A Guide to Eating the Best Sufganiyot in Israel.

There are of course many places to buy sufganiyot all around the country, but for those looking for boutique bakeries and elaborate flavors, it is good to have a way to narrow down the options. This guide to the best sufganiyot in Israel is based on a combination of personal experience, recommendations and research from other sources. Whether you are staying at home or traveling around the country over Hanukah, I have tried to include everything you need to know about eating sufganiyot for Hanukah 2020.

As always, I would love to hear feedback on places you all try over the next few weeks, either by commenting on this post or sharing as a review in Restaurant Club Israel or Restaurant Club Jerusalem.

Many of the bakeries listed below are dairy without supervision and closed on Shabbat but unless it was definitely clear that the bakery was either kosher or not kosher, I have not specified.

Debbest Sufganiyot Tasting Tips

• Classic donuts are best purchased from places with a high turnover but good quality filling (cheap places use cheap filling).
• Some gourmet donuts look nicer than they taste, and they are often prepared in advance so are not as fresh.
• Independent bakeries tend to have the best sufganiyot.

Dietary Restriction Sufganiyot in Israel

• Gluten-free Sufganiyot –  Bli Kemah delivers donut kits to make at home, Sophie Deli in Hod Hasharon has a range of flavors.
• Vegan Sufaniyot – traditional sfinj are vegan and incredibly delicious. Other vegan options can be found at Boulangerie 96, Lehem Shahar and Mitz Marak branches For a full list in Hebrew of places to find vegan donuts, click here.
• Baked Sufganiyot – the baked versions are more popular this year as they are healthier, Teller Bakery, Deckelbaum, Delicatessen, Good Morning Sunshine, Haupt‎ Deli, and Jacobs Bakery.

Debbest Donuts in Israel

• Fika Bakery (Tzohar) is a Swedish bakery with various branches in Tel Aviv. The baked sufganiyot have cardamon in the dough and the Swedish-themed flavors include Daim (chocolate toffee), Orange & Elderberry, Rhubarb, Princess Torte, Blueberry, Apple, Raspberry, Vanilla, and Saffron. Prices range from NIS 10 -15.
  

  

  
• Gourmandises (Mehadrin) – I like the European style of the dough and each donut has the right dough to filling balance. My favorite is the chestnut flavor but creme brulee, and candied apple are all delicious (see Jerusalem post for more information).
• Jorno Bakery, Tel Aviv & Herzliya Pituach. French-style donuts plain, jam, dulce de leche, pistachio & raspberry, chocolate pretzel, bitter chocolate, and Paris Brest nougat. I tried the pistachio and raspberry which was perfectly balanced and delicious. All produce is kosher dairy without supervision.

• Nadav Kinuchim (Kosher) in Ramat Yishay is one of my favorite bakeries in the country, so it is no surprise they make amazing sufganiyot. Last year I tried the dulce de leche and classic jam which were both great. All the baked goods are under kashrut supervision but the cafe is not.

• Teller Bakery (Badatz) – the Jerusalem bakery also has branches in Reut, Tzomet Shilat and Tel Aviv. Their baked donut is healthier and tastes more like a brioche than a donut. Their homemade jam is delicious and they use plenty of filling.
• Tosha Bakery (Kosher), Rosh Hanikra – an amazing boutique bakery inside Kibbutz Rosh Hanikra with plenty of space around it for a picnic. The sufganiyah collection this year includes halva kadaif, pretzel, and many more. 

• Lela Cake by Lior hamami – if you prefer savory to sweet then home baker Lela Cake has the perfect solution. Her savory sufganiyot creations include olive tapenade, labaneh & pesto, covered with garlic butter & red chili salt, and sun-dried tomato spread with garlic, truffle & limoncello, covered with garlic butter & black salt.
  

  

I was very disappointed by the dough at Metuka which was dry. I suspect they are made in advance in a central factory and delivered to branches. They only had two flavors to choose from.

Sufganiyot around Israel

• Biscotti (Badatz), Petach Tikva & Bnei Barak – full menu of Biscotti sufganiyot with photos, including mango, chocolate nougat, and salted caramel with a chocolate wafer.

• Bli Kemah, Tel Aviv – the gluten-free bakery has decided not to sell sufganiyot in their bakery this year, but instead, they will deliver make-at-home kits which include six dough balls, filling, topping and an instruction video. The donut kits are available with the following jam, oreo, Nutella sprinkles, lotus, triple chocolate and pistachio. Delivery all over the country, check their Facebook page for details.
• Boulangerie 96, Tel Aviv – candyfloss, strawberry, pistachio, lemon meringue, chocolate, Nutella, Loacker, and Oreo (black donut). Vegan options include jam, halva and hazelnut. Delivery via Wolt, the price per donut is NIS 6 – 12.
  

  

  
• Deckelbaum (Kosher), Emek Hefer – Baked donuts with fillings which include classic jam, lemon meringue, and tropical mousse with raspberry crumble & ruby chocolate.
• Delicatessen (Not Kosher), Tel Aviv. Classic fried sufganiyot plain or with jam. Baked brioche-style with pistachio, vanilla, caramel, or chocolate. Box of 4 for NIS 48, delivery available. Latkes and DIY donut kits are also available.
• Dreamerie Bakery (Kosher) Petach Tikva. Premium flavors include pistachio halva, Ferrero Rocher, vanilla & raspberry, and Snickers which are all NIS 14.
  

  

  
• Ella Patisserie (Kosher), Emek Hefer. Look out for the St Honore sufganiyah. Throughout the Merkaz on specific days.
• G27 (Kosher), Ramat Gan. Flavors include blueberry, mascarpone, caramel & popcorn, pretzel & peanut butter, halva & pistachio, and white chocolate, and Kinder Bueno. Boxes of 6 or 12 for delivery via Wolt.
  

  

  

  
• Good Morning Sunshine (Kosher) – Branches in Poleg and Yehud. French brioche-style baked donuts, pistachio, chocolate, salted caramel & pretzel, and classic strawberry.
• Haupt‎ Deli, Even Yehuda – new deli that serves baked donuts, filled with jam, creme patissier, or chocolate cream. They also sell Maritozzi, an Italian donut style bun filled with vanilla cream patissier.
• Jacobs Bakery, Kiryat Ono & Ramat Hasharon. A selection of baked and fried sufganiyot including Ben & Jerry’s Cookies & Cream, Chubby Hubby, and Fudge Brownie. Boxes of 3 or 9 available via Wolt, along with baked sweet potato & carrot or potato & onion latkes.
• Jacob’s Dream (Badatz) with stores in Rishon LeZion and Modiin. Flavors include cappuccino, Kinder Bueno,  wild berry, hazelnut praline, Atlantic caramel, and vanilla marshmallow.

• Katz Bakery (Kosher) in Bnei Barak has created more interesting flavors this year like lime and cucumber, as well as popular flavors like pistachio & hazelnuts, and Oreo.
• Lehem Shahar, Mishmar Hasharon – Dairy donuts with chocolate & sprinkles, and dulce de leche & coconut. Vegan flavors include plain powdered sugar, jam, lemon creme patissier, and chocolate patissier.
• Mattarello Cafe, Golan – a fairly new bakery in Kibbutz Ein Zivan but one that has lit the Instagram world on fire. Sufganiyot flavors include pistachio cream and champagne & lavender.
  

  
• Mimi (Not Kosher), Hod HaSharon, Herzliya, Ramat Aviv & Kfar Saba. Classic jam, cinnamon sugar, chocolate cream, and salty caramel & toffee coffee, they also sell a wheat-free donut with jam or chocolate. Delivery is available from all branches.
• Oldies Pancake Bar (Kosher), Ra’anana. Flavors include chocolate, Kinder, cookies, Alfajores, banana loti, Ferrero Rocher, pistachio & halva, blondie, Twix, and Loacker. Delivery of packs of 4, 8 or 12 via Wolt.
• Oren Meshi (Kosher) with branches in Ashkelon, Netivot and Be’er Sheva. The sufganiyot are named after cities around the world, with flavors such as Oreo, salted caramel, peanut butter, tiramisu, pistachio, malabi, salted pretzel, and mille-feuille.

• Shara Cocoa (Mehadrin) – fillings include Boston cream & Oreo, Banoffee, lemon pie, pistachio and apple pie. Order online in English, delivery to the Mercaz area for NIS 30.
• Shany Bakery, branches in and around Haifa. A full menu of the 10 sufganiyot flavors, including photos here, highlights are black forest, salty pretzel, and brownie patissier.
• Sophie Deli, Hod Hasharon – gluten-free, baked sufganiyot, flavors include jam, white chocolate & raspberry, meringue, and creme patissier.
• Tel Yzhak (Not Kosher), Sharon area – flavors include malabi with pistachio and kadaif, lemon pie, chocolate cream, Oreo,  and white chocolate & marshmallow, a full list of flavors with photos can be found here,  order online.
• The Showroom Bakehouse, Tel Aviv – American style ring donuts in original glaze, oreo crumbs, salted caramel cream, strawberry cream, and white chocolate cream. Pack of 12 American donuts for NIS 144 and 6 cereal killer sufganiyot (Trix, Lion Bar, Nesquik, Cheerios, CiniMins & Crunch) for NIS 90 delivery via Wolt.
  

  
• Weiss Bakery (Kosher), Tel Aviv – famous for their pereg cake and their donut selection include pereg flavor with a slice of pereg cake on top.

If you want to learn how to make donuts at home, check out the online donut making workshops by LoveLoveIsrael and Saidel Baking Center.

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Jerusalem Sufganiyot Guide Hanukah 2020

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