A Mandel bread recipe (also called mandelbrot) that creates a twice-baked crispy cookie that can be enjoyed on its own or dunked into coffee. Historically, it was a popular dessert amongst eastern european Jews. Our favorite mandelbrot is from the kitchen of my friend Susan Braverman, who shares her thoughts and her mandel bread recipe below.
This delicious crispy cookie bar is not a bread at all. In fact, Mandel bread also known as mandelbrot and as a Jewish biscotti!
This treat, filled with cinnamon and chocolate chips, can be customized by adding nuts, raisins, dried cranberries, or other flavored chips. They are perfect for dunking in coffee or tea!
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Mandelbrot vs Mandel bread vs biscotti
The first two names on the list refer to the same food. Mandel bread is English, whereas mandelbrot is of Germanic heritage. While mandelbrot literally translates to ‘almond bread’, it traditionally describes a crispy cookie with roots in Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine.
Biscotti, on the other hand, is of Italian origin and tends to have less fat than found in a mandel bread recipe, and biscotti is, therefore, drier.
Now you know the difference between mandel bread vs biscotti
What you need to make this mandel bread
While Susan’s complete recipe is below, here is a list of what you will need for her delicious mandelbrot recipe.
Supplies
- Baking sheet
- Mixing bowls
- Parchment paper (baking paper) – so it clean up is easy.
Ingredients
- Flour – Susan recipe calls for all purpose flour. We have never tried it with gluten-free flour.
- Baking powder
- Cinnamon
- Vegetable oil – a light tasting oil is best.
- Sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips or optional extras such as raisins, nuts, dried cranberries, or other flavored chips.
Susan’s tips for creating crispy mandel bread
Desired crispiness is a personal taste. I sprinkle raw sugar and extra cinnamon on top before I bake. This gives an added crunch.
Also, after they are baked and sliced, I return them to the oven for 10 minutes to crisp.
Mandel bread recipe
Susan Braverman contributed this recipe.
Note: we love this recipe as is, but we have had feedback from one of our readers that they like to add 1 tsp salt.
Mandel bread recipe
Mandel bread (also called mandelbrot) is a twice-baked crispy cookie that can be enjoyed on its own or dunked into coffee. Historically, it was a popular dessert amongst Eastern European Jews.
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 3½ cup flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 Tablespoon cinnamon
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Filling
- 12 ounces semi sweet chocolate chips
- Optional substitutions: raisins or nuts (see notes)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF (175ºC) and line the baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, mix the dry ingredients.
- In a large bowl, mix oil and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix well.
- Add (⅓ at a time) the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix. Use your hands to mix, if necessary.
- Add chocolate chips and/or other optional fillings. (Total filling should be 12 ounces)
- Form the dough into 2 loaf-type rectangles on the cookie sheet with parchment paper.
(Optional: Sprinkle raw sugar and extra cinnamon on top before baking, for an added crunch.) - Bake at 350ºF (175ºC) for 30 minutes.
- Remove from oven. Slice into 1½ inch pieces and separate a little.
- Optional: Return to the oven for 10 minutes to crisp. NOTE: Crisping is a personal taste. If you want a softer cookie bar, don’t do this step.
Notes
Nuts, raisins, etc. can be added in addition to the chocolate chips but keep the overall amount to about 12 ounces.
These freeze very well.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1 pieceAmount Per Serving: Calories: 263Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 23mgSodium: 104mgCarbohydrates: 30gFiber: 1gSugar: 8gProtein: 4g
Nutritional information isn't always accurate and it will vary based on the specific ingredients used.
Which optional ingredients will you add to the mandel bread recipe when you make it?
More gluten-free Jewish-style recipes you might like
More about Susan
Susan Braverman is a retired Special Education teacher from New Jersey. She currently lives in sunny Arizona, close to her 2 daughters and granddaughter. Susan also has 2 stepdaughters and 2 granddaughters in Virginia. She loves to bake and share her recipes with all her girls!
Her other hobbies are reading, baseball, and communicating with new friends worldwide on social media!
Thank you for the information and the recipe. I immediately thought of biscotti, so you have widened my gastronimic horizons!
Needs 1 tsp salt
So yummy! Definitely gives me biscotti vibes and tasted amazing!
I came across your recipe and it looks delicious! It will be the perfect sweet after school snack for my kids! Thanks!
WOW! I have never heard about mandel bread, and yes, at first it looks like biscotti. So, being curious enough, I made your recipe. Now I don’t know what I love more: mandel bread or biscotti. 🙂
This turned out wonderfully! Thank you. 🙂
Thanks for sharing this very special traditional recipe. It sounds amazing!
Thank you for introducing me to Mandel bread and sharing its cultural origins. It looks delicious and a recipe I will definitely need to try.