Why yes, you CAN make baked donuts on Hanukkah, fill them with Raspberry Chia Jam and call them Sufganiyot! I’ve worked hard on perfecting this recipe for baked jelly donuts…they’re so good, you won’t miss all that oil from the fried version. Baked sufganiyot, sprinkled with a touch of turbinado sugar and filled with chia jam are the Hanukkah miracle you want to celebrate after all.
You’re probably already fulfilling the Hanukkah miracle of the oil lasting 8 days by making latkes fried in oil….oh, I get it, my first choice is always a crispy baked Brussels sprout latke, but my kids insist on my Grandma’s latke recipe—and I give in, at least for the first night of the holiday.
So, I’m totally fine with baked sufganiyot…rather than donuts fried in oil. They’re fun and festive and perfect for the holidays, a birthday celebration or just because you’re in the mood for a donut and want a healthier version. It’s called balance and it’s working well in our house. Have a try and report back!!
Ingredient Notes
- Turbinado sugar: If I’m going to use actual sugar, turbinado is my preference…but it’s still sugar. I use it sparingly and I do think it helps give off the traditional sufganiyot vibe…you could also use a dusting of powdered sugar or skip it.
- Jelly: classic sufganiyot are filled with jelly. I like to use no sugar chia seed jam…it will take you just 15 minutes to make a batch…it’ll be ready by the time the donuts are out of the oven and ready to fill.
- Yeast: These are yeast donuts…they give a good rise, even though they’re vegan and leave enough room to fill with jam.
- Applesauce and Honey: Enough sweetener to activate the yeast so the donuts will rise.
- Flour: I used all purpose whole wheat flour in this photographed batch.
How to make them
I’ve included as many step by step photos as I could to show you what each part looks like…don’t let the number of photos intimidate you., they are here to make it easier for you. These steps are simple and totally doable…even for first time donut makers. I’m totally new to donut making and filling too!
I like to use a glass measuring cup to proof the yeast. It’s easy to pour the water and honey right in and use the measurements on the side. You’ll need HOT water. If you have a thermometer, use it and look for 105-110 degrees. Otherwise, run the tap until the water is HOT….but not scalding.
Mix the water, honey, salt and yeast together and then let it sit for about 5 minutes to proof. It will bubble and foam a bit.
The yeast has “proofed” when it’s grown in size as well as bubbled up.
Pour applesauce, honey and olive oil into the bowl of a food processor. You can also use a stand or handheld mixer.
When yeast mixture has proofed, add it to the bowl and then pulse a few times to combine.
Start by adding half the flour to the liquid mixture.
Process until just combined.
Then add the rest of the flour.
Let the processor run for awhile, kneading the dough. It will be a bit tacky, but not super sticky. The dough will also pull away from the sides of the bowl.
Transfer the dough to a very lightly floured surface.
Knead just long enough for the dough to form into a ball.
Drizzle 1 teaspoon olive oil into a large bowl. Place the dough into the bowl and turn to let oil coat the outside all over.
Cover bowl with a clean dishcloth and let rise in a warm spot for 90 minutes. It will double in size.
Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface.
Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a rectangle about ½-3/4″ thick.
Cut circles into dough. If you use 2 ½″ diameter circles, you will get about 18 small-medium sized donuts.
Gather up the scraps and reroll to make additional donuts.
Place on a parchment lined baking tray and cover with dish towel for second rise. Let them sit for an hour.
Bake in 350 degree oven for 12 minutes, flipping over half way through.
When cool enough to handle, poke a hole on one side of each donut. I used a chopstick. The end of a metal straw or the end of a circular handle spoon will also work.
Use a disposable piping bag (or a zip top bag with the corner clipped off if you don’t have one)to push a couple teaspoons jam into each donut.
Lightly spray the filled donuts with either oil or water and then dip into a small dish that has coarse turbinado sugar in it. Two spoons make this part easier to manage.
Enjoy…these sufganiyot bring back all the nostalgia of Hanukkah’s past for me and I hope they do the same for you!
Debra’s Pro Tips
- Don’t be intimidated by the total time needed for this recipe. Much of it is passive time, waiting for the donut dough to rise.
- Let them cool completely before storing.
- Store in an airtight container….I like to line it in parchment paper.
- They’ll stay good in the fridge for a week…I take them out an hour before serving because I think they taste better at room temperature.
- These are such a hit in our house, I make them even when it’s not a holiday!
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📖 Recipe
Baked Sufganiyot with Raspberry Chia Jam
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup hot water 105-110 degrees
- ½ cup honey sub maple syrup for true vegan
- 2 ¼ teaspoon active dry yeast
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 teaspoon vanilla paste sub vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cups whole wheat all purpose flour
Topping & Filling
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ cup raspberry jam
- 2 tablespoon Raw Tubinado Sugar
Instructions
- Use a 2 cup glass measuring cup and measure ½ cup hot water. Use a thermometer, if you have one, to register around 110 degrees. Otherwise, make it hot to the touch, but not scalding!
- Pour the honey directly into same cup. Sprinkle on the salt and 1 package yeast. Mix well and leave to proof, about 5 minutes. it will get bubbly/foamy and rise up a bit.
- Place applesauce, vanilla and oil into bowl of food processor or mixer. Pour in the yeast mixture, once it's proofed and pulse to combine.
- Pour in 1 ½ cups of the flour and mix until thoroughly combined. Then pour in the remaining 1 ½ cups flour and let the machine knead into a cohesive dough. It should be a bit tacky, but pulling away from the sides of the bowl. Dump the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead a few times, rolling into a large ball.
- Place the dough in a large bowl with 1 teaspoon olive oil. Roll dough ball around, so outside is coated with the oil. Cover with a dish towel and set in a warm spot to double in size, about 90 minutes. If you have a "proof" setting (100 degrees) on your oven, that's a great spot.
- Use a rolling pin to flatten out into a large rectangle that's at least ½" thick, or closer to ¾" thick, uniform throughout.
- Use a circular cookie cutter or a small glass to cut dough into circles. Reroll the scraps and cut a few more. I like a smallish donut. If you use a 2 ½" circle, you should be able to get about 18 donuts. Place them onto a large rimmed baking sheet that's lined with parchment paper. Cover with a towel and let rise for about an hour.
- Bake in 350 degree oven for 6 minutes, flip onto the other side and bake for an additional 6 minutes.
- Let sit until cool enough to handle. Use the end of a chopstick or metal straw to poke a hole in one side of each donut. Scoop the raspberry jam into a piping bag (use a disposable zip top bag if you don't have one…and then cut off one corner) fitted with a metal tip. Squeeze a couple teaspoons jam into each donut.
- Spray the outside of donuts with either a spritz of olive oil or even a spritz of water for something for the sugar to stick to. Place the turbinado sugar into a small bowl and use two spoons to coat the donuts into the sugar.
- Serve immediately for best taste. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for a few hours or in the fridge for up to a week. They will taste best at room temperature, so allow time to take them out of the fridge before serving.
Notes
Raspberry Chia Jam
- 2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons water
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 3 tablespoon chia seeds
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Place berries (if using frozen, it’s ok to put them in straight from the freezer), water, maple syrup, water and lemon juice into a small saucepan.
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Bring to simmer and cook over low heat for about 5 minutes. Stir occasionally, using the back of a wooden spoon to mash any berries that don’t fall apart on their own.
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Turn off heat and stir in chia seeds. Let sit for 5 minutes. Stir again. Let sit another 5 minutes. Stir again.
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Store in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to a month or freeze for 3 months.
Nutrition
Note
The nutrition calculations were done using online tools. To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in any given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients you used. You are ultimately responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information is accurate, complete and useful.
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