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Sufganiyot (Israeli Donuts)

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Sufganiyot (Israeli Donuts)

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A cross between a beignet and a jelly donut, sufganiyot are pillowy donuts that are eaten in Israel and around the world during Hanukah.

Sufganiyot (Israeli Donuts)

A cross between a beignet and a jelly donut, sufganiyot are pillowy donuts eaten in Israel and around the world during Hanukkah, when foods fried in oil symbolize the miracle of oil that burned for eight days instead of one in the Hanukkah story. Sufganiyot are traditionally filled with jelly or jam, but if your crew doesn’t care for jelly in their donuts (my son once described biting into a jelly donut as “a terrible surprise”), the filling options are limitless: custard, Nutella, pudding, pumpkin butter, apple butter, or dulce de leche are all great options. Sufganiyot are also delicious plain.

“Wow! I’m so grateful for this no-knead recipe! I was able to make these fairly easily, and I am no star baker. They came out great — I’m so proud!”

Samantha

I know that making donuts at home can seem a little daunting because yeast and hot oil are involved but, I promise, it really is simple—and this recipe is faster and easier than most because the dough is not kneaded and requires only a single rise. If you need a little encouragement to give donut-making a shot, watch this video of celebrated cookbook author and authority on all Jewish food-related things, Joan Nathan, making sufganiyot in Jaffa, Israel. It makes me want to hop on a plane!

What You’ll Need To Make Sufganiyot

Donut ingredients including eggs, vanilla, and vegetable oil.

How To Make Sufganiyot

To begin, combine the warm water and yeast in a small bowl and let sit until foamy, about 5 minutes.

Measuring cup of yeast in water.

Warm water helps activate the yeast. The temperature doesn’t need to be exact so no need to use a thermometer; just try to get it about the temperature of bath water. (If you place your hand under the stream of water in the faucet, it should feel hot but you should be able to leave your hand there without it stinging.)

Yeast and water mixture in a measuring cup.

Add the egg yolks, 2 tablespoons of oil, and vanilla to the water/yeast mixture and whisk with a fork until combined.

Egg and yeast mixture in a measuring cup.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the flour, confectioners’ sugar, salt, and nutmeg.

Bowl of unmixed dry ingredients.

Whisk to combine.

Whisk in a bowl of dry ingredients.

Add the liquid mixture to the flour mixture.

Unmixed wet and dry ingredients in a bowl.

Stir with rubber spatula until the dough comes together. It should be a bit sticky.

Bowl of sticky dough.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap (no need to clean it first). 

Dough in a plastic-wrap-covered bowl.

Let the dough rise on the countertop until doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours.

Bowl of risen dough.

Line a baking sheet with a few layers of paper towels. Line another baking sheet with ­parchment paper and dust heavily with flour. Generously dust a clean countertop and your hands with flour. Scrape the dough out of the bowl onto the counter and dust the dough with flour.

Dough on a floured countertop.

Pat the dough into 1/4-in-thick rectangle, making sure the bottom doesn’t stick and adding more flour to the counter and your hands as needed.

Person pressing dough into a rectangle.

It should be about 10 to 12 inches in size.

Rectangle of dough on a countertop.

Using a pizza wheel or very sharp knife, cut the dough into 24 two-inch squares. Sufganiyot are traditionally round but I much prefer to make them square — you don’t need to worry about having the right-sized cookie cutter or patching together scraps of dough.

Pizza cutter slicing dough

Transfer the dough squares to the floured baking sheet, leaving a little space between the squares. Sprinkle the squares lightly with flour.

Pieces of dough on a baking sheet.

Add enough of oil to a large Dutch oven or heavy pot to measure about 2 inches deep and heat over medium heat to 350°F. (If you don’t have a candy/deep-fry thermometer, drop a 1-in cube of bread in the oil; if it takes about 1 minute to get golden brown, the oil is at the right temperature.) Place 6 dough pieces in the oil and fry until golden brown, about 3 minutes, flipping halfway through frying.

Pieces of dough frying in oil in a Dutch oven.

Adjust the heat, if necessary, to maintain the oil temperature between 325°F and 350°F.

Pieces of dough frying in oil in a Dutch oven.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the donuts to the paper towel-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining donuts.

Spoon removing fried dough from a Dutch oven.

Use a paring knife to puncture the side of each to form a pocket in the center.

Lined baking sheet of donuts.

Place the tip of a squeeze bottle or piping bag into the pocket and squeeze 1 to 2 teaspoons of jam or jelly inside. (Alternatively, if you don’t have the right tools or just don’t want to bother, serve the filling on the side.)

Squeeze bottle of jam with filled donuts.

Using a fine sieve, dust the donuts generously with confectioners’ sugar. Serve warm.

Sufganiyot (Israeli Donuts)

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Sufganiyot (Israeli Donuts)

A cross between a beignet and a jelly donut, sufganiyot are pillowy donuts that are eaten in Israel and around the world during Hanukah.

Servings: 24
Prep Time: 30 Minutes
Cook Time: 15 Minutes
Total Time: 45 Minutes, plus 1 to 2 hours for the dough to rise

Ingredients

  • 1 cup warm water, heated to about 110°F (see note)
  • 1 tablespoon instant/rapid-rise or active dry yeast (note that this is more than 1 packet)
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
  • ¼ cup confectioners' sugar, plus more for coating
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus about 2 quarts more for frying
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • About 1 cup jam or jelly (or custard, Nutella, pudding, pumpkin butter, apple butter, dulce de leche, etc.), optional

Instructions

  1. Combine the water and yeast in a small bowl and let sit until foamy, about 5 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the flour, confectioners' sugar, salt, and nutmeg. Whisk to combine and set aside.
  3. Add the egg yolks, 2 tablespoons of oil, and vanilla to the water/yeast mixture and whisk with a fork until combined.
  4. Add the liquid mixture to the flour mixture and stir with rubber spatula until the dough comes together. It should be a bit sticky. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap (no need to clean it first) and let the dough rise on the countertop until doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours.
  5. Line a baking sheet with a few layers of paper towels. Line another baking sheet with ­parchment paper and dust heavily with flour. Generously dust a clean countertop and your hands with flour. Scrape the dough out of the bowl onto the counter and dust the dough with flour. Pat the dough into ¼-in-thick rectangle (it should be about 10 x 12-inches in size), making sure the bottom doesn't stick and adding more flour to the counter and your hands as needed. Using a pizza wheel or very sharp knife, cut the dough into 24 two-inch squares and transfer to the floured baking sheet, leaving a little space between the squares. Sprinkle the squares lightly with flour.
  6. Add enough of oil to a large Dutch oven or heavy pot to measure about 2 inches deep and heat over medium heat to 350°F. (If you don't have a candy/deep-fry thermometer, drop a 1-in cube of bread in the oil; if it takes about 1 minute to get golden brown, the oil is at the right temperature.) Place 6 dough pieces in the oil and fry until golden brown, about 3 minutes, flipping halfway through frying. Adjust the heat, if necessary, to maintain the oil temperature between 325°F and 350°F. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the donuts to the paper towel-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining donuts.
  7. When the donuts are cool enough to handle, use a paring knife to puncture the side of each to form a pocket in the center. Place the tip of a squeeze bottle or piping bag into the pocket and squeeze 1 to 2 teaspoons of jam or jelly inside. (Alternatively, if you don't have the right tools or just don't want to bother, serve the filling on the side.)
  8. Using a fine sieve, dust the donuts generously with confectioners’ sugar. Serve warm.
  9. Note: Warm water helps activate the yeast. The temperature doesn't need to be exact so no need to use a thermometer; just try to get it about the temperature of bath water. (If you place your hand under the stream of water in the faucet, it should feel hot but you should be able to leave your hand there without it stinging.)
  10. Nutritional information was calculated assuming that approximately ¼ cup of the oil is absorbed into the donuts when frying and 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar was used to dust the the finished donuts.
  11. Make-Ahead Instructions: The dough can be made a day ahead of time and refrigerated. Let it sit out at room temperature for about an hour before rolling out and cutting.

Nutrition Information

Powered by Edamam

  • Per serving (24 servings)
  • Serving size: 1 donut
  • Calories: 138
  • Fat: 4 g
  • Saturated fat: 0 g
  • Carbohydrates: 23 g
  • Sugar: 8 g
  • Fiber: 1 g
  • Protein: 2 g
  • Sodium: 78 mg
  • Cholesterol: 15 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

  • Thanks for the recipe. Any idea why they turned out less doughy and more hollow than I had hoped for? Tasted good but something went wrong with the consistency. Thanks!

    • Hi David, It’s normal for some of them to be hollow, but if you’d like to cut down on that, you can try making them a bit thicker next time. (Glad you liked them though!)

      • Thank you! I will do that next time as for sure worth another attempt. Happy Chanukah!

        • These were a hit with my husband!

      • Hi Jenn
        Second attempt much better. Took your advice and did thicker and they were great. Thanks again!

        David

        • So glad to hear it — thanks for the follow-up!

  • Made these today for friends… the recipe was easy to follow and soooo delicious!

  • Omg I love the layout of this website and the sufganiyot were sooo good

  • OMG!! Three people DEMOLISHED all of these sufganiyot in one day! To our defense, the recipe made less than 24, but still, that was a lot for the three of us. I have really bad luck with frying – i.e. everything is burnt, or soggy, or etc – but this recipe worked for me! I recommend being careful with the nutmeg. I added a scant 1/2 tsp and the flavor, although amazing, was a tiny bit too strong. If you’re not a huge nutmeg fan, you might want to reduce it a little bit.

  • Hi Jenn,
    I would love to make this. do you think I can use a deep fryer for this?
    Thanks,
    Rose G.

    • Sure – enjoy!

  • I don’t always have the best luck with yeasted dough, but these were so easy to make. My entire family loved them! The only suggestion I have is to make sure you use a candy thermometer to gauge your temperature. They’re easy to accidentally overcook.

  • I used “BOB’S RED MILL GLUTEN FREE FLOUR”, came out fine, fluffy and light, no problemo.

    • — Peter Dominguez
    • Reply
  • I am an 81 year young Male, I have been cooking for a few years, anyway, I just served my first batch of “sufganiyot” donuts to my family, THEY LOVED them, almost wiped out the whole batch. We don’t each much sugar around here, so for the topping I used cinnamon and monkfruit sweetener. They were easy to make,I’M SAVING THIS RECIPE…

    • — Peter Dominguez
    • Reply
  • Made them tonight and they came out perfectly. Thanks for a great recipe!

  • Amazingly good and easy to make!!!! I was so surprised. I used seedless strawberry jam for filling on half and left half plain. So YUMMY!!!!! Will definitely make again and have sent recipe to many folks.

    I’ll definitely be making more of your recipes ~ keep them coming and Thank You!

  • So good! I added raspberry jam

    • — Sheindel Rusanov
    • Reply
  • Jenn, do you have a recipe for custard, if I wanted to fill with custard instead? Thanks for all the great recipes! Happy Holidays!

    • — Lauren Thompson
    • Reply
    • I don’t, Lauren, I’m sorry!

  • I’ve always wanted to make donuts for Chanukah but thought it would be too difficult. This recipe made it so easy, and they turned out beautifully! Thank you!

  • I made this for Hanukkah last night. It was super easy and turned out great! Everyone loved them.

  • This recipe was a hit! Easy to make. I kept the dough in the fridge since I wasn’t quite ready to make them once the dough had risen. The dough was still sticky once we were ready to roll out but a light dusting of flour on the cutting board and rolling pin was an easy fix. The only problem was it was hard not to eat too many!!

  • Just made these soft, pillowy treats. I filled them with plum jam. Easy recipe to follow. Turned out just like the pictures you posted. Did not change a thing except to let dough ferment for 6 hours after I made the dough. Really great! husband loved them. Will start tradition of making sufganiyot for Hanukkah from now on. Thank you.

  • I’m midway through making these (dough is rising). Jenn, you asked someone earlier if they were baking at altitude. I’m actually at 6400′ here in Boulder, CO. I didn’t modify the recipe this first time (wanted to see how it would come out unmodified). In the past, I’ve sometimes used a higher-gluten flour, such as Sir Lancelot, rather than AP flour for yeast recipes. What modification(s) do you typically recommend for yeast recipes, and would you recommend anything in particular for this recipe if my sufganyot are a bomb this time?

    • Hi Lisa, I wish I could help but I don’t know anything about high-altitude baking – I’m sorry! How did they come out?

  • I’m an experienced cook and I must admit this is the best sufganiyot ever. Easy to make and roll out.

  • They’re beautifully light with a wonderful flavor but had problems with even rising once in the oil. Some seemed to inflate and then collapse, others inflated unevenly. I use KAF instant yeast which I keep in the freezer, so should be good (and it did bubble a bit before i added it to dry ingredients.). I think it might be something with either the frying technique or ?perhaps the length of time in the fryer (waiting until they were quite brown. Is there care that should be taken when you put them in the oil? They also seemed to form little pockets of oil on most of them on the first side in the oil (visible when I turned them over.

    • Hi Amy, Are you by chance at high elevation?

  • Amazing!

  • Totally kids approved!

    • — Mariya Kalinovskiy
    • Reply
  • These were easy and delicious! I was so intimidated at the thought of making these for Chanukah that I almost didn’t but so happy that I did. The dough was the perfect consistency after one hour in a warm room and fried up quickly. We filled ours with raspberry jam and Nutella-what a special treat. Thanks for the easy to follow instructions and as always perfect recipes every time.

  • Easy and delicious. Dough was very sticky and it turned out fine.

  • Simply sensational. A way perfect to celebrate Hanukkah, or just make fantastic fried pastries. The nutmeg adds such a welcome addition to this recipe. Thans, Jenn.

  • Would it work to follow the recipe up to cutting the dough in squares….and then put the dough in the fridge for a few hours before frying? I would love to fry them right before serving but would rather not be dealing with the dough and rolling and cutting while people are waiting forever dessert…..

    • Sure, Heidi, but let the dough come to room temperature before frying.

  • worked out perfectly! The whole family loved it. Although I think it would be better if you advertise the fact that you need multiple packets of yeast. We had to redo a batch because of that error. Caught it soon though.

    • — Micheal Morris
    • Reply
  • Hi Jenn! I love your cookbook and all your recipes! I’m going to attempt to make these sufganiyot for the first time and I have a question. If I need to make the dough in advance and refrigerate it before frying, at what point would you put it in the fridge? Before the 1-2 hour rise or after cutting into squares? Thanks so much!

    • Hi Andrea, I would refrigerate it after cutting into squares; just take them out of the fridge about an hour before frying so they come to room temp.

  • Hi Jenn, Thank you so much. This recipe sounds like a real winner!
    I love your addition of nutmeg. I’ve been thinking about sufganiot from my childhood, I now realize that nutmeg was the flavor I’ve been missing in them for so many years!
    Have you tried to use a bit less yeast, room temperature water and leave overnight to rise?
    I wanted to make them tomorrow but I might not have enough time let it rise then.
    Thank you again, and Happy Hanukkah!

    • Hi Monica, Yes, nutmeg is what gives donuts their distinctive flavor. I haven’t tried the overnight rise, but it’s fine if you want to make these ahead of time. I’d prepare through cutting the dough into squares and then cover and refrigerate. Just take the dough out of the fridge about an hour before frying so it can come to room temperature.

  • can i make this dough a day in advance?

    • Sure, Jana, I think that should work. Please LMK how they turn out!

  • This recipe sounds delicious! I was wondering if these could be made the day before serving them, and if so, how should they be stored?
    Thank you!

    • I wouldn’t recommend it – I think they’re definitely best served right after they’re cooked – sorry!

    • My Israeli husband loved these and so did the kids. Though I did have an issue with some of them being completely hollow. Is that how they are supposed to be? Thanks for sharing your recipe!

      • Hi Carmen, It’s normal for some of them to be hollow, but if you’d like to cut down on that, you can try making them a bit thicker next time. (Glad you liked them though!)

  • how much yeast and water to the initial mixture

    • Hi Skottie, You’ll need 1 cup water and 1 tablespoon instant/rapid-rise or active dry yeast. Hope you enjoy!

  • Dear Jenn:

    I am a huge fan of your website. I wanted to share with yourself and your readers some interesting information I found on Wikipedia about the history of Sufganiyot (Israeli donuts). The link is below and can be copied into your browser.

    Thank you for providing such a fabulous website and such amazing and easy-to-follow recipes. I look forward to making these donuts! My family is looking forward to Hanukkah this year. May you and your family have a Happy Hanukkah as well.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sufganiyah

  • Hi Jenn –
    I’m just curious if I can substitute Cup4Cup gluten free flour in this recipe, for the regular flour without any additional changes ??
    Thank you,
    Danielle

    • Hi Danielle, It may work, but I’ve never made them with gluten-free flour so I can’t say for sure – I’m sorry! If you do try it, I’d love to hear how they turn out!

    • I’ve been making all kind of yeast and Sourdough bread for a couple of years.
      I have watched hundreds of YouTube bread making demonstrations and read by now maybe thousands of questions and answers on the matter of the use of gluten free flour to make bread.
      To make a long story shorter: Gluten is what makes the flour, water and yeast (or Sourdough hold together so the dough can expand/rise.
      Maybe you can do it but with baking powder. I’ve never made it though. I would look for recipes of gluten free doughnuts. I think you should be able to find it.
      Happy Hanukkah!

  • Hi! I will so try this! Love these pastries!
    Did you ever try to cook them in the oven?
    I have tried before with another recipe, but i was wondering if i could use this one.
    Thank you so much!

    • Hi Joana, I haven’t prepared these in the oven and think you’ll get the best results frying them. If you’d really prefer to bake them, there are a number of recipes online for baked options. Hope that helps!

  • Picky husband and toddler approved. My little guy gave it five thumbs up. These are great for Christmas morning. Thank you!

  • Great recipe, thanks. I suggest a bit extra sugar and watch out for too much nutmeg. Was fun to try this!

  • The instructions were exact and the sufganiyot came out perfectly! Thank you!

    • This is a fantastic recipe. I thought to share BUT….
      It’s not happening.
      I will highly recommend this one to love ones.
      ❤️❤️❤️

  • I made these last year for Hanukkah and, while I was initially intimidated by the prospect, they were amazing: far, far superior to the store-bought ones that friends had purchased. The recipe was clear and easy to follow: Thank you! My only advice is to buy high quality jam for the filling (I went with Bonne Maman four-fruit preserve). I will be definitely making these again for this year’s Hanukkah celebration!

  • I loved this recipe! It was easy to follow your step by step instructions with pics. By no means do I consider myself a baker but you made it easy! Much appreciated.

    • — Roxann Timpanpo
    • Reply
  • Hello jenn, instead of frying the dough can I bake it in the oven?

    • Hi Janet, I think you’ll definitely get the best results by frying these. If you really want to bake them, there are a number of recipes online for baked versions. Hope that helps!

  • Who makes donuts? That’s why I was going to the donut shop! Who would ever make Bénignes? That’s an excuse to go to New Orleans 🙂 And sufganiyot? Never. Too complicated.

    But with this recipe it was a challenge. And one worth taking on. I simply wouldn’t have considered it except that it was on once upon a chef. Jenn, you make all recipes seem “Doable” And this one is no exception.

    I do love the details and the descriptions. And although I consider myself a cook, and I’d rather go to fun pictures are perfect and I follow your recipes exactly. This recipe is a treat and a big surprise when people find out that you made it yourself. Definitely a keeper. And not just for Hanukkah season.

    Thank you for your very detail oriented recipes, I especially appreciate your putting weight alternatives, as for me, weighing flour and other ingredients is easier and more precise than measuring by the cup.

  • Hi Jenn! I’m excited to try these babies out! Question- what size is your Dutch oven? Can I use a big all clad steel pan or no for frying?
    Thank you for the constant inspiration!! Happy Chanukah!

    • Hi Amanda, I have a 5-1/2 qt Dutch oven but you can definitely use your All-Clad for frying. Hope you enjoy them!

    • Fantastic!! Thank you!

  • Hi jenn. For consistency and accuracy, it would be really helpful if you provided the weight of flour instead of cups, as the amount of flour can vary depending on how one scoops or packs their flour. Thanks for giving us such great recipes

    • Hi Gillian, I actually provide metric conversions for most of my recipes, so you can find the weight of the flour by viewing those. To view them, scroll down to the recipe and immediately under the recipe title on the right side, you’ll see a little toggle. If you move it from “cup measures” to metric, you’ll see measurements that will work for you. 🙂

  • Time to make the doughnuts – I mean sufganiyot! I haven’t made these yet, nor do I have a question-yet-but I just wanted to say Happy Hanukkah and thank you for the great recipes!

    • Ha! My husband says that every single morning when he leaves the house. Happy holidays to you, too! ❤️

    • Can I let the dough sit overnight refrigerated?

      • Sure, Erin, I think that would be okay. Enjoy!

        • Hi Jenn, is there any way to make it gluten free?

          • Hi May, It may work, but I’ve never made them with gluten-free flour so I can’t say for sure. Often times, a reader will report back after trying something with gf flour, but it looks like your the first person asking about this recipe so you may have to be the guinea pig. 🙂 Please LMK how they turn out if you make a gluten-free version!

            • — Jenn
        • Did the overnight rise work? Did you let come to room temperature before rolling out?

      • Can you air fry them?

        • Hi Sandra, I don’t have an air fryer and don’t know much about using one so it’s hard to say for sure – I’m sorry! You may find these tips helpful in converting traditional recipes to air fryer versions. Hope that helps at least a bit (and if you try them in an air fryer, please report back)!

  • As I live alone I’m wondering if these could be frozen after they’re fried but before they are filled???

    • Hi Joanne, These are really best fresh but I think you could freeze the dough. I would make the dough, let it rise, cut it into squares, then freeze in a single layer until solid. Once firm, I would wrap each doughnut in plastic wrap or place a bunch of them in a plastic freezer bag. Just be sure to defrost the frozen dough before frying. You can also easily halve the recipe. Hope that helps!

  • These are amazing. My teenage son said, ” Mom, these are a 6!” As I raised my eyebrows at him, he added with a grin, “A 6 out of 5! These are beyond birthday level!” They are truly amazing, and easy peasy to make (not sure this is a good thing….) Thank you for a great recipe and Happy Hanukkah!

    • Happy Hanukkah to you Deniza (and so glad these were well received)! 🙂

  • These look yummy! I live in 8,519 ft elevation. Any suggestions?

  • Hi Jen – these look good/fun. Have you heard of aebleskivers? I discovered them recently when someone gave me an aebleskiver cast iron pan – they are similar, fun to make, and perhaps a tad more heart-healthy? Look forward to trying these. Were sufganiyot part of the indigenous middle eastern cuisine or was the recipe brought over by European settlers?

    • Hi Dabney, No, I haven’t heard of aebleskivers! And aside from the symbolism of frying sufganiyot in oil to recognize the miracle of Hanukkah, I don’t know much about the history of them. Hope you enjoy if you make them! 🙂

  • Happy Hanukkah Jen! I hope your holiday is very special for you and your family. Thank you as always for your wonderful recipes! Seeing this recipe brought back fun memories for me; several years back, when my daughter was a girl scout, her troop participated in an International Food Festival. I suggested that our troop represent Israel, since most of the troops choose the usual countries, ie: France, Italy, Germany, China etc. Well, we had a ball researching Jewish/Israeli recipes and I even learned how to dance to Hava Nagila, and taught the girls – let me tell you, the guests at the festival loved it! We served challah, rugalach, and other specialties and I made these doughnuts. What a fun day! I would love to try your Sufganiyot recipe, but I would like to ask a question: Once the doughnuts are fried, filled and sugared, how long do they keep? The recipe I used didn’t keep very long. I’d appreciate any feedback you can provide. Thanks!

    • Love that! The donuts are best enjoyed fresh and warm but they keep well for a few hours.

  • Hi Jenn,
    I love all your recipes–you are my go to person when it comes to cooking. So here is my question… I have made many different kinds of doughnuts in the past but none of them come out like the authentic israeli doughnuts that are dense and yet fluffy. Is this recipe like the Israeli ones?

    • So glad you like the recipes, Daphna! I wouldn’t really describe these as dense – they are on the fluffier side. Sorry!

    • Daphna, I was determined to make sufganiyot this year and tested Jenn’s recipe against one by a famous chef on an equally famous site (I’m really not trying to bash him, you see). I was doubtful about the one offered by that famous chef since I make a wicked cinnamon bread and the ingredients seemed to me to be along the lines of my bread–but not as Jenn described it: “fluffy little pillows.”

      The other person’s recipe was good–I guess. It wouldn’t have competed with my bread or sufganiyot. To me, the other recipe was a poorly made bread with a modicum of flavor, nothing to write home about. I felt one could have had about the same with less work by spreading jelly on a piece of toast. One could easily tell the other recipe was more like a bread. Now perhaps *you* would like it, but Jenn has me as a fan now. She beat out the recipe on the other site by a one-person landslide. 😉
      Jenn’s is definitely light and fluffy, and you wouldn’t want it any other way. It’s easy if one just reads and makes sure to read *every* word. However, even if the first attempt ends up being one of those where you realize *after* you put the yolks and oil in the flour and *then* see, “Oops! Before, Doofus!” pluck the egg yolks and oil out of the flour as best you can and don’t cringe too much as you stand there with some flour now in the yeast mixture (with the egg yolks and oil). Mix it well, and you’ll still be on the right path with the recipe.

      • — Michelle Young
      • Reply
      • Hi could I substitute water for milk and use butter instead of oil? Thank yuh

        • Yes, that should be fine, Simone (although you’ll still need to use the oil for frying).

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