The Jewish holiday season is just around the corner, and first up is Rosh HaShanah in the middle of September. Also known as the Jewish New Year, Rosh HaShanah is a two-day holiday observed with prayer and celebration, and, traditionally, these celebrations include certain foods. Apples and honey, in particular, are commonly eaten as a symbol of hope for a sweet year to come, but what about those who prefer not to eat honey? While it’s certainly possible to just eat apples alone, it can also be fun to take things a step further and prepare more extravagant plant-based desserts instead. Read on for some of our favorite plant-based Rosh HaShanah recipes.
Vegan Honey Cake
As honey is probably the most common ingredient consumed on Rosh HaShanah, we’d have been remiss not to include some kind of honey-inspired recipe on this list. This cake by The Vegan Atlas is one of our favorites and uses a combination of maple syrup and agave nectar to achieve a similar flavor, 100% bee-free. Combined with cinnamon, ginger, and cloves, the result is golden and sweet as the real deal.
Vegan Apple Cinnamon Challah
Challah is a type of Jewish bread traditionally woven into a three-strand braid, but on Rosh HaShana, this braid is often folded to create a round shape symbolic of the cyclical nature of the Jewish calendar. This recipe by The Jewish Vegan puts a festive spin on things by incorporating apple and cinnamon sugar. We can’t think of a better way to ring in a sweet new year.
Eggplant Meatballs with Pomegranate Sauce
As with most holidays, entrees on Rosh HaShanah often include meat, though there’s no explicit reason why this needs to be the case. For those who prefer to avoid animal products, we highly suggest these eggplant meatballs by May I Have That Recipe? To symbolize abundance in the year to come, be sure not to skip the pomegranate sauce. Even if you’re not superstitious, the flavor alone is enough.
