Noodle Kugel
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Noodle kugel is a traditional Jewish holiday dish of egg noodles baked in a sweet or savory custard.
Noodle kugel is a traditional Jewish dish of egg noodles baked in a sweet or savory custard. Much like a French toast or strata, kugel can be made in advance, refrigerated and baked before serving, making it perfect for big family get-togethers. It is typically served as part of a brunch or breakfast-for-dinner buffet with bagels, lox, and spreads. There are as many recipes for kugel as there are Jewish grandmothers who make it. If you flip through any spiral-bound synagogue cookbook, you’ll find variations with raisins, apples, crushed pineapple, spinach, and so on – and, of course, every family claims “the best” one. My recipe is traditional but with a few updates that, I think, make it just a little bit better than the old-fashioned version (sorry, Grandma!)
Most kugel recipes call for some combination of eggs, sour cream, cottage cheese, and cream cheese as the base for the custard. I replace the cottage cheese with half & half because cream makes for a silkier custard with no curds. While many old-fashioned kugel recipes call for a crushed cornflake topping, I cover the noodle custard with a thick and crunchy cinnamon streusel instead. The streusel not only tastes better than cornflakes, but it also takes care of the problem of all those hard-to-eat crunchy noodles on top. Finally, I cook my kugel at a low temperature so that it’s ultra-creamy.
What you’ll need To Make Noodle Kugel
How to make noodle kugel
Begin by boiling the noodles.
Drain them well.
Make the streusel topping: combine the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl.
Using your fingers, mix until no lumps of brown sugar remain.
Add the butter.
Rub the butter in with your fingertips until the mixture has a clumpy, crumbly texture.
Refrigerate until ready to use. (FYI: The kugel bakes initially without the streusel, so you can also make the streusel during that time.)
Next, make the custard. Whisk the eggs in a large bowl.
Add the sour cream and softened cream cheese.
Whisk well, then add the half & half, sugar, salt, vanilla, and cinnamon.
Whisk until completely smooth.
Spread the cooked noodles evenly in the prepared baking dish.
Pour the custard mixture evenly over top.
Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 35 minutes. The custard should be just set.
Sprinkle the streusel topping evenly over the top, making sure to cover all the noodles.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes more, until the streusel topping is crisp.
Let cool for about 20 minutes, then cut into squares and serve.
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- Challah French Toast
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- Chunky Homemade Applesauce
Noodle Kugel
Noodle kugel is a traditional Jewish holiday dish of egg noodles baked in a sweet or savory custard.
Ingredients
For the Streusel Topping
- 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1¼ cups all purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled off
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 stick unsalted butter, cold, cut into ½-inch chunks
For the Kugel
- One 12-oz bag wide egg noodles
- 4 large eggs
- One 8-oz container sour cream
- One 8-oz package cream cheese, softened (microwave for 15-20 seconds to soften)
- 2 cups half & half
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
For the Streusel Topping
- Combine the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl. Using your fingers, mix until no lumps of brown sugar remain. Rub in the butter with your fingertips until the mixture has a clumpy, crumbly texture. Refrigerate until ready to use.
For the Kugel
- Preheat the oven to 325°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Butter a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.
- Bring a large pot of unsalted water to a boil. Cook the noodles for 6 to 8 minutes, or according to package instructions, until tender. Drain well.
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the sour cream and softened cream cheese and whisk to combine. Add the half & half, sugar, salt, vanilla, and cinnamon, and whisk until completely smooth.
- Spread the cooked noodles evenly in the prepared baking dish. Pour the custard mixture evenly over top. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove and discard the foil. The custard should be just set. Sprinkle the streusel topping evenly over the top, making sure to cover all the noodles. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes more, until the streusel topping is crisp. Let cool for about 20 minutes, then cut into squares and serve.
- Make Ahead: The kugel and topping can be assembled and stored separately in the fridge up to a day ahead of time, and then baked before serving. (The kugel with the streusel topping may also be fully cooked a day ahead of time and reheated, however the texture will be denser than if baked fresh. To reheat, cover with foil and place in a 325°F oven for 25 minutes; remove and discard the foil, and continue baking for 20 to 25 minutes more, or until warm throughout and crisp on top.)
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (12 servings)
- Serving size: 1 slice
- Calories: 506
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated fat: 14 g
- Carbohydrates: 60 g
- Sugar: 30 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 10 g
- Sodium: 209 mg
- Cholesterol: 152 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Comments
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Hi Jenn,
Have you tried this with Gluten Free noodles and GF Flour? I’d love to make it for Yom but would love your guidance on being GF.
Hi Stefany, I can’t say that I have – I’m sorry I can’t be more helpful. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!
This was the first kugel i ever made myself and the BEST kugel i have ever tasted, which is many. I know it can’t be bginner’s luck, it has to be your recipe. My 78 year old father texted tonight, he’s still eating it 2 days later for left overs and says it’s the best kugel he’s ever had. A HUGE hit with my fam, and i think i’ll stick with this recipe going forward. Thank you!!
I would like to use your topping on my kugel recipe which calls for 6 eggs, separated with the whites stiffly beaten. ( Its very light vs heavy kugel). My kugel cooks for 60 minutes. Can I just put the topping on from the beginning or will it burn?
Hi Joni, I think it’s best to add it after the kugel sets up a bit – this prevents it from dissolving into the wet kugel and also from burning.
I’m planning on making this kugel for Rosh Hashanah. I love your recipes. Based on the comments I’ve read, is there a way to make it a little less sweet? Thank you!
Hi Carol, If you’d like to make it less sweet, you can reduce the sugar in the filling.
I can’t wait to make this kugel. After seeing the reviews, I can’t wait. I do have a question.! Along time ago I ate somebody’s Kugel and asked her about the topping because it was crunchy and dark. I do remember there were cornflakes crumbs, but I keep thinking she told me Oreo cookies crumbled up, however, after so many years I’m wondering if I imagined it and maybe I thought it was cookies. Have you ever heard of using Oreo cookies crumbled up on top and would you recommend? Otherwise, I will make the cinnamon streusel. This very nice lady is deceased now, so I cannot contact her. I have never made this type of kugel before.
Thank you.
Margaret
I can’t say I’ve ever heard of a kugel with crumbled Oreos on top and don’t think I’d recommend it. It sounds like it would be more of a dessert with Oreos. 🙂
Hi Jenn,
I love this recipe. I added dried apricot and some slightly chopped pecans. It was amazing! Just thought I’d share because you said you wanted to know if anyone tried the dried fruit add-ins. Always love your recipes!
Hi Jenn. Make your noodle kugel all the time. Any thoughts on how to make it more custardy? I don’t use any streusel topping. Will the custard set and be more creamy if I cook for less time or increase custard mixture? ALSO.. making half a kugel for friend who is gluten free. How much should I reduce cooking time to! Thanks. Joni S
Hi Joni, I would increase the custard but wouldn’t bake it for less time. And the baking time should be about the same for half the kugel.
We like sweet. noodle kugel, however this recipe is very sweet, too much for us. I use recipes on this site frequently, so I was surprised that this one was disappointing to me. I’ll look for another.
If I’m making recipe without streusel do I still cook for 70 minutes. Do I keep aluminum foil on whole time. Thanks! Joni
Yes, that’s the way I’d go. Please LMK how it comes out without the streusel. 🙂
Do you think fat free half and half would work? Thanks!
Unfortunately, I don’t think it will work – sorry!
Hi Jenn, Can the 1/2 n 1/2 be replaced with heavy cream?
Yes that should work 🙂
Best one I’ve ever had, I crave it 24/7
Hi Jenn,
My Streusel is not clumpy, it’s more crumbly. I think I rubbed the butter too much first before mixing it into the dry ingredients. Should I add more chunks of butter? Help?
Vikki
Hi Vikki, I wouldn’t add more butter – it will still be delicious. You could try to create some clumps by squeezing the mixture together a bit with your fingers.
This looks amazing and I’m planning to make it for thanksgiving (we always do a kugel), but I’m wondering about making it in a deeper dish, as I generally prefer more noodle/custard to topping ratio. I have a deep 7×11” baking dish I was thinking to use. Do you think that would be okay? How would you recommend I adjust the baking temp/time?
As long as your baking dish is pretty deep, it should work. Hope you enjoy!
It is deep—still 3 quarts. Should I do a lower temp for longer??
I’d keep the oven temperature the same. Regarding baking time, I’d add the extra time onto the period it’s covered with foil. I’d guesstimate that you’ll need an extra 10+ minutes, but you’ll need to check to see if the custard is just set after that. Enjoy!
Thank you so much, I will give it a try!
Made it for thanksgiving and this was PERFECTION. Easily the best kugel I’ve ever made. Thank you so much!!
Hi, if I wanted to bake this in 2 1.5 quart baking dishes, what would the cook time be? Thanks!
Hi Rachel, the bake time should be about the same. Hope you enjoy!
I made this on Saturday for Passover and everyone LOVED it! I am going to keep using this one moving forward! Thank you!
Made this for Rosh Hashanah. After dinner my son told me if I make this again, he would take the leftovers.
We made this. Added currants. It was absolutely delicious. We will definitely make it again.
Can I make this a day ahead and store in fridge and make topping the next day?
Sure!
Can this be frozen?
I’ve never frozen this but I think it will work though the texture may be slightly different when you reheat it.
can you add chopped apple or a dried fruit??
Hi Ruth, If you want to add one of those, I’d err on the side of dried fruit. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!
It was okay, but too wet and the streusel did not crisp up despite following all instructions.
Can I cook in advance and freeze. If so, how long do I cook before cooling and freezing. When do I put the topping on–before or after freezing? How do I defrost?
Thanks!
Hi Joanne, I’ve never frozen this but I think it will work though the texture may be slightly different when you reheat it. I would fully cook and cool it before freezing and I don’t think it matters when you put the topping on either — before or after would be fine. To defrost, I’d remove it from the freezer at least 24 hours ahead and let it thaw in the fridge. Hope that helps and that you enjoy!
Do you serve this hot or cold?
Hot 🙂
Why can’t I just print your recipe without going through all that “continue ” stuff? Make life easier, so I could print your recipes I love. I never do tat before. It directly printed them.
I hope you can tell me how to do this, so I could use your printed recipes. Thanks.
Hi Terry, Sorry for any frustration. At the very top of the page, under the recipe name, you’ll see an orange/red button that says Jump to Recipe – if you click on that, it will take you directly to the recipe and you’ll see a print icon in the upper right corner of the box that the recipe is in. Hope that clarifies!