In celebration of our favorite three-cornered treats, we searched near and far for the best hamantaschen in every state. Extreme amounts of Facebook and Instagram stalking, email inquiries, personal taste testing, and phone calls (yes, sometimes I still use a phone) resulted in this epic list. Enthusiasm greeted me in the most unlikely places — the German bakery in Oklahoma, for one. And in the southern and midwestern states, I was often met with “haman-what?” It was a learning opportunity for us all.
As you might predict, the availability of hamantaschen follows the diaspora of Jewish Americans, and in many cases, the curiosity of Jewish and non-Jewish bakers alike. In places with few or no bakery options, hamantaschen bake nights are a highlight of the season at synagogues and community centers.
Of course, we couldn’t cross every state off quite yet and NEED YOUR HELP! We’re looking at you, Dakotas. Gotta favorite bakery in one of the missing states? Let us know in the comments.
No bakery near you? These bakeries all ship hamantaschen nationwide:
Arizona
Lior the Baker, Scottsdale
This is the go-to spot in Scottsdale for beautiful, Israeli-inspired based goods. For Purim, Lior bakes classic hamantaschen with prune, walnuts, or poppyseeds. Everything they bake looks flawless — including their hamantaschen, which are pinched perfectly.
Arkansas
Whole Foods, Fayetteville
When all else fails, try Whole Foods! In Fayetteville, while they don’t regularly carry hamantaschen, they are happy to make them special order if you call.
California
Arizmendi Bakery, San Fransisco
Every Purim, Arizmendi Bakery makes chocolate ganache and poppy-walnut hamantaschen, which are so good that you might miss them. Begun by the famous Cheeseboard cooperative, Arizmendi Bakery is named after the Basque labor organizer — what’s more San Fransisco (or Jewish) than that?
Connecticut
Cafe Dolce, Norwalk
This charming cafe bakes everything from scratch, and they seem to be the only ones not shipping them in from nearby New York. They’re so good that you might not want to make your own this year. If you’re in the market for gluten-free hamantaschen, try Izzy B’s Allergen-Free, which come in chocolate, plum, and raspberry.
Colorado
East Side Kosher Deli, Denver
Denver’s classic Jewish deli is kosher, and prepares their baked goods with lots of passion. Last year, they made apricot, prune, raspberry, chocolate, and poppyseed hamantaschen. The bakers get creative, so who knows what flavors they’ll feature this year!
Delaware
Rosenfeld’s Jewish Deli, Rehoboth
Sometimes the best hamantaschen isn’t made in-house, but that doesn’t disqualify it from being the best in the land. Rosenfeld’s Jewish Deli gets them from nearby Liscio’s Bakery in Glassboro, New Jersey. They serve prune, apricot, and raspberry hamantaschen.
Florida
Zak the Baker, Miami
When it comes to Jewish cuisine and breads, Zak the Baker in Wynwood, Miami is one of the most exciting places to be. Their kosher kitchen sends out colorful plates of cured meats and pickled vegetables, and their bakery makes everything from challah to hamantaschen. Last year, for a limited time, they sold chocolate-poppy, guava and cheese, and butter-pecan hamantaschen for Purim.
Georgia
The General Muir, Atlanta
This top-notch delicatessen and James Beard Award semifinalist bakes delicious three cornered treats every Purim. In past years, flavors have included fig and poppy, apricot and pistachio, and wine-poached prune hamantaschen. You can pick them up in-store or place an order ahead of time.
Hawaii
Temple Emanu-El Honolulu Hamantaschen Sale, Honolulu
When I reached out to ask who makes the best hamantaschen in Hawaii, the education and youth director enthusiastically replied, “Me!” She grew up making these cookies and now teaches a group of bakers of all ages how to pinch or fold the corners just right. Proceeds from the sale benefit the Jewish Experience Center. You can order chocolate, apricot, strawberry, or poppyseed.
Illinois
North Shore Kosher Bakery, Chicago
Chicago has plenty of Jewish bakeries to choose from, but what sets this kosher bakery apart is that they make a yeast hamantaschen, which is how they used to be made. Instead of sugar, they use honey, which owner Ayellet Benezra told the Chicago Tribune, “gives the cookies a heavier, more cake-like consistency.” These hamantaschen are filled with raspberry, chocolate, lemon, apricot, poppyseed, and prune.
Indiana
Shapiro’s Delicatessen, Indianapolis
Since 1905, Shapiro’s Delicatessen has played a delicious role in the culinary landscape of Indianapolis. They bake hamantaschen every Purim, filled with vanilla bean cream cheese, lemon-poppyseed, and apricot and prune, all finished with a dusting of powdered sugar.
Iowa
Maccabees Kosher Deli, Des Moines
Iowa’s only all-kosher grocery and deli is also home to the best hamantaschen in the state. They have prune, poppyseed, apricot, mango, raspberry-pomegranate, and chocolate.
Kansas
Short and Sweet Designer Desserts by Jacqueline, Overland Park
In a state with few kosher options, Jacqueline delivers, and goes above and beyond to craft gorgeous, home-made hamantaschen for any dietary need.
Kentucky
Sweet Surrender Dessert Cafe, Louisville
When the Jewish baker of this Kentucky cafe got more and more requests for hamantaschen every Purim, she became the first bakery in the Louisville area to bake them. Last year, she made strawberry, raspberry, and apricot hamantaschen. Everything in their bakery is dairy kosher and made from scratch.
Louisiana
Stein’s Market & Deli, and Kosher Cajun NY Deli & Grocery, New Orleans
The best hamantaschen in Louisiana are found at New Orlean’s best Jewish delis. Kosher Cajun NY Deli & Grocery gets a festive array of hamantaschen from Green’s Bakery in New York (apricot, raspberry, prune, poppy, chocolate, chocolate-dipped with sprinkles, sugar-free, and gluten-free) and delivers some to Stein’s Market & Deli, which sells them to their Garden District crowd.
Maine
Rose Foods and Tin Pan Bakery, Portland, Maine
There is a Jewish food renaissance happening in Portland, Maine, right now and Rose Foods, the city’s bagel and smoked fish destination, and Tin Pan Bakery, the local bake shop, are two key players that deserve equal attention for their hamantaschen. Last, Tin Pan Bakery kept things traditional, serving poppyseed, apricot, cherry, and chocolate hamantaschen.
Maryland
Pariser’s Bakery, Baltimore
Pariser’s has been in the kosher baking business since 1899, so they know that one size doesn’t fit all — that’s why they make at least 10 varieties of hamantaschen, which come in small, medium, and large. Their dough is inspired by the yeast hamantaschen of the past, which makes their cookies somewhat softer than their hard-crusted sugar cookie cousins. Choose from chocolate, poppyseed, prune, apple, lemon, cherry, strawberry, raspberry, blueberry, or apricot hamantaschen.
Massachusetts
Tatte’s Bakery & Cafe, Boston
Founded by a self-trained pastry chef from Tel Aviv, Tatte’s, which has 11 different locations in the Boston area, is famous for their seasonal and Israeli-inspired croissants and pastries. But hamantaschen are founder Tzurit Or’s very favorite. Every year, her mother ships her 50 pounds of poppyseeds from Israel, which Or simmers into a delicious filling for hamantaschen. They also make strawberry jam and chocolate-filled hamantaschen, which they began selling on March 6.
Michigan
Zingerman’s Bake House, Ann Arbor
With rugelach, babka, and mandelbrot on the menu, Zingerman’s Bakehouse might be the Midwestern capital of Jewish baked goods. Come Purim, you can savor their apricot, sweet cheese, poppy, and prune hamantaschen.
Minnesota
Cecil’s Delicatessen, St. Paul
At Cecil’s, hamantaschen are for year-round noshing. You can find apricot, cherry, raspberry, chocolate, and poppyseed at their classic Jewish deli. This deli, open since 1949, is the last remaining establishment of it’s kind in Minneapolis.
Mississippi
Campbell’s Bakery, Jackson
Finding hamantaschen in the Deep South is like finding a needle in a haystack. At Beth Israel Congregation in Jackson, you can order hamantaschen for a fundraiser that benefits their religious school. They’re baked by Campbell’s Bakery in Jackson, and you can order from the following menu of flavors: apricot, strawberry, chocolate, raspberry, and poppyseed.
Missouri
Kohn’s Kosher Restaurant & Deli, St. Louis
For over 50 years, this immigrant-founded kosher deli has been churning out knishes, strudel, Krishna, and of course, hamantaschen. They make apple, apricot, cherry, prune, and poppy hamantaschen year-round, and for Purim, they make a yeast hamantaschen, which is how they were traditionally made in Germany and Eastern Europe.
Nebraska
The Bagel Bin, Omaha
The family behind The Bagel Bin has been baking kosher bagels and Jewish pastries for the past 40 years, and their hamantaschen at this time of year are freshly baked and picture-perfect. The only kosher bakery in town, they take pride in their bagels and baked goods, many of which are family recipes from Poland. Taste the rainbow by trying their different hamantaschen — there’s cherry, strawberry, raspberry, apricot, lemon, prune, and poppyseed.
Nevada
Weiss Deli, Las Vegas
Hamantaschen aren’t just for Purim at this old-school Jewish deli — they make raspberry, cherry, apricot, prune, and poppyseed hamantaschen year-round. Be sure to come here with an empty belly so you can also try their sweet and sour cabbage and matzah ball soup.
New Hampshire
Bubby’s NY Style Delicatessen, Portsmouth
At Bubby’s you can order your hamantaschen with a side of Bubby’s “Jewish guacamole” (chopped liver spread with bagel chips) or one of their many indulgent deli sandwiches. They tend to go for classic flavors, such as apricot, poppy, and raspberry hamantaschen.
New Jersey
Bovella’s Pastry Shoppe, Mountainside or Westfield
Known for their variety of classic Italian and Jewish cookies, it’s hard to decide what kind of hamantaschen to get at Bovella’s. In addition to the classic apricot, prune, and poppy flavors, they make Oreo, red velvet cheesecake, chocolate chip, and chocolate-chocolate hamantaschen.
New Mexico
Rhubarb and Elliot, Albuquerque
At the JCC in Albuquerque there’s a cozy cafe where they make hamantaschen for Purim. In the past, they’ve served delicious apricot hamantaschen featuring locally made jam, as well as poppyseed, chocolate, and raspberry.
New York
Manhattan
Bread’s Bakery, Manhattan
Bread’s babka may have put them on the map, but their savory hamantaschen, which they began making in 2017, have altered the landscape of hamantaschen possibilities. Last year, they added pizza hamantaschen and pistachio-cherry hamantaschen to their menu, in addition to poppyseed, apricot, and chocolate hamantaschen, for those who crave the classics.
Brooklyn
Peck’s, Clinton Hill
With a kitchen full of Ashkenazi comfort foods and a counter of freshly baked macaroons and innovative, seasonally-inspired sweets, Peck’s is a place that blends Lower East Side deli tradition (the owner’s grandfather owned Ratner’s, after all) with Brooklyn’s vibrant food scene. You can make an order for their popular hamantaschen if you act fast — last year, they made apricot, sour cherry, and poppyseed.
North Carolina
NY Bagel and Deli, Raleigh
This bagel and challah destination is well-known for bringing a taste of New York to North Carolina. During Purim, they bake poppy, prune, raspberry, blueberry, chocolate, lemon, apricot, and cherry hamantaschen.
Ohio
Kravitz Deli, Youngstown
This classic Ohio deli makes 10 different varieties of hamantaschen every Purim. Choose from cheese, apricot, poppy, cherry, banana cream, raspberry, blueberry, chocolate, apple, and lekvar — a prune filling. This family-run deli has been serving Jewish deli favorites and holiday treats since 1939.
Oklahoma
Ingrid’s Bakery, Oklahoma City
This German-American bakery makes hamantaschen in small batches all year round. They typically have 8-10 on hand, so place an order if you need more. They make cream cheese and cherry hamantaschen daily.
Oregon
Bowery Bagels, Portland
It’s not easy to find hamantaschen in the Northwest, but when you do, you strike gold. Bowery Bagels makes kosher hamantaschen in three mouthwatering flavors: poppyseed-hazelnut, apricot, and prune.
Pennsylvania
Lipkin’s Bakery, Philadelphia
For three generations, the family behind Lipkin’s Bakery has been one of Philly’s finest kosher bakeries. Their hamantaschen are sold year-round, and they come in prune, cherry, lemon, apricot, chocolate, and raspberry.
Rhode Island
Rainbow Bakery, Cranston
What the Providence Journal calls “the last Jewish bakery in Rhode Island” a treasure, owned by the grandson of the Russian-Jewish baker who opened it 100 years ago. Their hamantaschen are just as famous as their bagels and sissel rye.
South Carolina
Charleston Bakery and Deli, Summerville
This Deep South deli prides itself in “preserving the traditions of the Jewish bakery and delicatessen,” with cream cheese and bagels as good as Zabar’s and holiday desserts like hamantaschen. In past years, they’ve made poppyseed, raspberry, and apricot hamantaschen.
Tennessee
Ricki’s Cookies, Memphis
What started in her kitchen in the 80s as a cookie and challah business has steadily grown into a brick-and-mortar, kosher-certified business with a loyal fan base. For Purim, Ricki bakes apricot, strawberry, cherry, chocolate, poppy, and prune hamantaschen. Her special touch is a sprinkling of cinnamon on top.
Texas
Three Brothers Bakery, Houston
Three Brothers Bakery, which we’ve covered as one of the best Jewish bakeries in the US, is an award-winning Houston bakery, founded by three brothers who survived concentration camps in Poland. Since then, they’ve created one of the most beloved Jewish bakeries in America. Their hamantaschen have charming zig-zag edges, and they’re filled with prune, cherry, blueberry, lemon, apricot, raspberry, and chocolate. Our editor, Shannon, says they are hands-down the most delicious hamantaschen she’s ever tasted.
Utah
The Bagel Project, Salt Lake City
Home to the best bagels in Utah, The Bagel Project serves old-world bagels, bialys, and appetizing with a local Salt Lake City twist. In winter, they serve seasonally inspired hamantaschen, such as cranberry-lekvar (prune). For Purim, they serve fig, currant, mango, and prune hamantaschen.
Vermont
Vermont Kosher, Burlington
Certified kosher hamantaschen aren’t easy to find in Burlington, but you can make a special order from Vermont Kosher, which is run by an Israeli-American self-trained chef who has a creative touch and an eye for presentation.
Virginia
Heidelberg Pastry Shop, Arlington
At this European-style pastry shop and deli, you can find apricot, hazelnut, poppyseed, prune, and raspberry hamantaschen year-round, but during Purim, they add two special kinds to the menu — apple-cinnamon and chocolate hamantaschen.
Washington
Dingfelder’s Deli, Seattle
This family-owned deli has apricot, raspberry, prune, poppy, and chocolate sprinkle hamataschen to satisfy all your Purim cravings. We dare you to resist ordering one of their mouth-watering deli sandwiches while you’re there.
Washington, D.C.
Bread Furst
James Beard-nominated chef and baker Mark Furstenburg’s hamantaschen are not to miss — they’re filled to the brim with home-made jam and expertly crafted. In previous years, he’s kept to tradition with prune, poppy, and apricot flavors.
Wisconsin
Manna Cafe & Bakery, Madison
With deep roots in Jewish baking (their family ran the beloved Pratzel’s Bakery in St. Louis), this Madison cafe is Wisconsin’s destination for rugelach, bialys, corn tzitzel rye bread, and of course, hamantachen. In addition to classic poppy and apricot, last year they served orange-date.
The Nosher celebrates the traditions and recipes that have brought Jews together for centuries. Donate today to keep The Nosher’s stories and recipes accessible to all.
