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
35 servings
15 minutes
45 minutes
Parve, depending on preparation
Description
Learn to make pareve hamantaschen dough, easy to work with for any filling. Delicate, thin, orange-scented cookies. Kosher, Pareve.
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 1 tsp orange zest
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 1/4 cups flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1-5 tsp water (if needed)
- Nonstick cooking oil spray
Recipe Notes
You will also need: 2 baking sheets, 2 mixing bowls, sifter, wooden spoon, rolling pin, 3-inch cookie cutter or drinking glass with 3-inch diameter rim, pastry scraper
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 till 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 till 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, till 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.
Natalie says
March 24, 2019 at 9:40 pmI made hamentashen for the first time tonight (a little late, I know). I was going to use your butter recipe but make this one on your recommendation. It was amazing. The dough was easy to work with and they turned out beautifully. I did over-fill some of them but I will know better next time. Loved the orange zest and vanilla in the dough. Thanks so much!
Stacy says
March 22, 2019 at 4:45 amThese are delish! My girls and I made them for Purim yesterday. The orange zest added great flavor and they came out crisp.I am not a baker so it may explain why we only were able to make 25 and had to break the dough into 4 parts to roll because one large piece didn’t work for us.
Nick maass says
March 20, 2019 at 3:08 pmMade these today for Purim! Also made your prune jam for one batch, ended up delicious! Will be using next year too! Not sure if I did something wrong but mine only yielded twelve cookies? Either way I’m happy 🙂
Aliyah says
March 18, 2019 at 4:17 pmI make hamantaschen every year and I’ve used a new recipe every year because I’ve never found one I loved – until now! Super easy to make, and the dough is sweet so it nicely compliments the jam filling. The cookies are the perfect intermediate between “cookie” and “cake” hamantaschen. Thanks for sharing this recipe!!
Michelle Margolin says
March 17, 2019 at 11:12 pmI want to use strawberry preserves or blueberry preserves as a filling for the dairy free hamantashen. Can I just use it as is or do I have to add something to it?
Tori Avey says
March 18, 2019 at 5:10 pmI do not recommend using plain preserves, they will leak out of the cookie – they are not thick enough. Using a pre-made pie filling will generally work as they are thicker.
Jeanne Mitchell says
March 16, 2019 at 6:54 amExcellent, I made them as recipe stated and they were amazing. I then made them as stated replacing the all purpose flour with gluten free flour with Bob Mills 1-1 replacement. They were a bit dryer and add to add a small amount of liquid. I then made them gluten free and used olive oil rather than canola oil, they turned out even better than the all purpose flour ones – No liquid required. I think going forward I make them I will use olive oil.
Thank you for a great recipe!
Tori Avey says
March 16, 2019 at 10:20 amGreat tip Jeanne! I will try this myself. 🙂
Rizi Harris says
March 13, 2019 at 6:34 amI modified this recipe, below, and they were outstanding. Will try to reduce the sugar next time – a bit too sweet for my taste.
1/2 whole wheat pastry flour
lemon zest and poppy seeds in the dough
replace 2-3 tsp of water (at end) with fresh lemon juice)
Sara says
March 6, 2019 at 12:32 pmHi—I’m planning on making these with my daughters preschool class (3 year olds). This is the only recipe I’ve come across that doesn’t specify chilling the dough. For the dairy free version is is better to chill or NOT chill? Thanks!
Tori Avey says
March 11, 2019 at 10:28 pmNo need to chill the dairy free dough. The buttery dough is a different story. Good luck!!
Dianne says
March 6, 2019 at 8:49 amI have never published a review for recipes I have come across. Some recipes have been duds and epic fails while other are worth mentioning. This recipe is worth mentioning! I have made Hamentaschen for almost 30 years, periodically trying new recipes to update my version. This recipe is absolutely the best I have ever tried!! The dough is perfect, the filling amazing and they taste fantastic! I am beholden to you! This is a superb cookie, the best for sure!
Barbara Passo says
March 5, 2019 at 7:11 amI made the apricot filling from your recipe yesterday which was easy and delicious (okay, I did have to taste). Today I made the parve dough and the hamantachen. The recipe was simple to follow, easy to execute and most importantly DELICIOUS. I’ve never attempted hamatachen before and am pleased with the result. Because I made these early, I am sure this first batch will be gone very soon and I will not hesitate to make another few batches in the near future. Your recipes are wonderful. Thank you
Brooke says
February 19, 2019 at 9:40 amFirst, I have made this recipe, both the dairy and dairy free versions, and they both turned out great! But I was wondering if you can make these any smaller… In the instructions it seems to explicitly say not to, but is that just because it would change the cooking times and the amount inside? Or would they just not turn out well/hold together? We have a food festival coming up, and I was hoping to make a larger quantity and perhaps a smaller size, but if they won’t turn out, I won’t bother. Thanks!
Tori Avey says
March 4, 2019 at 10:20 amWith a smaller size you’ll need to use even less filling in the cookies, otherwise they’ll expand in the oven. I recommend staying with this size for best results, but feel free to experiment – just know I can’t guarantee results. 🙂
Leah says
March 7, 2018 at 11:45 amThanks for the recipe! Can I make this dough ahead of time and let it sit in the refrigerator overnight?
Tori Avey says
March 7, 2018 at 12:36 pmYes, if it is tightly wrapped in a few layers of plastic wrap it should be fine. Just let it warm up a bit when you take it out so it’s not too hard when you roll it out.
Samantha says
March 7, 2018 at 4:45 amThank you so much! This is the best hamentashen recipe I have ever made! I am writing this down and saving it. Finally after years of failed recipes! Thank you!
Rachel says
February 28, 2018 at 7:41 pmTori – love your blog! These didn’t work so well for me procedurally at first but the flavor of the dough is excellent. I added a little bit of flour as I rolled but once I tried cutting into circles they wouldn’t lift off even a generously floured surface. We ended up scooping into small balls with a cookie scoop, rolling in flour and flattening, then proceeded to fill. They’re not as pretty as yours but as my 6 year old says, they still taste great! Chag sameach!
Tori Avey says
March 1, 2018 at 10:13 amSounds like the dough itself was too wet and needed more flour incorporated before rolling. Glad you liked the flavor!
Kristel says
February 28, 2018 at 5:26 pmI made these cookies tonight. They turned out great for my first attempt (and are going quickly, which is always a good sign!). With practice and experience, I know they’d turn out better-looking. I did have some seeping, as I used jam straight out of the jar for one filling. Used a friend’s homemade apple butter for the others and in those the filling stayed in better. The dough was great and your instructions are clear. The photos are quite helpful! I did sub in a couple of spoonfuls of the liquid from a snack cup of mandarin oranges, since I didn’t have any orange juice or zest handy. 😀
Thanks!
Ava Miedzinski says
February 28, 2018 at 11:03 amThank you for this beautiful demo. Your hamantaschen came out so nice.
Thank you for the recipe. Our hamantaschen came out so delicious.
Yours,
Chani, age seven
Hindy, age eight
And Savta
Tori Avey says
February 28, 2018 at 5:51 pmYou’re welcome! So happy you enjoyed it!
Jess says
February 27, 2018 at 11:41 amI made these this past Shabbat and they are DELICIOUS! They were quickly eaten up and now I need to make more!
Quick question: do you think it is possible to make a filling from dried sweetened blueberries using only water, sugar and cinnamon (or some lemon if necessary)?
Thank you!
Tori Avey says
February 27, 2018 at 2:06 pmGreat question, and unfortunately I can’t be sure of the answer without testing. I have never worked with dried blueberries before, only fresh or frozen, so I’m not really sure how to guide you hear. I will say that if you can get the filling to a nice and thick consistency, like my other fillings, it should work out just fine. Needs to be a bit thicker than jam to hold up.
denise says
February 27, 2018 at 7:41 amI take a bible study class that is a Jewish perspective of the Bible, so we learn a lot about the Jewish heritage from the beginning and also the customs and the feasts. Tomorrow we are celebrating and discussing Purim and I made these cookies–they are fabulous and were quite easy to make. I followed the directions as written. I did have to add a small amt of water. For my fillings I used red plum jam for half and the other half, used Nutella. They were both quite tasty. I really think our class will enjoy these tomorrow. Thank you for this recipe
Erica says
February 26, 2018 at 1:27 pmI’m excited to make these this year, as it’s my first time. I’m curious if NOT using the orange zest is okay or will it really effect consistency and such?
Tori Avey says
February 26, 2018 at 3:55 pmNo problem, you can omit the orange zest! It’s just there for flavor.
Erica says
February 27, 2018 at 7:23 amThey taste great!!!
The cookie was a little harder than I’d hoped… did I make them too thick maybe???
Tori Avey says
February 27, 2018 at 10:11 amHi Erica! Just responded to your email, but I’ll paste the reply here too in case anybody else has this issue. This sounds like a combination of rolling them out too thick and baking them a bit too long. They may still be salvageable, though. Try placing them in a sealed container or sealed plastic bag with a couple of slices of bread, or a few apple slices. Seal the container or bag, and leave if for 1-2 days. The moisture should help to soften the cookies (fingers crossed!). If you opt to make a new batch, roll them out thinner this time and take them out when they are just fully baked— don’t let them cook too long, which can dry them out. Good luck!
Arielle says
February 26, 2018 at 12:55 pmDoes the dough come out hard, or soft/cakey after it is baked?
Tori Avey says
February 26, 2018 at 3:55 pmI 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
February 26, 2018 at 10:03 amI 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
February 25, 2018 at 6:25 pmUm…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
February 25, 2018 at 7:39 pmUnfortunately I would suggest starting over. The oil is critical.
Jude says
February 24, 2018 at 5:59 pmI’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
February 22, 2018 at 1:43 pmCan these be frozen successfully?
Tori Avey says
February 22, 2018 at 2:09 pmYes! They should freeze just fine.
Ashley says
February 22, 2018 at 3:53 amDo 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
February 22, 2018 at 12:16 pmHi 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
February 21, 2018 at 11:10 amHow 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
February 22, 2018 at 12:22 pmI 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
February 13, 2018 at 4:30 pmTori, 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
February 15, 2018 at 10:50 pmHi 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
February 12, 2018 at 9:00 pmThis 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
February 15, 2018 at 10:53 pmHi 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
February 12, 2018 at 1:02 pmHas 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
February 15, 2018 at 10:56 pmThe 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.