Nothing says “Jewish holidays” quite like a delicious slice of kugel! This Pineapple Raisin Noodle Kugel is creamy and sweet, a delectable treat to be enjoyed any time of year. It’s very easy to make, and would be a perfect addition to a Shavuot table… or Hanukkah… or just because!
Kugel is a quintessentially Jewish dish similar to a thick noodle casserole. Kugels can range from sweet to savory, dry to moist, dense to fluffy. Some people like it topped with cornflakes. Others like no topping at all, preferring to let the top noodle layer brown and harden to a crunchy texture. This Pineapple Raisin Noodle Kugel is topped with a cinnamon sugar graham cracker crust, which happens to be my favorite topping.
No matter which way you enjoy your kugel, a good basic recipe is important. This recipe, a variation of lokshen kugel, is sweet (but not cloying), rich, creamy, and tasty. If you’ve never made noodle kugel before, this is a great recipe to start with.
I encourage you to use this recipe as more of a guide or technique . It can easily be adjusted to your tastes. Add a different variety of dried fruit to the noodle mixture, change the topping, or whatever you fancy. The only limit is your imagination!
Note: This recipe was previously called “Creamy Noodle Kugel.” I renamed it to make it more specific and removed the step of soaking the raisins (which I now find unnecessary). Otherwise the recipe remains unchanged. Enjoy!
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Pineapple Raisin Noodle Kugel
Ingredients
Kugel Ingredients
- 16 ounces wide egg noodles
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 6 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 cup sugar (use 1 1/4 cup for dessert level sweetness, or 3/4 cup for just slightly sweet)
- 1 pound lowfat cream cheese (2 bricks)
- 1/2 cup lowfat cottage cheese
- 1/2 cup lowfat sour cream
- 16 ounces pineapple chunks in juice (1 can)
- 1/2 cup raisins
Topping Ingredients
- 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
NOTES
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add egg noodles, stir, and boil until tender. Drain. Melt 2 tbsp of butter in the hot noodles and stir to coat.
- In a food processor or blender, combine eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, sugar, cream cheese, cottage cheese and sour cream. Blend the ingredients until creamy.
- Add creamy mixture to the noodles in the pot along with the raisins. Drain the pineapple chunks and dice them into small pieces, then add them to the pot. Stir all ingredients until thoroughly mixed. Pour the noodles into a greased 9×13 baking dish.
- Combine graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, sugar and cinnamon in a small mixing bowl to form a crumbly topping.Sprinkle the topping evenly over the top of the kugel.
- Cover dish with foil and place in the oven. Bake the kugel for 40 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 20 minutes more until the top is golden brown.May be served warm or cold. Refrigerate if you don’t plan on serving it the same day you make it. If you want to reheat your kugel, place it in a 350-degree oven for 15-20 minutes, or until heated through.
Nutrition
Can I prep thus kugel and cook it another day?
You can prepare it up to one day ahead, refrigerate, and bake the following day.
This is my go to for a sweet kugel that is not typical. Some modifications I’ve tried that I like are: use dried cherries instead of raisins, add walnuts, or substitute 4 ounces of cream cheese for ricotta cheese. My favorite is the recipe as written with cherries and walnuts instead of raisins.
Thank you for sharing your ideas Stephanie! Glad you like this recipe.
Can I leave out the pineapple and not change anything else?
Yes that should be fine.
Despite being 70 yrs. old, and an experienced cook and baker, I had never made a lukshen kugel. Then my wonderful husband ( contact Jew) decided he wanted one, so…
I halved your recipe( minus the topping), and made it yesterday. It was a huge success! Thank you for a very yummy kugel.
I made this for Thanksgiving dinner, 2021. It was a huge hit. I used full-fat dairy as opposed to the low fat recommended for extra creaminess. It was a huge it! Thank you so much for the recipe.
This recipe looks delicious!
Can I assemble the ingredients the night before and bake the next morning? If so, should I bring them to room temperature before baking?
Yes, and no need to bring to room temp – it just might take a few more minutes to fully bake through from cold temp.
Your yummy Kugel recipe was my contribution to our family Thanksgiving Dinner. It was a tiny gathering and your recipe is not a small casserole – so everyone left with a big slice to enjoy the next day!! The recipe was unlike anything I ever made before ( and I have been cooking for over 40 years ). But I decided to trust you that it would not be too sweet , too rich, or too creamy. I only made one substitution- light brown sugar in side but white sugar in topping. Also I choose Ricotta over cottage cheese. Everything else was exactly to your directions!! FABULOUS!! A new tradition for family celebrations!! Thank You, Lynne Singerman
Like the idea of making a Raisin free Parev version of Yerushalmi kugel or Kugel in general, however the last time I attempted making a Yerushalmi inspired Chocolate Chip Noodle Kugel ended in disaster.
One idea would be to draw inspiration from Honey Cake, Gingerbread, Pain d’épices and Peperkoek in terms of spices or even some elements from Tiramisu (such as the Cocoa and Coffee components).
Can I leave out the cottage cheese?
You would need to substitute 1/2 cup of something else – sour cream or ricotta cheese would work.