Make Your Hanukkah Celebration Vegan with These Easy Recipes and Tips

When you're plant-based, the holiday season means fitting your new lifestyle into long-held family and religious celebrations. While this can seem like a high-pressure situation, there are many simple tips and tricks that can transform your favorite recipe vegan and ensure your traditions are cruelty-free. Below, we show you how to vegan-ize your Hanukkah celebration:

Hanukkah gelt is foil-wrapped milk chocolate that resembles gold coins, given to children. But you can find vegan dark chocolate gelt which looks just as festive. And dark chocolate tastes so much better. No Whey makes a great dairy-free version.

Latkes, also known as potato pancakes, are usually the star of the show on Hanukkah. You fry them in lots of oil and ideally serve them as soon as they are done.

There are two basic kinds of latkes, ones where the potatoes are blended into a smooth batter (I grew up with this kind) and one where the potatoes are grated. Grated is the classic way; people used to do this on a box grater, and scrape their knuckles. It’s so much easier in a food processor.

The first time I made them this way, I totally forgot about the egg that my mother used in her blended version. But you know what? The grated potatoes, with onions and seasoning, don’t need an egg. They are kind of like a hash brown cake without the egg.

I split the difference and make half the batter in the blender, and grate the rest. This gives the latkes a better texture, and it holds together well. It also dirties twice as many dishes…

There are two classic toppings for latkes: applesauce or sour cream. Applesauce is not only the vegan option, but it’s also tastier, I think, and far healthier. If you're looking for a vegan sour cream, Tofutti makes a great one available here.

I make applesauce by cooking on the stove and pureeing them through a food mill. You can also cook them in an Instant Pot. With the food mill, you don’t have to peel the apples, but the milling process takes awhile. But this is why you have children. Mine would do it for 5 minutes or so, then grow bored and eat a bowl of applesauce. With three kids and one compliant husband, a bushel of apples becomes applesauce in no time.

Get a mix of apples: Macoun, Macintosh, Empire, any heirloom varieties you can find. Wash and cut into quarters. There’s no need to core or peel, but cut out any bad spots. Expect shrinkage as every person passing through the kitchen will grab a few pieces. Even the dog sits patiently drooling, accepting any small bits that fall to the floor.

Fill a big pot, add a cinnamon stick, cover, and cook over the lowest heat possible so apples don’t scorch. Your house will fill with the lovely apple cinnamon scent.

If you’re feeling fancy, throw in a handful of fresh cranberries or a pear. You can also add a knob of fresh ginger or freshly grated nutmeg, but I prefer the pure cinnamon flavor.

Stir occasionally and cook till all the apples are all broken down and soft (about an hour). Pass through the food mill.

Make a big batch so you can freeze some for later.

As long as you’re making applesauce, you might as well whip up a batch of brownies with a half cup of homemade sauce. For the olive oil, choose an inexpensive oil that doesn’t have an overwhelmingly fruity aroma.

Since some vegans won’t use beeswax, many of the premium Menorah candles are off-limits. There are pretty eco-friendly soy or vegetable wax candles which are a healthier choice than paraffin candles. Find some here.