Mandel bread, also known as mandelbrot, are classic Jewish cookies. Similar to Italian biscotti, these crunchy cookies are perfect for dipping in tea or coffee. This easy, classic recipe came to me courtesy of a reader, by way of her grandmother Bubbie Ruth. Usually they are twice-baked to make them crispy and crunchy. Additionally, they can be soft-baked for a more tender texture. No matter how they are made, Bubbie Ruth’s Mandel Bread deserves a spot in your recipe box!
A Brief History of Mandel Bread, aka Mandelbrot
Mandelbrot cookies are an Ashkenazi Jewish dessert dating back to the early nineteenth century. Mandelbrot are closely related to the Italian cookies known as biscotti, which were first made in the Middle Ages. The word mandelbrot means almond (mandel) and bread (brot) in both German and Yiddish. In America, these tasty little cookies are known as mandel bread. Typically mandel bread are twice-baked, which makes them crispy and crunchy. They’re perfect for dipping in your tea or coffee. Because most of the moisture is baked out of them, they also have a fairly long shelf life.
The origin of Jewish mandelbrot is a bit of a mystery. In the wonderful book Jewish Cooking in America, Joan Nathan writes about the history of mandelbrot cookies and their similarity to other cookies made in Europe and Eastern Europe:
“With a large Jewish population in Piedmont, Italy may have been the place where Jews first tasted biscotti and later brought them to Europe where they called them mandelbrot, which literally means almond bread. In the Ukraine, a similar cookie not necessarily with almonds but made at home, thuskamish, was served. In Italy they are often eaten as a dessert dipped into wine or grappa. In Eastern Europe Jews dipped them into a glass of tea, and because they include no butter and are easily kept they became a good Sabbath dessert.”
A Family Recipe for Mandel Bread
Today’s simple and tasty recipe for mandel bread comes to us courtesy of blog reader Beth Steiner. Beth writes a cooking blog called Someone’s in the Kitchen with Brina. Beth’s Hebrew name is Brina; her blog focuses on easy kosher recipes. Her family recipe, Bubbie Ruth’s Mandel Bread, is sweetened with chocolate chips.
Of this recipe, Beth said:
“My father’s mother, Bubbie Ruth, was an amazing cook and baker. One of my favorite memories is working in her kitchen, patting rolls of mandel bread dough into the baking pan. She would always bring a fresh batch with her when she and my Zadie came to visit from Florida. After Bubbie died in 2002, my mom took over the recipe and always stores it in her special mandel bread tin. She would send it to my sister at college and once sent me a huge batch when I was living abroad in Israel. Bubbie Ruth’s Mandel Bread is a staple at every family gathering. I have her KitchenAid mixer and every time I use it to make her mandel bread, I feel close to her all over again.”
I use my KitchenAid mixer to make these, in memory of Beth’s Bubbie Ruth. You can use an electric hand mixer if you prefer. Note that I’ve included a Soft Mandel Bread Variation at the end of the recipe for those who prefer a softer version of this cookie.
A special thanks to Beth for sharing this delicious recipe!
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Bubbie Ruth's Mandel Bread
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
NOTES
Instructions
- Mix together oil and sugar until combined, then add eggs one at a time. After the eggs are combined, add vanilla.
- 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.
- Cover the dough with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for a few hours (at least 2) or overnight.
- 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.
- 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.
- Take the mandel bread out and turn the oven down to 250 degrees F. Slice the mandel bread into biscotti sized pieces.
- Roll each cookie into the cinnamon sugar mixture. Put the pieces back on the cookie sheet on their sides.
- 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.
Harriet says
Thanks Beth, I have a similar recipe but yours are better. I didn’t use chocolate chips and the cookies are not sweet. I put in a cup of walnuts and 6 oz. candied cherries. Next time I’ll try the chips. I especially like the idea of using lightly oiled hands to shape this as “dusting hands with flour” just makes a sticky mess. Thanks again. Harriet
maxie says
I baked three batches of this Mondel Bread and it’s delishous. Only problem is it’s not crispy, once cooled. Tried baking longer than 15 min second time, more like one hour at 250 and this worked. How can I store to keep crisp?
Beth says
Maxie – it’s not supposed to be biscotti-crisp when it’s done. It’s softer than a biscotti, and closer to cookie-like texture. I actually prefer it softer!
Maxie Harris Wiggs says
I’ve ben searching for a crisp Mondel bread an will make this tomorrow. It sounds great. I prefer zest of lemon and orange
Midge Weinberg says
Terrific! Thank you so much Beth
Julie says
Has anyone ever tried to substitute a little applesauce for some of the oil? I know it would change the consistency… just wondering if a little subbing could still be okay! (I’m diabetic and nutrition-conscious!)
Deena Angstreich says
I love your website, but I don’t get how Mandelbrot can be made without Almonds!! If I’m not mistaken Mandel means almonds, no? I’m sure these cookies are delicious, but they can’t be called Mandelbrot in the traditional sense….Did I miss something?
Thanks
Deena
Tori Avey says
Hi Deena, you are correct that mandel means almonds. If you read the introduction to the recipe above, you’ll note that you can add in chopped almonds, which is the most “traditional” add-in. Many modern American mandelbrot recipes omit the almonds in favor of dried fruit or chocolate chips, however they are still culturally referred to as mandelbrot because they evolved from Jewish Eastern European almond cookies (hence the German/Yiddish name mandelbrot).
jessamyn says
Made these today. Used dried apricots and cranberries in place of chocolate chips and added a teaspoon of maple syrup. Was looking for something to do with some high grade cinnamon and this was perfect. Thanks.
Mike says
Thanks for this recipe. I’d love to try it out soon, but I was wondering what attachment you use in the kitchenaid. It looks like the whisk in the picture where you’re combining the oil and sugar. Do you switch to the paddle when you add the flour, or do you use the whisk for the entire time? Thanks!
Beth says
You can use the paddle attachment for everything. That’s what I do!
Sharon says
Have searched for my Bubbie’s recipe for years. Then I found this one. The aroma (subbed Almond Extract and Yellow Raisins) of almond mandel bread filled the house and my sweet Bubbie, long gone, returned once again to my kitchen. I could almost see her smiling!
Thank you Beth…have made this easy recipe four times now and it’s perfect every time!
Jessica Spillane says
I’ve made this several times and LOVE it! I’ve started experimenting with it and made a pumpkin/date version and a vanilla chai version. Both were delicious! Thanks for the recipe.
Nadine says
Jessica S! What did you add in for your pumpkin version! Would love to try that!:-)))
elain genser says
I am a bit confused. I love mandelbrot, and make it often, however your basic recipe has no ‘mandel’ (almonds) in it at all… the recipe I got from my Bubba used ground almonds as well as chopped almonds. This recipe is definitely more of a biscotti recipe.
Tori Avey says
Elain, as the blog above states, you can add in chopped almonds, which would be the most traditional addition. Many modern American mandelbrot recipes omit the almonds in favor of dried fruit or chocolate chips, however they are still culturally referred to as mandelbrot because they evolved from Jewish Eastern European almond cookies (hence the German/Yiddish name mandelbrot). Biscotti and mandelbrot are closely related, as you’ll read above, and one could argue that the two are one and the same– many biscotti recipes contain almonds, too, but they are still referred to as biscotti. What you call the cookies depends on your family ancestry, and how the recipe has evolved in your family.
Jodi Peterson says
My mother died 5 years and took with her our favorite Mandel bread recipe. She made the best every year for the high holidays. We would not eat it any other time during the year so it was an extra special treat. I made your recipe hoping it was close to my mother’s. It tastes exactly the same. Thank you so much for sharing. I make this recipe when I am having an extra hard time missing my Mom. Thank you!
Linda Gabrilo says
Have any of you ever made this with a substitute for the eggs, and if yes, what did you use?
I have been trying to make a good tasting vegan version, but have not been happily & totally successful.
Ronnie says
Unbelievable recipe.
Thanks so much!
DELICIOUS & ADDICTING!!
.abrilo says
Your Grandma Ruth must have gotten this recipe from my Grandma Rose, because it is suspiciously exactly the same, and I have known it for 50 years, and have never seen your site before today!
It is a great recipe!
Joni says
I know that I can freeze this, my question is when do I do that? After its twice baked and sprinkled with cinnamon/sugar or drizzled with chocolate; or before they are twice baked?
Does freezing change the crispiness?
Beth says
Joni, Bubbie would freeze it after it was fully baked! Just let it come to room temp (or nibble on them cold, like I used to when I was little).
Beth says
Tammy, I agree. Honey/agave won’t give you the same texture in the final mandel. However, that doesn’t mean it still won’t taste good!
I love seeing all these people enjoying my Bubbie’s recipe 🙂
Tammy says
I saw someone ask about honey or agave, those ingredients would add moisture to the cookies, might not make them as crispy as you would like.
Tonerickmusic says
Thank you Bubbie! I made these and tweaked it a little: I used 1/2 cup Sugar substitute that rhymes with ‘Brenda’. And 1/2 cup of brown sugar. Then, folded in a couple of teaspoons of ordinary strawberry jam into the dough, like my mom used to. I also followed your advice, being a ‘soft cookie’ guy and kept them in few more minutes. Perfect!
Lori says
I am so excited to try this recipe! My bubby recently passed and none of us were able to duplicate her amazing mandel bread. She always loaded them up with chocolate chips and they were absolutely amazing! I am going to try this recipe this weekend!!!