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
NOTES
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.
Arielle says
Does the dough come out hard, or soft/cakey after it is baked?
Tori Avey says
I wouldn’t describe it as hard, but I wouldn’t describe it as cakey either. It’s sort of in between, like a shortbread texture but thinner.
Aaron says
I make this recipe every year. It’s the best and most reliable recipe I’ve come across, except, of course, for my Viennese grandmother’s yeast dough recipe.?
I find that I always have to add a half-cup of flour to get the dough to the right consistency, so now I just add that amount at the beginning (2.75 cups or 337 grams). Also, I find it MUCH easier to work with half the dough at a time.
Thank you, Tori, for sharing this wonderful recipe, and happy Purim!
D. Silver says
Um…What should I do if I forgot the oil? I make this dough with my children every year, but this year, we somehow forgot to add the oil (which I didn’t realize until now because it’s the correct consistency)!
Tori Avey says
Unfortunately I would suggest starting over. The oil is critical.
Jude says
I’ve had great success using this recipe substituting the eggs with 6 tablespoons of aquafaba. I also brushed the edges with AF before sealing and not a single one came apart!
Jane says
Can these be frozen successfully?
Tori Avey says
Yes! They should freeze just fine.
Ashley says
Do you have any suggestions about how to make this recipe egg-free? My son is allergic to egg and any hamentashen recipe I’ve tried that is egg-free comes out with rock hard dough. Thanks!
Tori Avey says
Hi Ashley! I have had several readers make modification to this recipe throughout the years to make them egg-free. While I haven’t tested these ideas myself, my readers have reported good results on the following subs:
– Substituting 2 tablespoons of corn starch mixed with 5 tablespoons of cold water for the eggs
– Using my flax seed egg substitute: https://toriavey.com/how-to/how-to-make-a-vegan-egg-substitute/
– Using a commercial egg substitute in place of the eggs
You can read back through the comments for more specifics, but these are the three main subs that were recommended through the years. I am hoping to test them myself soon!
Sharon says
How far ahead can the cookies be made & still be served fresh? Have you ver used almond flour to make them gluten free?
Tori Avey says
I don’t recommend subbing almond flour here, they will not be foldable. You can make the cookies up to several weeks ahead and freeze them, then thaw the day before serving.
Joy Danzig says
Tori, I’m a big fan of yours, have enjoyed the dairy free hamantaschen the past couple years. Our congregation is attempting to make 300+ pastries for Purim. My question: can the dough be made, well wrapped in plastic wrap and frozen for a week or two ahead of baking day? Also would like to use 1/2 all purpose and 1/2 whole wheat pastry flours.
Thanks!
Tori Avey says
Hi Joy! While I haven’t frozen this particular dough, I would think it should be fine… I can’t promise anything without trying it myself, but I also can’t think of why it wouldn’t work out. As for the 1/2 and 1/2 flours, I really wouldn’t advise making a change like that without testing it first, especially for such a large batch. Baking can be a tricky business, and changes that seem like they would work in theory sometimes don’t turn out. Better to make a test batch first and see how it goes!
Sarah says
This recipe was so delicious and easy to make. For the next time, could I prepare the dough ahead of time and refrigerate? And how long in advance could I do that for?
Tori Avey says
Hi Sarah, you can make it up to 24 hours ahead and wrap it tightly in plastic; just know it will be hard when you take it out and will need to warm up a bit in order to roll it out smoothly.
Jill says
Has anyone made this dough a few days ahead and frozen it? Or will it hold up in the refrigerator for a few days before baking? I’m making them for my child’s pre-school class but won’t be able to make the dough the night before.
Tori Avey says
The longest I have made ahead is 24 hours. I would worry that longer than that might dry out the dough. Freezing the dough might be a better alternative for a longer lead time.
Maureen says
Made these for Purim. I used the dairy free recipe so I wouldn’t have to worry about eating them after a meat dish. I used olive oil as the only two oils I use are olive and coconut. They were delicious. I loved the crunchy texture. I used apricot and lekvar and will try the rabbi’s recipe next time.
sam says
loved it, came out perfectly!
Yelena Kelman says
The best Homantaschen ever.
Lynn Weinthal says
I made six different recipes this year, trying to find one that was not thick and doughy. My friend sent me this one, which was my final attempt. All of my hamentashen were piled high. The orange zest made a wonderful difference. I was surprised that noone stated that the original mixture was way too sticky to even try to work with. I had to add a lot of flour to get a workable consistency. I shared the recipe with 4 other people and they all said the same thing. I suggest that you add between 1/2 and a full cup of flour, so you have the correct consistency without it sticking to your hands before rolling. After adding the extra flour, it was delicious and definitely will be used next year.
Rachel says
These really came out wonderfully! I made the non-dairy with apricot filling. They all stayed closed thanks to your technique! I love the orange zest in the dough–really is a nice counterpoint to the sweet filling.
Silvia says
Oh Tori, this is the first time I have tried making hamantaschen and I am so glad to have given it a try! I am not good at working with dough and in this case, because it is so humid here, I only added a little of extra flour and the dough immediately came together. And that orange zest really makes it amazing. Fabulous recipe!!!
kore says
Terrific recipe and I loved your instructions and pictures. Great to make with kids.
Rachel says
Has anybody used coconut oil instead of canola oil? If so, how did it turn out?
Norma says
I’m a novice. What type of flour should I use? Someone told me to use bread flour. I want to use King Arthur 100% whole grain whole wheat flour. Thank you!
Tori Avey says
All purpose flour will work just fine Norma.
Melissa says
Such a great recipe…thank you! I love how quickly you can make these. The taste is wonderful. I followed the directions exactly and they came out delicious.