Consider Rosh Hashanah as your instant reset button. Starting over for the New Year, reinvigorated with fresh ambition to do better than the previous 365 days, needn’t be reserved just for January 1st. Meaning “Head of the Year,” the Jewish New Year ushers in more than just a date on the calendar. Consider it an open invitation to pause, reflect, and reset. While many gather in synagogues for prayer and connection, the rituals of Rosh Hashanah are most expressive around the table.
Falling on the first day of Tishrei in the Hebrew calendar, 5786 begins at sundown, ushered in by a fleet of autumnal produce and golden nectar, in hopes of having some of that gentle sweetness stay with us through the next annual cycle. Round challahs grace the table, their shape symbolizing abundance without end, while slices of crisp apple dipped in maple syrup or vegan honey speak our collective hope aloud, their down-to-earth decadence representing an attainable luxury.
Pomegranates, dates, carrots, and beets are just a few more favorites, woven into the tapestry of perennial celebratory dishes. Whether continuing beloved family customs or creating new ones, the dishes served on Rosh Hashanah are as much about intention as they are about flavor.
What follows is a collection of my favorite Rosh Hashanah recipes that honor the season, the symbolism, and the sweet start we all hope for in the year ahead.
10 Best Recipes for Rosh Hashanah
Don't fill up on plain apples and honey! Start the Jewish New Year on the right foot with a full vegan feast. Here are some of the best sweet and savory dishes to invite to the party.
Rainbow Tzimmes
Dressed up in jewel tone hues, this colorful take on tzimmes is sweet, savory, and brightly seasoned with cinnamon and ginger. It's an excellent side dish for any autumnal or winter meal, be it a holiday or any old week day.
Nontraditional Noodle Kugel
Leaning more savory than sweet this kugel breaks with tradition in a delicious way, Apples add subtle, natural sweetness, balanced out by the tangy bite of sauerkraut. Tofu, unsweetened yogurt, and shredded vegan cheese create a high-protein base that replaces the dairy in one fell swoop. It's rich, creamy, and just healthy enough to justify as a balanced dinner.
Zoodle Kugel
Silky stands of spiralized zucchini ribbons elevate the conventional noodle kugel to all new heights! Vegan, gluten-free, and kosher, it's a more savory take on the dish that everyone will crave.
Vegan Brisket
Vegan brisket is no longer an impossible dream. This meatless roast finally tastes exactly like nostalgic childhood memories of Hanukkah, Rosh Hashana, and all manner of other festive dinners combined. Rich, tender, umami; it's not quick fix to build all those layers of flavor, but this recipe is worth the wait.
Easy-Going Apple Cake
Dense with tender fruit and a moist crumb, it's a homey, humble dessert that is soothing to make as it is to eat. Such an easy-going treat would be welcome for any celebration, but is also just as well suited for an everyday simple indulgence.
Apple Fritter Torte
Sweet yeasted dough, rich enough to pass for challah, swaddles tender chunks of lightly simmered and spiced apples, prepared just as it might be for your typical deep fried function. After the usual chopping and division, however, these pieces are reunited in one large cake pan and baked together, emerging from the oven as one grand, show-stopping dessert fit for a crowd.
Pink Pomegranate Challah
Start a new tradition for Rosh Hashanah with pink pomegranate challah, as rich with symbolism as it is with flavor! Naturally colored pink with pitaya puree, it's a soft, subtly sweet loaf that works as well with dinner as it does for breakfast the next day.
Apples and Honey Semifreddo
Keep things light and refreshing with a semifreddo, which is essentially a sliceable loaf of no-churn ice cream. Dotted with tender spiced apples and drizzled with vegan honey, it's a real showstopper that only looks complicated to make.
Rosh Hashana Cake
Amber agave lends a slightly caramel-like sweetness, and that tiny drop of orange blossom water adds that tiny floral hint that honey always seems to carry. By adding a good deal of applesauce into the mix, you’ve got the two staples of the holiday right there in one easy to make cake, and with a thick slice after dinner or even for breakfast, it’s almost a guarantee that this new year will be a sweet one.
Raw Apples and Honey Cheesecake
Building the dessert on a crust made of dried apples and nuts, the apple flavor is intense, concentrated down into a small package, and packing a huge punch in even tiny wedges.
Everything looks delicious. Happy Rosh Hashana Hannah🍏
Thank you! Chag Sameach!
happy Rosh Hashanah to you and yours
I love your write up explaining Rosh Hashanah and I’m intrigued with your creativeness for vegan recipes for the holiday. I’ve never worked with jack fruit but I’ll have to give it a try to make that brisket- now that would be a treat for us vegans. I make vegetarian chopped liver, but vegan brisket would bring Rosh Hashanah to a whole new level. Thanks for the recipes,. Shana Tovah.
That brisket is one of my crowning achievements! I can’t recommend it enough, you won’t be disappointed. I’m considering doing a subtle variation on that, making pot roast this year for Hanukkah… Still some time to figure it out, but I’m already deep into holiday content planning, so less than you’d think!
Happy New Year Hannah! Can’t wait to try these delicious vegan recipes.
Wishing you a sweet and healthy new year!
I really enjoyed how you tied the meaning of Rosh Hashanah into the food traditions, it makes the recipes feel so much more special. That pink pomegranate challah caught my eye right away, such a creative twist while still holding onto the symbolism. Everything here looks like a beautiful way to welcome the new year with both flavour and intention.