Many traditional Hanukkah foods, like shallow-fried potato latkes and deep-fried jelly doughnuts, hinge on oil. Also called the Festival of Lights, the Jewish holiday commemorates the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem. According to the story, there was only enough oil to fuel the menorah for one night, but somehow, someway, it lasted for eight.
Today’s tradition of lighting candles for eight consecutive evenings and, yes, enjoying lots of crispy fried foods, honors that magical flame. But there’s more to Hanukkah than potato pancakes and sufganiyot. Below, we’re sharing our favorite Hanukkah recipes, including tender brisket, pillowy challah doughnuts, rich cheesecake, and more. Don’t worry, you have eight whole nights to try them all.
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Photo by Alex Lau
Olive Oil Cake
The oil that miraculously burned night after night in the Hanukkah story was olive oil. The same liquid gold keeps this Hanukkah recipe moist. One commenter declared: “This is the best dessert I have ever made, I can’t stress enough how much everyone loves it—I could eat the entire cake.”
