Rosh Hashanah Dessert Recipes for a Sweet New Year

Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, is a time of reflection, celebration, and, of course, indulging in desserts. At Prep + Rally, we believe that preparing festive treats should be as enjoyable as eating them. Traditional Rosh Hashanah desserts are sweet with apples, honey, pomegranate seeds, and the like, symbolizing hope for a sweet coming year. While your Rosh Hashanah celebration may include a traditional honey cake, sweet round challah, honey cookies, apple pie, apple cake, apple bread pudding, and the like, these sweet treats are the perfect match for your celebration of the Jewish New Year, particularly if you’re looking to switch things up a bit (or just add additional desserts to your Rosh Hashanah menus).

Here, we share our top Rosh Hashanah dessert recipes that are simple, delicious, and perfect for sharing with loved ones.

1. Pumpkin Babka

Pumpkin Babka is a fresh fall twist on a traditional recipe: Babka, a dessert staple for every Jewish household!

Ingredients:

Babka Dough
1 cup warm water
1 tablespoon active-dry yeast
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs whisked
1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 egg for egg wash
1/4 cup sugar + 1 tsp cinnamon

Pumpkin Filling
15 ounce can pumpkin puree
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 package vanilla or chocolate instant pudding powder

Instructions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the warm water, yeast, and sugar. Set aside for 5 minutes to proof the yeast. Add the eggs, oil, flour, and salt. Mix until combined and then knead by hand for 2-3 minutes. The dough should be a little sticky. If it’s too sticky to knead, add a little more flour.

2. Cover the bowl and rise for 1 hour, until the dough is double in size.

3. Preheat oven to 350°F. and line a baking sheet or loaf pan with parchment paper.

4. Mix the pumpkin puree, brown sugar, pudding powder, salt, and your festive fall spices (cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg) together in a small bowl.

5. Roll out the dough into a large rectangle. Spread the filling all over the dough, leaving about an inch bare around the border.

6. Roll up the dough into a log and cut the log in half so you have two shorter logs of dough.

7. At this point, you have so many different ways to shape your babka. The most classic is to twist the dough logs around each other. Slice the tops of the dough lengthwise to expose the inside of the dough. Place in the loaf pan, brush with egg wash and bake.

8. To make the design in this post, transfer the two logs of dough to the baking sheet. With clean scissors, cut a notch at the start of one dough log at an angle and pull the snipped part out to one side. Cut again and pull the cut part out to the other side. Continue all the way down both dough rolls so that the pieces lie alternately on each side. Cover and let them rise for about 30 minutes.

9. Brush the dough with egg wash and sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar mixture. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the crust is golden.

10. Serve!

Pumpkin Babka

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Course Dessert

Servings 2 Babkas

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

Babka Dough

• 1 cup warm water
• 1 tablespoon active-dry yeast
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 eggs whisked
• 1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 egg for egg wash
• 1/4 cup sugar + 1 tsp cinnamon

Pumpkin Filling

• 15 ounce can pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 package vanilla or chocolate instant pudding powder

Instructions

 

• In a large mixing bowl, combine the warm water, yeast, and sugar. Set aside for 5 minutes to proof the yeast. Add the eggs, oil, flour, and salt. Mix until combined and then knead by hand for 2-3 minutes. The dough should be a little sticky. If it’s too sticky to knead, add a little more flour.
• Cover the bowl and rise for 1 hour, until the dough is double in size.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. and line a baking sheet or loaf pan with parchment paper.
• Mix the pumpkin puree, brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, salt and pudding powder together in a small bowl.
• Roll out the dough into a large rectangle. Spread the filling all over the dough, leaving about an inch bare around the border.
• Roll up the dough into a log and cut the log in half so you have two shorter logs of dough.
• At this point, you have so many different ways to shape your babka. The most classic is to twist the dough logs around each other. Slice the tops of the dough lengthwise to expose the inside of the dough. Place in the loaf pan, brush with egg wash and bake.
• To make the design in this post, transfer the two logs of dough to the baking sheet. With clean scissors, cut a notch at the start of one dough log at an angle and pull the snipped part out to one side. Cut again and pull the cut part out to the other side. Continue all the way down both dough rolls so that the pieces lie alternately on each side. Cover and let them rise for about 30 minutes.
• Brush the dough with egg wash and sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar mixture. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the crust is golden.
• Serve.

Keyword Dessert, Pumpkin, Babka

2. Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie

Sweet foods are quintessential Rosh Hashanah dishes, representing prosperity and abundance. This chocolate chip cookie in a skillet is an easy crowd-pleaser that will elevate your holiday table.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup oil

1/4 cup coconut oil

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons instant espresso powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

10 ounces good quality baking chocolate, chopped into small chunks and divided (about 1 2/3 cups)

Instructions:

1. Dough: Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a cast iron skillet with cooking spray or canola oil. Using an electric mixer, beat oils and sugars together in a large bowl until they’re well blended and have a creamy texture. Add eggs and vanilla, beating until smooth and creamy.
2.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (flour, espresso, baking soda, and salt); add to wet ingredients and beat until just blended and incorporated. Fold in the chopped chocolate.
3. Melt: In a separate bowl, melt remaining chocolate in microwave in 20 second intervals, stirring in between, until melted and smooth (alternatively, chocolate can be melted in double boiler over low heat). Set aside.
4. Spread half the dough in bottom of prepared pan. Spread melted chocolate evenly over the dough. Cover with remaining half of dough, using a spoon or spatula to spread into an even layer.
5. Bake for 20-22 minutes. Cookie should be golden
6. Serve hot, with a delicious non-dairy vanilla ice cream to top.

Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie

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Course Dessert

Servings 6 Servings

Ingredients

  

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• 1/3 cup oil
• ¼ cup coconut oil
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups flour
• 1½ teaspoons instant espresso powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 10 ounces good quality baking chocolate chopped and divided (about 1 2/3 cups)

Instructions

 

• Dough: Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a cast iron skillet with cooking spray or canola oil. Using an electric mixer, beat oils and sugars together in a large mixing bowl until well blended. Add eggs and vanilla, beating until smooth and creamy.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, espresso, baking soda, and salt; add to egg mixture and beat until just blended and incorporated. Fold in the chopped chocolate.
• Melt: In a separate small bowl, melt remaining chocolate in microwave in 20 second intervals, stirring in between, until melted and smooth (alternatively, chocolate can be melted in double boiler over low heat). Set aside.
• Spread half the dough in bottom of prepared pan. Spread melted chocolate evenly over the dough. Cover with remaining half of dough, using a spoon or spatula to spread into an even layer.
• Bake for 20-22 minutes. Cookie should be golden

Keyword Chocolate, Cake, Skillet, Pie

3. Stone Fruit Tart 

This easy recipe utilizes peaches and strawberry jam to create a delicious tart. In order to give it a Rosh Hashanah spin, feel free to completely swap the peaches for apples, or combine both for a truly happy (and sweet) new year!

Ingredients:

1 package Pepperidge Farms puff pastry 2 sheets of puff pastry, defrosted
3/4 cup strawberry jam can use any flavor you like!, divided
cinnamon and sugar for dusting
6 large peaches (or apples)
1 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400° and line an extra large or two standard-size baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. If you’re making one big tart on an extra large baking sheet place both sheets of puff pastry onto the parchment-lined baking sheet and using a rolling pin rollout slightly. Attach both pieces together so you have one large tart. If you’re using two standard-size, baking sheets, place one sheet of puff pastry on each and roll each one out slightly to thin.
3. Spread about a half of a cup (or a little extra if needed) of jam onto the puff pastry to cover, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the perimeter. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.
4. Using a knife, score around the edges to create a crust and poke holes in the center portion of the tart to keep it from puffing too much. Make rows of peaches or any other stone fruit you like creating a beautiful pattern.
5. Place 1 tablespoon of olive oil into a small bowl and add 1 tablespoon of jam. Warm in the microwave for 30 seconds and then mix to create a glaze. Brush the tops of the fruit with the glaze and top with a little extra cinnamon and sugar. Bake for about 30 minutes or so until golden around the edges and puffed.
6. Serve cut into squares topped with ice cream.

Stone Fruit Tart

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course Dessert

Servings 6 Servings

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 package Pepperidge Farms puff pastry 2 sheets of puff pastry, defrosted
• 3/4 cup strawberry jam can use any flavor you like!, divided
• cinnamon and sugar for dusting
• 6 large peaches you can also use nectarines, plums etc!, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 400° and line an extra large or two standard size baking sheets with parchment paper.
• If you're making one big tart on an extra large baking sheet place both sheets of puff pastry onto the parchment lined baking sheet and using a rolling pin rollout slightly. Attach both pieces together so you have one large tart. If you're using two standard size, baking sheets, place one sheet of puff pastry on each and roll each one out slightly to thin.
• Spread about a half of a cup (or a little extra if needed) of jam onto the puff pastry to cover, leaving a 1/2 inch boarder around the perimeter. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.
• Using a knife, score around the edges to create a crust and poke holes in the center portion of the tart to keep it from puffing too much. Make rows of peaches or any other stone fruit you like creating a beautiful pattern.
• Place 1 tablespoon of olive oil into a small bowl and add 1 tablespoon of jam. Warm in the microwave for 30 seconds and then mix to create a glaze. Brush the tops of the fruit with the glaze and top with a little extra cinnamon and sugar. Bake for about 30 minutes or so until golden around the edges and puffed.
• Serve cut into squares topped with ice cream.

Keyword Dessert, Peach, Pastry

Still looking for more inspo? Try one of these delicious Rosh Hashanah dessert recipes:

• Need a honey cake recipe? Try our favorite here—it’s the perfect cake for your holiday table.
• Need a Jewish apple cake recipe? We love this one! It’s a simple cake stuffed with warm apples that’ll come together in no time.
• These chewy cookies are another great option.
• Or, try these gluten and dairy-free chocolate chip cookies made with gf flour.

Happy Rosh Hashanah

Rosh Hashanah is a time to gather with family and friends, share delicious meals, and create lasting memories. With these easy Rosh Hashanah dessert recipes, you can add a touch of sweetness to your celebrations (and special occasions any other time of the year) without spending hours in the kitchen. Sending you wishes for a sweet year that’s as joyous and celebratory as the Rosh Hashanah meal you create!

Share your Rosh Hashanah recipes with us on Instagram using #PrepAndRally.