11 Hanukkah Dessert Ideas, From Olive Oil Cookies to Sweet Latkes

Whether your family celebrates Hanukkah or you've been invited to a loved one's gathering for the very first time this year, you already know that sharing delicious food is one of the holiday's highlights. Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, is sacred to those in the Jewish faith—and the communal meals that accompany it are equally revered.

Of course, there's no shortage of sweet delights to be found at any Hanukkah celebration. To help mark this meaningful time of year, we've rounded up 11 delicious, beautiful Hanukkah desserts from across social media. You'll find everything from classic confections to inventive takes on time-tested recipes (dessert latkes, anyone?) and just about everything in between.

Ready to start mixing and baking? Dig into our collection of Hanukkah dessert recipes.

Gelt, or simple chocolate coins wrapped in gold, is a timeless Hanukkah treat. While children are accustomed to receiving small bags of gelt during the Hanukkah season, Instagrammer @rachelkoredelman takes an elevated approach to this chocolaty delight by creating homemade gelt topped with nuts, seeds, cranberries and other dried fruit. There's so much room for creativity here!

Okay, you've probably enjoyed a few latkes in all their potato-y glory. But have you ever considered whipping up a dessert latke? Instagrammer @whatjewwannaeat shows off an unconventional and totally delicious take on the classic latke in the form of sweet potato latkes made with chocolate ganache and sprinkles. It might not be a traditional Hanukkah dessert, but it could easily become a new family favorite.

While triangular hamantaschen pastries are most often enjoyed during the Jewish holiday Purim, they also make a delicious treat during Hanukkah. There are so many ways to fill these flavorful pastries, but TikTok baker @rebekahlowin's peach-chamomile version looks especially lovely. Her addition of pressed edible flowers gives the hamantaschen a whimsical vibe.

If you're more of a pie person, you'll fall in love with these small but mighty dreidel-shaped apple hand pies from Instagrammer @the.yummy.yenta. To make these at home, you'll use a cookie cutter (or your memory!) to cut pie dough into a dreidel shape, then fill with apple spice filling and create a charming lattice effect across the top. We bet these smell absolutely amazing when freshly baked.

If you've ever attended a Hanukkah celebration, you've likely encountered ‌sufganiyot‌: deep-fried donuts loaded with jam or custard, and perfectly sprinkled with powdered sugar. TikToker @eitan celebrates sufganiyot with an indulgent version of the beloved dessert: peanut butter and chocolate sufganiyot! He loads his fried donuts with peanut butter mousse and tops them with chocolate frosting. This is fried food at its very best.

Instagrammer @cookiesandcups presents an easy recipe for one of the best Hanukkah desserts around: classic rugelach! If you're not familiar, rugelach is a rolled dough dessert that typically includes notes of cinnamon, nuts and fruit jam. @cookiesandcups works with apricot preserves, walnuts and raisins, but you can make the recipe your own.

Babka, or sweet braided bread, is a classic and beloved baked good. And while there are countless takes on the cake-like creation, we love the version demonstrated by @lions.bread on TikTok. Her dark chocolate babka ring is made with rich melted chocolate, plenty of cocoa powder and a gorgeous braided dough design that results in the perfect ring of babka. We're mesmerized just watching her make it!

Next up, a fun take on the traditional Hanukkah dreidel from our very own @ehow_team: cake pops shaped like blue dreidels! We love the way these turned out, from the rich filling to the Hebrew lettering on each pop. These dreidels might look fun enough to play with, but we'd recommend taking a bite instead!

Perhaps you've heard of olive oil cake as a Hanukkah treat, but here's a delicious spin on a classic from TikToker @carolinagelen: chocolate chip cookies that use an olive oil base in place of butter! When combined with other ingredients (including orange zest!), plenty of chocolate chunks and another coating of olive oil to top it all off, you've got the recipe for a truly special cookie.

Looking for a no-bake option this holiday season? This matzo cracker toffee bark from @colorfulabode on TikTok is calling your name. All you'll need to make this beautiful bark is matzo crackers, butter, brown sugar, melted chocolate, sea salt and sprinkles or other decorations of your choice. If you celebrate multiple holidays, this DIY bark could easily be transformed to fit a Christmas theme!

You might not associate noodles with sweet treats, but one bite of traditional noodle kugel will change your mind. TikToker @yourhomemadehealthy creates a crispy-topped cinnamon apple version of this classic dish, which combines egg noodles, cottage cheese and plenty of sugar with apples and cinnamon. @yourhomemadehealthy explains that kugel is similar to bread pudding and can be enjoyed as a side dish—and we think it would be tasty with a side of vanilla ice cream.

As you prepare to spend time with family and friends this Hanukkah, be sure to try your hand at a few delicious desserts. With a tray of dreidel cake pops, perfectly rolled rugelach and a few deep-fried donuts to boot, you'll be the most popular baker around.