Super Fluffy Hanukkah Jelly Donuts

These jelly filled donuts are called Sufganiyot in Hebrew and are traditional to eat during Chanukah. They are pillowy fried balls of dough, that are stuffed with raspberry filling and dusted with confectioners sugar.

Chanukah or Hanukkah, is the ultimate treat y’oself Jewish holiday. There’s presents, fried foods, lots of family and friends time, and therefore, it is my favorite.

We eat jelly donuts on Chanukah because they are fried in oil which commemorates the miracle that the oil to light the menorah lasted 8 days instead of 1.

After I graduated pastry school, I ran a custom dessert shop from my house and was hired to make over 300 of these jelly donuts. I’ve also made them for fundraisers in commercial kitchens, and late on a Saturday night when I just *needed* one.

Ingredients needed:

• warm water- not boiling
• 2 packets active dry yeast or rapid rise
• white sugar
• orange zest- dont skip!
• vanilla extract
• eggs
• vegetable oil- you will need a 48oz bottle. 1/3 cup goes into the recipe, the rest is used for frying.
• All purpose flour
• baking powder- see note below
• kosher salt
• Raspberry or strawberry jam
• powdered sugar

Yes, there is baking powder in the recipe. I know most recipes that call for yeast don’t call for baking powder as well, but I’ve found that it gives the donuts just that little extra fluffy texture that I’m looking for.

How to make Sufganiyot

You can make this recipe by hand or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook.

1. In a the bowl of a stand mixer, add the water and yeast and give it a quick stir. Let it sit for 10 minutes until frothy and bubbly.
2. Add the sugar, zest, vanilla, eggs, and oil. Mix well until combined. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt and mix for 5 minutes on medium speed. You’ll know the dough is ready when it separates easily from the bowl and is not sticky.
3. Leave the bowl in a warm place to rise for 1 hour. Line 2 sheet trays which parchment paper and set aside.
4. When the dough has doubled in size, pour it out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll out the dough 3/4 inch thick.
5. Cut out circles using a 3″ round cookie cutter and place the circles on the parchment paper.
6. Repeat with scraps until all the dough is used. Let the dough rise another 45 minutes.
7. Meanwhile heat a dutch oven or a large pot of oil to 350° F.
8. Fry donuts 3-4 at a time for 30 seconds on each side until they are puffy and golden brown.
9. Drain on paper towels or on a cookie rack. Once cooled fill the donuts with jelly and dust with confectioners sugar.

How to tell when the oil is ready if you don’t have a thermometer

There are a couple ways to do this:

1. Use the handle of a wooden spoon– dip the end of the handle into the oil, if it starts to bubble up, it’s ready. If not, it needs a few more minutes.
2. Do a test run– take a small piece of dough and add it to the oil. If it bubbles up and turns golden brown, it’s ready. If not, you need more time

How to fill Hanukkah Jelly donuts

If you don’t have a filling tip and piping bag (which makes it super easy) you can use a skewer or even a pairing knife to make a small whole.

 The skewer is easier because then it will stay in a round shape, just make sure to wiggle the skewer around a bit to make the hole inside the donut a little bigger.

Add jelly to a zip top bag and cut off the corner. Squeeze the bag into the donut to fill. Careful not to squeeze too hard!

You can also use a squirt bottle the fill the donuts easily! Then you don’t need the skewer or knife. Just poke it into the donut and squeeze!

What oil is best for frying jelly donuts?

Vegetable oil or canola oil is best for frying because they both have high smoke points and no real flavor.

Can I cut this recipe in half?

Yes! This recipe makes about 25-30 donuts but you can definitely cut the recipe in half.

Storing

These donuts are best served right away and will not taste the same the next day. To store them, place them in a cake dome or in a 9×13 tin covered with parchment paper and tin foil.

I don’t recommend making ahead or freezing. These are best when served immediately.

Recipe tips

• A great place for the dough to rise is on top of a heated oven.
• If you don’t want to mess with filling, you can skip it and serve the jelly on the side as a dip!
• Make the donuts into minis! Roll them into the size of golf balls instead of cutting them, then rise and fry for 30 seconds.
• Use a turned over glass to cut the dough if you don’t have a cookie cutter.
• Fill the donuts with other things like custard or chocolate buttercream and dip them into chocolate for a fun variation.

4.91 stars (10 ratings)

Super Fluffy Hanukkah Jelly Donuts

Prep: 2 hours hrs

Cook: 10 minutes mins

Total: 2 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

Servings: 25 donuts

These jelly filled donuts are called Sufganiyot in Hebrew and are traditional to eat during Chanukah. They are pillowy fried balls of dough, that are stuffed with raspberry filling and dusted with confectioners sugar.

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Ingredients

• ▢ 1 1/2 cups warm water, not boiling
• ▢ 4 1/2 tsp instant yeast, or 2 envelopes rapid rise or active yeast
• ▢ 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• ▢ 2 tbsp orange zest
• ▢ 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• ▢ 2 eggs, large
• ▢ 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• ▢ 5 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• ▢ 1 tsp baking powder
• ▢ 2 tsp kosher salt

For Frying

• ▢ 32 oz vegetable oil

Filling

• ▢ 3/4 cup Raspberry or Strawberry Jam

Garnish

• ▢ Confectioners sugar

Instructions

 

Make donuts

• In a large mixing bowl, mix the warm water with the yeast and leave to sit until it froths, about 10 minutes.
• Add sugar, zest, vanilla, eggs, and oil to the bowl and mix until well combined.
• Add flour, baking powder, and salt, and knead or mix on medium for 5 minutes until a soft, non sticky dough forms. You will know the dough is ready when it separates easily from the bowl, or when it stops sticking to your rolling surface. Add in more flour by a 1/4 cup if you need to while mixing if the dough is too sticky, but you should be fine with just 5 1/2 cups.
• Leave the dough in the bowl to rise for 1 hour I a warm place with a clean kitchen towel over the bowl.
• When the dough has doubled in size, remove the dough from the bowl onto a lightly floured surface. Punch it down and roll it out into a rectangle- 3/4 of an inch in thickness.
• Using a 3 inch round cookie cutter cut out circles, and set aside on parchment paper lined cookie sheets. Gather scraps and repeat.
• You can alternatively take pieces of dough and roll them into balls and let them rise instead of rolling out the dough and cutting shapes. If you have a kitchen scale its best to measure out the dough at about 60-65 grams (about the size of a golf ball).
• Let the circles or balls rise for another 45 mins to an hour.
• Using a deep fryer or a large stock pot, heat your oil to 350 degrees F. When the oil is ready, fry the donuts for 30 seconds on each side or until golden brown.
• Remove donuts from oil, and drain on a cookie sheet or paper towel to remove excess oil.
• Once cooled, fill the donuts with jelly- the easiest way to do this is with a squeeze bottle. Fill the bottle with jelly, stick the tip into the donut and squeeze.
• Top donuts with confectioners sugar. Serve immediately.

Notes

*Dont skip the orange zest, it gives the dough such great flavor!
**These can be made into mini donuts using 2 inch cutter and then dipped into jelly instead of stuffed.

Serving: 1donut, Calories: 169kcal, Carbohydrates: 23g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 15mg, Sodium: 115mg, Potassium: 7mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 6IU, Calcium: 13mg, Iron: 1mg

Course: Jewish

Author: Sam Adler

Cuisine: Dessert

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