If you keep your oven on throughout Yom Tov, you know the challenge of finding recipes that don’t require adjusting temperatures, using a mixer, or cooking over a flame. Almost all the recipes we reviewed for this roundup required different cooking methods, making this resource even more essential.
All the recipes featured here bake beautifully at 350 degrees Fahrenheit—keeping things simple and stress-free, while still offering mouthwatering dishes.
Whether you’re preparing savory mains like ribs, brisket, or kugel, or looking to whip up a sweet treat like a fruit crumble or honey cake, these recipes are perfect for any meal over Yom Tov.
*This roundup was reviewed by Rabbi Eli Gersten of the OU. Please see his notes on cooking over Yom Tov at the bottom of this article.
Savory:
1. Marinated Baked Spare Ribs from the Dining In Cookbook
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A special treat for the spare rib fanatic!
2. Just-Right Sweet and Saucy Brisket by Brynie Greisman
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A symphony of flavors that blends together to give you a sumptuous, elegant roast like you’ve never tasted before. Simchas Yom Tov at its best!
3. Do-It-By-Hand Simple Apple Kugel from the Nitra Cookbook
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Whip up this moist, easy apple kugel so easily by mixing the batter by hand, and using a grater for the apple. Don’t like grating by hand? No problem. Stick the grater blade into your food processor and use that. This apple kugel is packed with flavor and apple bits in every bite!
4. Baked Sweet ‘n Sour Meatballs by Chaya Ruchie Schwartz
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I’ve been making this meatball recipe for years. My sister-in-law included it in the original stovetop version in the cookbook she made for me when I was engaged. I recently started baking it instead; it definitely requires less babysitting, and the results are just as good!
5. Puff Pastry Deli Twists by Sara and Yossi Goldstein
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Puff pastry with deli is always a winner. Check out this easy appetizer that is super easy to make and looks beautiful, too! Don’t forget to add a little dipping sauce to bring it over the top.
6. Oatmeal Apple Cherry Kugel from the Dining In Cookbook
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You can bake this and reheat before serving, or you can put it together in the ramekins, refrigerate overnight, and bake fresh. Tastes great hot, warm, or cold.
7. Really Good Shabbat Chicken by Brynie Greisman
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I’m always experimenting with new chicken recipes. I tried this chicken for a Shabbat, but it would be great for Yom Tov too. It’s sweet with a tang to it. Simply delicious!
8. Korean Rack of Ribs with Sesame Spice Rub by Victoria Dwek
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*Sauce can be prepared in advance.
I love serving back ribs because they give an impressive “wow” appearance and have the tenderness of short ribs or flanken at a price that’s about 40% less. I think they’re the best bang for the buck out there and I consider them one of my best secrets when serving a crowd. It doesn’t matter if you use a 5-bone or 7-bone rack of ribs. A 7-bone looks more impressive (make sure you have a baking pan that’s big enough), but the last two bones don’t have so much meat, so it doesn’t yield much more than a 5-bone. Most rack of ribs recipes call for a spice rub and a barbecue sauce, and that’s how I’ve always prepared them over the years. This time I changed it up with an Asian-inspired sauce instead and it was a hit.
9. Brisket in Pomegranate Wine Sauce by Mirel Freylich
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The pomegranate juice adds a depth of fruity flavor when you’re least expecting it.
10. Succulent ’N Saucy Ribs by Elky Friedman
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Sweet:
11. Apple-Pear Fruit Crumble by Estee Kafra
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Fruits crumbles are a classic dish. Over the years, one of the recipes I’ve gotten the most feedback on is a pear crumble that I wrote for my second cookbook, Cooking with Color. It’s not so much the recipe but the method that people love. In order to prevent the crumbs from getting soggy and melting into the fruit, I discovered that if you bake the crumbs separately on a cookie sheet and bake the fruit first, you end up with a wonderful crunchy topping on a warm, soft fruit. Here’s another recipe using that method, with a healthier twist to it.
12. Apple Crumble Cake by Faigy Murray
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Every year I would make loads of honey cake. Cuz you know honey cake and Rosh Hashana are a must! But I realized my family doesn’t care for honey cake. But this apple crumb cake they love! While I was taking photos of this cake I had to keep shooing my daughter away. She kept “tasting” the crumbs! It’s that good!!
13. Pumpkin Streusel Muffin Tops by Esty Wolbe
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These muffins are sweet and soft, and the streusel topping brings them to the next level. Perfect for Rosh Hashanah or a cool fall morning.
Watch Esty prepare these muffins on Easy Does It!
14. Best Honey Cake Mix Hack by Sara and Yossi Goldstein
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I’m so excited to bring you this super easy honey cake recipe hack for Rosh Hashanah, using a ready-made mix! It has everything you need in a honey cake. Warm spices, a moist, delicious texture, and -bonus!- less time in the kitchen! You can also use different shaped cake pans if bundts aren’t your thing. See the back of the cake mix box for baking times.
15. Soft Honey Cookies (Big-Batch) from the Nitra Cookbook
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Plan your baking day to take the time to refrigerate the honey cookie batter. You do not want to skip that step. The results are a soft and sweet honey cookie perfect for the holidays or a cozy treat any time.
Selected Halachot Related to Cooking on Yom Tov
The oven temperature may not be adjusted.
Measuring: One is not permitted to measure flour for baking on Yom Tov. Instead, one is intended to approximate. (Shulchan Aruch OC 506:1)
However, one is permitted to measure spices on Yom Tov, since it must be exact. A small deviation can ruin the food. (Shulchan Aruch OC 504:4)
Grating foods: Food that cannot be grated before Yom Tov, since they will lose their taste, such as potatoes or apples, may be grated on Yom Tov with a regular hand grater in the normal manner. (There is a chumra to always grate on Yom Tov in an abnormal manner. Grating directly on to the table or counter and not into a bowl is considered an abnormal manner.)
You may finely chop vegetable on Yom Tov for the amount that you need that day.
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