10 Hanukkah Cookie Recipes to Celebrate the Holiday

By Kelly Vaughan
November 14, 2019
Aaron Dyer
From traditional rugelach to festive glitter ball cookies, these cookie recipes for Hanukkah are sure to be enjoyed for all eight nights.
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Credit: Aaron Dyer

Strike a match and light the menorah for a very special Hanukkah celebration. Each year, the festival of lights is celebrated to commemorate the small amount of oil that burned for eight whole nights. Despite the fact that Hanukkah is a minor holiday in the Jewish faith, it has risen in cultural popularity. Friends and family gather to celebrate Hanukkah over fried foods like latkes and Sufganiyot (jelly-filled donuts). But what would a holiday celebration be without cookies? Here are 10 cookie recipes that are perfect for your Hanukkah gathering each night.

An easy way to show festive spirit is by decorating basic sugar or shortbread cookies with blue and silver sprinkles and frosting. Cut the cookies into the shape of a dreidel, Star of David, or menorah using a set of thematic cutters. Making holiday sugar cookies is also a great activity for kids to help with, too.

And what would Hanukkah be without batches of delicious rugelach cookies? An abundance of the classic fruit and nut filled pastry is practically a requirement. We have an easy version that eliminates the need to roll each cookie individually, as well as a more traditional recipe that uses pistachios and dried apricots. Another Jewish favorite? Hamantaschen, which is a folded cookie usually filled with jam. Our version gets an even sweeter, rich upgrade from lots of chocolate, which both fills, and is folded into, the dough.

Celebrate the festival of lights with these sweet cookie recipes for Hanukkah.

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Perfect Sugar Cookies

Credit: Lennart Weinbull
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Decorate these classic soft cookies with blue and silver sprinkles as a nod to Hanukkah. Because they're timeless, you'll be making them year after year.

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Pistachio and Dried-Apricot Rugelach

Credit: Aaron Dyer
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A Hanukkah tradition, our rugelach gets a sweet upgrade from a filling made with chopped pistachios and dried apricots. A sprinkle of more nuts on top of the dough gives a hint as to what's inside.

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Chocolate Hamantaschen

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Although these cookies are traditionally served during Purim, they're also a sweet addition to the Hanukkah celebration. Flecks of chopped chocolate are sprinkled throughout the dough because frankly, there's no such thing as too much chocolate.

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Glitter Ball Cookies

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A lightly spiced ginger cream filling is sandwiched between these festive Hanukkah cookies. They're easy to shape and roll in sanding sugar, so kids can help out, too.

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Easy Rugelach

Credit: Joseph De Leo
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Cream cheese is the secret to super moist, extra flaky dough for this Jewish classic. Rather than intricately shaping each cookie, this version calls for rolling the dough into a log, baking, then slicing—who could say no to that?

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Linzer Stars

Credit: Emily Kate Roemer
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Here's a fun take on the traditional Hannukah jelly-filled donut known as Sufganiyot. Bake hazelnut sugar cookies then fill with a sweet, eye-catching raspberry jam.

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Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies

Credit: Bryan Gardner
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Customize these cookies with blue, white, and silver frosting and sprinkles for a Hanukkah-appropriate bite that everyone can enjoy.

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Shortbread Cookies

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While shortbread cookies are timeless and sweet no matter the season, they're particularly special during the holidays. Dress these up for Hanukkah by cutting the dough into a six-pointed star and adding a monogram. They double as a delicious name tag for each place setting.

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Brown-Butter Honey Cookies

Credit: Mike Krautter
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During Rosh Hashanah, honey is symbolic for the promise of a sweet New Year. Adapt that same ingredient here to sweeten these impressive-looking, nutty cookies (no intricate weaving required).

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Anise Shortbread Sandwich Cookies

Credit: Louise Hagger
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Anise is a subtle flavor that perks up any holiday cookie dough, especially these shortbread cookies. A light dusting of powdered sugar gives these Linzer torte-inspired sandwich cookies a festive finish.

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