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Bubbie Ruth's Mandel Bread

Traditional Jewish cookie recipe for chocolate chip mandel bread, aka mandelbrot. Bake crisp like biscotti, or soft and tender. Serve with tea or coffee.

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
55 mins
Servings: 40 servings
Calories: 90 kcal
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Middle Eastern

Ingredients

  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 3 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (you can sub chopped nuts, candied fruits, etc.)
  • Ground cinnamon and granulated sugar for dusting

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Mix together oil and sugar until combined, then add eggs one at a time. After the eggs are combined, add vanilla.
  2. Sift together all the dry ingredients and add them slowly to the sugar/egg mixture.Once the dough is smooth and sticky, pour the chocolate chips in and mix.
  3. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for a few hours (at least 2) or overnight.
  4. Lightly oil your hands and form 4 long rows with the dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet (I line the cookie sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup). Each strip of dough should be 3-4 inches wide. They will spread out a lot during cooking, so make sure you leave enough space between the rows.
  5. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. While mandel bread is baking, in a flat shallow dish, combine ¾ cup of sugar with enough cinnamon to turn the mixture light brown. It’s best to eyeball this – it shouldn’t be too brown or too white.
  6. Take the mandel bread out and turn the oven down to 250 degrees F. Slice the mandel bread into biscotti sized pieces.
  7. Roll each cookie into the cinnamon sugar mixture. Put the pieces back on the cookie sheet on their sides.
  8. Bake for another 15 minutes until they’ve achieved the texture you desire. The longer they stay in the oven, the crisper they will be. If the slices are big or wide, you might need longer than 15 minutes. Keep an eye on it and don’t over-bake, as this cookie tends to dry out quickly. Store in an airtight container.

Notes

  • You will also need: Electric hand or stand mixer, mixing bowl, plastic wrap, cookie sheets
  • Notes: This recipe is quite versatile; chocolate chips can be replaced or used in combination with other sweet “add-ins” to enhance the flavor of the cookie. Since mandelbrot literally means almond bread, the most traditional add-in would be chopped or slivered almonds. Other options include chopped walnuts or pecans, dried or candied fruits like raisins, white chocolate chips, or a combination of those ingredients. You can also add ¼ cup of cocoa powder to make double chocolate mandel bread.
  • Soft Mandel Bread Variation: I’ve had a few blog readers ask for a “Soft Mandel Bread” recipe. This is a bit of a contradiction in terms, since mandel bread are traditionally twice-baked to achieve a crispy texture. However, you can use this recipe to make a softer cookie by only baking it for 25 minutes and skipping the second 15 minute baking cycle (which in essence “toasts” the cookies). Just make sure your cookies have baked all the way through after the first baking cycle – if the center of the cookies appear moist, bake for another few minutes until fully cooked. Keep a close eye on the cookies to make sure they don’t over-bake. This will give you a “soft” mandel bread cookie.
  • Soft Mandel Bread Variation:
  • I’ve had a few blog readers ask for a “Soft Mandel Bread” recipe. This is a bit of a contradiction in terms, since mandel bread are traditionally twice-baked to achieve a crispy texture. However, you can use this recipe to make a softer cookie by only baking it for 25 minutes and skipping the second 15 minute baking cycle (which in essence “toasts” the cookies). Just make sure your cookies have baked all the way through after the first baking cycle – if the center of the cookies appear moist, bake for another few minutes until fully cooked. Keep a close eye on the cookies to make sure they don’t over-bake. This will give you a “soft” mandel bread cookie.

Nutrition Information

Calories 90kcal (5%) Carbohydrates 14g (5%) Protein 1g (2%) Fat 2g (3%) Saturated Fat 1g (5%) Cholesterol 14mg (5%) Sodium 35mg (1%) Potassium 53mg (2%) Sugar 6g (12%) Vitamin A 25IU (1%) Calcium 12mg (1%) Iron 0.8mg (4%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 40servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 90

% Daily Value*

Calories 90kcal 5%
Carbohydrates 14g 5%
Protein 1g 2%
Fat 2g 3%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Cholesterol 14mg 5%
Sodium 35mg 1%
Potassium 53mg 1%
Sugar 6g 12%
Vitamin A 25IU 1%
Calcium 12mg 1%
Iron 0.8mg 4%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.