Hanukkah is like a marathon. Eight days of celebration means eight opportunities to leave your grandparents’ house, your synagogue, Hillel/Chabad, your parents’ house, or your friend’s house bloated and rolling over in oily goodness. (How can you say no to latkes and fried jelly donuts?). But just because the Maccabees’ menorah lasted eight days purely on oil doesn’t mean that your stomach or your skin can. Oil is certainly a Hanukkah food staple, but you can get a bit less greasy with these healthier Hanukkah recipes.
I like these dishes a latke (gotta love a good Hanukkah pun) because they’re Hanukkah food recipes that even your bubbie (Yiddish for Grandma) will love!
Baked Jelly Donuts
Traditionally sufganiyot (jelly donuts) are fried, packed with jam, and topped off with powdered or cinnamon) sugar. But you don’t have to eat half a donut to eat healthier. This Baked Jelly Donut recipe provides a lighter take on the Hanukkah classic.
Baked Latkes
Keep that oven on after you make your baked jelly donuts because you’ll need it for these crispy, healthier baked latkes. If you can’t imagine having latkes without getting oil on your fingers (almost like you can’t imagine eating Cheetos without Cheeto-dust fingers), you can still have a healthier version of potato pancakes! Try pan-frying your latkes in a small amount of oil before popping them in the oven to finish them off. If you’re feeling truly inspired, try making your latkes out of zucchini.
#SpoonTip: Looking for a healthier way to opt-in to using oil? Try switching from using traditional vegetable oils to using avocado oil.
Homemade Apple Sauce
Apple sauce and latkes are the ultimate Hanukkah pairing, but oftentimes apple sauce is full of unnecessary sugars. Lucky for you, homemade healthy apple sauce can be yours in just 30 minutes. If you read, “homemade apple sauce,” and think, ain’t nobody got time for that, try to buy organic or unsweetened apple sauce instead. In addition to apple sauce, sour cream is a popular latke-topping. Keep your meal on the lighter side with low-fat sour cream.
Lemon-Basil Macca-BEETS Salad
Personally, the Macca-BEETS pun is reason enough to serve this Hanukkah beet salad. This salad has chewy roasted beets topped with lemon basil dressing, which offer a much needed, fresh break from the carb feast that is Hanukkah. Munch on this while listening to everyone’s favorite Hanukkah song.
Apricot Noodle Kugel
What is a Jewish holiday without kugel (baked pudding or casserole traditionally made with egg noodles)? Genius Kitchen’s recipe is a lighter take on the dairy-heavy dish, which substitutes whole eggs and milk with egg whites and orange juice for a fruitier and healthier version of this classic.
Braised Brisket with Root Vegetables
With all the present-lifting, menorah-lighting, latke-flipping, Hanukkah is essentially a workout (I said it was a marathon, right?). We’ve already done some serious carbo-loading, so make sure to get your protein in with this healthier brisket recipe.
Whole Wheat Challah
Challah at me because this whole wheat challah recipe sounds tasty and customizable. With a whole wheat base, you can make your challah any flavor you want — cinnamon, chocolate chip, garlic and onion, pesto, etc. Get creative! Get festive!
Challah French Toast
On the off chance that you have leftover whole wheat challah, to continue the Hanukkah festivities, make challah French toast for breakfast. Ina Garten’s recipe calls for half-and-half, but you can just as easily use a low-fat/skim milk to make your Hanukkah breakfast a little bit healthier.
Strawberry Blintzes
Blintzes may not be the most traditional Hanukkah food, but Jewish holidays are all about bringing family and friends together, and who can’t bond over blintzes? By swapping in low-fat cottage cheese and reduced-fat cream cheese, you have a healthier version of classic, sweet blintzes.
#SpoonTip: Make your blintzes a bit healthier by making the crêpes using whole wheat flour.