Celebrate the sweetest part of the Festival of Lights with this Hanukkah sufganiyot recipe—pillowy, jam-filled doughnuts fried to golden perfection and dusted with sugar!

This Hanukkah sufganiyot recipe walks you through creating the perfect golden puffs: crisp on the outside, soft and airy inside, and filled with the kind of jam that drips down your fingers in the best way possible!

Ingredients (Exact, Boringly Reliable)

• Yields: 20–24 doughnuts (6–7 cm / 2½–2¾ in rounds)
• Active: 45 minutes
• Total: ~3 hours same-day or overnight option

Dough

• 240 ml (1 cup) warm milk or water, 43°C/110°F
• 7 g (1 packet) instant yeast
• 60 g (¼ cup) sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temp
• 60 g (¼ cup) neutral oil or unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 500 g (4 cups) all-purpose flour (11% protein; measure by weight)
• 8 g (1½ tsp) fine sea salt
• Zest of ½ lemon or orange (optional, lovely)

For Frying

• 1.5–2 L (6–8 cups) neutral oil (peanut, canola, or refined sunflower), at least 5 cm/2 in deep in the pot

Filling & Finish

• 360–480 g (1¼–1¾ cups) smooth jam (raspberry, strawberry, apricot) or pastry cream (notes below)
• Powdered sugar, for dusting

Pareve/Egg-Free Options: Swap dairy milk → water or soy; butter → neutral oil. For egg-free, use 50 g unsweetened applesauce in place of eggs (texture stays soft; fry at 170°C/340°F to avoid over-browning).

Hanukkah Sufganiyot Recipe

• Bloom & Base: In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk warm milk/water, yeast, and 1 tbsp of the sugar. Rest 5 minutes until foamy. Add remaining sugar, eggs, oil/butter, vanilla, and citrus zest; whisk smooth.
• Flour & Salt In Two Waves: Add ¾ of the flour and the salt. Fit the dough hook; mix on low 2 minutes until a shaggy mass forms. Add the remaining flour gradually. When it clears most of the bowl, move to medium speed and knead 6–8 minutes until the dough is soft, slightly tacky (not sticky), and elastic. It should stretch into a thin window without tearing.

First Rise (Decide Your Adventure):

• Same-Day: Lightly oil a bowl, add dough, cover, and rise somewhere warm 60–75 minutes until doubled.
• Overnight Flavor Boost (Best): Cover and refrigerate 8–12 hours. Next day, let the dough take the chill off 20 minutes before rolling.
• Roll & Cut For Even Puff: Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Pat into a rectangle, then roll to 1.3 cm / ½ in thick. Punch out rounds 6–7 cm wide. Place on parchment squares (one per doughnut)—this makes transferring to oil effortless. Gather scraps, rest 5 minutes, reroll once.

Second Rise (This One Matters):

Cover loosely and proof 35–45 minutes until the rounds look puffy and leave a gentle indentation when poked with a floured fingertip that slowly springs back.

• Heat Oil Right, Keep It There: In a deep pot, heat oil to 175°C/350°F (aim to fry between 170–175°C / 340–350°F). Use a clip-on thermometer and adjust your heat as you go; consistent temp is the difference between angel-light and oil-soggy.
• Fry For The Signature “Belly Band”: Slide 3–4 rounds into the oil parchment-side-up, then peel off parchment with tongs. Fry 45–60 seconds per side until evenly golden with a pale ring around the middle. If they color too fast, your oil is hot—lower to 170°C/340°F. Transfer to a rack set over a sheet pan.
• Fill While Warm, Dust Like It’s Snowing: When the sufganiyot are warm (not hot), poke a side hole with a skewer. Pipe 1–1½ tsp (about 10–15 g) jam into each (stop when you feel a little resistance). Dust generously with powdered sugar right before serving.

What “Perfect” Looks And Feels Like (So You Know You’ve Nailed It)

• Dough: Soft and smooth, stretches thin without tearing; barely tacky fingers after knead.
• Proof: Light, jiggly rounds that keep their shape when lifted on their parchment.
• Oil: Gentle, steady bubbles around the edges—no violent sputter, no sad stillness.
• Fry Color: Even bronze with a pale equator. The interior crumb is lacy and steamy.

Make-Ahead, Reheat & Party Timing (Host Like A Pro)

• Overnight Dough: Mix at night, refrigerate. Next day: roll, cut, proof, fry. Flavor and structure are peak.
• Par-Fry Trick (If You Must): Fry 30 seconds per side (light blond), cool, then finish 30–40 seconds per side before serving. Not my first choice, but handy for big batches.
• Reheat: 160°C/325°F oven, 5 minutes. Dust after reheating.
• Hold: Filled sufganiyot are at their best within 2–3 hours. If you need longer, fill last minute.

Filling Options I Trust (Because The Jam Shelf Is Crowded)

• Raspberry (No Seeds): Whisk 1½ cups seedless jam with 2–3 tsp hot water until pipeable but not runny.
• Apricot–Citrus: Warm 1½ cups apricot jam with 1 tsp lemon juice; blend smooth, cool.

Vanilla Pastry Cream (Pareve-Friendly)

• Heat 400 ml milk (or soy) with ½ split vanilla bean (or 1 tsp extract).
• Whisk 3 egg yolks, 60 g sugar, 20 g cornstarch, tiny pinch salt. Temper with hot milk, return to pot, whisk until thick bubbles appear; cook 30 seconds. Off heat, stir in 20 g butter (or 1 tbsp neutral oil). Chill with plastic wrap on the surface. Loosen with 1–2 tbsp milk before piping if too thick.

Variations I Actually Make

• Cinnamon-Sugar Finish: Skip powdered sugar; toss still-warm sufganiyot in 100 g sugar + 1 tsp cinnamon.
• Chocolate Ganache Fill: 120 g dark chocolate + 120 ml hot cream; rest 5 minutes, stir glossy, cool to piping consistency.
• Mini Sufganiyot: Cut 5 cm rounds; fry 35–45 seconds per side; fill with 1 tsp jam.

Troubleshooting (Real Kitchen Fixes, No Panic!)

• Doughnuts Greasy: Oil too cool or dough under-proofed. Keep 170–175°C and let the second rise go longer until puffy.
• Over-Browned, Undercooked Centers: Oil too hot. Drop to 170°C/340°F and fry a touch longer.
• Flat Fry, No Puff: Second rise was short or dough rolled too thin. Aim for ½ inch thick and proof until that slow spring-back.
• Jam Leaks: You overfilled or pierced through. Pipe from the side, stop when you feel gentle resistance.
• Dense Crumb: Knead to proper gluten (windowpane) and don’t skimp on the first rise.

Ingredient Notes (Because Details Win!!)

• Flour: 11% protein all-purpose is the sweet spot—strong enough to hold gas, tender enough to stay plush.
• Yeast: Instant yeast goes straight into the bowl; if using active dry, bloom 10 minutes in the warm liquid with a pinch of sugar.
• Oil: Fresh, neutral oil equals clean flavor. Strain between batches if you get flour crumbs; keep the thermometer honest.

Serving Moment (How I Plate Them!!)

Set a wire rack over a sheet pan, load the warm, filled sufganiyot, then take a small sieve and snow the powdered sugar right before they hit the table. Add a teeny dish of extra jam for the shameless dunkers. No one has ever complained.

Light the candles, warm the oil, and trust your hands—you’ve got this. With this Hanukkah sufganiyot recipe, your kitchen turns into the happiest corner of the house, and your first tray disappears before you finish dusting the second. Save this one. You’ll use it every year.