Peanut Butter & Jelly Sufganiyot (Hanukkah Donuts)
To commemorate the miracle of Hanukkah, it’s customary to eat foods fried in oil, such as sufganiyot (fried jelly donuts). Our recipe features a fun spin on the tradition—a double dose of peanut butter. Peanut butter powder is infused into the dough and the donuts are topped with a glaze made with melted peanut butter chips for the ultimate PB&J experience.
Peanut Butter & Jelly Sufganiyot (Hanukkah Donuts)
A fun spin on the fried Hanukkah treat
Peanut Butter & Jelly Sufganiyot
To commemorate the miracle of Hanukkah, in which one day’s worth of oil kept the menorah lit for eight nights, it’s customary to eat foods fried in oil. Case in point: sufganiyot (fried jelly donuts), a Hanukkah treat that became popular in Israel and has since spread around the world. Our recipe features a fun addition—a double dose of peanut butter. Peanut butter powder is infused into the dough and the donuts then get topped with a glaze made with melted peanut butter chips for the ultimate PB&J experience. While the recipe is time-consuming, the donuts are easy to make. This is a perfect weekend baking project.
- Prep time: 2 hours and 45 minutes
- Cook time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours
- Yield: 16–20 donuts
Ingredients
- ¼ cup water, slightly warm, but not hot
- 2 ¼ teaspoons (1 packet) active dry yeast
- 1 ¼ cups milk, slightly warmed
- ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, melted and cooled
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup powdered peanut butter
- 2 quarts vegetable or peanut oil
- 1 10- ounce bag peanut butter chips
- Jelly of your choice
Directions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, whisk together the warm water, yeast, and 1 tablespoon of sugar. Let sit for 8 to 10 minutes until foamy. If you don’t have a stand mixer, use a large bowl.
- Add to the bowl the milk, ¼ cup sugar, eggs, butter, nutmeg, salt, vanilla extract, and 2 cups of flour. Mix on medium-low speed until combined. Slowly add in the rest of the flour and the peanut butter powder and continue to mix on medium-low to medium until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowls, about 7 minutes. You may have to add more flour by the tablespoon to get the dough to the right consistency. It should be slightly tacky, but not sticky, and smooth. If you aren’t using a stand mixer, use a hand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment or mix by hand with a wooden spoon; if the dough becomes too thick to mix, turn it out onto a floured surface and finish kneading by hand.
- Place dough in a lightly greased bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm spot for about 2 hours (if your kitchen is on the colder side, a great option is to place the dough in the oven with the oven light turned on). The dough should double in size.
- Roll out the dough on a floured surface until ½ inch thick. Use a glass that is about 2 ½ to 3 inches in diameter to cut your donuts. Be sure to use up the scraps. Knead them together, let the ball of scraps rest for a few minutes, then roll out and cut out more donuts. Repeat as needed.
- Place the donuts on baking sheets lined with parchment and dusted with flour. Space them 3 inches apart. Cover the baking sheets with kitchen towels and let the donuts rise in a warm spot for 45 minutes to an hour. They will puff up slightly.
- Pour oil into a dutch oven or heavy duty pot and heat on the stove at medium heat until it reaches 375 degrees. Using a slotted metal spoon or spatula, add 3 or 4 donuts to the oil at a time. Cook on each side for about 1 minute, until dark golden brown. Place the fried donuts on plates or racks lined with paper towels.
- Once donuts are cool enough to handle, it’s time to fill the donuts with jelly of your choice. Fill a piping bag (or ziplock bag with the corner cut off) with the jelly. Cut a small slit in the side of the donut and then insert the tip of the piping bag and fill with the jelly.
- Microwave the peanut butter chips in 20 second increments, until melted. Spread the melted glaze onto the donuts with a knife or offset spatula. You may need to periodically reheat the peanut butter chips to get them back to a workable, melted consistency.
Notes
The dough will fry up to a darker golden brown than a regular jelly donut because of the peanut butter powder in the dough.
The donuts are best eaten the same day they are made, but they keep well stored in an air-tight container at room temperature for a few days.
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