Chocolate Chip Mandel Bread for Passover (Nut Free)

Grain free Chocolate Chip Mandel Bread for Passover is a delicious cookie made with cassava flour so it’s Kosher for Passover. Cassava flour is also gluten free and nut free, making this a rare Passover dessert that’s nut free!

Nut Free, Gluten Free, Grain Free, Soy Free

Passover is always a tricky holiday for individuals (like me!) with nut allergies. So I’m on a mission to make delicious recipes that are kosher for Passover, without nuts, so you can enjoy your food, without feeling deprived for 8 days.

Because we know what happens when we’re deprived of our favorite foods… we want them MORE! And that’s when overeating, binging, and feeling out of control around food creep in… followed by feelings of shame and guilt. And those are not ingredients we need in our lives!

While following food restrictions for holidays is common, it can still be difficult for individuals who have a contentious relationship with food.

If you’ve ever dieted, restricted your food intake, or created strict food rules (like no eating after 7pm), then I’m talking to you.

So how can food restrictions and food freedom coexist?

By honoring the INTENTION behind your restrictions.

Are you restricting a food for:

1. Medical or religious reasons?
2. Or to micromanage your weight?

These are two very different intentions behind the restriction.

We’ll get into medical necessity to restrict food (like food allergies) at another time, but since a holiday that requires restriction is upon us, let’s chat about restricting food for religious reasons.

On Passover you cannot eat chametz, or leavened bread products. This includes all bread, pasta, crackers, etc. Instead of focusing on what you cannot eat for religious purposes, I encourage you to focus on what you CAN.

Focus on what you can add to your plate to feel satisfied… not what you must take away.

Instead of saying “I can’t have a sandwich,” try “I can use sweet potato slices as my “bread” and carb to feel satisfied instead of bread.

Instead of saying “I can’t eat my favorite cookies,” try “I can try a new kosher for Passover recipe and experiment in the kitchen.” (Hint: try the recipe below!)

It’s important to focus on balancing your plate – despite any religious restrictions.

Instead of bread or leavened foods, focus on the carbs you CAN EAT:

• Potatoes
• Sweet potatoes
• Matzo crackers
• Root vegetables, like butternut squash
• Cassava flour-based products
• Quinoa
• Rice (if Sephardic and allowed)

Cassava flour is a Kosher for Passover flour alternative that’s easy to work with and makes delicious treats!

Cassava flour comes from the root vegetable cassava. It’s high in carbohydrates, with some fiber (not much!). But when ground into a flour, it has a very fine consistency, similar to all-purpose flour.

You can learn more about cassava flour in this post (another nut-free kosher for passover dessert!)

It works beautifully in this Chocolate Chip Mandel Bread recipe!

What is Mandel Bread?

Mandel bread is a biscotti-like cookie popular in Jewish culture. It’s a twice-baked cookie, often made with almonds, so this nut free mandel bread recipe is perfect for my fellow nut allergy friends.

Mandel bread usually contains flour, sugar, eggs and oil. Of course on Passover we cannot eat regular flour, so this recipe was adapted slightly.

The original Chocolate Chip Mandel Bread recipe called for cake meal and potato starch, which if you bake on Passover you know are common ingredients in Passover baking. But to simplify, I used 1 ingredient: cassava flour.

I also cut down on the sugar from the original recipe because it was A LOT and I found it a bit too sweet.

This cookie recipe is not overly sweet. It’s perfect to pair with an afternoon decaf!

How to Make Mandel Bread for Passover

As I mentioned above, mandel bread is a twice-baked cookie. But don’t let that scare you! It’s really easy to make…

First, make your dough. You don’t even need an electric mixer for this recipe!

Simply mix together sugar, oil, eggs and cassava flour. Fold in chocolate chips. If you want to get funky and add raisins, dried cranberries, coconut or any other mix-in, GO FOR IT!

The dough won’t be that firm, so it’s super important that you cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, up to overnight.

When you’re ready to bake, mix together cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl for the cinnamon sugar topping. Divide the dough in half and form into 2 logs, about 6-inches wide, 10- to 12-inches long. You’re making cookies that are biscotti-shaped, so think about that when creating your “logs.” Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar mixture.

This is a twice baked cookie to get it nice and crisp. After the initial bake (details in the recipe below), remove from the oven, and cut horizontally into 1-2 inch cookies, about the size of a biscotti. Flip and sprinkle with additional sugar and cinnamon mixture. Then return to the oven for your second bake.

I think it’s best to let these cookies cool completely on the baking sheet.

How to Store These Cookies

Like most cookies, I suggest storing in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator to extend their shelf life. They totally freeze well for a couple of months (and I personally think taste great straight from the freezer!).

Ingredients You’ll Need to Make Chocolate Chip Mandel Bread

You only need 6 ingredients to make chocolate chip mandel bread, including:

• Cassava flour
• Sugar
• Oil
• Eggs
• Chocolate chips
• Cinnamon

Kitchen Tools You’ll Need to Make Chocolate Chip Mandel Bread for Passover

You don’t need much to make this nut-free dessert recipe. You only need:

• Large mixing bowl
• Spatula
• Large baking sheet

This Chocolate Chip Mandel Bread recipe is…

• Easy to make
• 1-bowl recipe
• Crisp and delicious
• Nut free
• Kosher for Passover
• Dairy free
• Grain free

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Other Passover Recipes You May Enjoy:

• Chocolate Avocado Cookies
• Apple Matzo Kugel
• Nut Free Chocolate Toffee Bark
• Easy Matzo Brei
• Grain Free Chocolate Cranberry Cookies

Don’t Forget to PIN IT…

XO