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Horizontal shot of floater matzo balls in a shallow bowl of Jewish chicken soup with carrot slices, pieces of celery, and golden broth. Spoon and linen napkin on the white marble counter beside the bowl. Tiles and white jar in background.
Home || Recipes || Passover || Passover - Ashkenazi || Ashkenazi Passover Soups || Floater Matzo Balls

by 208 Comments

Floater Matzo Balls

How to make floater-style matzo balls for Passover from scratch using a few simple ingredients. Includes link to my favorite homemade chicken soup for matzo balls.
4.90 from 65 votes
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Learn to cook the lightest, fluffiest floater matzo balls ever! When it comes to the Jewish holiday of Passover, people tend to love one of two matzo ball textures – floaters or sinkers. My family’s personal preference is for delicate floaters, which are light, tender, and soak up soup broth like a sponge. In this post I’ll walk you through a few different techniques for making floater matzo balls that are light as air. I’ll also share my favorite way to make homemade matzo ball soup – the irresistible chicken soup that matzo balls are typically served with.

Horizontal shot of floater matzo balls in a shallow bowl of Jewish chicken soup with carrot slices, pieces of celery, and golden broth. Spoon and linen napkin on the white marble counter beside the bowl. Tiles and white jar in background.

What is a matzo ball?

Matzo balls (sometimes spelled “matzah” or “matza”), are a traditional Jewish food that can be likened to a Kosher for Passover soup dumpling. In order to be considered kosher for passover, a recipe cannot contain any leavened grain. The leavened grains in this dumpling are replaced with matzo meal, then combined with eggs, water, fat, and any additional herbs or spices you may like.

Some home cooks prefer light and airy matzo balls, like my recipe below. Others enjoy a firmer, chewier texture, known as “sinkers” (because they sink in the pot). If you enjoy the latter, check out my sinker recipe. It produces a firm, pleasantly chewy texture with the same flavor profile as these floaters.

In my family, we prefer floaters. But how exactly do you make them?

How do you make light and fluffy matzo balls?

There are two ways to make light and airy floaters – use baking powder, or incorporate whipped egg whites with seltzer. Baking powder is the secret to really light floaters. However, some people don’t like to use baking powder during Passover. I’ve included instructions for both approaches in the recipe below – so if you don’t want to use baking powder, no problem.

But honestly, baking powder isn’t against Passover restrictions. Why? Read on!

Overhead shot of a bowl of floater matzo balls in a shallow bowl of Jewish chicken soup with carrot slices, pieces of celery, and golden broth. Spoon, fresh herbs, and linen napkin on the white marble counter beside the bowl.

Can you use baking powder in matzo balls?

For many years, I used Manischewitz mix to make my matzo balls. One day, I studied the ingredients, and noticed sodium bicarbonate and monocalcium phosphate. These are the active ingredients in baking powder.

So, I started doing a little research. Turns out, baking powder is key to creating the fluffiest, lightest “floater” matzo balls. Using carbonated water or seltzer in combination with whipped egg whites will help get you fluffy floaters. But baking powder makes the biggest difference.

How could baking powder could be kosher for Passover? Baking powder is mineral based, not grain based. Consequently, it does not fall under the banner of “chametz,” the group of foods that are banned for Passover. This issue has been discussed at length on kosher websites across the web. Joan Nathan wrote an article about it for the New York Times in April 2006. In her article, Rabbi Moshe Elefant of the Orthodox Union’s kosher division, says: “There is nothing wrong about a raised product at Passover per se.” The Orthodox Union is the oldest and most widely accepted certifier of kosher foods.

If the OU doesn’t have a problem with certifying baking powder for Passover, neither do I. Actually, there are several brands of kosher for Passover baking powder. Some people choose not to use baking powder they feel it doesn’t jibe with the spirit of the Passover holiday. After all, it is an artificial, non-grain-based form of leavening. Others have no problem using baking powder, as long as it has a kosher hechsher. No judgement here, every family is different.

Suffice it to say, the choice to use baking powder is a matter of tradition and preference. One thing is for sure, it definitely makes for lighter, fluffier matzo balls. However, if you’re in the camp of folks that doesn’t want to use it, I’ve provided alternate instructions below.

Can you freeze matzo balls?

Matzo balls actually freeze well and retain their flavor and texture. Simply cool them to room temperature after cooking. Line a sheet tray with wax paper or plastic wrap, place the matzo balls on a sheet tray, and place in the freezer for 2 hours or so (until they get firm). Transfer to a freezer safe bag or container once frozen. When ready to serve, add them directly to your soup and reheat – no need to defrost.

If you need a delicious chicken soup recipe to serve with your matzo balls, check out my matzo ball soup recipe. It’s truly the best… my family asks for it year-round, whether or not it’s a Jewish holiday! I hope it becomes a favorite in your family, too.

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Horizontal shot of floater matzo balls in a shallow bowl of Jewish chicken soup with carrot slices, pieces of celery, and golden broth. Spoon and linen napkin on the white marble counter beside the bowl. Tiles and white jar in background.

Floater Matzo Balls

How to make floater-style matzo balls for Passover from scratch using a few simple ingredients. Includes link to my favorite homemade chicken soup for matzo balls.
PRINT RECIPE
COURSE: Main Course
Kosher Key: Meat or Parve, Kosher for Passover
Servings: 24 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup matzo meal
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder (optional for Passover – see notes below for details)
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, heaping
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, heaping
  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder, heaping
  • 1/4 teaspoon white pepper (optional)
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1/4 cup melted schmaltz, avocado oil, or safflower oil (use schmaltz for best flavor)
  • 1/4 cup unflavored seltzer (only needed if not using the baking powder)
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh dill or parsley (optional)
  • 5 quarts chicken stock (I highly recommend homemade chicken stock – none on hand? Check out the alternative method outlined below)

NOTES

For the chicken soup recipe to accompany these matzo balls, check out my matzo ball soup recipe.
You will also need: 6 quart stock pot with tight-fitting lid, medium and small mixing bowls, plate. If you’re not using baking powder, you’ll also need two medium mixing bowls, a small mixing bowl, and an electric hand mixer for whipping egg whites. If making ahead and freezing, you’ll need a small baking sheet, plastic wrap, and a large freezer-safe bag or two.
This recipe makes roughly 24 matzo balls. This is when making them according to the size listed in the recipe. If you make them even slightly larger, you may end up with less matzo balls.
Nutrition calculated for one single matzo ball. Generally you would serve two 1-inch balls in one standard bowl of soup. Nutrition assumes that one quart of standard chicken broth is absorbed during cooking. This is a very rough estimate by me; if you’re looking for a more accurate nutritional assessment, please consult a nutritionist. Low sodium broth may be used to lower the salt content.
If you don’t have chicken stock or broth on hand and don’t want to make a batch, you can make do with a simple water stock made with 5 quarts of water, 1/4 tsp saffron threads (choose an expensive brand, the cheap ones have no flavor), and kosher salt. Crush the saffron in a mortar/pestle, then add the powder to the pot of water – swirl a little water into the mortar to make sure you get all the saffron into the pot. Add kosher salt (start with around 2 tsp). Bring pot of water to a simmer, taste, and add more salt to taste – it should be pleasantly salty. Remember, this liquid will be soaked up by the matzo balls, so you want it to have some flavor. Feel free to add aromatic herbs to the water in a cheesecloth bundle (thyme, bay leaf, and oregano are nice). A garlic clove can enhance the flavor as well. Use this liquid to simmer your matzo balls. It won’t be as flavorful as chicken stock, but it will give your matzo balls a lot more “oomph” than simple salted water – plus they’ll take on a nice yellow hue. 
A word about baking powder: If making this recipe for Passover, for the easiest preparation and nicest “floater texture,” you can use a kosher for Passover baking powder (like this one). Some choose not to use baking powder because it doesn’t jibe with the “spirit” of the Passover holiday, since it is an artificial, non-grain-based form of leavening. Others have no problem using baking powder, as long as it has a kosher for Passover hechsher. The choice to use baking powder is a matter of tradition and preference. If your tradition doesn’t allow it, please use the instructions for making Floater Matzo Balls Without Baking Powder outlined below.
If you’re not using baking powder, I recommend using avocado or safflower oil instead of schmaltz. They are lighter oils and will render a fluffier result, though it won’t be quite as flavorful. Both preparations here will give you a soft, pillowy-textured matzo ball that floats as it cooks – the baking powder ones are slightly more cloud-like and smooth. Use whatever works for your family!

Instructions

To Make Floater Matzo Balls With Baking Powder:

  • In a medium mixing bowl, use a fork to stir together the matzo meal, baking powder, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and white pepper.
    Dry matzo ball ingredients in a bowl.
  • In another small mixing bowl, use another fork to mix together the eggs and schmaltz (or oil), stirring briskly to make sure they are well blended.
    Egg mixed into matzo meal.
  • Pour egg mixture into the dry ingredients, and add the minced dill or parsley. Mix all ingredients together with a fork until just combined. Do not over-mix.
    Put the bowl of matzo ball mixture into the refrigerator and let it rest for 30 minutes.
    Egg mixed into matzo meal.
  • Bring your 5 quarts of chicken stock (or saffron water stock outlined in Notes section) to a boil over medium heat.
    While your broth or water is warming, form the chilled matzo ball mixture into 1-inch balls (roughly walnut-sized). Don't overwork the mixture when you roll the balls.
    Stockpot of boiling chicken stock.
  • When your broth or water boils, reduce heat to a simmer and drop the matzo balls gently into the liquid.
    Matzo balls cooking in chicken stock.
  • Cover the pot with a lid and let the balls cook for 30-50 minutes until fluffy and soft. Keep the pot covered– no peeking until at least 30 minutes have gone by! If you've followed instructions carefully, the balls should be floating on the surface of the water like billowy clouds of deliciousness. If they still seem dense or tight, they haven't cooked long enough. The should look soft and airy.
    Matzo balls cooking in chicken stock.
  • Test for doneness by slicing a test matzo ball in half. It should look the same all the way through the center – tender, with no dark spot in the middle. If the middle is darker than the edges, it will need to simmer a little longer – it's not quite cooked yet. Don't be afraid to cook longer if it seems dense in the center, as it really won't be light and fluffy unless it is fully saturated with broth and cooked all the way to the center.
    A fluffy matzo ball cut in half, hand with a fork showing half the matzo ball to camera.

To Make Floater Matzo Balls Without Baking Powder:

  • If you're not using baking powder, you may want to use avocado or safflower oil instead of schmaltz. Both of these oils will yield a fluffy result, though they are not as flavorful as schmaltz. Schmaltz tends to make the matzo balls a little heavier, but it's really flavorful.
    Separate the egg whites from the yolks, putting the whites in one of the medium mixing bowls and the yolks in the small mixing bowl. Use a fork to stir together the egg yolks and oil (or schmaltz), stirring briskly to make sure they are well blended. Gently stir in 1/4 cup of bubbly unflavored seltzer.
    Egg yolks and schmaltz stirred together with a fork in a stainless bowl on a blue counter.
  • In the second medium mixing bowl, use a fork to mix together the matzo meal, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and white pepper.
    Dry matzo meal and matzo ball ingredients being stirred with a fork in a stainless bowl on a blue countertop.
  • Pour egg yolk mixture into the dry ingredients, and add the minced dill or parsley. Mix with a fork until just combined. Do not over-mix.
    Matzo ball batter being stirred by fork in a stainless bowl on blue countertop.
  • Whip the egg whites with an electric mixer to stiff peaks.
    Egg whites whipped to a white frothy texture with electric mixer beaters in a stainless bowl on a blue countertop.
  • Fold the whipped egg whites into the batter. Do not over-mix; you want the egg whites well integrated, but over-mixing will deflate them.
    Put the bowl of matzo ball mixture into the refrigerator and let it rest for 30 minutes.
    Matzo ball batter in a mixing bowl, whipped egg whites folded in by blue silicone spatula, on a blue countertop.
  • Bring your 5 quarts of chicken stock (or saffron water stock outlined in Notes section) to a boil over medium heat.
    While your broth or water is warming, form the chilled matzo ball mixture into 1-inch balls (roughly walnut-sized). Don't overwork the mixture when you roll the balls.
    A plate of uncooked, rolled matzo balls, about 24 balls.
  • When your broth or water boils, reduce heat to a simmer and drop the matzo balls gently into the liquid.
    Overhead view of floater matzo balls starting to cook on top of a pot of simmering broth on stovetop.
  • Cover the pot with a lid and let the balls cook for 30-50 minutes until fluffy and soft. Keep the pot covered– no peeking until at least 30 minutes have gone by! If you've followed instructions carefully, the balls should be floating on the surface of the water like billowy clouds of deliciousness. If they seem dense, they need to cook longer. Note that after you open the lid the first time, the matzo balls may sink to the bottom of the pot. That doesn't mean you've failed to make floaters – it just happens when the lid comes off.
    Fluffy, light matzo balls floating at the top of a pot on stovetop.
  • Test for doneness by slicing a test matzo ball in half. It should look the same all the way through the center – tender, with no dark spot in the middle. If the middle is darker than the edges, it will need to simmer a little longer – it's not quite cooked yet. If you formed your balls any larger than the recommended size, you may need 10-15 minutes (or longer) than the suggested cooking time. Go by texture and doneness. It won't be light and fluffy unless it is fully saturated with broth and cooked all the way to the center.
    A fluffy matzo ball cut in half, hand with a fork showing half the matzo ball to camera.
  • Serve two or three matzo balls per bowl with hot chicken soup ladled over them. If you don’t plan on serving the whole pot of soup at one sitting, make sure you remove the matzo balls from the broth and let them come to room temperature before storing them in a separate sealed container in the refrigerator. If left to sit in the broth, they'll become mushy.
    Horizontal shot of fluffy floater matzo balls in a shallow bowl of Jewish vegetarian matzo ball soup with carrots, celery, and golden saffron broth. Bowl rests on a white marble countertop with a spoon, blue striped linen napkin, white jar and fresh vegetables beside it. White tiles in background.

How to Freeze Matzo Balls

  • Once your matzo balls are fully cooked, line a baking sheet with wax paper or plastic wrap. Use a slotted spoon to remove the matzo balls from their cooking liquid and place them gently on the lined sheet. Let cool to room temperature.
    Matzo balls on a plastic wrap-lined baking tray, ready for freezing.
  • Place the matzo balls in the freezer and let them freeze until they are firm to the touch, around 2 hours or so. Once they are firm, you can place the matzo balls into a freezer bag (I use reusable silicone freezer bags).
    Left hand putting a frozen matzo ball into a silicone freezer bag, tray with frozen matzo balls in background.
  • Label them with a label maker, if you want, so it will be easier to remember what you have on hand in future. They can be thawed and reheated directly in hot soup (or a pot of soup stock) just before serving.
    label maker with silicone freezer bag full of matzo balls, labeled and ready for freezing.
  • Additional Notes: You can cook matzo balls directly in your soup broth (which will give them excellent flavor), but it will soak up a lot of the yummy stock, leaving you with very little broth for serving.
    Horizontal shot of floater matzo balls in a shallow bowl of Jewish chicken soup with carrot slices, pieces of celery, and golden broth. Spoon and linen napkin on the white marble counter beside the bowl. Tiles and white jar in background.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Floater Matzo Balls
Amount Per Serving
Calories 69 Calories from Fat 27
% Daily Value*
Fat 3g5%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Trans Fat 0.003g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 1g
Cholesterol 34mg11%
Sodium 93mg4%
Potassium 77mg2%
Carbohydrates 6g2%
Fiber 0.2g1%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 3g6%
Vitamin A 47IU1%
Vitamin C 0.1mg0%
Calcium 14mg1%
Iron 0.4mg2%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

tried this recipe?
Let us know in the comments!

Nutritional information should be considered an estimate only; please consult a registered dietician, nutritionist, or your physician for specific health-related questions. Read more here. Please note that the recipe above is published using a recipe card plugin, with preexisting software which can auto-calculate metric measurements, as well as change the number of servings. Metric conversions and changes to the number of servings (resulting in different ingredient amounts) will only appear in the ingredient list, and are not changed within the step-by-step directions of the recipe.
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Comments

  1. Avatar photoRobert Coplan says

    I have made the matzoh balls from your recipe for several years now, and they were great. I just tried making them again and it seemed that a few things were slightly different. Anyway, the balls were disaster — dense and not fluffy at all. Any way you can post or send a link to the old recipe.? Sadly, I never printed it and relied on the website.

    Reply

    • Avatar photoTori Avey says

      Hi Robert! I’m so sorry to hear you didn’t have the same experience as you did with the previous recipe. I’ll paste the ingredients of the previous recipe below (method is the same as outlined in this post), so you can see it was just a matter of scale that changed – it’s the same recipe that was here before, just scaled up slightly to make a few more matzo balls (I did this to ensure there are enough matzo balls for all the servings on the chicken soup recipe on my site). I kept the baking powder the same after scaling up because I found I didn’t need any more than a teaspoon to get a fluffy result – but if you want, you could add another 1/4 tsp – I don’t think it would hurt. I am assuming you made the baking powder version, since that is what I had in the post previously. I have a few guesses about what went wrong for you – if you made the balls bigger than the recommended size (even just a little bigger), they can take longer to cook through. If you had continued simmering, my guess is eventually they would have become fluffy. That’s why I suggest cutting through to check for doneness. If they feel dense in the middle, they’re not finished – keep cooking. The other possibility is that you accidentally didn’t add the oil or schmaltz, or perhaps you overworked the batter. But I really think it’s probably a matter of you making the balls a little larger, and them taking longer to cook through. Your comment concerned me enough that I even went to test this recipe yet again (after many, many tests in the past), just to make sure a step wasn’t left out inadvertently. I’m currently looking at a pot of matzo balls that are fluffy and light as can be. They did take closer to 45 minutes to cook all the way through – that can vary based on the batch. We’ll be eating them for Seder this year. 🙂 I hope this helps!

      3/4 cup matzo meal
      1 tsp baking powder
      1/4 tsp salt
      1/4 tsp garlic powder
      1/4 tsp onion powder
      1/4 tsp white pepper (optional)
      3 large eggs
      3 tbsp melted schmaltz (or substitute grapeseed oil)
      1 tbsp minced fresh dill (optional)
      3-4 quarts soup broth or salted water

  2. Avatar photoMeri says

    I’m not Jewish, but LOVE Matzo ball soup and want to make it. Can I make the balls ahead of time and then when my soup is done, serve with? I don’t want to misjudge the time and let them get mushy.

    Reply

    • Avatar photoTori Avey says

      Yes – however you’ll want to store them without cooking broth or water, or they will become mushy. In a sealed container or freezer bag without broth is best.

  3. Avatar photoMichelle V. says

    Hello,
    I am trying out your matzo ball recipe it looks wonderful, I was wondering do you cook them first before freezing them or do you freeze them before cooking them in salted water/broth? Thank you.

    Reply

  4. Avatar photoAsh says

    5 stars
    I have used your recipe for years now. I’ve tried others, and I must say that I keep coming back to yours as it is the very best. Great job – thanks for sharing it with us.

    Reply

  5. Avatar photoHelene says

    5 stars
    The texture is perfect! My family likes the lighter kind of matzoh ball as opposed to the “hand grenade” version- no judgment just a preference. I didn’t have schmaltz so I used vegetable oil instead. I probably will add a little bit more salt next time bc schmaltz is saltier than oil. Again just a taste thing but the TEXTURE is 1000X what I was thrilled about! Thank you for this !!

    Reply

    • Avatar photoMartha Hooper says

      5 stars
      Now Im not Jewish but Ive made my soup from a Guinea fowl carcass (worked well not too greasy). I used carrots and onions and celery 2 knorr stock melts, pepper and parsley in the stock and I then strained the soup and added fresh leeks (Im Welsh) potatoes diced and soup pasta. I made your dumplings using ground crackers, egg, dill, garlic powder and baking powder. My, it was so so good just right for a cold wet evening. I will make this again and again. Thank you Helene.

  6. Avatar photoEllen Stengel says

    5 stars
    Making the Matzo balls right now in fact. I’ve been using the seltzer but I’m going to try the baking soda instead. Can’t wait to eat my matzo balls with my chicken soup. I always add little thin noodles when I make soup. I also used thighs this time. I let my soup cook for hours then add the balls.

    Reply

  7. Avatar photoMelindaM says

    5 stars
    Loved these floaters. Made chicken stock and enhanced that with a sachet of bouillon. I did add grated onion and garlic instead of powder. Chicken schmaltz really made the taste. And don’t peek. Yum! No leftovers.

    Reply

  10. Avatar photoMaddie says

    5 stars
    I have these on the stove cooking at this very moment. This is about the 10th time making your recipe. I’ve tried a few others but yours are my favorite. It’s now one of my regular go-to meals. The fresh dill makes a difference. I cook the balls in chicken broth but make a separate chicken consumme to serve them in.

    Reply

    • Avatar photoTori Avey says

      Yes. Freeze on a cookie sheet lined with plastic wrap, balls separated by about an inch. Once hardened you can pour them into a freezer bag to continue freezing.

  13. Avatar photoTori Avey says

    Hi Tara, I am not familiar with Baker’s Ammonia. However, I am hoping to have an alternate method online soon that uses whipped egg whites and seltzer to achieve the floater texture – just trying to find a few spare minutes. Like everyone, our home world has changed dramatically recently, still learning how to juggle a new way of life with the quarantine. 🙂

    Reply

  15. Avatar photoRochelle Praissman Upton says

    Thank you so much for your beautiful presentation and easy to follow pictures. Matzo balls were in my family via my Nanny, bless her beautiful soul. I neglected to watch the whole process, because I was a busy kid and teen who did things my own way. Regrettably, she never wrote down her recipes. So, thank you, thank you, my Nanny would be delighted to taste this soup. Happy Holidays to you and your family. Rochelle

    Reply

  16. Avatar photoKAY PICKERING says

    Hi Tori, we have lived in a wondereful Hispanic neighborhood for 40 years. When I saw your wonderful recipe for matzo balls I had to laugh. My neighbor taught me the right way to make home made tortillas. You have to use real lard (sorry !) AND baking powder! I cannot make enough for my family…ALSO, for years my BUBBE did not let me in on her matzo ball recipe it was to be a secret until she died. Now I know it was baking powder!!! I am a retired chef and now enjoy teaching my Grandchildren and I use so many of your recipes!! Thank you for the tip. Traditions are great and need to be passed on with stories and laughter..Thank you, Kay Rosen Pickering

    Reply

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