Try these festive Hanukah appetizers and snacks for your next Hanukkah party! These Jewish party ideas are great for kids and adults alike. The star of David shaped foods also work well for Shavuot, Rosh Hashanah, or any time you want to show pride!
Festive Hanukah Appetizer Boards
Hanukkah Boards! Appetizer boards with charcuterie, fruit, vegetables, and cheese are so fun whether you are serving a crowd or a few people. It's easy to arrange the food into the shape of dreidels, Jewish stars, and menorahs for such a cute presentation.
These Hanukkah appetizers pair well with perennial favorites such as Potato Latkes, Applesauce, and Brisket. Or try a twist on the classics and serve Sweet Potato Latkes or Potato Latke Muffins. Make these Hanukkah shaped foods below to celebrate the festival of lights.
Jump to:
- Festive Hanukah Appetizer Boards
- Star of David Cheese Board
- Star of David Sandwiches
- Mini Hot Dog Dreidel
- Large Menorah Fruit Platter
- Small Menorah Fruit Platter
- Tips for Making Fruit Platters
- Large Menorah Vegetable Platter
- Small Menorah Vegetable Platter
- Tips for Making Vegetable Platters
- More Hanukah Appetizers
- Comments
Star of David Cheese Board
A cheese board is great to have for snacking at a holiday party! Make your cheese board Hanukah themed by using a star of David cookie cutter to cut out Jewish star shapes.
This board pictured feeds one family, but feel free to make a larger board to feed a crowd.
Ingredients needed for a cheese board
- Sliced cheddar cheese
- Sliced muenster cheese
- Strawberries or quartered pomegranate
- Red & Green grapes
- Blueberries
- Brie cheese
- Olives & Gherkins
- Fig jam
- Assorted crackers
- Optional: Nuts and dried fruit
Tips for making a cheese board
- Buy pre-sliced cheese and use a Jewish star cookie cutter to cut it into the Jewish star shapes.
- Feel free to swap the fig jam for hummus, cream cheese, or green tahini dip.
- If you have more space on your board, consider adding dried fruit and nuts like dried apricots, dates, cashews, almonds.
Star of David Sandwiches
Use a star shaped cookie cutter to cut Jewish star finger sandwiches! Use peanut butter and jelly, spreadable cheese, egg salad, or tuna salad for the sandwich filling. A soft sandwich bread makes for easier cutting.
To make these star shaped sandwiches, first cut the shapes in the bread with cookie cutters. Then add the filling and assemble the sandwich.
Save the unused scraps of bread to make croutons or breadcrumbs!
Mini Hot Dog Dreidel
Mini hot dogs wrapped in homemade challah dough and formed in the shape of a dreidel! This is a fun Hanukah appetizer, but can also be made in any shape to celebrate any holiday or occasion!
For full directions and the dough recipe, see my Mini Hot Dog Dreidel post.
Large Menorah Fruit Platter
This large Hanukkah fruit platter is great for serving on a buffet. The colorful fruit board is also a beautiful centerpiece for the table. You can swap out the fruits for your favorites.
Ingredients needed for a large fruit platter
- 4-6 tangerines
- Small bunch of green grapes
- Small bunch or red grapes
- Several pieces of cut pineapple, cut into the shape of a flame
- 12 ounces blueberries
- 12 ounces raspberries
- ½ small cantaloupe cut into bite sized pieces.
The raspberry, blueberry, and grape piles can be layered so they are very full. Feel free to swap any of the berries with varieties that are available.
Small Menorah Fruit Platter
This smaller fruit plate serves 1 to 2 kids. It’s fun to put the small menorah platter on the kitchen table for kids to enjoy with their meal or as a snack.
Ingredients needed for a small fruit platter
- 1 large banana, peeled and sliced
- 6 ounces blueberries
- 1 red-skin apple, cut into candle shapes
- 1 seedless tangerine or segmented orange, peeled
- 6 ounces raspberries
Tips for Making Fruit Platters
- Wash all fruit thoroughly first.
- Make sure to use the freshest produce available.
- Cut fruits into shapes to help create the design, like tangerine wedges cut to make flame shapes for the candles.
- A flat plate works best so the design does not roll around and shift.
- Spray a lemon juice and water solution on sliced apples to keep them from browning.
- Use any leftover fruit that doesn’t fit onto the platter to make a fruit salad.
Large Menorah Vegetable Platter
This larger menorah design is a fun way to display a Hanukkah themed vegetable board! Any color peppers work for this platter. Serve it with a side of green tahini dip.
Ingredients needed for a large vegetable platter
- 1 bag snap peas
- 4-6 mini colorful peppers
- 1 pint oblong mini yellow tomatoes
- 1 can black pitted olives
- 2 large cucumbers
- 2 large carrots (peeled and sliced) or pre-sliced carrot chips
- 3 red peppers
- Jicama, cut into 3 inch long planks
- 2-3 cups green beans, ends trimmed
Small Menorah Vegetable Platter
This smaller vegetable plate is great to serve for kids! This will serve 1 to 2 children. I like to have it on the table during dinner so they can serve themselves.
Ingredients needed for a small vegetable platter
- 1 yellow bell pepper
- 1-2 persian cucumbers, sliced
- 5-6 oblong mini yellow tomatoes, halved
- 4-5 baby carrots, sliced
Tips for Making Vegetable Platters
- Wash all vegetables thoroughly first.
- Be sure to slice cucumbers uniformly, so they look even and lined up on the sides of the platter.
- Can substitute yellow peppers instead of jicama for the “candles” and cut into candle-shaped planks.
- If using small persian cucumbers, no need to peel! If using a cucumber with a tougher skin, peel it.
- Can substitute green olives for black olives.
- To cut peppers into candles, cut the pepper into planks, and then cut into small rectangle shapes.
- Can use red baby tomatoes instead of yellow.
- Serve with a side of vegetable dip like guacamole, green tahini dip, spinach dip, or hummus.
More Hanukah Appetizers
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Joyce Fox says
Love these!!!
Dana Shrager says
Thank you, there're so fun to have on the Hanukkah table.