Gluten-Free Sufganiyot (Donuts) - Chanukah Recipes - It's Raining Flour (2024)

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These Gluten-Free Sufganiyotare one of my absolute favorite desserts ever!!

Ever since I adopted a gluten-free lifestyle 4+ years ago, I have not had the luxury of eating the classic indulgent sufganiyaheach year on Chanukah. This year I made it my mission to change the sad reality that as a gluten-free eater fried jelly donuts aren't an option. So, I tested two recipes, and somehow, after the second try, my donuts came out phenomenal! For real! These fried gluten-free sufganiyot are heavenly! All you gluten-free eaters rejoicebecause now you can make the easiest, super delicious sufganiyot that are gluten-free!

Get excited!

These gluten-free sufganiyot are made similar to regular ones, but there are a few differences. Let's walk through all the steps and I'm going to throw insome tipsand tricks to making the perfect donuts.

To make these donuts, just like most donut recipes, the yeast, warm water, and sugar are combined. Very easy! Next, all the liquid ingredients are whisked together in a bowl of a stand mixer. You add the yeast mixture to the liquid and mix to combine.

The next few ingredient are very important. These ingredients are crucial to making this gluten-free donut taste like the real deal. What are they?

  1. Tapioca Starch
  2. White Rice Flour
  3. Xanthan Gum

(You'll also add salt, but it's not as crucial as those top three ;-))

After adding the top three crucial ingredients, along with the salt, into the liquid mixture it's time to whisk everything together.

Keep in mind, the donut mixture will NOT look like your typical donut dough. Actually, it will look like a super thick batter. You're probably wondering how this funny looking batter will be turned into donuts.... no worries! A piping bag or plastic bag is now you're BFF during this donut making process.

Prepare a piping bag fitted with a large circle tip, or snip the corner off of a gallon ziplock bag. Fill the bag with batter and pipe large mounds onto parchment paper squares. Yes, I said it. Each mound of batter should have its own parchment paper square. You'll need about ten 3" x 3" (doesn't need to be so exact) squares of parchment.

Once all the dough is piped, freeze it for 1 hour. Defrost for 30 minutes. Fry it all up!

A few tips for frying these fabulous gluten-free sufganiyot:

  1. ALWAYS use a candy thermometer when frying to check the temperature of the oil. The oil shouldn't be too hot (very dangerous) or too cold.
  2. Keep the oil around 350℉. If the temperature drops too much, allow the oil to get hotter again before frying more donuts.
  3. Don't over-crowd the pan with donuts. I recommend frying 2-3 donuts at a time; no more than that!
  4. After frying and the oil is FULLY cooled off, don't pour the oil down your sink. Transfer the oil to a gallon or 2-gallon ziplock bag and zip it up tight. Then, place the ziplock into another grocery bag and place in the garbage.

Now that you've got the whole step by step process laid out for you, I hope you feel super confident to make these donuts. If you are gluten-free, I promise you that they will be a game changer for you.

If anyone is wondering what exactly what a "Sufganiyah" is, and why I'm making them, here's a super quick explanation: Sufganiyot (plural) and sufganiyah (singular) are the fried donuts that are eaten on Chanukkah. On the holiday of Chanukkah, we traditionally eat Sufganiyot since they are an oily food and we are supposed to remember the miracle of the oil lasting. There's a ton more information about Chanukah online if you are interested in learning more.

Also, make the donuts the day that you plan to serve them. They are best on the first day! If you want to eat the donuts after the first day, heat your donut in the microwave for 15-20 seconds. They will be tasty from the microwave but not as good they will taste on Day #1.

I wouldn't say this for most of my recipes, but if you plan to make these donuts I highly recommend that you watch the full Youtube video. It's a bit long, but it's very informative and I mention a few important tips along the way. Click here to watch the video.

Love these Gluten-Free Sufganiyot?? Here are more delicious gluten free recipes:

  • Apple Pie Honey Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
  • Gluten Free Chocolate Cake
  • Dark Chocolate Orange Cake
  • Gluten Free Chocolate Fudge Cookies

Gluten-Free Sufganiyot (Donuts) - Chanukah Recipes - It's Raining Flour (5)

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Gluten-Free Sufganiyot (Donuts)

Author Dalya Rubin

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon Instant Yeast
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • ¾ cup water
  • 3 large eggs
  • ½ teaspoon molasses
  • 1 tablespoon Pure Vanilla Extract
  • 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
  • ¼ cup grapeseed oil or other flavorless oil
  • 2 cups tapioca starch
  • 1 cup white rice flour
  • 1 and ½ teaspoons xanthan gum
  • pinch salt
  • 48 fluid ounces vegetable oil

Instructions

Make the Dough:

  • Pour the water into a microwave-safe cup/bowl. Microwave for 15-30 seconds or until warm.

  • Then, sprinkle the 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar and yeast into the warm water.

  • Mix with a fork and set aside for 5 minutes so that the yeast can activate.

  • Meanwhile, in a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or in a bowl with a handheld mixer), beat together the eggs, molasses, vanilla extract, maple syrup or sugar, apple cider vinegar, and oil. Beat on medium-low speed until well combined.

  • Next, add the yeast mixture to the egg mixture and beat for 1 minute on medium speed until all the ingredients are thoroughly combined.

  • Then, add the tapioca starch, white rice flour, xanthan gum and salt to the egg-yeast mixture. Beat on medium speed for 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl every 30 seconds.

  • The mixture will look like a thick batter and totally NOT kneadable.

  • Line a large cookie sheet with 10 parchment paper squares. Let aside.

  • Then, fit a piping bag with a large circle piping tip. Alternatively, cut about ¾ inch off the corner of a gallon ziplock bag.

  • Fill the bag half way with the batter and pipe large donut-shaped mounds onto each parchment square on the prepared pan. *My donuts were about 2 inches in diameter.

  • Optional: If you have the time, allow the piped donuts to rise on the counter for 20-30 minutes.

  • Then, place all the piped donuts on the baking sheet into the freezer for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

  • Then, allow the donuts to defrost for 20-30 minutes on the counter.

Fry the Sufganiyot

  • When you’re ready to start frying, heat two inches of oil in a large, deep pan until it reaches 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

  • Drop the frozen donuts on the parchment into the hot oil. Only fry two to three donuts at a time or else they won’t cook evenly.

  • Cook the donuts on each side for two to three minutes or until golden brown.

  • Transfer the fried donuts to a plate lined with paper towel and place paper towels on top of the donuts to soak up any excess oil.

  • Serve immediately or within a few hours of making for best results. If eating the second or third day, microwave the donut for 30 seconds for best results.

Notes

  • These donuts can be filled with jam, custard, or any other filling you like. I highly recommend filling them with a good quality raspberry jam. These are super delicious with a sprinkle of confectioners sugar.

Did you try this recipe?Mention @itsrainingflour or tag #itsrainingflour! We'd love you see what you're getting up to in the kitchen!

Recipe adapted fromimglutenfree.com

Gluten-Free Sufganiyot (Donuts) - Chanukah Recipes - It's Raining Flour (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between sufganiyot and donuts? ›

Traditionally, they were fried in lard which sets them apart from sufganiyot, which are fried in oil. What is the difference between a yeast doughnut and a regular doughnut? The difference between a yeast doughnut and other types of doughnuts is how they are leavened.

What are doughnuts typically filled with for Hanukkah? ›

The Ministry of Defense buys upwards of 400,000 sufganiyot for its soldiers each Hanukkah. As the troops overwhelmingly prefer jelly-filled doughnuts, the Defense Ministry purchases 80% with jelly filling and 20% with chocolate filling.

Why do Jews eat sufganiyot? ›

Called sufganiyot in Hebrew, this confection is a Chanukah treat throughout the Jewish world. Deep-fried jelly doughnuts recall the oil that burned miraculously for eight days in the second-century BCE Temple in Jerusalem.

What are deep-fried jelly donuts eaten during Hanukkah? ›

Sufganiyot are deep-fried jelly doughnuts that are traditionally eaten during the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. The oil used to fry the doughnuts is reminiscent of the oil that miraculously burned—according to the Hanukkah story—in the ancient Temple in Jerusalem.

What's the difference between sufganiyot and paczki? ›

Sufganiyot vs Paczki

While paczki are fried in lard, sufganiyot are fried in schmaltz (clarified chicken fat) as lard does not follow the kashrut laws of Judaism. Plus, sufganiyot are usually served on Hanukkah, while paczki are saved for Fat Tuesday or Tlusty Czwartek.

What kind of junk food is commonly eaten during Hanukkah? ›

Fried foods, like potato pancakes and jelly doughnuts, are prepared and eaten throughout the holiday to celebrate the miracle of Hanukkah: oil that kept the menorah (an ancient lamp) lit for 8 days instead of the 1 day it was supposed to last.

Why do Jews eat potato pancakes on Hanukkah? ›

During the Jewish holiday, eating crispy, fried, slightly oniony potato pancakes represents perseverance, and a little bit of magic. But miraculously it lasted eight days. Centuries after the fact, Jews were told to celebrate by eating foods cooked in oil.

What does sufganiyot mean in Hebrew? ›

They were trying to come up with foods and traditions that were distinctly Israeli. And Nathan imagines those guys sitting around and just spitballing new customs, like sufganiyot. It means sponge because doughnuts soak up oil.

Why do Jews eat dairy on Hanukkah? ›

The custom of eating dairy foods for Hanukkah dates back to the Middle Ages, when the Book of Judith played an important role in the Hanukkah narrative. Judith was a celebrated Jewish heroine who saved her village from an invading Assyrian army.

What are donuts a symbol of Hanukkah? ›

Latticed doughnuts, also known as sufganiyot, are traditionally eaten during Hanukkah to commemorate the miracle of the oil. According to the Talmud, when the Maccabees reclaimed the Temple in Jerusalem, they found only enough oil to light the menorah for one day, but miraculously, the oil burned for eight days.

What are two fried treats served during Hanukkah? ›

In America, Hanukkah food typically refers to two things: latkes, Eastern European fried potato pancakes, and sufganiyot, jelly-filled doughnuts that are favored in Israel and increasingly popular here.

How many donuts are eaten on Hanukkah? ›

About 80% of Israelis will eat at least one sufganiyah during the week of Chanukkah, with the average Israeli eating about four over the holiday.

What is the difference between the two types of doughnuts? ›

The Obvious Difference

Yeast doughnuts, as the name clearly spells out, are made from dough leavened with yeast (think brioche), whereas cake doughnuts are traditionally made from a kind of cake batter that uses a chemical leavener (i.e. baking powder or baking soda).

What's the difference between a beignet and a donut? ›

The texture of donuts and beignets is different due to the ingredients used. While both of these pastries fall on the side of light and fluffy, donuts are typically more dense than beignets. This is in part because of the difference in the dough; donuts aren't made with choux pastry like beignets.

What is the meaning of sufganiyot? ›

Sufganiyot (pronounced Soof-GAH-NEE-yote; the singular spelling is sufganiyah) are deep-fried, jelly or custard filled doughnuts, typically topped with powdered sugar.

What are Lenten donuts called? ›

Pączki are very rich donuts, deep fried and then filled with fruit or cream filling and covered with powdered sugar or icing. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent.

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