Every year, our family decorates our dining room table with lots of dreidels, colorful chocolate gelt coins, and all of the handmade menorahs the kids have made over the years. We also have a chocolate gelt hunt and give out prizes for whoever collects the most gelt. After we gather up all the gelt, we play a rousing game of dreidel. Usually, my youngest son wins and ends up with chocolate all over his hands and face! Click here to learn how to play the dreidel game.
Another one of our favorite Chanukah traditions is to make edible dreidels and menorahs. It’s a craft and treat all-in-one! Kids of all ages love making these yummy treats, and you even find the adults making their own dreidels. Who doesn’t love marshmallows and chocolate kisses?
Edible Dreidels
Ingredients
- Marshmallows
- Chocolate kisses
- Thin pretzel sticks
- Icing
- Optional: mini M&Ms, sprinkles
Directions
- Unwrap chocolate kisses.
- Use icing to “glue” the marshmallow to the bottom of the chocolate kiss.
- Stick a pretzel stick through the top of the marshmallow.
- Decorate the body of the marshmallow with mini M&Ms or sprinkles—use the icing as “glue.” You can even use icing or edible markers to write a Nun, Shin, Gimmel, and Hey on each side of the marshmallow. It is customary for dreidels to have these four letters on them. It stands for “Nes gadol haya sham,” meaning “A great miracle happened there.”
Edible Menorahs
Ingredients
- Slices of bread
- Cream cheese or peanut butter
- Thin pretzel sticks
- Raisins, craisins, or chocolate chips
Directions
- Spread slice of bread with either cream cheese or peanut butter
- Take 10 mini pretzels and make a menorah on the slice of bread. Place one pretzel horizontally on the bread for the base of the menorah. Then place nine pretzels vertically on top of the base to represent the candles. The middle candle is the “Shamash” candle and should be placed higher than the other 8 candle pretzels.
- On top of the pretzels, you can place either raisins, craisins, or chocolate chips to represent the candle flames.
- Click here to learn the prayers for lighting the Chanukah candles.
The possibilities for making an edible menorah are endless. Here’s a link to a menorah made of marshmallows and graham crackers and one made of cake pops and chocolate wafers. And look, we found a menorah made of cupcakes too! Oh, and here is one made from cupcakes, chocolate, and pretzel sticks!
Enjoy your treats and Happy Chanukah!
