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Matzo pancakes are beautifully thick and fluffy with a crisp exterior for a delicious Passover breakfast. Similar to other types of soufflé pancakes, here we use egg whites for the perfect light, airy texture.
It’s funny, I only crave Chick-fil-A on Sundays. And if you’re familiar with this popular chicken chain, you know that’s the only day they’re closed, lol! I typically don’t eat ice cream unless it’s the dead of winter (so strange!). And along those lines, I don’t usually think twice about a lovely stack of pancakes unless it’s Passover. So of course, I had to come up with a Passover friendly pancake recipe that actually tastes good – whether it’s Pesach or not!
These pancakes are beautifully thick; light and fluffy inside, and crisp and golden outside. They’re laced with either vanilla bean or cinnamon, and they’re sure to satisfying a pancake craving.
What Are Matzo Pancakes?
Also called matzo latkes, bubaleh (bubbeleh), and chremslach, these are a type of Jewish pancakes. They have a base of matzo meal with egg whites folded in (acting as a mechanical leavening agent) to make them light and fluffy. The end result is similar to other types of soufflé pancakes: thick but not dense with a crisp, golden exterior.
Passover Friendly Pancake Topping Ideas
- Pure maple syrup, honey, cinnamon sugar, or powdered sugar
- Fresh fruit, such as sliced bananas, berries, or peaches
- Stewed fruit or fruit preserves, such as apple or pear (the pancakes here are pictured with my homemade pear preserves, recipe coming soon!)
- Chopped nuts like walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, almonds, or pistachios
- Shredded coconut
- Jams, marmalades, jellies, etc.
- Sour cream + applesauce
Ingredients
Breaking It Down
Ingredients Explained
In this section I explain the ingredients and give substitution ideas where applicable. For the full recipe (including the ingredient amounts), see the recipe card below.
- Matzo meal – Use store-bought matzo meal or grind your own (you’ll need 3 sheets of matzo for this recipe).
- Sugar – Granulated white sugar.
- Salt – To season the pancakes so they’re not bland.
- Vanilla bean powder – Or ground cinnamon.
- Milk – Water will also work here.
- Eggs – The eggs serve double duty in this Passover-friendly recipe, which is not only gluten free, but also free of leaveners. Here the eggs 1) act as a binder, and 2) help create lift for pancakes that are as fluffy as we can get!
- Coconut oil – We pan fry the pancakes in a skillet with a little bit of coconut oil. You can also use vegetable oil if that’s what you have on hand.
To Make Savory Matzo Pancakes
Reduce the sugar to 1 teaspoon, omit the vanilla bean powder (or cinnamon), and instead of coconut oil, use olive oil or duck fat for frying. If you want, you can play around with savory herbs and/or spices. (I’ve tried 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder + 1 teaspoon fresh minced oregano leaves and it had a garlic bread vibe, delicious!)
Instructions
1: Make the Batter
- Add the matzo meal, sugar, salt, and vanilla bean powder or cinnamon to a large bowl, and whisk to combine. Whisk in the milk and egg yolks, and let it sit for 10 minutes so the matzo can rehydrate and absorb some of the liquid.
- After 10 minutes, add the egg whites to a medium bowl and use a handheld electric beater to mix until they form stiff peaks. Gently fold the egg whites into the matzo mixture 1/4 at a time, being careful not to deflate the batter.
2: Cook the Pancakes
- Preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.
- Once it’s hot, add 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil and turn the heat down a bit. Use a 1/4-cup measure to scoop out the batter and drop it into the pan (just like pancakes). Loosely place a piece of aluminum foil over the skillet to help them steam.
- Cook until they’re browned on the first side (about 2 to 4 minutes), then flip and cook until they’re browned on the second side (about 1 to 2 minutes more).
- Transfer the cooked pancakes to a plate. Cook the next batch the same way, continuing until all the batter is cooked, adding 1/2 tablespoon of oil to fry each batch.
3: Enjoy
Serve warm with any toppings you like.
Storage, Freezing, and Reheating
After cooling to room temperature, store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To freeze, layer the cooled pancakes in an airtight container between pieces of parchment paper, and freeze for up to 3 months.
You can reheat these in a covered skillet over medium-low heat on the stovetop, in a 350F oven for 5 to 10 minutes, in a 325F air fryer for about 6 minutes (flipping halfway through), in a toaster, or in the microwave. To reheat matzo pancakes from frozen, I treat them similar to frozen waffles and reheat them in a toaster set to medium-light until warm throughout.
Tips For the Best Fluffy Matzo Pancakes For Passover
- It’s important to let the batter rest for 10 minutes so it can properly thicken before you fold in the whipped egg whites. Even with the 10 minute rest time, this recipe still takes less than 30 minutes to make!
- Wait to whip the egg whites to stiff peaks until the batter is thickened. This helps ensure they don’t deflate while you’re waiting for the batter to thicken.
- Once the batter is made, it waits for no one. To make sure your pancakes are thick and fluffy, immediately preheat your skillet and cook the batter once it’s made.
- Because these pancakes are on the thick side, I like to loosely drape a piece of aluminum foil over the skillet while they cook to steam the inside.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, and it’s easy to do! You’ll need 3 sheets of matzo for this recipe. You can grind it in a food processor, or go old school and put it in a zip-top plastic bag, squeeze out the air, seal it, and have at it with a rolling pin. (TIP: To help you know what the right texture is, matzo meal is more finely ground than matzo farfel, but not as finely ground as matzo cake meal.)
A few people have asked me this question, and while I’m not an expert on the topic, I will share my understanding of it. (If you’re curious, I definitely encourage you to reach out to a rabbi for a more in-depth answer!)
During Passover it’s forbidden to eat chametz, which brings up the question what is chametz? Chabad explains it well: “Chametz (also spelled “hametz” or “chometz”) is any food product made from wheat, barley, rye, oats or spelt that has come into contact with water and been allowed to ferment and “rise”.”
Baking powder and baking soda are not considered chametz, and you can find both of these products that are certified kosher-for-Passover. (Note that we don’t use chemical leavening agents in this recipe because using this method the pancakes are thick and fluffy without them!)
More Passover-Friendly Breakfast Recipes
- Matzo brei – This is my favorite way to make matzo brei! It tastes like a cinnamon apple cheese Danish.
- Charoset – Sweetened with apricot preserves, spiced with cinnamon, and aromatic with nutty pecans, this apple chutney-like recipe is perfect on top of yogurt.
- Eggs – Make them scrambled, fried, poached, or into a veggie and cheese omelet.
- Turkish eggs – The garlicky yogurt on the bottom and spiced butter sauce on top takes eggs to a whole new level.
- Baked eggs with mushrooms and cheese – Rich, creamy, savory perfection, this is one of my favorite ways to make eggs year-round.
- Egg skillet – This low carb feast features fried eggs with avocado, fresh salsa, cheese, and herbs.
- Matzo “toast” – Go savory with cream cheese, lox, red onion, and dill. Or make sweet matzo “toast” with nut butter and jam.
- Sweet potato breakfast bowl – With homemade chicken breakfast sausage, soft-boiled egg, and avocado for healthy fats, this meal is satisfying enough for dinner.
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Matzo Pancakes Recipe
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Ingredients
- 3/4 cup matzo meal see Notes if you're grinding your own
- 2 tablespoons granulated white sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla bean powder or ground cinnamon (optional)
- 2/3 cup milk or water (at room temperature)
- 3 large eggs separated (at room temperature)
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil or any kind of oil you like
Instructions
- Make the batter. Add the matzo meal, sugar, salt, and vanilla bean powder or cinnamon to a large bowl, and whisk to combine. Whisk in the milk and egg yolks, and let it sit for 10 minutes so the matzo can rehydrate and absorb some of the liquid.After 10 minutes, add the egg whites to a medium bowl and use a handheld electric beater to mix until they form stiff peaks. Gently fold the egg whites into the matzo mixture 1/4 at a time, being careful not to deflate the batter.
- Cook. Preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Once it’s hot, add 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil and turn the heat down a bit. Use a 1/4-cup measure to scoop out the batter and drop it into the pan (just like pancakes). Loosely place a piece of aluminum foil over the skillet to help them steam. Cook until they’re browned on the first side (about 2 to 4 minutes), then flip and cook until they’re browned on the second side (about 1 to 2 minutes more). Transfer the cooked pancakes to a plate. Cook the next batch the same way, continuing until all the batter is cooked, adding 1/2 tablespoon of oil to fry each batch.
- Enjoy. Serve warm with any toppings you like.
Notes
- If You’re Grinding Your Own Matzo Meal: Matzo meal is more finely ground than matzo farfel, but not as finely ground as matzo cake meal. If you’re grinding matzo, you’ll need 3 sheets. You can grind it in a food processor, or put it in a plastic bag and use a rolling pin.
- Recipe Yield and Serving Size: This recipe makes about 12 small pancakes, for 3 servings. Each serving is 4 pancakes.
- Storage and Freezing: After cooling to room temperature, store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To freeze, layer the cooled pancakes in an airtight container between pieces of parchment paper, and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Reheating: You can reheat these in a covered skillet over medium-low heat on the stovetop, in a 350F oven for 5 to 10 minutes, in a 325F air fryer for about 6 minutes (flipping halfway through), in a toaster, or in the microwave. To reheat matzo pancakes from frozen, I treat them similar to frozen waffles and reheat them in a toaster set to medium-light until warm throughout.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximate.
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I’m the writer, recipe developer, photographer, and food stylist behind this blog. I love finding the human connection through something we all do every day: eat! Food is a common ground that we can all relate to, and our tables tell a story. It’s my goal to inspire you to get in the kitchen, try something new, and find a favorite you didn’t know you had.
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