While this mandel bread recipe is technically kosher for Passover, it’s one that is requested all year long around here. Similar to biscotti, mandel bread is a twice baked crunchy cookie that has been passed from friends and family and back again. Made in one bowl with simple ingredients, it’s sure to become your go to Passover treat.
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The perfect mandel bread recipe for Passover
This mandel bread recipe is just so easy and that’s the best thing about it (other than it tasting delicious, of course). One bowl and a hand mixer is all you need to make this recipe perfection. Some Passover recipes are fussy and don’t work consistently, but this recipe works every time.
The ingredients in this recipe are also simple. Potato starch and cake meal are staples in the Passover pantry and the other few ingredients are regular pantry staples. It takes just 5 minutes to put together the batter.
The hardest part of the recipe, is the batter needs to chill in the fridge for at least an hour so that the mandel bread doesn’t spread too much in the oven. I find that making the batter one day and then baking them the next, makes the whole process even faster.
Ingredients
A few notes on the ingredients:
- Potato Starch: You can use any brand you like. I typically have enough left of what I buy at Passover (Manischewitz) to get me through the year, but you can also find it from brands like Bob's Red Mill and even local grocery store brands.
- Cake Meal: Cake meal is a little bit trickier to find when it's not the months leading up to Passover. Any kosher grocery store will have it year round, but others might just have it on their Passover food displays in March and April.
How to make mandel bread
In a large mixing bowl beat together (with a hand mixer) the sugar and eggs. Then add the oil and mix well again.
To that bowl, add in the cake meal, potato starch, and salt. Mix well with the hand mixer for about a minute until a batter has formed.
Then add the chocolate chips to the bowl and mix it one last time.
Next, the batter needs to chill at least an hour, but I typically make the batter one day and then bake them the next day so that they have plenty of time to chill.
When you are ready to bake the mandel bread, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking pan with parchment paper. You’ll want to use a large cookie sheet for baking these.
Take half the batter and form a log shape with it. The narrower the log, the shorter your cookies will end up being. Place this log diagonally on the cookie sheet and repeat with the second half of the batter.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes until just golden brown.
Remove from the oven and slice each log into ½” slices and lay each slice flat on the cookie sheet. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar and then return to the oven.
Watch for the mandel bread to brown and then flip over and bake for an additional 3-5 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let cool. Enjoy!
The difference between mandel bread and biscotti
Mandel bread, also known as mandelbrot, is a traditionally Jewish cookie that is twice baked and can have a variety of additions. Chocolate chips, nuts, dried fruit are some of the favorites. The name mandel bread has its roots in Yiddush and German. While these cookies are very similar to the Italian biscotti, they tend not to be quite as dry as their counterpart. Crunchy, yes, but not crumbly.
Mandel bread can be made with flour and butter or oil all year round, or be made for Passover by eliminating the flour like in this recipe. No matter what you call them, they are a cookie that is loved worldwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
It sure is. Passover is a holiday where the Jewish people refrain from eating anything that is leavened or that has flour in it. In this recipe, potato starch and matzoh cake meal substitute for the flour to make it Kosher for Passover.
Many people like to cook in the weeks leading up to the Passover holiday and prioritize desserts that can be frozen easily. This is one of those cookies! Simply place the cooled mandel bread into a zip top bag and press the air out and pop into the freezer. They are best if eaten within 3 months.
One more simple tip
Go ahead and double the recipe. These mandel bread are so good that making just one batch is never going to be enough. When you double the batch you’ll want to have 2 large cookie sheets prepared for the 4 logs you make. You’ll also want to rotate the cookie sheets top to bottom when you put them back into the oven for their second bake.
Looking for more Passover friendly recipes? Try these:
When you try this recipe and love it 😍 let me know by leaving a comment below or 5 ⭐ rating!
The Best Mandel Bread (Kosher for Passover)
Equipment
- Hand Mixer
Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup oil
- 1 ¼ cup cake meal
- 6 TB potato starch
- pinch of salt
- ½ cup chocolate chips (or nuts)
- 1 TB cinnamon sugar (pre-mixed or homemade)
Instructions
- Using a hand mixer, beat together the eggs and sugar. When well mixed add the oil and beat well.
- Sift together the cake meal, potato starch, and salt and add to the wet mixture. Mix well. Stir in the chocolate chips or nuts if using them.
- Refrigerate the batter at least 1 hour, but up to 24 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Divide the batter in half. With the first half, shape it into a log that's flat on top and place it on the prepared baking sheet. Using wet fingertips, make sure the log is about 2 inches tall and even throughout. Repeat with the second log.
- Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. When lightly browned, remove from oven and slice the logs into cookies about 1" wide. Lay them flat on their sides and sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar mixture.
- Return the cookies to the oven and let cook about 5-7 minutes, then take out, flip over and let cook until golden brown (another 5-10 minutes).
- Remove from oven and let them cool.
Notes
Nutrition
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Linda Friedman
Absolutely fabulous Mandel bread recipe!! I misplaced my dear, late "mother-in-love's" recipe and was trying to recreate it from memory. I came pretty close. Then I saw yours and it's just like hers! Thank you for helping to make my dear husband's favorite Passover dessert -- right up there with my Flourless Chocolate Passover Cake! Happy Pesach! Stay safe.
Linda Friedman
Absutely fabulous Mandel bread recipe!! I misplaced my dear, late "mother-in-love's" recipe and was trying to recreate it from memory. I came pretty close. Then I saw yours and it's just like hers! Thank you for helping to make my dear husband's favorite Passover dessert -- right up there with my Flourless Chocolate Passover Cake! Happy Pesach!
Linda Friedman
Absutely fabulous Mandel bread recipe!! I misplaced my dear, late "mother-in-love's" recipe and was trying to recteate it from memory. I came pretty close. Then I saw yours and it's just like hers! Thank you for helping to make my dear husband's favorite Passover dessert -- right up there with my Flourless Chocolate Passover Cake! Happy Pesach!
Marni Katz
I'm so glad you loved it!