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Hanukkah Fritters with Warm Chocolate Sauce

4.8 from 10 votes
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Published December 7, 2012 - Last Updated August 13, 2018

Hanukkah Bimuelo Fritters with Warm Chocolate Sauce - fried dessert fritters served with warm sweet chocolate sauce. Chanukah, holidays, Sephardic Jewish food.

Every year during the week of Hanukkah, it’s our family tradition to make what we call “levivot“– fritters made from a simple batter, fried to fluffy crispy goodness, then drenched in warm flavored sugar syrup. While most Jews know levivot as the Hebrew word for latkes, the Israeli side of my family uses the word to describe any sort of little fried treat. Some Sephardic Jewish families sweeten these fritters with warm honey and call them bimuelos, or bunuelos. I call them delicious. This year, I took them to a whole new level by replacing our family’s traditional sugar syrup with a warm, rich chocolate sauce. Freshly fried, piping hot fritters dusted with powdered sugar, then drizzled with ooey gooey chocolate sauce… holy moly, who can resist?

Because traditional bimuelos are made with honey or sugar syrup, I’ve decided to call these “Hanukkah Fritters.” They’re kind of a cross between a bimuelo and a beignet. The chocolate sauce is made with semi-sweet chocolate, and can be sweetened more to taste. A hint of optional rose water in the chocolate sauce gives it a delectable aroma that really makes it special, taking it above and beyond an ordinary chocolate syrup or hot fudge. This sauce is creamy, chocolately, and decadent. I could eat it by the spoonful (and have been known to do just that!).

Be sure to fry the fritters for at least 3 minutes– if they’re browning too fast, they won’t cook all the way through. Try to serve them soon after you fry them, they’ll lose their lovely crisp exterior over time. The fritters themselves aren’t sweet. The chocolate sauce and powdered sugar give them sweetness, so don’t be afraid to pour both on liberally. Indulge yourself, it’s a holiday.

Chag Sameach! May your Hanukkah be filled with light, love, and lots of good eating.

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Hanukkah Bimuelo Fritters with Warm Chocolate Sauce - fried dessert fritters served with warm sweet chocolate sauce. Chanukah, holidays, Sephardic Jewish food.

Hanukkah Fritters with Warm Chocolate Sauce

4.8 from 10 votes
Servings
24 servings
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
5 minutes
Kosher Key
Dairy
Print Recipe

Description

Recipe for Hanukkah Bimuelos, Levivot - fried dessert fritters served with warm sweet chocolate sauce. Chanukah, holidays, Sephardic Jewish food.

Ingredients

Fritter Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • Pinch salt
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 cup milk
  • Grapeseed or peanut oil for frying
  • Powdered sugar for dusting

Warm Chocolate Sauce Ingredients

  • 4 oz semisweet chocolate
  • 3 tbsp sugar (or more to taste)
  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter
  • Pinch salt
  • 1/3 cup half and half, or more if needed
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp rosewater (optional)
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

To Make Fritters

  1. In a mixing bowl, use a fork to mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, beat the egg. Whisk the milk into the egg till well combined. Add the egg and milk mixture to the flour mixture and stir with a fork till a thick batter forms. 

  2. Warm oil (use the whole bottle) over medium heat till hot enough for frying (around 365 degrees F). Use a metal soup spoon to scoop up each portion of batter. Drop batter by heaping tablespoonfuls into the hot oil. The oil should sizzle but not splatter-- if the oil pops or splatters, let it cool slightly before proceeding. Test one fritter first to see if you've got the oil temperature right. You want the oil temperature at the low end of the frying spectrum-- they take a while to cook through.

    Dropping fritter batter into hot oil.

  3. Between each scoop of batter, dip your metal spoon into a dish of water. This will help keep the batter from sticking to the spoon. Make 4-5 fritters at a time. Keep a metal slotted spoon handy to turn the fritters as they become golden.

    Dropping fritter batter into hot oil.

  4. Fry the fritters till golden brown on both sides. If the oil is at the right temperature, it should take about 3 minutes for the fritters to brown completely and cook all the way through. Drain fried fritters on a wire rack.

To Make Warm Chocolate Sauce

  1. Melt chocolate in a double boiler over medium heat.

    Chocolate melting in a double boiler.

  2. Whisk in the sugar, butter, and salt, stirring constantly, till the butter is completely melted and mixed into the chocolate.

    Whisking sugar and butter into melted chocolate.

  3. Whisk in the half and half, a few tablespoonfuls at a time, stirring to combine after each addition. Whisk the sauce over medium heat till the half and half is fully incorporated. Add additional half and half as needed until the sauce reaches a smooth, pourable hot fudge-like consistency.

    Chocolate sauce for drizzling.

  4. Remove from heat and whisk in the vanilla and optional rosewater. Add additional sugar or salt to taste, if desired. Chocolate will thicken as it cools.

  5. Dust the fried fritters with powdered sugar, using a wire mesh strainer to sift the sugar.

    Dusting fritters with powdered sugar.

  6. Pour the warm chocolate sauce over the fritters and serve. Pairs well with fresh, cold whipped cream; you can also serve fritters and sauce over vanilla ice cream to make a Hanukkah fritter sundae.

    Hanukkah Fritters with Warm Chocolate Sauce
Nutrition Facts
Hanukkah Fritters with Warm Chocolate Sauce
Amount Per Serving
Calories 119 Calories from Fat 63
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 7g 11%
Saturated Fat 2g 10%
Cholesterol 11mg 4%
Sodium 9mg 0%
Potassium 76mg 2%
Total Carbohydrates 10g 3%
Sugars 3g
Protein 1g 2%
Vitamin A 1.1%
Calcium 2.9%
Iron 4%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

About Tori Avey

Thanks for stopping by! I am fascinated by the story behind the food – why we eat what we eat, how the foods of different cultures have evolved, and how yesterday’s food can inspire us in the kitchen today. Read more...

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Comments

  1. Sarah says

    December 11, 2015 at 12:43 am

    lovely recipe! I put a bit of almondflavour and raisins in the recipe. It was really yummy. It reminded me of the Dutch oliebollen. Something that is eaten in the Netherlands around new Years. Thank you and Chanukah Sameach!

    Reply

  2. Yael says

    December 8, 2015 at 10:16 am

    These look delicious and I plan to try them as a Chanukah treat for my family!
    What is the consistency of the fritter on the inside? I imagine it is not like a donut since it is not yeasted.
    Thanks and Happy Chanukah!

    Reply

    • Tori Avey says

      December 8, 2015 at 10:45 am

      Yael, if you have ever tried a beignet they have a very similar texture. They’re absolutely delicious, we look forward to them every year. Enjoy!

  6. Amy says

    November 19, 2013 at 5:58 am

    Can these be made ahead of time? How should I store them? Will not make the toppings as I will have my friend make the toppings that she likes

    Reply

  10. Richard Reiser says

    January 3, 2013 at 5:25 pm

    For those of us in LA and couple other cities, the Grand Luxe has the best beignets on the planet. Comes with three different sauces.

    Reply

  17. Sweet Tooth says

    December 8, 2012 at 9:11 pm

    I made sufganiyot with strawberry champagne filling and sufganiyot with a molten chocolate center and a creme anglaise iced top for the first night of Chanukah, but this is definitely worth a try for a treat later in the week.

    xx
    Sweet Tooth

    Reply

  18. Mark L says

    December 8, 2012 at 12:11 pm

    As a Chicago guy, imagine how surprised I was to see you on the pages of the “Chicago Tribune”‘s Good Eating section! But there you were, large as life, with your recipe for bimuelos and the rose/orange water sauce! It was such an unexpected delight and surprise! Stopping by to say hello and congrats! How did the Trib ever think to contact you? I was so surprised and thrilled.

    Reply

    • Tori Avey says

      December 9, 2012 at 8:49 am

      So happy you caught that Mark! The reporter contacted me for an interview… luckily, I knew all about these delish little fritters because my husband’s family has been making them for generations. It turned out to be a great piece! 🙂

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