Making sufganiyot at home brings a warm, sweet treat to the Hanukkah table, and one dough gives you plenty of ways to change the filling. Choose among 15 ideas, including familiar fruit jams, creamy fillings, and chocolate options.
We’ll walk you through preparing, frying, filling, and finishing each batch, with a thermometer helping you keep the oil in the right range. If you’d rather bake a donut, try our gluten-free pumpkin donuts. Start with the shared dough method, then pick the fillings you’d like to serve.
15 Homemade Hanukkah Donut Recipes With Delicious Fillings
One batch of yeast dough gives you plenty of ways to vary the filling and finish. Make the dough first, then choose a few flavors or prepare a mixed platter.
Shared Yeast Dough for the First 10 Recipes
Stir 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast and 2 tablespoons sugar into ¾ cup warm milk. Let it stand until foamy, then mix in 1 egg, 3 cups flour, ½ teaspoon salt, and 4 tablespoons softened butter. Knead until smooth and elastic, adding flour a little at a time if the dough feels sticky.
Cover and let the dough rise until puffy, about 1 hour. Roll it ½ inch thick and cut into rounds. Set the rounds on a floured tray, cover, and let rise again until puffy, about 30 to 45 minutes.
Heat neutral oil to 340–350°F, checking the temperature with a thermometer. Fry in small batches, turning once, until golden; Food Network’s sufganiyot recipe also uses a thermometer to monitor the oil. Drain the doughnuts and let them cool before filling.
1. Classic Raspberry Sufganiyot
Choose smooth raspberry jam, or press seeded preserves through a sieve. Pipe about 1 tablespoon into each doughnut, then dust the tops with powdered sugar.
2. Strawberry-Jam Donuts
Stir strawberry jam until loose enough to pipe, adding a teaspoon of warm water if needed. Fill each doughnut with a piping bag, then finish with powdered sugar.
3. Apricot-Glazed Sufganiyot
Warm apricot preserves briefly and strain out large fruit pieces. Pipe the filling into each doughnut, then brush the tops with a little warmed preserve.
4. Mixed-Berry Donuts
Use mixed-berry preserves as they are, or strain them for a smoother filling. Pipe into the cooled doughnuts and sprinkle the tops with coarse sugar.
5. Cherry-Jam Sufganiyot
Choose seedless cherry preserves, or chop any large fruit pieces before filling. Pipe the jam into each doughnut and finish with a light powdered-sugar dusting.
6. Vanilla-Sugar Raspberry Donuts
Roll the warm doughnuts in vanilla sugar, then let them cool. Pipe raspberry jam into each one and add another small pinch of vanilla sugar.
7. Cinnamon-Sugar Apple Donuts
Stir a pinch of cinnamon into smooth apple butter. Pipe it into each cooled doughnut, then roll the outside in cinnamon sugar.
8. Lemon-Curd Sufganiyot
Use chilled lemon curd straight from the jar, stirring it smooth first. Pipe into the doughnuts and finish with powdered sugar and a little lemon zest.
9. Chocolate-Hazelnut Donuts
Warm chocolate-hazelnut spread just until easy to pipe, not runny. Fill each doughnut, then dip the top in finely chopped toasted hazelnuts.
10. Dulce de Leche Sufganiyot
Stir dulce de leche until smooth, loosening it with a teaspoon of milk if needed. Pipe into each doughnut and sprinkle with flaky salt.
11. Peanut Butter and Jelly Donuts
Mix creamy peanut butter with a spoonful of powdered sugar until pipeable. Fill the doughnuts with peanut butter, add a small jam center, and dust with sugar.
12. Salted-Caramel Donuts
Use thick caramel sauce, chilled briefly if it feels too loose. Pipe into the doughnuts and finish with a few flakes of sea salt.
13. Vanilla-Cream Sufganiyot
Fill a piping bag with prepared vanilla pastry cream and pipe into each cooled doughnut. Keep these refrigerated, then dust with powdered sugar just before serving.
14. Coconut-Custard Donuts
Stir toasted coconut into prepared custard, then pipe it into the doughnuts. Sprinkle more coconut over the tops and refrigerate until serving.
15. Baked Jam-Filled Donuts
For a baked option, use a baked doughnut recipe, then cool before filling with raspberry or strawberry jam. Finish with powdered sugar, or try baked and fried pumpkin doughnuts for a spiced variation.
More Filled Hanukkah Doughnuts to Share
The shared yeast dough also works with fillings that go beyond jam, caramel, and custard. Prepare each filling while the doughnuts cool, then pipe it in once they’re easy to handle.
16. Pistachio and White Chocolate Sufganiyot
Melt white chocolate gently, then stir in pistachio butter or finely ground pistachios until smooth. Let the mixture cool until thick but still easy to pipe. This flavor pairing also appears in Molly Yeh’s Hanukkah recipe collection.
Spoon the filling into a piping bag and pipe it into each cooled doughnut. If the mixture firms up too much, warm it briefly and stir again. Finish with chopped pistachios and a light dusting of powdered sugar, which balances the sweet filling without covering its green color.
17. Orange-Marmalade Sufganiyot
Stir orange marmalade until smooth, then warm it briefly if it feels too firm to pipe. For a less bitter filling, mix in a spoonful of vanilla pastry cream. Cool the mixture completely before filling so it stays thick inside the doughnut.
Pipe the marmalade filling into each cooled round, using a wide tip if the preserve has bits of peel. Add a little orange zest to powdered sugar and dust the tops just before serving. The citrus keeps these doughnuts bright, while the sugar softens the marmalade’s sharper notes.
18. Chocolate-Tahini Sufganiyot
Warm chocolate spread until it loosens, then stir in tahini a teaspoon at a time. Taste as you mix, adding enough tahini for a gentle sesame flavor without making the filling loose. Let it cool until it holds its shape on a spoon.
Pipe the chocolate-tahini mixture into the cooled doughnuts. If it becomes firm while you work, warm it for a few seconds and stir again. Sprinkle the tops with toasted sesame seeds and a small pinch of flaky salt. This finish adds crunch and brings out the tahini’s savory edge.
19. Mocha-Cream Sufganiyot
Dissolve instant espresso powder in a teaspoon of hot water, then stir it into prepared vanilla pastry cream. Add a little at a time so the coffee flavor stays balanced. Cover the cream and chill it until fully cold and firm enough to pipe.
Fill each cooled doughnut with the mocha cream, then refrigerate them until serving. Dust the tops with cocoa powder or powdered sugar. Because this filling contains pastry cream, keep the finished doughnuts chilled and bring out only what you plan to serve.
20. Cranberry-Ginger Sufganiyot
Simmer fresh or frozen cranberries with sugar and a spoonful of water until the berries burst and the mixture thickens. Stir in finely grated fresh ginger, then cool the filling completely. If you prefer a smooth texture, press it through a fine-mesh strainer before piping.
Fill the cooled doughnuts with the cranberry mixture, using a piping tip wide enough for any remaining fruit pieces. Sprinkle the tops with coarse sugar or a little orange zest. The tart filling gives the doughnuts a sharper flavor, so use powdered sugar if you’d like a sweeter finish.
How to Fry, Fill, and Serve Homemade Sufganiyot
Good sufganiyot need steady heat, room to cook, and enough time to cool before you add the filling. Keep the oil near 340–350°F, then fry in small batches so the doughnuts turn golden without becoming greasy.
Keep the Oil Steady and Fry in Small Batches
Use a deep, heavy pot and clip a thermometer to the side, keeping its tip in the oil without touching the bottom. Adjust the heat as needed to hold the temperature near 340–350°F. If the oil gets too hot, the outside can brown before the center cooks; if it cools too much, the doughnuts may absorb excess oil.
Lower in a few doughnuts at a time, leaving space for them to float and turn. Crowding the pot drops the oil temperature and makes even browning harder. Let the oil return to the target range between batches.
Turn the doughnuts once as they fry. They’re ready when both sides are evenly golden and the sides look set, not pale or doughy. Timing varies with the size of your dough rounds, so check the first batch before frying the rest.
Drain, Cool, Then Add the Filling
Lift each doughnut with a slotted spoon and set it on a wire rack or a paper towel-lined tray. Let excess oil drain, then cool the doughnuts until they’re comfortable to handle. Filling them while hot can melt a cream filling and make warm jam run out.
A piping bag fitted with a Bismarck tip makes it easy to fill through the side. A small round tip works too; choose one wide enough for the filling to pass through without forcing it. Push the tip gently into the doughnut, then pipe until you feel slight resistance. Stop before the filling breaks through the opposite side.
Smooth jam is easiest to pipe. If yours has large fruit pieces, strain it or chop the pieces finely, then stir the jam until loose enough to flow. Warm it briefly if needed, but let it cool before filling so it stays in place.
Serve Fresh and Store Filled Doughnuts Safely
Sufganiyot taste best the day they’re fried, when the outside is still tender and the inside hasn’t dried out. Dust with powdered sugar just before serving, or roll the warm doughnuts in sugar before they cool. If you’re serving several fillings, label the flavors or leave a few unfilled and offer the filling on the side.
Refrigerate leftovers filled with pastry cream, custard, or another dairy- or egg-based filling. Keep them at 40°F or below, and refrigerate perishable doughnuts within two hours, or within one hour if the room is above 90°F. Follow the USDA’s leftover food safety guidance, and use refrigerated leftovers within three to four days. For more ideas with chilled fillings, see our pumpkin dessert recipes for Thanksgiving.
Frequently Asked Questions
A few small choices can make homemade sufganiyot easier to plan and serve. These answers cover make-ahead options, ingredient swaps, and what to expect if you change the cooking method.
Can I Make the Dough Ahead?
Yes. Prepare the dough ahead and freeze it if you want to spread the work across two days. Yeast dough can change during freezing, so it may need more time to rise after thawing; Kansas State University Extension’s guidance on freezing yeast dough explains what to expect. Shape and fry the doughnuts once the dough is thawed and puffy.
Can I Use Instant Yeast Instead of Active Dry Yeast?
You can usually use instant yeast in place of active dry yeast in the same amount. Mix it with the flour and other dry ingredients rather than dissolving it in the warm milk first. The dough may rise sooner, so watch for a puffy appearance instead of relying only on the recipe’s timing.
Can I Bake the Shared Dough Instead of Frying It?
The shared dough is written for frying, so baking it may give you a different texture and browning. For a baked option, use a doughnut recipe developed for the oven, then fill the cooled doughnuts with jam as described. They won’t have the same tender, fried exterior, but they’re a practical choice if you’d rather skip the pot of hot oil.
Can I Freeze the Finished Doughnuts?
Freeze the doughnuts plain and unfilled for the best texture. Let them cool completely, pack them in an airtight container, and thaw them before adding jam or another filling. Dust with powdered sugar after thawing, since it can absorb moisture while the doughnuts are stored.
What If My Jam Is Too Thick to Pipe?
Stir the jam well, then warm it briefly until it loosens. Add warm water a teaspoon at a time only if it still won’t flow through the piping tip; too much liquid can make the filling runny. Let the jam cool before filling the doughnuts so it stays in place.
Can I Make Smaller Doughnuts?
Yes. Cut smaller rounds or shape smaller balls, then check the first batch before frying the rest. Smaller doughnuts cook faster, so remove them when they’re evenly golden and the sides look set. Smaller portions also make it easier to offer several fillings on one platter.
Conclusion
One batch of homemade sufganiyot dough can become many different treats with a change of filling and topping. Choose a favorite flavor, make a small batch together, and serve the doughnuts fresh while they’re soft.
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I’m the creator of My Everyday Dish, a food blog focused on easy homemade recipes, comforting family meals, simple baking, and seasonal food ideas. I love finding practical ways to make everyday cooking less stressful and more enjoyable. Here, I share recipes with simple ingredients, clear instructions, and plenty of flavor, helping you make delicious meals and treats you’ll feel confident serving at home.
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