Happy 5785! Rosh Hashanah begins the night of Wednesday, October 2 this year so you still have a little time to gather your Rosh Hashanah apple recipe ideas together. For my kids, the best part of a Rosh Hashanah celebration is always the apples dipped in honey, and that means making Rosh Hashanah apple recipes the centerpiece of our dinner — or at least dessert — is a guaranteed hit.
Here are some creative Rosh Hashanah apple recipe that I absolutely love, should you be putting together a Rosh Hashanah menu (or two) to celebrate the Jewish New Year with family and friends.
Honey optional…or, wait. No. It’s definitely not. Not optional at all.
An important note: This year, the sweetness of the Rosh Hashanah celebration is greatly tempered by the upcoming anniversary of the horrific October 7 attacks, the unfathomable loss of innocent civilian life we’ve all born witness to over the past year, and the disturbing rise of global antisemitism. This year, we’ll be raising an extra glass of red wine and lighting an extra candle in hopes of a fast end to the war and an end to unnecessary human suffering. May this new year usher in a new era of peace, prosperity, compassionate leadership, and self-determination for all.
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Related: Cool Mom Eats Apple Guide: The best apples for baking and cooking.
Honey Apple Cake
Honey Apple Cake recipe for Rosh Hashannah | Torey Avey
Bundt pan desserts are a solid choice for a Jewish New Year celebration, since circular foods and desserts represent renewal and the circle of the life as we start another year. (And aren’t these Nordic Ware bundt pans the most beautiful you’ve ever seen?) So I headed to Tori Avey, my go-to recipe queen for authentic Jewish holiday recipes, to see what she’s offering. For a Rosh Hashanah apple dessert recipe on the traditional side, I would be totally down for trying her Honey Apple Cake recipe for Rosh Hashanah. Or any night, really. Be sure to follow her directions: She suggests that because it’s a very moist cake, it’s best decorating just before serving so the cake doesn’t absorb the powdered sugar.
Easy Apple Tart
Easiest Apple Tart | See and Savour
When you have apples and good honey to work with as your main ingredients, there’s no shortage of dessert ideas to choose from. I’m drawn to anything with “easy” in the recipe title TBH, and this Easiest Apple Tart from See and Savour looks like it would please even my picky dessert eaters on Rosh Hashanah. It doesn’t get more simple than puff pastry right out of the freezer (DuFour is my pick), topped with apple slices, then tossed with a few simple ingredients.
Ginger Apple Torte
Ginger Apple Torte | Food 52, photo by Mark Weinberg
Since it’s been such a hot, humid summer for all of us, I’m up for an early fall twist on the traditional Rosh Hashanah apple recipes to get me moving past this humidity (if only in my head). This Ginger Apple Torte from Food 52 is exquisite! Recipe contributor Dr. Babs had me at “a fusion of gingerbread and apple cake.” In fact, if it turns out great, I bet you could reprise it in a week as one of your Thanksgiving desserts for kids who won’t eat pumpkin pie.
Apple and Honey Pie Pops
Apple and Honey Pie Pops for Rosh Hashannah | The Nosher
If you’ve got kids over for dinner — or, not — these Apple and Honey Pie Pops by Sheri Silver at The Nosher are nothing short of brilliant. Sheri calls them “a cinch to make” and that sounds good to me! (Also, I appreciate a good baking pun.) I especially like that they can be assembled and frozen in advance, which means one less thing to do when you’ve got a lot of hungry people to feed, plus packs of lollipop sticks are so affordable. One more bonus: Less silverware in the sink at the end of your meal.
Caramel Apples
Caramel Apples recipe | Stella Parks for Serious Eats, Photo by Vicky Wasik
While we’re on desserts on a stick, Caramel Apples are a wonderfully simple idea, and it’s always crowd-pleasing, especially for the kids. Serious Eats has a smart, easy recipe — just five ingredients. And that includes water and the apples. Just a warning: If this becomes your Rosh Hashanah apple recipe this weekend, your kids will be begging to eat them all year. For more ideas, also check out the excellent Rosh Hashanah recipe archives on Serious Eats, conveniently sorted by parve and non-parve.
Related: Fabulous Rosh Hashanah menu ideas, from apps right through dessert
Apples and Honey Donuts
Apples and Honey Donuts recipe | What Jew Wanna Eat
Donuts aren’t just for Hanukkah! (Thank goodness!) Amy Kritzer, author of the Sweet Noshings cookbook of desserts has a fantastic Rosh Hashanah recipe category worth checking out on her popular site, What Jew Wanna Eat. I was instantly drawn in by her recipe for Apples and Honey Donuts, which are essentially apple slices dipped in donut batter before frying. So easy! I love the creativity and the rustically delicious results finished with a simple honey glaze.
Skinny Apple Pie Wontons
Skinny Apple Pie Wontons | The Merchant Baker
As a native New Yorker, I can attest that Jews and Chinese food go together like…well, Jews and Chinese food! We published a post on 10 delicious twists on apple pie recipes a while back, and I’ve had these these, light, simple Skinny Apple Pie Wontons in my bookmarks ever since. Created by Ramona for her site, The Merchant Baker, you can find instructions for making them as cups or turnovers. Either way, you can give each guest their own little personal pie (or two) — complete with a scoop of good vanilla ice cream on the side. Should you be less worried about the “skinny” aspect of the recipe.
Note that you can find wonton wrappers in all kinds of grocery stores these days or shops like Wegman’s — just search the international section — or you can always hit your local H-Mart.
Shana tova everyone! Here’s to a sweet, happy, and peaceful new year for all.
Top image: Sarah Gualtieri via Unsplash
