Vegan Sufganiyot (Hanukkah Jelly Donuts)

My boyfriend, Eric, grew up in a big Jewish family in New York. We met and live in Colorado, so over the past few years I’ve done my best to recreate some cultural dishes for him to enjoy a taste of home from afar. These vegan sufganiyot (jelly donuts) are absolutely delicious, and not too difficult to make at all!

History of Sufganiyot

Sufganiyot (singular: sufganiyah) originated in Europe in the 1500s and by the 1800s, they were known as “Berliners” in Germany. Polish Jews developed their own version, called “ponchik”, which were fried in schmaltz (chicken fat) instead of lard, since lard isn’t kosher.

Over time, many Polish Jews immigrated to Israel, where they brought both their ponchik and their tradition of eating them on Hanukkah. In Israel, a new name, “sufganiyot”, was coined based on the Talmud’s description of a “spongy dough”.

Sufganiyot fit right into the already existent Jewish tradition of eating fried foods on Hanukkah.

Why Do Jews Eat Sufganiyot on Hanukkah?

Jewish people around the world eat fried foods during Hanukkah to celebrate a miracle that occurred over 2,000 years ago.

After Antiochus IV took over control of the kingdom of Judea, he prohibited Jews from practicing Judaism, attempting to force them to worship Greek gods. Eventually, the Jewish people revolted, regaining control of their city. Upon taking back the Second Temple, the Jews found all but one of their jugs of oil destroyed. The singular jug was only enough to keep the Menorah lit for one night, but it miraculously lasted eight nights.

To honor this story, Jews celebrate Hanukkah by eating foods that are fried in oil!

Ingredients for Vegan Sufganiyot

• Yeast – Active dry or instant yeast will both work similarly in this recipe. Make sure to proof it to make sure it’s still alive, especially if it’s been sitting in a cupboard for a long time.
• Plant milk – Any kind of non-dairy milk will most likely work in this recipe. I prefer to use unsweetened simply so I can control the amount of sugar in the recipe myself.
• Flour, sugar, salt – The usual staples. Regular all-purpose flour and plain granulated white sugar will work best in this recipe.
• Orange zest – Technically an optional ingredient, but one that makes these donuts taste extra special.
• Brandy – This is optional too, but it adds a little extra flavor that makes these taste more authentic. Don’t worry; it’s not enough to make these taste boozy.
• Vegan butter – Let this soften at room temperature so that it easily blends into the dough. In a pinch, you can substitute in a neutral-tasting vegetable oil.
• Jam or jelly – Any of your favorite kinds! You can also experiment with vanilla custard, chocolate pudding, a chocolate hazelnut spread, or really anything that sounds tasty to you that could be easily piped through a pastry bag.
• Frying oil – Use any neutral-flavored oil with a high enough smoke point. Some options: regular canola oil, sunflower oil, avocado oil, corn oil, or safflower oil.

How to Make Vegan Sufganiyot

1. Proof the yeast. An important first step if you don’t bake often and the yeast has been sitting in a cupboard for awhile. This step (making sure it’s foamy and alive) will ensure that your batch of donuts rises beautifully.

2. Make the dough. This can be done by hand, or using a stand mixer to shave off a few minutes of work. You’ll want to knead the dough till it’s smooth and elastic, per usual. Depending on your particular ingredients and the humidity of your kitchen, you may need to add additional flour to achieve the right consistency. Add it 1-2 tablespoons at a time and knead well between each addition.

3. Allow the dough to rise. As with most yeasted recipes, we’re looking for the dough to roughly double in size.

4. Shape the dough into donuts. There are a few ways to do this. You can divide it into equally-sized portions and roll it into balls (what I usually do). If you find it easier, you can roll the entire batch of dough out to 1″ and use a biscuit or cookie cutter. The donuts will be a little flatter in this case but just as delicious!

5. Fry the donuts. They only need 2-3 minutes per side until they’re golden brown. I always recommend using a thermometer to ensure the oil is the correct temperature.

6. Fill the donuts. Jam or jelly are the traditional filling for this sweet treat, but feel free to branch out. A piping bag and a round tip make this easiest, but if you don’t own one, snip off the corner of a ziploc.

7. Powder the donuts and enjoy!

Equipment

• Heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven. This is what you’ll use for frying your sufganiyot. You want to use something that’s heavy and sturdy, since it will be holding a large quantity of hot oil.
• Pastry bag and round tip. This is how you’re going to get your filling inside the sufganiyot. There are some makeshift alternatives you can use instead of a legitimate piping bag, but it’s going to make the process more difficult.
• Frying thermometer. This is technically an optional piece of equipment but it’s much easier to fry food when you have a thermometer. Keeping the oil consistently at the right temperature will ensure your vegan sufganiyot are cooked properly. If it’s too hot, the outside will cook while the dough inside stays raw. If it’s too cold, the donuts will absorb a lot of oil and become soggy.
• Slotted spoon or spider. To remove the sufganiyot from the frying oil.

Can You Make Vegan Sufganiyot Gluten-Free?

Unfortunately it is difficult to make yeast-risen recipes gluten-free through a simple 1:1 flour substitution. Gluten is very important to achieve the right structure that makes these donuts fluffy.

Many gluten-free yeasted breads require the addition of egg whites or various starches or gums to replicate the effect of gluten. This isn’t my realm of expertise, but here is a recipe from the Loopy Whisk for Gluten-Free and Vegan Donuts that might point you in the right direction. (I haven’t tried this recipe personally.)

Recipe Troubleshooting

Why are the Sufganiyot golden brown but undercooked in the middle?

Did you use a frying thermometer? Oil temperature is very important to ensure that your donuts cook properly.

If the Sufganiyot are golden-brown but undercooked in the center, there is a good chance your oil was too hot, causing the exterior to brown before the center is fully cooked.

Why are my Sufganiyot excessively greasy?

Again, make sure you are using a thermometer to monitor the temperature of your oil. If it’s too cool, the donuts will take longer to cook and they’ll retain a lot of the oil in the process, resulting in greasy Sufganiyot.

Additionally, you’ll want to make sure not to overcrowd the pan when frying, to avoid lowering the temperature of the oil too much. Cook them just a few at a time and monitor the temperature to keep it consistent.

When removing the Sufganiyot from the oil, I like to place them on a wire cooling rack placed over a baking tray. This will allow any excess oil to drip off. (Whereas when placing them on a paper towel, the excess oil is blotted off but stays in contact with the donuts.)

Why is the dough sticky and difficult to work with?

There are many variables which can affect the texture of your dough! That’s why it’s more important to work with the texture of your particular dough and adjust as needed. Add extra flour 1-2 tablespoons at a time when kneading, to ensure your dough becomes smooth and elastic. If the dough is extremely sticky or shaggy, you knead more flour.

Here are a few variables to consider:

• Brand of flour: Flour varies brand-to-brand in terms of its protein content. Flour with higher protein (i.e. more gluten) will absorb more liquid. If your flour is lower in protein, that means you may need to add more of it to achieve the right consistency. (Protein/gluten content is the difference between bread flour, all-purpose flour, and cake/pastry flour.)
• Measurement error: Measuring by weight (rather than volume) is more accurate and will ensure the most consistent results. Flour is can be aerated or compacted, so measuring with cups can be quite inaccurate. If measuring by volume, I recommend stirring the flour to “fluff” it up first. Then spoon it into your measuring cup and level it with the back of a knife.
• Ambient humidity: Flour will absorb moisture from its environment. If you live in a very dry climate, you may need a little extra moisture. If it’s very humid in your kitchen, you may need to add less liquid or extra flour.

More Vegan Dessert Recipes

• Vegan Chocolate Lava Cake
• Chocolate Chip Cookies for Two
• Vegan Pumpkin Streusel Muffins