28 Old-School Jewish Recipes Your Grandma Used to Make, from Latkes to Matzoh Ball Soup

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients, kid-friendly, special occasion-worthy
• Serves: 4

OK, so Jews don’t get Christmas. But they do get eight nights of crispy, fried potato pancakes, slathered in all the applesauce and sour cream they can handle. It just might be an even trade. The trick to their crispness is grating the potatoes, then squeezing out all their excess moisture. Pair these dishes with a festive holiday drink, Manischewitz sangria, or a warm apple cider with honey, to complete the celebration.

• Time Commitment: 6 hours
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, <10 ingredients, kid-friendly
• Serves: 16

Before you say you don’t have time to make homemade bread, hear me out. "This version comes together easily in an electric mixer, no hand-kneading required," recipe developer Erin McDowell says. "As for the braiding, the three-rope braid is a breeze. Just remember 'left over center, right over center' and pinch the top and bottom ends to keep it all together."

• Time Commitment: 5 hours and 40 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, special occasion-worthy
• Serves: 6

The next time I catch a cold, I’m calling recipe developer Heidi Larsen. (Did I mention her homemade chicken broth was inspired by a recipe by my queen, Ina Garten?) If you're feeling lazy and want to save time, use shredded rotisserie chicken instead of making meatballs.

• Time Commitment: 3 hours and 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, high protein
• Serves: 10

Unlike Southern-style barbecue brisket, Jewish brisket is typically braised in the oven instead of smoked, alongside potatoes, crushed tomatoes and carrots. This preparation keeps the meat juicy and tender as it cooks.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: make ahead, crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy
• Serves: 36 cookies

These triangular cookies are served during Purim, a holiday that commemorates the saving of the Jewish people from a Persian Empire official. They're usually filled with apricot or raspberry jams or chocolate spread, but feel free to experiment with your favorite flavors.

• Time Commitment: 45 minutes
• Why I Love It: one pan, beginner-friendly, vegetarian
• Serves: 4

Shakshuka (aka eggs baked in a savory tomato sauce) has become a brunch staple. But before that, it was a classic Middle Eastern dish. Don’t forget plenty of toasted pita for dipping—you won't want to waste a drop of the sauce or runny yolks.

• Time Commitment: 10 minutes
• Why I Love It: no cook, <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, make ahead
• Serves: 8

A side dish starring fruit, nuts and red wine, charoset is symbolic of the mortar that enslaved Jewish people used to build pyramids and other structures in ancient times. While it's usually served at Passover, it's easy enough to prepare whenever a craving strikes.

• Time Commitment: 2 hours and 50 minutes
• Why I Love It: make ahead, kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser
• Serves: 12

Is it bread? Is it cake? I don’t exactly know, and TBH, I don’t really care. "The dough itself is like a yeasted banana bread, and chunks of banana mixed into the streusel give it an extra boost of fruity flavor," McDowell explains. The fruit infuses it with tons of sweet fruit flavor, but it also makes the crumb incredibly moist.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 20 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, kid-friendly
• Serves: 8 to 12

Whether it leans sweet or savory, I'm all for standard Jewish noodle kugel. But this version—topped with cinnamony, buttery oat crumble—really won me over. Bonus? This twist on an old-school Jewish recipe uses coconut sugar for sweetness instead of standard granulated.

• Time Commitment: 4 hours and 15 minutes
• Why I Love It: high protein, crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy
• Serves: 8

This savory spin on an old-school Jewish recipe includes five—yes, five—sliced yellow onions to give the brisket a beautiful golden color and soup-inspired sweetness. "Tons and tons of caramelized onions provide the same sweetness as tomatoes, and a glug of sherry wine adds the acidity you need to cut through the richness of the meat," explains recipe developer Jake Cohen. It’s so tender that you won’t even need a knife to cut it, promise.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: make ahead, gluten free, crowd-pleaser
• Serves: 12 to 15

The sweet-tart combination of cranberries and chocolate makes this twist on a traditional treat feel totally modern and sophisticated (and destined for your winter table). The jam is infused with ruby port wine and vanilla bean for a dessert-like sweetness and intense flavor.

• Time Commitment: 10 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser, no cook
• Serves: 8 to 10

OK, this isn’t exactly how Grandma used to make it. But it’s a super fun update to an iconic Jewish breakfast combo: bagels and lox. "Picture everything you’d smear onto a bagel—from smoked salmon to chives to capers—bountifully stacked up on a plate," McDowell explains. It's the ultimate centerpiece for weekend brunch.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 20 minutes
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy
• Serves: 4

There’s nothing like a succulent roast chicken for a Shabbat dinner or holiday meal. McDowell seasons the chicken with lemon, thyme, rosemary and butter, resulting in tender, juicy meat with crispy, golden skin. Sub olive oil for butter if you don't eat meat and dairy together.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 20 minutes
• Why I Love It: vegetarian, make ahead, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 6 to 8

Vegetarians and meat lovers alike adore these plant-based patties—and for good reason. With the help of a food processor or blender, the chickpea mixture is a breeze to prepare. "I form the falafel into patties, then lightly sauté them in a pan with just a touch of olive oil. The result is equally delicious--and more nutritious [than frying]," McDowell says. Serve them with tahini, tzatziki or spicy mayo.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 20 minutes
• Why I Love It: vegan, make ahead, crowd-pleaser
• Serves: 6 to 8

This hearty soup from Coterie member Maria Lichty gives me all the warm-and-fuzzy feels. Cut back on the cooking time before dinner by simmering the barley until it's soft a night ahead of serving.

• Time Commitment: 45 minutes
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, vegan, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 4

This stunner is a great alternative to tzimmes, a traditional Ashkenazi stew typically made from carrots, additional root vegetables and dried fruit. It'll pair beautifully with roast chicken at the Shabbat table, as well as salmon or lamb.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, kid-friendly
• Serves: 4 to 6

I’d never turn down paper-thin crepes, especially those stuffed with cheese and fried in butter. Bonus: This riff on blintzes is totally gluten free, thanks to a blend of buckwheat, sweet rice and oat flours instead of all-purpose flour.

• Time Commitment: 15 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, beginner-friendly, high protein
• Serves: 2 to 4

From the marble rye to the creamy Russian dressing, this deli staple never gets old. The old-school Jewish recipe uses ready-made corned beef instead of pastrami for a thicker texture, but you could totally swap one out for the other (or use both). Skip the cheese if you don't eat meat and dairy together, and serve the sandwich with sour pickles.

• Time Commitment: 40 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, vegetarian, dairy free
• Serves: 6

Even Bubbe won't complain about this twist on matzo ball soup. The matzo balls are studded with chopped scallions and the broth is infused with kombu and white miso, so each bite is bound to burst with umami-rich flavor. Top your bowl with roasted nori for good measure.

• Time Commitment: 3 hours and 5 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, <10 ingredients
• Serves: 16

Please everyone at the table with this take on challah. Each section is coated in a different ingredient (like garlic flakes, sesame seeds, za'atar and sweet crumbs, for instance). "I bake this recipe pull-apart style," recipe developer Chanie Apfelbaum writes, "so that you can add different toppings to please everyone at the table. In heimish bakeries, it’s sometimes referred to as shalom bayit challah, which translates to 'peace in the home,' but I'm thinking even bigger—world peace!"

• Time Commitment: 40 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, vegetarian
• Serves: 4

If you're craving falafel but don't want to commit to all that rolling and frying, this baking dish recipe is just the solution. The falafel is baked in a single layer instead for easy scooping. "Getting the pan nice and hot creates a crunchy base layer, which is then gently exposed during cooking to crisp up even more," recipe developer Rosie Reynolds explains. Serve it with warm pita, pickled onions, tahini, yogurt sauce and zhoug.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Why I Love It: kid-friendly, make ahead, crowd-pleaser
• Serves: 18 to 24 cookies

Not to be confused with fancy French macarons, coconut macaroons are a classic Passover-friendly treat, since they're made without wheat flour. The chocolate dip is optional...but why deprive yourself? (You can use butterscotch or white chocolate chips instead, if you'd prefer.)

• Time Commitment: 5 minutes
• Why I Love It: no cook, <10 ingredients, <30 minutes, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 1

Fun fact: There’s no egg or cream in this classic fountain soda (which came about in the Jewish immigrant communities of the Lower East Side and Brooklyn in the early 20th century). This sipper is nothing but milk, seltzer and chocolate syrup.

• Time Commitment: 10 minutes
• Why I Love It: kid-friendly, <10 ingredients, one pan, dairy free, <30 minutes
• Serves: 2

Yes, matzo brei is typically served for breakfast...but breakfast for dinner is always an easy win. Serve the scramble with a thick slab of buttery challah bread, if you feel so inclined.

• Time Commitment: 40 minutes
• Why I Love It: vegan, Whole30-approved, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 6

Did you know not all borscht is vegan? It turns out that many versions are beef- or pork-based. However, some are traditionally beet-based (like this one), and it's so flavorful that you won't miss the meat. Promise.

• Time Commitment: 3 hours
• Why I Love It: vegan, crowd pleaser, special occasion-worthy
• Serves: 36 kreplach

Kreplach, a type of dumpling that's usually boiled and served in soup, is often filled with beef or chicken. Even though this version, stuffed with sweet potato, isn't, I promise this veggie-forward take on an old-school Jewish recipe is a total keeper.

• Time Commitment: 3 hours
• Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser
• Serves: 16

Jelly doughnuts, aka sufganiyot, are a must-have for the holidays (and any random weeknight, TBH). Serving them with hot chocolate is imperative, so make sure you stock up on mugs and vegan marshmallows, too.

• Time Commitment: 55 minutes
• Why I Love It: vegetarian, special occasion-worthy, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 10

No, these tarts aren't exclusively Jewish or traditional. However, apples and honey are a popular combination, particularly during Passover. Who am I to turn down goat cheese? "You can either bake this as individual tarts—as I have done—or as one large tart, in which case just roll out the puff pastry into a rectangle," recipe developer James Rich advises.