Mandel bread (Mandelbrot) are twice-baked cookies similar to biscotti, and all you need are a few basic ingredients. With their crunchy texture, pure almond flavor, and a hint of cinnamon, they're a delicious food hug from Grandma!
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Why this recipe works
- A simple cookie dough that comes together quickly
- Full of rich almond flavor with a crunchy, crumbly texture
- You can decide how soft you want the mandel bread to be
My husband’s late grandmother, Nana Anne, made the best mandel bread (aka mandelbrot) ever. There, I said it, and I’m not going to argue the point.
Whenever we would visit with her, she would have a fresh batch of these Jewish cookies in a blue tin on the counter to share. Their warm almond flavor and crisp, crumbly texture would have us reaching into that tin over and over, and soon they would be gone. It would be her way of sharing her love with a food hug, something I wholly believe that cookies are.
Luckily, we can recreate that love with her mandel bread recipe that was shared with me by my mother-in-law, and I can share with you!
This mandel bread recipe yields cookies that have a warm buttery almond flavor and a satisfying crunchy, crumbly texture but not tooth-breakingly so. Like biscotti, you can dip them in your coffee, tea, or milk, but they're great on their own.
Every time I bite into these cookies, I think of Nana Anne and the love she poured into making them (just like I remember my grandmother when I bake Pecan Snowballs).
I'm so happy to be able to honor her memory in this delicious way!
Recipe Ingredients
You'll need the following ingredients to make this Mandel Bread recipe:
Ingredient Notes
Almond extract and slivered almonds: I like to use ½ teaspoon of almond extract and dry roasted almonds to give the richest almond flavor. You can dial back the extract and use blanched almonds if you want the flavor to be more subtle.
Canola oil and melted butter: Some mandelbrot recipes call for oil only, but I like how the butter supports the buttery almond flavor. If you prefer to have a dairy-free mandelbrot recipe, just double the canola oil and omit the butter.
Cinnamon: The cinnamon is optional here, but really adds warm notes to support the almond flavor. You can reduce the amount or omit it altogether if you prefer.
Lemon juice: A little bit of lemon juice reacts with the baking powder to help the cookie dough rise, softening the texture of the mandel bread.
Flour: Be sure not to use too much flour as that can make the mandelbrot too crumbly. For best results, use a kitchen scale to weigh your flour.
See the recipe card for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Mandel bread flavor variations
For Chocolate Chip Mandel Bread, omit the cinnamon and fold in 1 cup of mini chocolate chips with the chopped almonds. You can also add ¼ cup of cocoa powder to make double chocolate mandel bread.
Other add-ins or substitutions to try are chopped walnuts or pecans, dried or candied fruits, or a any combination of these. Or, take your mandelbrot to the next level and dip them in tempered chocolate!
How to make mandel bread
Step 1: Make the cookie dough
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder cinnamon (if using), and salt (photo 1). Set aside.
Place the eggs and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl if using a hand mixer). Beat on medium speed until the mixture is a light lemon color, about 5 minutes.
Add in the canola oil, melted butter, lemon juice, and vanilla and almond extracts and beat until blended (photo 2).
With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture and stir until smooth. Stir in the chopped almonds (photo 3).
You can also use a wooden spoon to stir in the flour and almonds by hand (the dough will get very stiff, and you’ll get a good arm workout). Either way, the dough will have a soft clay-like consistency.
Step 2: Shape the dough
With lightly floured hands on a floured surface, divide the dough into 4 portions. Pat each portion into a log about 12-inches long, 2-inches wide, and 1-inch tall (photo 4).
Step 3: Bake the shaped logs
Line two half sheet baking pans each with a Silpat silicone mat or parchment paper. Transfer two logs to each of the prepared baking pans, leaving about 3 inches between them (the logs will spread as they bake).
Bake the dough at 350˚F for 20 to 25 minutes (rotating the pans and switching racks at the halfway point), or until the top is light brown and feels set (photo 5). A cake tester poked into the log will come out clean.
Remove the logs from the pans and cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
Step 4: Slice and bake
Transfer a log to a cutting board, and cut each roll into ½- to 1-inch thick slices using a serrated knife (photo 6). You have the option of cutting the cookies straight across or at a diagonal. Repeat with the remaining logs.
You can decide how soft you want the mandelbrot - the thinner you cut and longer you toast the slices, the crispier they will be.
Place the slices, cut side down, back onto the baking pans. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes, then remove the pans from the oven. Flip the pieces over and return the pans to the oven, rotating them between the upper and lower racks. Bake for another 7 to 10 minutes until toasted (photo 7).
Cool the pieces completely on a wire rack (photo 8), then serve and enjoy!
Storage and make-ahead instructions
Storage instructions: Mandelbrot is best stored in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to a week. You can also freeze the mandel bread dough logs for up to 4 months, each wrapped in plastic wrap and placed in an airtight bag. When you're ready to bake, remove the log(s) from the freezer and thaw the dough until it's soft and pliable before baking.
Baked mandelbrot cookies can be frozen in an air-tight bag for up to 3 months. They can be defrosted on the counter for a few minutes, or eat them chilled from the freezer. They're delicious both ways!
Make-ahead instructions: You can freeze mandelbrot dough logs for up to 4 months, each wrapped in plastic wrap and placed in an airtight bag. When you're ready to bake, remove the log(s) from the freezer and thaw the dough until it's soft and pliable before baking.
Questions asked and answered
Here are some questions you might have...
Mandelbrot is a German or Yiddish word, where mandel means almond and brot means bread. These centuries-old almond-flavored cookies are initially shaped into a log or loaf, baked, then sliced and baked again.
A mandelbrot recipe will have more fat than a biscotti recipe, and the resulting cookie is softer, richer, and not as dry. You might say that mandel bread is the Jewish biscotti!
While there are many Passover-safe mandelbrot recipes out there, this one isn't one of them since it contains all-purpose flour.
Mandel bread comes to us from Central Europe, and was made as far back as the Middle Ages. The name "mandelbrot" comes from German and Yiddish, meaning almond bread (literally mandel = almond and brot = bread). There are many spelling variations on the name (mandelbroit, mandelbrodt, or mandlbroyt), but in America it's known as mandel bread. I use the terms "mandel bread" and "mandelbrot" interchangibly.
Names and spelling aside, mandelbrot cookies are twice-baked almond-flavored cookies, similar to the Italian cookie biscotti, though not as crisp.
I hope you like this recipe! Let me know if you have any questions, and don't forget to leave a comment and rating. Thanks!
Slainté! L’chaim! Cheers!
- Tammy
Recipe
Nana Anne's Mandel Bread (Mandelbrot)
Equipment
- serrated knife
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for board
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional, see Recipe Notes
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup canola oil
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled, see Recipe Notes
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon almond extract, see Recipe Notes
- 1 cup slivered almonds, dry roasted, coarsely chopped, see Recipe Notes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two half sheet baking pans each with a Silpat silicone mat or parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder cinnamon (if using), and salt. Set aside.
- Place the eggs and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl if using a hand mixer). Beat on medium speed until the mixture is a light lemon color, about 5 minutes.
- Add in the canola oil, melted butter, lemon juice, and vanilla and almond extracts and beat until blended.
- With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture and stir until smooth. Stir in the chopped almonds. You can also use a wooden spoon to stir in the flour and almonds by hand (the dough will get very stiff, and you’ll get a good arm workout). Either way, the dough will have a soft clay-like consistency.
- With lightly floured hands on a floured surface, divide the dough into 4 portions. Pat each portion into a log about 12-inches long, 2-inches wide, and 1-inch tall. Transfer two logs to each of the prepared baking pans, leaving about 3 inches between them (the logs will spread as they bake).
- Bake the dough for 20 to 25 minutes (rotating the pans and switching racks at the halfway point), or until the top is light brown and feels set. A cake tester poked into the log will come out clean.
- Remove the logs from the pans and cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
- Transfer a log to a cutting board, and cut each roll into ½- to 1-inch thick slices using a serrated knife. You have the option of cutting the cookies straight across or at a diagonal. Repeat with the remaining logs.
- Place the slices, cut side down, back onto the baking pans. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes, then remove the pans from the oven. Flip the pieces over and return the pans to the oven, rotating them between the upper and lower racks. Bake for another 7 to 10 minutes until toasted.
- Cool the pieces completely on a wire rack, then serve and enjoy!
- Storage instructions: Mandel bread is best stored in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to a week. Baked mandelbrot cookies can be frozen in an air-tight bag for up to 3 months. They can be defrosted on the counter for a few minutes, or eat them chilled from the freezer. They're delicious both ways!
- Make-ahead instructions: You can freeze mandelbrot dough logs for up to 4 months, each wrapped in plastic wrap and placed in an airtight bag. When you're ready to bake, remove the log(s) from the freezer and thaw the dough until it's soft and pliable before baking.
Notes
- For chocolate chip mandel bread, omit the cinnamon and fold in 1 cup of mini chocolate chips with the chopped almonds. You can also add ¼ cup of cocoa powder to make double chocolate mandel bread.
- Other add-ins or substitutions to try are chopped walnuts or pecans, dried or candied fruits, or a any combination of these. Or, take your mandelbrot to the next level and dip them in tempered chocolate!
Janice alvarado says
Love your instructions, will bake today and try some of your other recipes. Thx
Tammy Spencer says
Hi Janice, Thanks for your kind words. Happy baking! 🙂