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While I’m not Jewish, Passover is one of my favorite times of the year because of all the wonderful food and gatherings with friends. The most iconic menu item is of course matzo, so I turned my viral Holiday Crack (aka”Christmas Crack”) recipe, which uses saltines, into a delicious sweet snack to bring to seder. You’ve probably even had a version of this “crack” before–it’s one of those treats that grandmas always have on hand! It’s super easy and super sharable.
For another Passover-inspired recipe, try my Matzo Crostini! For additional spring-y ideas, try my Burrata & Citrus Salad, Roasted Grape Crostini, Crudite Platter, Veggie & Goat Cheese Board, and Bridgerton Board.
How to Make Matzo Crack
Ingredients
• 2¾ Matzo squares
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
• Sea salt, to taste
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a rimmed, 10×15-inch baking sheet (the middle size in this set) with parchment paper. Place the matzoh on the sheet in a single layer.
2. In a medium saucepan over medium-high, melt butter and brown sugar together and bring to a boil. Stir occasionally until combined and sugar is melted. Continue boiling, undisturbed for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and pour caramel mixture over the cracker layer. Spread out with a spatula to the matzoh cover them evenly.
3. Transfer the sheet to the oven and bake for 5-6 minutes, or until just bubbly.
4. Remove the sheet from oven and sprinkle immediately with chocolate chips. Return to the oven for 2 minutes until the chocolate begins to melt and becomes shiny. Remove from oven and spread the chocolate out over toffee with an icing spatula. Sprinkle with salt before the chocolate sets.
5. Transfer the sheet to the freezer until the chocolate is firm, about 30 minutes. Break into pieces and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 months (see more below!).
What is Matzo
For those who are new to the observance, here’s a very quick primer: Passover is centered around the Biblical story of Moses liberating the Jewish people from slavery (aka Exodus). A key element of the holiday is the seder, which is traditionally a very structured religious service held after sundown on the night before the first official day of Passover. All the stories read from the Haggadah (the Passover story book) and holiday songs are followed by a festive Seder meal, which is where the Matzah (spelled Matzo when used in a culinary context) comes in.
One of the rules of Passover is that you can’t eat any leavened bread (aka risen), which symbolizes The Israelites’ hasty flight from Egypt. The story goes that they left so quickly that the bread they were supposed to bring on their journey did not have time to rise, so they had to bring unleavened bread–hence the cracker-like matzo. Around this time of year, almost every grocery store sells matzo, but you can also try making your own!
Are Nuts Passover Friendly?
Feel free to add chopped pecans, pistachios, or really any of your favorite nuts! It adds a lovely additional crunch and nutty flavor, especially if you toast them first.
If you’re keeping kosher, just be sure to look at the labels! According to the OU Koser Website, raw nuts in their shell don’t require Passover certification. In those cases, they will bear an OU symbol. Other nuts with additives, like BHA and BHT, typically require special certifications.
Make it Vegan Matzo Crack!
If you’re kosher and need to avoid dairy for dessert, you can make this recipe with margarine instead! The best way to do it is to find stick margarine and substitute it for the butter one-to-one. It may not be exactly the same as the butter version, but it’ll still be totally delicious (and addictive!)
You can learn more about using margarine in baking here!
Matzo Crack Video How-To
Here is the Saltine version I made for the holidays with added pecans. Same steps for this recipe, but switched in the Matzo for the Saltines.
Can you Freeze Matzo Crack?
The answer is a resounding, “Yes!” Make the Matzo Crack in advance of the holiday and store it in an airtight container in the freezer for 3 months, so it’s ready to go for Passover without any fuss day-of. Just bring it to room temperature for a few hours before serving.
Show Me Your Matzo
I hope this post inspires you to make this recipe. Nothing makes me happier than seeing the beautiful recipes and spreads you create from my tips. If you make something inspired by this post, please tag me at @ainttooproudtomeg so I can see and share!
And, If you liked this recipe, please rate and review.
Matzo Crack Recipe
Description
Ingredients
- 2 3/4 Matzo squares
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 12 oz semisweet chocolate chips
- Sea salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a rimmed, 10×15-inch baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the matzoh on the sheet in a single layer.
- In a medium saucepan over medium-high, melt butter and brown sugar together and bring to a boil. Stir occasionally until combined and sugar is melted. Continue boiling, undisturbed for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and pour caramel mixture over the cracker layer. Spread out with a spatula to the matzoh cover them evenly.
- Transfer the sheet to the oven and bake for 5-6 minutes, or until just bubbly.
- Remove the sheet from oven and sprinkle immediately with chocolate chips. Return to the oven for 2 minutes until the chocolate begins to melt and becomes shiny. Remove from oven and spread the chocolate out over toffee with an icing spatula. Sprinkle with salt before the chocolate sets.
- Transfer the sheet to the freezer until the chocolate is firm, about 30 minutes. Break into pieces and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 months (see more below!).
