It’s that time of year again… time to break out the bakeware and get into a “triangular” state of mind! The Jewish holiday of Purim is all about triangle-shaped foods– classic Jewish baked goodies like bourekas, sambusak, and of course hamantaschen cookies.
In the story of Purim, it is said that the villain Haman wore a triangular hat everywhere he went. Triangular foods like hamantaschen have three corners to represent Haman’s hat. My husband grew up in Israel calling these cookies oznei haman, which translates from Hebrew to “Haman’s ears.”Apparently, in some versions of the story, haman has triangular ears.
There is also a theory out there that Haman had triangular pockets, since the word hamantaschen literally translates from Yiddish as “Haman’s pockets” (I tend to think the translation has more to do with the fact that these cookies are filled, like little pockets of dough). A more poetic interpretation links the three corners of the triangle shape to the three founding fathers of Judaism—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Whatever the reason, it’s traditional to eat triangular foods like hamantaschen on Purim… so eat them we must!
I hit upon this Dairy Free Hamantaschen recipe after a few years of experimenting in the kitchen, searching for a foolproof hamantaschen dough. I’m a perfectionist, so my go-to dough needs to be absolutely perfect! I had a long list of criteria for the dough. I wanted it to have the following qualities:
– Easy to roll out
– Easy to shape
– Won’t expand/open around the filling when baked
– Does not include margarine or shortening
– Bakes up delicate with a nice texture (not heavy)
– Wonderful flavor that will compliment any kind of sweet filling
This dough satisfies all the criteria… it is truly a wonderful dough. It does not require refrigeration before rolling out. It’s also very easy to work with– the “feel” of the dough is terrific. It’s the best texture I’ve developed for rolling and shaping. Most importantly, it creates the tastiest hamantaschen ever. My family is in love with these cookies!
You can use any hamantaschen filling you like with this dough; I’ve linked to the filling recipes available on my site below (both dairy and non-dairy fillings). The key to a good filling is to make sure it is thick enough to prevent running, but not so thick that it bakes up dry or tough.
All of these filling recipes are tasty, and they all have the proper texture for use in hamantaschen. I will update this list of fillings as I add new ones to the site.
Hamantaschen Fillings
Rabbi Olitzky’s Chocolate Chip Cream Cheese Filling
Prefer a butter-based hamantaschen dough? Click here for my Buttery Hamantaschen recipe. To learn more about the holiday of Purim, click here.
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Dairy Free Hamantaschen
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 1/4 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1-5 teaspoons water (if needed)
- Nonstick cooking oil spray
Instructions
- Before you begin making the hamantaschen, choose and make your filling and have it on hand to work with. This dough will dry out quickly if left to rest too long, so it's best to have everything ready to assemble when you start.Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, canola oil, orange zest and vanilla.
- In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Slowly stir the dry ingredients into the wet, using a large wooden spoon and using circular motions until a crumbly dough begins to form.
- Knead until smooth and slightly tacky to the touch. Try not to overwork the dough, only knead till the dough is the right consistency. If the crumbles are too dry to form a smooth dough, add water slowly, 1 teaspoon at a time, using your hands to knead the liquid into the dough. Knead and add liquid until the dough is smooth and slightly tacky to the touch (not sticky), with a consistency that is right for rolling out. It can easily go from the right consistency to too wet/sticky, so add water very slowly. If the dough seems too wet, knead in a little flour until it reaches the right texture.
- Lightly flour a smooth, clean surface. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thick. Scrape the dough up with a pastry scraper, lightly reflour the surface, and flip the dough over. Continue rolling the dough out very thin (less than 1/8 of an inch thick). The thinner you roll the dough, the more delicate and crisp the cookies will turn out-- just make sure that the dough is still thick enough to hold the filling and its shape! If you prefer a thicker, more doughy texture to your cookies (less delicate), keep the dough closer to 1/4 inch thick. Lightly flour the rolling pin occasionally to prevent sticking, if you need to.
- Use a 3-inch cookie cutter (not smaller) or the 3-inch rim of a glass to cut circles out of the dough, cutting as many as you can from the dough.Gather the scraps and roll them out again. Cut circles. Repeat process again if needed until you've cut as many circles as you can from the dough. You should end up with around 35 circles.
- Place a teaspoon of filling (whichever filling you choose) into the center of each circle. Do not use more than a teaspoon of filling, or you run the risk of your hamantaschen opening and filling spilling out during baking. Cover unused circles with a lightly damp towel to prevent them from drying out while you are filling.
- Assemble the hamantaschen in three steps. First, grasp the left side of the circle and fold it towards the center to make a flap that covers the left third of the circle.
- Grasp the right side of the circle and fold it towards the center, overlapping the upper part of the left side flap to create a triangular tip at the top of the circle. A small triangle of filling should still be visible in the center.
- Grasp the bottom part of the circle and fold it upward to create a third flap and complete the triangle. When you fold this flap up, be sure to tuck the left side of this new flap underneath the left side of the triangle, while letting the right side of this new flap overlap the right side of the triangle. This way, each side of your triangle has a corner that folds over and a corner that folds under-- it creates a "pinwheel" effect. This method if folding is not only pretty-- it will help to keep the cookies from opening while they bake.
- Pinch each corner of the triangle gently but firmly to secure the shape.Repeat this process for the remaining circles.
- When all of your hamantaschen have been filled, place them on a lightly greased baking sheet, evenly spaced. You can fit about 20 on one sheet... they don't need to be very spaced out because they shouldn't expand much during baking.Place them in the oven and let them bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes, until the cookies are cooked through and lightly golden.
- Cool the cookies on a wire rack. Store them in a tightly sealed plastic bag or Tupperware.
NOTES
Nutrition
This was a wonderful, easy and fun recipe! I usually bake with lots of butter 🙂 but read Tori’s notes about the need to chill the butter-based dough and went with the dairy-free instead. (I had promised my seven year old yesterday morning that we would make them yesterday evening without knowing what was involved!) We didn’t have time to make fillings so we used thicker-style store bought jams. They bubbled over a bit but the hamantashen held their lovely shape and were delicious. Perhaps because of the use of jam instead of a thicker filling, I would suggest baking them for 15 – 20 instead of 20 – 25. We left the first batch in longer and they weren’t quite as tasty as the batch we took out at around 17 minutes as they were just turning brown. In any case, great recipe that will sure to become a family favorite! Thanks!
You’re welcome Sarah! 🙂
You are my new hero! This was an excellent recipe and my family loved them. I made your apricot butter and plum butter, both turned out beautifully.
I wanted to use the butter recipe, but heeded your advice to start here since it was my first attempt.
Mine were a bit homlier than yours, but perhaps with practice, I can make it seem effortless as you do.
Thank you!
You’re welcome Evelyn! 🙂
I just made these with the prune filling, they came out perfect! I’m new to your website but will be back soon! Thank you so much.
You’re welcome Tara! 🙂
I have never made hamantaschen before and this recipe came out perfectly! I used Nutella for the filling. All of the cookies cooked perfectly and none broke open. Thanks for the step-by-step directions!
Hello,
If I’d like to cut the recipe in half, do I just do it by halving all the ingredients, even the baking powder, vanilla, and salt? I was unsure if it’s really that simple with a dough recipe like this. Can’t wait to try it! My first time making hamantaschen without the rest of the family!
Thanks.
Hi Julia, I’ve never tried halving the recipe… baking is so tricky, I suggest making the full amount if possible and just freezing the leftovers.
This recipe was fantastic and incredibly easy! I used Earth Balance in place of canola oil and used some melted chocolate for filling.Great recipe that we will definitely be using from now on!
I thought these were pretty mediocre… The dough wasn’t very flavorful, and it was challenging to work with. I haven’t tried the butter version yet, but I imagine it would be better – so if you don’t actually need parve, I would go for the butter recipe. That being said, I used this recipe for a hamentaschen party and it was convenient not to have to chill the dough first. So three stars for ease of use.
Hi Tori!
If I don’t have canola oil.what oil can I use to replace? I have vegetable and cottonseed oil…. do either of those work?
Thanks!
Vegetable oil will work just fine Remy.
Do you need to refrigerate the dough?
Please read the recipe instructions.
Awesome! These are so good! We made an apple filling. Delicious with a glass of milk. (If you can)
For those of us who ditched our canola oil, do you have a replacement suggestion?
I also made these gluten free by subbing in Better Batter for the flour – and the dough was super easy to work with and they came out great. thank you!
Great Merle! Thanks for sharing your gluten free modification.
Made these with my daughter this evening. Used Nutella filling. Turned out great. I liked the hint of orange from the zest. Thank you for posting this recipe. Reminded me of the oznei haman (that’s what they’re called in Hebrew) we ate when I grew up in Israel.
Hi Tori, we tried both dough recipes last year and they were delicious! Two questions: How far in advance can I make and refrigerate the dough (is 3-4 days OK?) and do you have a cherry filling recipe? I can’t stand the artificial color in the canned ones, and they always are too liquidy. My family insists on cherry. Help.
Hi Deborah, the furthest ahead I’ve made the dough is 2 days. I’m not sure I would wait longer than that– it might be fine, but I only like to recommend modifications that I’ve tried myself. Unfortunately I don’t have a cherry filling up on the site yet, I will try to squeeze one in before Purim if time permits!
I make my own cherry filling using dried tart Cherries(fromcostco) Use the same method as apricot filling
I made the parve recipie last year. I have been making Hamantaschen for over 25 years using different recipies. My family always says Mom they taste great but don’t look so good. Last year I tried your recipie and not only were they delicious but they were so easy to shape. They kept their shape while baking and were perfectly beautiful when I took them out of the oven. Thank you for the recipie. I can’t wait to make them for Purim again.
Thanks for the vegan options! I don’t see a reply from myself here so assume I hadn’t responded yet. I was going through old emails and saw that there were more comments here, and wanted to let you know how much I appreciate your being so responsive to those of us who want to eat cruelty-free!
I’m vegan and this is the first time I made hamantaschens. They turned out amazing!
I tried this recipe, and instead of the two eggs I used 2 tablespoons of cornstarch + 5 tablespoons water. They were crispy straight out of the oven but softened when sealed in a conatiner. I liked them both ways!
The recipe worked perfect for me, I didn’t have to add any extra water or flour, the dough was easy to handle and folding the hamantaschens was actually fun. Mine yielded about 26, I think the glass I used to cut the circles was a bit larger than 3 in.
So glad the vegan modification worked for you Marja! I’ll keep that in mind for next year. 🙂
Thanks for the recipes and advice! I made two batches of this last weekend. The first had 1/2 white sugar and 1/2 brown sugar (because that was all the white I had) and in the second I omitted sugar entirely. I found that the first batch was more moist/less prone to drying out than the second batch. I thought the brown sugar may have helped the recipe, so thought I’d share. What do you think?
Hi Nina– interesting! Did you notice a difference in texture? Brown sugar sometimes changes the texture of baked goods and makes them more chewy. I’ve never omitted the sugar entirely from the cookie, so it may have made the second batch drier. Of course, you can always store this cookie with a piece of bread or a small slice of apple in a sealed Tupperware container to keep it softer and more moist.
Love your blog. Making your hamantaschen now. Hoping they do not unfold! Apricot lekvar is cooling. The ladies at my church are studying the book of Esther and I plan to make the hamantaschen to take this week. We will have a little belated Purim celebration of our own. Your fillings are like those of my Hungarian ancestry for kifli cookies. so glad I found you when I searched for Hamantaschen recipes!
I made hamantaschen yesterday and this morning. taken from 2 different recipes. very dry. tried different ways. still very dry. could you tell me what I am doing wrong. liked the cream cheese filling.
Hi Beth– I’m not sure what you’re doing wrong, because I don’t know what recipes you used. When you say taken from two different recipes, did you combine two recipes? Were they from my site? If they weren’t my recipes it will be difficult to troubleshoot.