10 Delicious Matzo Recipes For Passover

Every spring, Jews all over the world gather together to celebrate Passover, which celebrates the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt. They read the Haggadah, the story of the Jews' escape, and eat a variety of traditional foods that make up the Seder meal. There's charoset, roasted eggs, gefilte fish, and, of course, matzo. In fact, you can't have a classic Seder without the unleavened bread. 

See, the story goes that once the Pharaoh finally granted Moses and the Jews their freedom, they needed to get out of Egypt so fast that they didn't have time to let the bread rise. So, all these centuries later, many Jews remember that hardship by only eating unleavened bread for the seven or eight days of the Passover holiday. 

There are plenty of other Passover recipes you could make during the holiday, but there's no way to get through the celebration without munching your fair share of matzo. While a piece of matzo slathered with butter and jam will suffice, after a day or two, that same snack can get a little stale. Luckily, there are several other ways to enjoy matzo throughout the holiday. It can be a cozy soup, a delicious dessert, or even candy. With so many possibilities, we put together a list of some of our favorite matzo recipes so that you can try them all.

There's always at least one plate of matzo on every Seder table because it's such a large part of the celebration. While you could simply buy boxes of the cracker, if you make your own, you can make it as fancy or as plain as you'd like. 

This recipe from Beth Ebin won't interfere with any of the other flavors on your table. But if you prefer a little salt or spice, don't be afraid to mix it in. Just make sure whatever you're adding doesn't have any chametz, because then it won't be kosher for Passover.

Recipe: Matzo

There's nothing better than a bowl of chicken soup when it's chilly out. That savory broth blanketing your tongue and coating your throat just brings pure joy. Add two, three, or even four matzo balls, and you've got yourself one of the most comforting meals on the planet.

Plain chicken soup and matzo balls are quick and easy, especially if you use a boxed matzo mix. But adding some fresh, seasonal vegetables, like asparagus and snow peas, brightens this broth and makes it perfect for spring. 

Recipe: Springtime Chicken Soup with Herbed Matzo Balls

Garlic is a very common ingredient in savory cooking. But black garlic is something very different. No, it's not a strange variety of the popular vegetable; it's actually a regular bulb of garlic that's been cured. The end result is garlic that's turned black, is soft and tender, and has a sweet-and-sour flavor. Michael Solomonov adds it to his matzo ball soup to give this Passover staple a unique umami undertone.

Recipe: Matzo Ball Soup with Black Garlic

While matzo ball soup is popular, there's no rule saying you can't enhance the balls themselves. That's exactly what Amanda Cohen does with this version. 

Sure, the soup has plenty of extra ingredients to jazz it up, like chopped fennel and dried shiitake mushrooms, but it's the matzo balls that steal the show, thanks to the pureed kale that's mixed into the batter. This classic soup is nutrient-dense, yet maintains its savoriness. 

Recipe: Kale Matzo Ball Soup

If you're a fan of Mexican food, you should definitely give this soup a try. Chef Jon Sloan of San Diego's The Crack Shack spices things up by adding four different chilis and a can of crushed tomatoes to create a matzo ball posole rojo. 

Posole has been around since before the Spanish invaded Mexico, and was enjoyed for religious ceremonies and special occasions. While there are three different types of posole, Sloan opts for the rojo, or red version, creating a colorful soup that's full of flavor. 

Recipe: Matzo Ball Posole

There are seven or eight days of the Passover holiday, which means that after the first few nights, you'll have to get creative when it comes to dinner options. This matzo lasagna from Leah Koenig is a great choice.

Not only is it filling, thanks to the fact that the lasagna uses layers of matzo instead of pasta, but the spinach provides a full serving of vegetables and plenty of iron. Since it's just spinach, tomatoes, cheese, and matzo, this dinner will be perfect for the vegetarians in your family. 

Recipe: Spinach-Matzo Lasagna

Kugel is a classic recipe typically made from egg noodles, milk, and cheese that often appears on tables during Jewish holidays. We'd love to include it on our Passover buffet, but those egg noodles mean it's not kosher for the holiday. 

Thankfully, this recipe gives us an alternative. It swaps the noodles for softened matzo before it's topped with an apple, cinnamon, and almond flour streusel to create a sweet version that's perfect for Passover.

Recipe: Apple Matzo Kugel

There are so many courses and dishes served during a Seder that you could end up feeling like a short-order cook by the time it's over. But every dinner deserves a dessert, and after cooking all day, there's nothing better than a simple sweet option that won't take too much time or too many ingredients. 

This cake may only be made with three ingredients, but you'd never know it. The rich chocolate and dulce de leche turn what could be a boring dessert into something decadent and truly special.

Recipe: 3-Ingredient Passover Matzo Cake

This matzo layer cake, adapted from Carine Goren, is a cinch to whip up. What sets it apart from other recipes, though, is the coffee-soaked matzos.

See, while chocolate is just as important in this cake, the addition of coffee turns it into a delicious, tiramisu-like treat that makes you feel like you've stepped into a Jewish-Italian restaurant. Plus, since it can be made the night before, it's one less thing to worry about while creating your Seder menu.

Recipe: Chocolate-Matzo Layer Cake

We love toffee and can't get enough of it, especially when it's covered in dark chocolate. Well, with this recipe, you can have a Passover version that's so good, you'll want to keep munching long after the holiday ends. 

Simply drizzle homemade toffee and melted chocolate over three or four pieces of matzo, and you're done. But if you want to add nuts, sprinkles, or coconut, we won't stop you. That's the great thing about matzo crack: You can make it as simple or as fancy as you want. 

Recipe: Matzo Crack

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