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.
You may also like
- Challah French Toast
- Sour Cream Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake
- Oven-Fried Potato Latkes
- 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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Can you add raisins? How much?
Sure, I’d recommend 1/2 to 1 cup. Please LMK how it turns out!
Even though you’re not supposed to serve any flour at Passover, this kugel was a HUGE hit. I never liked the cottage cheese/cream cheese combo. The half and half (and I didn’t even have that and used whole milk) gave it a creamy texture and (in my opinion) more balanced flavor. It was hands down the best kugel I’ve ever eaten. I don’t normally eat sugar, dairy or gluten and was willing to go for the whole trifecta for this–it was worth it!
This recipe could not have been easier to make! I love how each of Jenn’s recipes let you know how things should look/feel as you are making them. I am not a kugel eater, but was asked to make one for break fast last year. This kugel was gone faster than the other food – even non-kugel eaters like myself were eating it. This recipe is the only kugel recipe you will need for the rest of your life!
Excellent – very moist. I will totally make this again.
So delicious! Made this for a dessert tonight after some chicken soup. Jenn, your recipes are my go to when I want success. I have tried so many of them and every time I am a rockstar in the kitchen. Thank you!
I am working until 5:30 and company is coming at 6:30 Can I set this up the day before and bake it right before company comes? Thank you
Sure, but I’d store the noodle layer and the streusel separately until you’re ready to bake it. Hope you enjoy!
Best kugel ever!
It disappeared before I could snap a picture…
I’m making this again for Break Fast!
Best wishes for a sweet New Year!
Glad it was a hit — Happy new year to you and your family!
Dear Jen — I’ve made several of your recipes, & they are all great. Now, whenever the “family” gets together, they expect me to bring your Noodle Kugel. I made it last for Break Fast, & now we are having our Hanukkah/Xmas on Sunday. We are a fairly large crowd, & I am thinking about increasing the amounts by 1/2. I have a 14×11 casserole. Should I increase the baking time?
Many thanks!
ps — I also make your chocolate dipped macaroons for Passover — yummmm!
Hi Cyrenna, So glad you like the kugel! Yes, if you make 1.5 times the recipe in an 11 x 14, it will be a bit deeper, so it will take a little more time in the oven. I’d guess somewhere between 5 and 10 minutes but keep a close eye on it. 🙂
I froze the kugel before using and it freezes well.
Everyone loved it!
Thanks!
Great to know you got good results after freezing — thanks for the follow-up! 🙂
Although this kugel was delicious and attractive, only the ones with a sweet-tooth in my family enjoyed it. All said it was for dessert. No one asked me to make it again. My husband and I missed the crunchy noodles and prefer savory kugels.
This kugel recipe was to die for! My sister and I were texting each other before the holidays and she said that she had “the best” kugel recipe. I found this recipe and told her I wanted to make this one. I liked that it didn’t have cottage cheese and thought the streusel topping sounded delicious. I sent her the link to this recipe and she decided to make this one too. She now has a new favorite kugel recipe (this one)! The first time I ate it I had it at room temperature and it was delicious. The second time I ate it, I heated it and and it was even better! If you are looking for an amazing kugel recipe, you can stop your search now! I know I won’t be searching anymore!
sorry, forgot to add that I used Egg Replacer in the vegan version-thanks
Recipe was wonderful! We have several people with severe dairy allergies and I prepared it dairy free yesterday with excellent results.
For dairy replacement I used: Earth Balance sticks/butter, Tofutti Sour Cream, Trader Joe’s cream cheese and Rice Milk, which worked fine instead of half and half. I usually add a little Tofutti Sour Cream to the Rice Milk to thicken the liquid.
* I made it vegan once as well by using an egg free dumpling type pasta-turned out great!
Thanks Jenn & Shana Tova
I am looking for a kugel recipe without cottage cheese, and I’d love to try this, as all of your recipes that I’ve tried have been great. I generally have kugel with Rosh Hashanah dinner (not breakfast), so would like to avoid the streusel crust — we actually like the crisp noodles on top. Do the baking times and temperature need to be adjusted if there is no crust.? Thank you!
Hi KT, The baking time and temperature can remain the same. I’d just keep the kugel covered up to the last 10 – 15 minutes so that once you remove the foil, the top can brown a little. Please LMK how it turns out this way!
Would the mixture be good with a little orange or lemon juice added?
Sure, but I’d limit it to 1 to 2 tablespoons. Hope you enjoy!
Hi! I’m excited to make this dish next week for the holidays. If I’m going to make it on Sunday for Monday, should I make the topping separately and the noodles separately and refrigerate them separately and then on Monday before cooking put the topping on? I don’t want the topping to get soggy in the fridge. Thoughts?
Thanks!
Yes, Debbie, if you’re going to assemble this a day ahead, store the noodle layer and the streusel separately. See the complete make-ahead instructions at the bottom of the recipe. Hope you enjoy!
Good Morning Jenn! I should have looked at the reviews and questions. Anyway, I’m going to try freezing the kugel. I am going to let it cool completely, wrap it carefully in Saran, then in heavy foil and place the kugel in an airtight container for freezing. Wishing You A Sweet and Healthy New Year!
Shanah Tovah!
Shanah Tovah, Donna! And please LMK how the kugel is after you defrost it. 🙂
Hi Jenn,
The recipe sounds amazing. Can you freeze it once it is cooked?
Hi Susan, I haven’t frozen it so I can’t say from experience, but I think it would freeze nicely. The texture may be little different after defrosting, though (not quite as light). I’d love to hear how it turns out if you make it!
Hi Jen,
It’s baking at the moment so I’ll be sure to let you know how it freezes after Sunday! Have a Happy Healthy New Year!
Sue 🙂
You too, Sue! 🙂
Very good I would have taken a picture but there is none left. lol
I made this with cottage cheese instead of cream cheese and 1/2 the sour cream and it turned out great. In the future I’d make a little less topping though, it was a bit much for the portion size.
Of course this is delicious, it has: butter, cream, sour cream, and eggs. But at 506 calories per serving, it is more of a heavy cake, than a main dish.
I am thinking about making this for dinner. Any suggestions of what to have with it?
Hi Heather, because I think of this as a breakfast for dinner sort of option, I think it would go perfectly with bagels, salads like tuna or egg salad, lox, and other bagel spreads. Hope that helps!
I made this for Passover over the weekend and it was one of tastiest dishes of all items served. I cooked for a non-Jewish family who had never had Kugel or any of the traditional Passover foods before and this one was by far the most popular! It was also the best Kugel I’ve ever had. A keeper! Thank you!
Why would you make this for Passover when this has wheat in it, which you can’t have during Passover?
Excellent kugel that my husband states was the best he ever had.
The one thing I changed with the recipe is I mixed the wet ingredients with the noodles first, before putting them in the dish. We were also sure to cook the noodles a little less than the noodle box states to an al dente stage, so when it cooks, they weren’t mushy.
What we loved best was the crumble top! No hard noodles!
Jennifer,
Can I make this kugel and freeze it.
Hi Evie, I haven’t frozen it so I can’t say for sure, but I suspect it would freeze nicely. The texture may be a bit different after defrosting, though (not quite as light). I’d love to hear how it turns out!
I am looking for 2 recipes a mushroom & barley soup and a noodle kugel w/o cheese can you help?
Hi Lee, Unfortunately, I don’t have any proven recipes for a noodle kugel without cheese. If I come across anything that looks worthwhile, I will send it your way. And I do have a mushroom soup in my cookbook. It doesn’t have barley, but I suspect a small amount could be added. If you have the cookbook, you can view it there. If not, and you’re interested in taking a peek at the recipe, let me know and I can email you a copy.
I just read your answer to my question. kindly send me the soup recipe. it would be greatly appreciated.
I just emailed it to you Lee — hope you enjoy!
If I half the recipe, does the cooking time change?
Hi Pat, it should be about the same, but to be safe, I’d suggest taking a peek at it about 5 minutes earlier. Hope you enjoy!
I use my mom’s kugel recipe, BUT wanted a crumb topping. Used this one, and OMG, was it a home run/DELISH!! THANK YOU!!!
Yay!
A bit disappointed in this fine. This was fine but certainly wasn’t won’t replace our usual kugel.
Hi I want to serve a parve version of this kugel is there any way to make this sans milk or milk products?
This kugel has so much dairy that, unfortunately, I don’t think this would translate well to a dairy-free version. Sorry!
Hi there!
I love Kugel as a dessert more than anything else, and I’m bringing one to Thanksgiving at my sister in law’s gathering.
I can’t wait to try this recipe. I was thinking of a variation for the topping, however. Rather than corn flakes or the strussel, what about Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal? Am I totally nuts? Please tell me if I’m off the wall here….I can take it if I am! Thanks!
Jonathan
Hi Jonathon, It definitely sounds like a different take, but it should work. (And I think it’s good that you’ll be serving it as a dessert as using Cinnamon Toast Crunch on top may make it feel pretty dessert-y.) I’d love to hear how it turns out if you try it!
Alright I’ll go for it and keep you posted! Todah rabah!
It worked, thanks! And I love the half and half vs. cottage cheese.
It worked! It was delicious. I don’t think it was too much different than the recipes with Corn Flakes where they mix in cinnamon and sugar.
Unfortunately I think that Kugel is lost on a gentile family (my wife’s side).
Thanks for the great recipe!
Is this a dessert or a side dish?
Hi Pat, This is typically served as a side dish for brunch or breakfast-for-dinner, but it’s sweet enough that you could get away with having it for dessert. 🙂
I’ve made kugel following a different recipe the past few years but never really loved it. Found this recipe and made for Rosh Hashanah this year. A world of difference! My family loved it! This is the one I’ll be sticking with! The topping is so good!
Do you prepare the pan w/softened butter and at what temperature do you bake the kugel?
Hi Gerrie, yes, you should grease the baking dish with butter and the kugel gets baked at 325°F. Hope you enjoy!
Love your recipes, and particularly the Jewish “soul food” ones like noodle kugel.
Not having grown up with this cuisine, I never knew when to serve kugel — as a potato substitute w/ meat? Or as a dessert because it’s sweet?? Thanks to you, now I know. It’ll be on my Christmas buffet along w/ a roast beef tenderloin, and various veggies for my vegetarian kids.
How would you substitute flour with passover flour or something that would be fine for Passover. Cant wait to try this for Rosh Hashana…Happy New Year!
Hi Meredith, You could try using matzo meal in place of the flour (but I haven’t tried it, so I can’t say for sure how it would work). Keep in mind, though, that this has noodles (which are not kosher for Passover) in it.
After making does this need to be refrigerated?
Yes, if you’re not eating it shortly after baking it, I’d refrigerate it. Enjoy!
Just made this and your Mac n Cheese for Shavuot. My Israeli family LOVED it! They thought it was dessert, but who cares! Crumble topping instead of cornflakes was a brilliant update!
Hi Jenn. Can I make this on a Friday, if I want to serve on Sunday? Can I just put in fridge until Sunday morning and then reheat?
Hi Karen, Yes and yes. 🙂
I made this for a party last week and not a morsel was left. I was reluctant to replace the cottage cheese with 1/2 and 1/2 but the results were a great hit.
Love and trust your recipes.
Thanks!
Any baking instructions for baking 2 at a time?
Hi Katie, It’d be pretty much the same, although you may need to add a little more time.
This is the best kugel ever according to my Israeli born husband who is 73 yrs old! And he tried many over his lifetime.
Thank you for the great recipe and making me the best kugel maker ever!!
Looks great! Do you think this would freeze well?
Hi Daryl, I haven’t frozen it so I can’t say for sure, but I suspect it would freeze nicely. The texture may be a bit different after defrosting, though (not quite as light). I’d love to hear how it turns out!
Has anyone frozen it yet so it can be made well in advance?
Thanks!
Hi Jenn.
Looking forward to making this recipe.
My regular kugel recipe usually has diced apples. Do you think apples would work with this recipe?
Hi Marcy! I do think apples would work beautifully here. Lmk how it turns out if you try it!
Interesting recipe. I eliminate the white sugar in the custard and add yellow raisins which add enough sweetness. One serving with a side green or melon salad makes a nice meal.
Jenn, my background is Italian, so I don’t know from kugel, but this sounds delicious. Do you serve this after a meal or with the meal? What types of things would you traditionally serve with it? Thanks!
Hi Bernadette, I just updated the headnote since so many people had questions about this but we serve it as part of a brunch or breakfast-for-dinner buffet, usually with bagels, lox, and spreads. Think of it like a French toast casserole. Hope you enjoy it if you try it — it’s great comfort food.
We will definitely try it soon. Thank you!
Is this meant to be served as a dessert? I don’t know anything about kugel.
Hi Patti, It’s definitely sweet enough to be dessert but we serve it for brunch.
Sounds delicious! Is this served as a dessert, a side dish, for breakfast? This is completely new to me and I’d love to try it.
Any suggestions for what to serve with it would be appreciated.
Hi Maryalice, We serve it with bagels, lox, and spreads – usually as part of a brunch or post-fast breakfast-for-dinner buffet. Think of it like a French toast casserole. Hope you enjoy it!
Quick question (and pardon my confusion), is this meant to be a main dish or a dessert (or both)?
Thanks!
Hi Ryan, No worries – it is confusing! I’ll add this to the headnote to clarify but we serve it as part of a brunch or breakfast-for-dinner spread, usually with bagels and lox. Think of it like a French toast casserole – sweet but part of the main meal.
Thanks! It’s on my list.
This is fantastic for a sweet kugel. How do I adjust the recipe to a savory kugel? Could I simply omit the sugar, vanilla and streusel?
Hi Allison, I’m afraid you’d really need a whole new recipe. This one can’t be adapted for a savory kugel. Sorry!
I can’t wait to try this! Our standby has both cottage cheese and cornflakes (and a dozen eggs) but this looks/sounds so much better! I’m sure grandma will forgive you. 🙂 Happy new year to you and your family!
Ha! Thanks, Sheri…same to you 😊.
Do you think the streusel would work well with GF flour?
I do, Karen. Please lmk how it turns out if you try it :).
I just love this recipe. I have never used corn flake crumbs as a topping but loved the idea of a crumble. I used fat free plain yogurt instead of sour cream.
This recipe is a KEEPER!
My oven baked quickly and I kept checking 5 minutes earlier than recipe. It is timed right, great idea to use lower heat to prevent burning.