Grandma Annie’s Chocolate Chip Mandel Bread
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With a hint of almond, chocolate chips, and a satisfying crunch, my Grandma Annie’s mandel bread is pure comfort and tradition in every bite!
My Grandma Annie made the world’s best mandel bread—a twice-baked, crunchy Jewish cookie similar to biscotti. Whenever she visited, she’d step off the plane with a big smile and a cookie tin in hand, and we knew dessert was here, too! Mandel bread translates to “almond bread” in English, from the Yiddish word mandel (almond) and the German brot (bread). Despite the name, it’s more like a cookie than bread, traditionally made with almonds but sometimes with other nuts or chocolate.
Like biscotti, mandel bread is satisfyingly crunchy, but thanks to a bit more fat, it’s richer and less dry—no need to dip it in coffee, tea, or hot chocolate to enjoy it (though you can, if you like!). Most mandel bread recipes, including my grandma’s, are non-dairy and made with oil, but I use butter for a little extra flavor.
Table of Contents
“They are phenomenal! I’ve made mandel bread forever (40+ years) and this is the best recipe!”
What You’ll Need To Make Mandel Bread
- All-Purpose Flour: Provides structure to the cookies. Measure it by spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling it off to ensure accuracy. Because this mandel bread recipe contains flour, it isn’t suitable for Passover (as flour is avoided during the holiday). A Passover-friendly version would typically swap flour for a kosher-for-Passover alternative, like matzo cake meal.
- Baking Powder: Helps the mandel bread rise.
- Cinnamon: Adds warmth and spice to the dough and the topping.
- Nutmeg: Contributes a subtle, aromatic spice to the flavor of the dough.
- Butter or Vegetable Oil: Adds moisture and richness to the dough. I prefer the flavor of butter, but if you opt for the oil for a non-dairy option, the mandel bread will still be delicious with it.
- Sugar: Sweetens the mandel bread and adds a crunchy topping.
- Vanilla Extract: Enhances the flavor of the dough with its aromatic richness.
- Almond Extract: Adds a hint of almond flavor for extra depth.
- Large Eggs: Bind the ingredients together and provide structure.
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips: Add sweet pockets of chocolate throughout the mandel bread.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
Whisk to combine.
In the bowl of an electric mixer (either a stand mixer or hand mixer will work) combine the melted butter, sugar, vanilla extract, and almond extract.
Beat on medium speed until combined.
Add the eggs.
Add the eggs and continue beating on medium speed until thickened and pale yellow, 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the dry ingredients.
Mix on low speed until just incorporated.
Mix in the chocolate chips and nuts (if using).
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill until firm, 1 to 2 hours. Lightly dust a clean work surface with flour and shape the dough into 2 logs about 2 inches wide, 13 inches long, and 1 inch tall.
Place the logs on two parchment-lined baking sheets.
Bake for about 25 minutes, or until lightly golden, rotating the pans from top to bottom and front to back midway through. Remove the pans from the oven and place on cooling racks. Let the baked logs cool for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, reduce the oven temperature to 250°F. In a small bowl, mix together the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon.
Once the logs have cooled, cut them diagonally into 3/4-inch-thick slices (I do this directly on the baking sheets, but you can transfer the logs to a cutting board, if you’d like). A serrated knife works well for this.
Flip the cookies on their sides and sprinkle half of the cinnamon-sugar over top. Flip the cookies over and repeat with the remaining cinnamon-sugar.
Place the pan back in the oven (be sure the temperature has reached 250°F!) and bake until golden and crisp, 40 to 45 minutes.
Make-Ahead, Freezing & Storage Instructions
After the mandel bread has cooled completely, it can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks. The dough can be frozen for up to 3 months: Shape the dough into logs, wrap each securely in plastic wrap, and place them in a sealable bag. When ready to bake, remove the logs from the freezer, thaw the dough until pliable, and then proceed with recipe. To freeze after baking: After the cookies are completely cooled, double-wrap them securely with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap. Thaw overnight on the countertop before serving.
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Grandma Annie's Chocolate Chip Mandel Bread
With a hint of almond, chocolate chips, and a satisfying crunch, my Grandma Annie’s mandel bread is pure comfort and tradition in every bite!
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off with back edge of knife
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1¼ teaspoons cinnamon, divided
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled (or 1 cup vegetable oil)
- 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, divided
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ¾ cup coarsely chopped pecans, walnuts or slivered almonds (optional)
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon and the nutmeg.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the melted butter, 1 cup of the sugar, the vanilla extract and almond extract. Beat on medium speed until combined. Add the eggs and continue beating on medium speed until thickened and pale yellow, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just incorporated, then mix in the chocolate chips and nuts (if using). Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill until firm, 1 to 2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and set two oven racks in the centermost positions. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Lightly dust a clean work surface with flour and shape the dough into 2 logs about 2 inches wide, 13 inches long, and 1 inch tall. Place the logs on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until lightly golden, rotating the pans from top to bottom and front to back midway through. Remove the pans from the oven and place on cooling racks. Let the baked logs cool for 15 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 250°F.
- In a small bowl, mix together the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar and ¼ teaspoon cinnamon.
- Once the logs have cooled, cut them diagonally into ¾-inch-thick slices (I do this directly on the baking sheets, but you can transfer the logs to a cutting board, if you'd like). Flip the cookies onto their sides, and then sprinkle half of the cinnamon-sugar over top. Flip the cookies over and repeat with the remaining cinnamon-sugar. Place the pan back in the oven (be sure the temperature has reached 250°F) and bake until golden and crisp, 40 to 45 minutes. Let the mandel bread cool on the baking sheets on the cooling racks, then store in airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks. (Note: the cookies will get crunchier as they cool.)
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The dough can be frozen for up to 3 months: Shape the dough into logs, wrap each securely in plastic wrap, and place them in a sealable bag. When ready to bake, remove the logs from the freezer, thaw the dough until pliable, and then proceed with recipe. To freeze after baking: After the cookies are completely cooled, double-wrap them securely with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap. Thaw overnight on the countertop before serving.
Nutrition Information
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- Serving size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 169
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated fat: 5 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Sugar: 10 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Sodium: 90 mg
- Cholesterol: 33 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Jenn, It’s Patriciann again … now that I cut the Mandel Bread in 3/4 in slices, they look AWESOME!! I knew u wouldn’t let me down. Thank u so much for a Great recipe.. My Dr. will love them.. I used chocolate chips n walnuts, n as u suggest all butter in the mix.
So glad they turned out nicely — hope your doctor enjoys them! 🙂
I’m making them now and I’m confused about the sugar. It says 1 cup plus 1tablespoon divided. At the end it’s 1 tablespoon of both cinnamon and sugar. Please help.
Hi Shoshana, I’m probably weighing in too late to help but if you look at the fourth paragraph in the recipe instructions, you’ll see that you combine that 1 tablespoon of sugar with 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon and that’s what gets sprinkled on to the mandel bread. Hope that clarifies!
Hi Jenn! I have never made Mandel bread before and it’s a little hard to tell from the photo. Approximately how tall and/or how long should the log be?
Thanks!
Noreen
Hi Noreen, The logs should be about 2 inches wide and 1 inch high. Hope you enjoy!
I just finished making the Mandel Bread. I don’t know what I did wrong. I am so meticulous with my measurements as well as my ingredients. For some reason, they really spread a lot. I did the 2-inch as u said to do. They didn’t rise a lot at all; they’re almost look flat.. I’m ready to cut then. I planned to give them to my Pulmonary Dr who is Jewish n loves Mandel Bread but I don’t know if I should??? I don’t know what to do. I am ready to cut them now n see how they look. I love ur recipes n ur site. Won’t keep me from trying again!
Hi Patriciann, Sorry to hear you struggled with this! How did it come out?
My family enjoys this recipe but can you add the metric measurements to the print copy? It is not there.
Hi Irene, I just added metric measurements (and so glad you like them)! 🙂
Hi Jenn,
I only have whole wheat pastry flour and spelt flour available right now. Do you think either would work for this recipe? Thanks for so many delicious recipes!
Hi Shelah, Glad you like the recipes! I wouldn’t recommend spelt flour and while whole wheat pastry flour may work here, it’s really hard to say without trying it myself. For the most predictable results, I’d stick with the all-purpose flour. Sorry!
I have made this recipe several times. I weigh all ingredients for consistency. My family loves the flavor and texture. Today, on the second bake I actually used the lower baking temperature and 1 hour toasting time, turning the pan every 15 min and flipping the slices for the last 30 min. Much better. Usually toast each side for 7 to 8 min at 350°. I keep cinnamon sugar in a shaker bottle (my proportions) and sprinkle the loaves lightly before baking and the cut slices lightly each side. Sprinkle second side when you flip for last 30 min. They are great with no sprinkling of cinnamon. Remember bakers, you can adjust the spices to your taste! Leave out flavors you do not alike. Use ones you do like. Change up the mix-ins to add up to 1 cup or 1 1/4 cup. I prefer using just 3/4 cup of oil and 1 slight cup of sugar. Also refrigerate my dough on a 1/4 sheet pan lined with plastic wrap. Use the plastic wrap or food grade gloves to pat the dough into a flat loaf as long as pan and half as wide. The wrapped dough can be refrigerated for as long as you like. When ready to bake split dough down the middle length wise and roll on to larger baking sheet lined with Slipat or parchment. Using your gloved hands or plastic wrap pat into the suggested size. Perfect cookies every time. Remember there are different cinnamons out there. Choose a mild flavored one or combine a few cinnamons to find one you like. Lowering the oil or butter will give you biscotti! Also good!
Hi Jen
I have a sugar question for the mandel bread recipe:
Is the 2 Tablespoons of sugar in the recipe for your mandel bread just for the topping? Or do you literally add 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons to the mixture plus another 2 tablespoons for the topping?
Thanks
Debbie
Hi Debbie, The dough gets the full 1 cup + 2 Tbsp. of sugar and the topping gets 2 Tbsp. of sugar and 3/4 tsp. of cinnamon. Hope that clarifies and that you enjoy!
I’m baking these cookies right now so it’s too late to change anything, but what you’re saying here is different than how the above recipe is written. Did you change it?
Yes, so sorry for the confusion, Michelle! I recently tweaked the recipe.
Have made these several times and love them–delicious–however my question is why do you think the last couple of times I made them I did not get that many cookies out of the batter — maybe about 20. thanks for your answer
That’s really strange, Shirley! You’ve made and have gotten the full yield of 35 to 40 pieces before? Any chance you’re cutting them thicker now? Have you made any adjustments to the recipe?
What is the best way to fill mandel bread with jam? Do you make a trough down the center then pinch the dough together or do you spread the dough out, add the jam, and roll the sides over the jam and pinch the side and ends together?
Hi Jodi, I’ve never filled mandel bread with jam, but based on your description, I think the first of the two alternatives would probably be easier. Please let me know how it turns out if you try it!
Hi Jenn: I made these Mandel bread last night, and they turned out excellent!!! I tried them with my morning coffee this morning and they were delicious, tender but not falling apart after dipped in the coffee . I did not have almond extract, so I used pure orange extract instead and added some orange zest which I had on hand, I also used butter, one cup of cane sugar and left the chocolate chips out. They turned out excellent!!! I tried your double chocolate biscotti and the Walnut & cinnamon biscotti, both turned out amazing!!! Thank you so much for all your wonderful recipes.
Sandy
Vancouver BC
I’ve loved all of Jenn’s recipes and I’ve made many through the years; sadly, this one didn’t work for me (this is such a personal thing – this recipe might be perfect for someone who grew up eating mandel bread similar to this!). I hesitated when the recipe called for cinnamon as I don’t remember there being cinnamon in the mandel bread I ate as a child. But I added it and was sorry I did; I also added chocolate chips and walnuts but could only taste the cinnamon. I love cinnamon, just not in mandel bread. I didn’t care for the texture either; not crisp, not soft, more like a cookie in biscotti form. Brought them to a weekend get together and none of us cared for them. I managed to eat a few dunked in my morning coffee but tossed the rest. I might tweak this recipe but I’ll keep searching for a mandel bread recipe that’s more similar to what I remember eating as a child.
Do try Jenn’s Strawberry Cake and French Apple Cake – both are fantastic!