How To: Celebrate Hanukkah Without Gluten
This year, Hanukkah begins on the evening of December 7th and ends at nightfall on December 15th. Since many traditional Hanukkah dishes and treats contain gluten, we wanted to provide celiac-safe kosher options and substitutes for the convenience of our Jewish readers.
Oil
Due to olive oil’s significance in the Judaic observance of Hanukkah, and to its presence in nearly all the traditional foods of this holiday, it felt important to specifically call out this sacred ingredient.
Olive oil is naturally gluten free, as are most cooking oils.
In addition to olive oil, our research for this post revealed that many recipes specify canola oil or peanut oil should be used to fry latkes. These, too, are naturally gluten free.
Despite this, many brands that carry cooking oil do not explicitly identify their products as gluten free. Among those that do are Bragg (olive oil), Gefen (olive oil and canola oil), and Rani (peanut oil). Generally speaking, most brands should be safe for consumption by celiacs, but we always encourage you to read labels carefully and use your discretion.
Latkes
Homemade
The primary components of traditional latkes are potato, egg, onion, salt, and oil. Recipes that utilize all-purpose flour as a binder can be modified by using King Arthur’s Gluten-Free Measure for Measure Flour. Those that call for matzo meal can substitute with Manischewitz’s gluten free version.
Pre-made
If they’re lucky, residents of the New York metropolitan area might be able to snag some of Modern Bread and Bagel’s potato latkes and applesauce before they sell out. For everyone else, a boxed mix is the lowest-effort option available. Though not technically pre-made, Manischewitz offers a homestyle potato latke mix that requires only eggs, water, oil, a mixing bowl, and a skillet to prepare.
A NOTE ON LATKE TOPPINGS:
Whether you’re making your latkes from scratch or from a mix, chances are you’re going to want to pair it with a dollop of something, whether on the side or on top: traditionally, applesauce (see below), sour cream, and/or horseradish sauce. Although sour cream is naturally gluten free, many companies do not label their product as such. Daisy is one widely-available brand that, as of the date of this writing, has confirmed on its website that its products and facility are gluten free. If you’re into horseradish sauce and you’re going the homemade route, Bubbie’s Prepared Horseradish is gluten free. If you’re looking for store-bought, Inglehoffer makes a gluten-free and kosher cream-style sauce.
Applesauce
Homemade
Applesauce is pretty straightforward. Apples (and any other fruit, if you add them) are naturally gluten free, as is lemon juice. All of McCormick’s single-ingredient seasonings are free of gluten—and, fortunately, they can be found in most grocery stores in the United States—so spices like nutmeg and cinnamon can be sourced from them. If you need vanilla extract for your recipe, they’re good for that, too. (Neilsen-Massey and King Arthur are two alternatives.)
Pure maple syrup is naturally gluten free, but you will rarely find a brand that labels its product accordingly. Ben’s Sugar Shack and Gefen are two that we’re aware of.
If apple cider is needed, Martinelli’s is a great option; and Mountain Cider Company sells a spiced apple cider concentrate that could work, too. For those that prefer apple cider vinegar in their applesauce, there’s the bestselling Bragg’s ACV. (They also carry some ACV blends like Honey and Cranberry Apple that might be fun to try.)
Pre-made
Our favorite store-bought applesauce is Musselman’s (we like their Honey Cinnamon flavor), but Mott’s might be a little easier to find in stores. Kosher brand Gefen also makes a natural, no sugar added applesauce that happens to be gluten free.
Kugel
Homemade
There are countless variations of kugel out there—potato and noodle, sweet and savory. It would be impossible for us to cover every version. But there are a few ingredients that showed up over and over again in the many recipes we reviewed.
Potato kugel recipes can be naturally gluten free as long as (a) they do not contain flour, and (b) any single-ingredient spices used are sourced from McCormick. In recipes that do call for flour, we recommend King Arthur’s Gluten-Free Measure for Measure Flour instead. Recipes that call for potato starch or corn starch are safe, while those that use matzo meal will require a gluten free substitute, such as Manischewitz’s.
The main issue with noodle kugel is sourcing gluten free egg noodles. To our knowledge, the closest thing to a one-to-one substitute for egg noodles is Manischewitz’s gluten free wide egg noodles. Other comparable products do exist. Jovial sells a tagliatelle egg-style brown rice noodle, which is closest in flavor to traditional wide egg noodles, though these are longer and thinner in shape. If you’re less concerned about flavor and would prefer a noodle that is more similar in shape and size to regular egg noodles, Barilla and Jovial make gluten free rotini that might be preferable.
Sour cream and cottage cheese are both naturally gluten free, but many are not explicitly labeled. As of the date of this writing, Daisy’s website states that its cottage cheese and sour cream are kosher and free of all non-dairy allergens, including gluten.
Pre-made
Although there does not appear to be a pre-made kugel on the market, Manischewitz carries a potato kugel mix—pan included—that is gluten and cholesterol free. All that’s required from you is water, eggs, oil, a mixing bowl, and an oven!
Challah
Homemade
Almost all of the usual ingredients for challah bread—water, yeast, sugar, oil, eggs, and salt—are naturally gluten free. Substitute all-purpose flour for King Arthur’s Gluten-Free Measure for Measure Flour. If you like to add toppings like sesame seeds or poppy seeds, be sure to source them from McCormick. For those who like to make their challah with chocolate chips, Nestlé’s semi-sweet chocolate morsels are a safe option.
Pre-made
For those who will not be preparing challah themselves, gluten free NYC/LA bakery Modern Bread and Bagel offers local delivery, as well as nationwide shipping on select items—including its challah. They currently offer both plain challah and challah rolls.
For those who are willing to do a little work themselves but don’t want to make their bread fully from scratch, Blends by Orly carries a few variations of GF challah mix, including traditional, chocolate chip, and raisin.
And if you’re looking for a zero-effort and more readily-available option, Katz Gluten Free sells sliced challah bread at major grocery chains like Safeway, ShopRite, Sprouts, Wegmans, and Whole Foods.
TIP:
Residents of the New York City and Los Angeles metropolitan areas should check out Modern Bread and Bagel’s Hanukkah specials, available between December 8 and December 15, 2023. This year’s offerings include cinnamon toast sufganiyot and five-cheese mac and cheese. Pre-orders start on Monday, December 4th.
Matzo ball soup
Homemade
If the common traditional ingredients (assorted veggies, potatoes, chicken/broth) are used, matzo ball soup is another dish that should be mostly naturally gluten free, with one main exception: the matzo meal. Manischewitz makes a gluten free matzo meal using potato flour and starches instead of wheat flour. If you do not intend to make your matzo balls or your chicken broth from scratch, please refer to the Pre-Made subsection below.
Pre-made
Manischewitz carries kosher and gluten free chicken broth. If kosher is not a concern for you and/or your family, Pacific Foods and Imagine both have a free range gluten free option. For those who do not wish to make their matzo balls entirely from scratch, both Manischewitz and Streit’s sell gluten free matzo ball mix. And if you’re in the mood for the lowest-effort option, Streit’s offers a gluten free matzo ball and soup mix.
Sufganiyot
Homemade
Like latkes and challah, the vast majority of sufganiyot ingredients are naturally gluten free. McCormick, Neilsen-Massey, and King Arthur all sell gluten free and kosher vanilla extract. If your recipe calls for nutmeg or any other spices, McCormick will be your safest bet.
For the filling, Stonewall Kitchen offers seedless raspberry and strawberry jams that are labeled gluten free, but not kosher; while Smuckers carries kosher seedless red raspberry and strawberry jams that are not verified gluten free despite apparently not containing any gluten. Both Dillman Farms and Musselman’s, however, make apple butters that satisfy both concerns. And if you’re planning to make something a little less traditional but still beloved, Nutella is a perfect (and celiac-safe) donut filling!
You may want to finish your sufganiyot with Gefen confectioners sugar, or with non-melting topping sugar, such as Ultimate Baker’s.
Pre-made
Although we were unable to find gluten free sufganiyot, Katz Gluten Free carries mini jelly donuts.
Gelt
Homemade
Homemade gelt can be personalized in many ways, but the staple ingredients of chocolate and oil are naturally gluten free. Baker’s and Nestlé both carry baking chocolates that are both kosher and gluten free. Even so, always check the packaging of whichever product you wish to buy to ensure there are no additives that would introduce gluten into the product.
Potential toppings for homemade gelt might include cacao nibs (Navitas Organics), edible gold luster dust (Bakell), sprinkles (Supernatural), crystallized ginger (McCormick), flaky sea salt (Maldon or The Spice Lab), and chopped pistachios (Wonderful) or almonds (Emerald).
Pre-made
If you prefer to buy your gelt at the store, The Dreidel Company sells Belgian chocolate and milk chocolate gelt that does not contain gluten. This might be perceived as a safer option by some celiacs since the coins are wrapped in foil and are thus unlikely to be exposed to contamination.
We hope this list has been helpful to you! If there are any dishes or ingredients we left out that you would like us to cover next year, please drop a note in the comments below and let us know. Happy Hanukkah!