hanukkah Recipes For Your Hanukkah Party (2024)

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Are you throwing a Hanukkah party this year? Looking for Hanukkah party food ideas? Don’t stress, I got you covered. Here is a roundup of easy Hanukkah recipes both traditional and modern. I have personally tried a few of these over the years and can guarantee your guests will love them. Take a pick to match your tastes and have a wonderful party.

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Before we jump into the recipes, a quick background on this Jewish festival and the significance of these recipes.

Hanukkah is the Jewish festival of lights. A time to celebrate miracles.

Long ago a war took place between the Jews (Maccabees) and their ruling king, Antiochus. Antiochus had ruled that Jews can no longer celebrate Shabbat and pray at their temple. He ordered his guards to go guard the temple and destroy everything inside.

What ensued thereafter was a war. After the Maccabees defeated Antiochus and his men and returned to the Temple, they found the temple looted and a mess. They built a new Menorah and looked for oil to light. But, they could not find enough oil to light the menorah for more than one evening and it would take them some time to find more oil. But the Menorah lit anyway. To their surprise, it burned for 8 days!!

Festive Yet Easy Hanukkah Recipes For Your Hanukkah Party (1)

It is this miracle that we celebrate on Hanukkah. We light menorahs for eight days and celebrate with foods fried in oil.

Here are some easy Hanukkah recipes for you to try this year to build a tasty party menu. Many of these are also kid-friendly Hanukkah recipes to accommodate your little guests.

EASY HANUKKAH RECIPES FOR YOUR NEXT PARTY

Appetizers, Soups, and Sides

Traditional Latkes: You can’t throw a Hanukkah party and not have some traditional Hanukkah foods at the table.

Matzo Ball Soup: Another one of the traditional Hanukkah foods to have on the table.

Broccoli Soup: Now if you want to change things up a bit, try my creamy broccoli soup recipe. It is plant-based and so delicious both your vegan guests and meat-eating guests will love it.

Festive Yet Easy Hanukkah Recipes For Your Hanukkah Party (3)

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Butterbean Soup: I loved this lightly flavored yet filling soup recipe. A wonderful addition to any Hanukkah Party.

Roasted Broccoli: A super tasty side to match the winter-themed table.

Israeli Cut Salad: We love having an Israeli cut salad on our table when guests come over. It is so easy to prepare and goes wonderfully with a variety of dishes.

Israeli CouscousSalad: A simple and delicious alternative to the Israeli cut salad.

Mains

Mutton Curry: Most Indian Jewish families celebrate festive occasions with some type of a lightly spiced and fragrant meat-based curry. Mutton curry is a popular main dish served alongside fluffy basmati rice.

Sweet and Sour Brisket: Super easy to make and a crowd-pleaser for sure.

Jewish Beef Brisket

Apricot Chicken

Sweet Potato Lasagna: A noodle free pasta dish that tastes delicious and healthy too. Your plant-based guests will be raving about this meal for days.

Vegan Mousaka

Broccoli Kugel: My husband once made me this kugel and sent it at my workplace for lunch. Not only was his gesture sweet and thoughtful, but this recipe turned out so good, I had to ask him for the recipe and note it down in my recipe book. We have made it many times since.

Desserts

Hanukkah Jelly Doughnuts – Sufganiyot

These classic Hanukkah jelly donuts are my personal favorites. I love the easy way in which the author fills the doughnuts with jelly, just as you would a thumbprint cookie. No special skills required.

Here is Sufganiyot from last year’s Hanukkah party at our place. They add a festive touch to any party table.

Festive Yet Easy Hanukkah Recipes For Your Hanukkah Party (4)

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Vegan Fudge

This is a recipe that is a no-fail dessert. Every time I have to whip up a quick dessert for a party, I love making this vegan fudge. It works out perfectly each time and is so so yummy. You have got to try it.

Sweet Noodle Kugel

Date Filled Rugelach

Butter Cookies: Serve these warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and some chocolate syrup.

Gulab Jamun: Growing up in India, our families served these spiced and sweet fried milk solid based balls called Gulab Jamun for Hanukkah celebrations. You can try the recipe if you are cooking a vegetarian or vegan menu plan.

GulGule: Fried banana fritters made by Indian Jews to celebrate Hanukkah.

Chocolate Chia Pudding: My no pain, go-to dessert when I have guests over. Always turns out perfect and tastes yummy.

No-bake Blueberry Cheesecake Cups: We have made this recipe multiple times now. It is perfect as a cake or made into smaller cupcake sizes too.

Festive Yet Easy Hanukkah Recipes For Your Hanukkah Party (5)

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Festive Yet Easy Hanukkah Recipes For Your Hanukkah Party (6)

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I hope these recipes inspire your Hanukkah Party Menu in some way. Do comment and let me know if you try any of the recipes I shared here. I would love to hear how it turned out.

Until next time,

Ciao

Feature Image courtesy Pixabay

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Festive Yet Easy Hanukkah Recipes For Your Hanukkah Party (2024)

FAQs

What do you eat at a Hanukkah party? ›

The eight days of Hanukkah are observed with the lighting of a menorah after sundown and meals featuring foods challah bread, kugel, potato latkes, jelly doughnuts called sufganiyot, and festive drinks. Fried foods recall the miracle at the Temple of Jerusalem, when a day's worth of oil lasted eight nights.

What is a good Hanukkah menu? ›

A Traditional Menu for Hanukkah
  • 01 of 12. Potato Latkes I. View Recipe. ...
  • 02 of 12. Spiced Slow Cooker Applesauce. View Recipe. ...
  • 03 of 12. Applesauce. ...
  • 04 of 12. Most Amazing Challah. ...
  • 05 of 12. Wine-Braised Beef Brisket. ...
  • 06 of 12. Salmon with Lemon and Dill. ...
  • 07 of 12. Crispy Rosemary Chicken and Fries. ...
  • 08 of 12. Roasted Green Beans.
Oct 21, 2020

What kind of junk food is commonly eaten during Hanukkah? ›

Fried foods, like potato pancakes and jelly doughnuts, are prepared and eaten throughout the holiday to celebrate the miracle of Hanukkah: oil that kept the menorah (an ancient lamp) lit for 8 days instead of the 1 day it was supposed to last.

What three foods are eaten during Hanukkah? ›

From crispy latkes to tangy brisket to jammy sufganiyot. From shallow-fried potato latkes to deep-fried jelly doughnuts, traditional Hanukkah foods hinge on oil. Typically falling in December, the Jewish holiday, also called the Festival of Lights, celebrates the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem.

What can you not eat during Hanukkah? ›

"Among other rules, eating certain animals, primarily pigs and shellfish, is forbidden; meat must be ritually and humanely slaughtered; and dairy and meat aren't to be eaten at the same meal." Fish and plant foods are "neutral" (parve) and can be eaten with either meat or dairy.

What should I bring to a Hanukkah party? ›

Keep it Thoughtful

Gift-giving is a relatively new tradition that sprung up because Hanukkah happens during the holiday season, so when bringing gifts, don't go overboard. Books, jewelry, and food can be appropriate Hanukkah presents – but make sure any food is kosher.

What do you drink on Hanukkah? ›

Hanukkah / Chanukah Drink Recipe Collection
  • Hebrew Hammer.
  • Mulled Pear and Ginger co*cktail.
  • Aperol Schvitz.
  • Spiced Clementine Sour.
  • Olive Oil Gin Sour.
  • Sababa.
  • Hot Toddy with Spiced Rum.
  • Jelly Donut co*cktail.
Oct 31, 2023

What is the song played during Hanukkah? ›

Each night as Jews around the world observe Hanukkah, the eight-day Festival of Lights, the age-old song Maoz Tsur—"Rock of Ages" in Hebrew—is sung after the lighting of the candles on the menorah.

What are two fried treats served during Hanukkah? ›

In America, Hanukkah food typically refers to two things: latkes, Eastern European fried potato pancakes, and sufganiyot, jelly-filled doughnuts that are favored in Israel and increasingly popular here.

Can you eat cheese during Hanukkah? ›

"By the 14th century, there's quite a strong tradition that people eat cheese on Hanukkah and it's associated with Judith giving cheese to the enemy to make him drunk," Weingarten says.

What is the traditional fried food for Hanukkah? ›

Jews commemorate Hanukkah by eating fried foods. For most American Jews, that means latkes — potato pancakes fried in oil. But other cultures toss different foods into pots of boiling oil.

What is the key ingredient for most Hanukkah foods? ›

there was only enough oil for one day to keep lit a light that was supposed to always remain aglow. But that oil lasted for eight days, long enough for more oil to arrive after the temple had been ransacked. Many Hanukkah foods are deep-fried in oil, symbolizing the oil from the menorah used in the Temple.

What happens at a Hanukkah party? ›

Each night, one additional candle is lit by the shammash until all eight candles are lit together on the final night of the festival. Other Hanukkah festivities include singing Hanukkah songs, playing the game of dreidel and eating oil-based foods, such as latkes and sufganiyot, and dairy foods.

Is there a Hanukkah dinner? ›

There really aren't any 'traditional Hanukkah' meals, beyond the custom of eating foods fried in oil - typically either potato pancakes or sufganiyot (jelly doughnuts).

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