This year I added a little extra flavor power to classic chocolate caramel matzo. I made a triple batch to make sure I could send gift bags home after the seder. All the toppings were a hit, but the toasted sesame seeds with the milk or dark chocolate is my new favorite.
Every Passover I make this chocolate caramel matzo recipe from Marcy Goldman’s classic book A Treasury of Jewish Holiday Baking
I’ve used milk chocolate and bittersweet chocolate chips from Guittard in the recipe because they are kosher and I had them on hand. If you want to doll them up, even more, you can use a really high quality bittersweet or even white chocolate, some are not kosher. I prefer to use extra bittersweet because it is a nice balance to the caramel baked matzo, but my 6 11-year-old (He’s now 21) son insisted I sprinkle some milk chocolate on top! You decide which way to go.
How to Make Chocolate Caramel Matzo
Find the full recipe below.
Line a baking sheet with foil. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a sauce pot cook the butter and sugar over medium high heat for about 3 to 5 minutes, whisking constantly. The caramel may melt and be transparent or it may look more crystallized looking as in this batch. It doesn’t seem to matter once you bake it.
Spread it evenly over the matzohs.
Bake for about 15 minutes. Check half way through to make sure it is not browning too quickly. Rotate pan.
Remove from oven
and add the chocolate.
Let the chocolate sit for 5 minutes and then spread evenly over the matzos.
If you want to jazz up your caramel covered matzo, add toasted nuts or sesame seeds or coconut flakes to the melted chocolate. If the chocolate is not setting up at room temperature, place the matzo in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes.
Break into strips or bite-sized pieces.
Ingredients
- 4-6 unsalted matzos Homemade Matzos (Matzoh, Matzah)
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter or Passover margarine
- 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips bittersweet, semisweet, milk and/or white
Optional Toppings
- toasted pecans, walnuts or almonds
- sweetened coconut flakes
- toasted sesame seeds see note
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with foil.
- In a sauce pot cook the butter and sugar over medium high heat for about 3 to 5 minutes, whisking constantly. The caramel may melt and be transparent or it may look more crystallized looking as in this batch. It doesn't seem to matter once you bake it. Spread it evenly over the matzohs.
- Bake for about 15 minutes. Check half way through to make sure it is not browning too quickly. Rotate pan.
- Remove from oven and add the chocolate. Let the chocolate sit for 5 minutes and then spread evenly over the matzos.
- If you want to jazz up your caramel covered matzo, add toasted nuts or sesame seeds or coconut flakes to the melted chocolate. If the chocolate is not setting up at room temperature, place the matzo in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes.
- Break into strips or bite-sized pieces.
Just FYI, Sesame seeds are not Kosher for Passover. Well, they are for Sephardic Jews. Sesame is considered Kitniyot, a category of beans and legumes that Ashkenazi Jews refrain from eating on Passover.
Can’t wait to make this for Passover this year! Can I make it a few days ahead and freeze it or is it best to be eaten day of?
Hi Carly! You can make it a few days ahead and just store in a cool, dry place. Enjoy!
This was such a hit! It’s been requested time and time again. So easy to make too!
This Zoe recipe is WONDERFUL. I originally got the recipe in a magazine, and decided to make it before I even knew who Zoe Francoise was (I do know her name now and love her recipes!). Friends and family can’t stop eating this chocolate caramel matzo. I’ll be making it again in a couple of days. Happy Passover!!
My husband actively dislikes caramel! And I love it. These will have to be mine, I guess. Just what I need hanging around the kitchen at Passover, or anytime actually! Thank you, I guess. Lol!
zoe, i had time today to make your matzoh. life-changing is the only thing i have to say. LIFE-CHANGING! i kind of want to scream to everyone i pass on the street about it, but being marked a maniac is not exactly on my list of 2do… yet 🙂 i have been nibbling on the matzoh all day, so much so that my keyboard has had to be vacuumed up twice since sitting down to punch keys this evening. i will be making another couple of batches tomorrow to take care of my sardine needs. ohhhhh zoe, zoe, zoe!!!! love love love!!!! upon seeing this post in my reader just now, i am thinking my past matzoh chocolate bark experiences are going to be moments to forget. toasted sesame = wow = curiosity on overdrive. matzoh from a box is my past and zoe/goldman’s matzoh bark is my future. i am so thankful, zoe ♥
I am so thrilled you tried it. I can’t believe I haven’t been making my own forever.
Cheers, Zoë
Thanks for your reply. Yes the margarine and brown sugar came to a boil for over a minute and started to smoke so I removed it from the heat and then tried again over the heat. Do you mean that at this point when it cools down a bit I can put it in my Vitamix to emulsify and then place back on the heat for a few more minutes?
Hi Halle,
You want to whisk or get it into the vitamix when it is still hot enough to be liquid. I would take it off the heat and whisk vigorously in the pan. It can take a minute or two of whisking to get them emulsified, but typically it will come together. If that doesn’t work, then the vitamix will do the trick.
Hope that helps.
Thanks, Zoë
After I emulsify the mixture in the Vitamix, do I cook it again, or just spread it on the matzoh, and then place in the oven? Sorry, I don’t understand. Thanks.
Hi Halle,
You can just spread it over the matzoh, it will cook more in the oven. You are only cooking it on the stove to make it spreadable.
Zoë
Last question, I promise. Can I just mix margarine and brown sugar in my Vitamix, spread this on matzoh, then bake in the oven, and not cooking mixture on the stovetop? And if I can do this, should I just mix it until it comes together, or should I let it heat up in the Vitamix the way I would when making soup? Thanks again.
Hi Halle,
You read my mind, but I wanted to try it before making the suggestion to you. You can try creaming the butter and sugar together first and then cooking it. OR, and this is radical, you may even be able to spread it on the matzoh without cooking it first and just let the process happen in the oven. My only fear with that is it may separate in the oven.
If you try it first, let me know how it goes.
Thanks, Zoë
last year I stole your idea for matzoh crack s’mores with homemade marshmallows, torched, and it was one of the BEST things I’ve ever eaten.
Question: How can I get the matzoh crack cut into neat squares? THANKS!
Hi Sally,
I used a very sharp knife, but still had them break into strange shapes. One thing you can try doing is making the cuts right when the matzoh comes out of the oven, so it is still slightly soft. Once it sets up, it is hard and brittle, which makes it harder to cut. If they cool off before you get the chocolate on, just pop them back in the oven for a few minutes.
I hope this works for you, Zoë
I tried to make this with Mother’s unsalted parve kosher for Passover margarine and the margarine stayed in liquid form and wouldn’t mix or adhere to the brown sugar. I had to throw out the entire mess. An expensive lesson. What did I do wrong. I used a non stick pot.
Hi Halle,
Did it come to a boil? If the sugar gets hot, it will melt slightly and be easier to whisk together. You can also throw it into a food processor to emulsify it. Unless it burns, there is almost always a fix.
Thanks, Zoë
Hi Zoe: Just moved to a ‘senior place’.and once a month I have to bring a treat-!! This would be great as I’m sure many of them never had Matzo-!! I know they will love it as I do-!!!
Hi Mickie,
They sure will! 🙂
Cheers, Zoë
OMG, I just made this and probably ate about 1 matzoh worth! It is sooo good. I made it for my hubby’s boss but I’m thinking I will have to make more tomorrow!
Can this be shipped? If so, do I have to use cold packs or will the chocolate stay solid during its travels? Thanks.
I just come across your web site. I love it. Do you have recipes for a yellow cake and a white cake? Thank you
I’ve made this recipe for years and brought it to my sister-in-law’s seder.The rule is, I don’t get in the door without it.
Hi Harriet,
Me too! I wouldn’t dream of showing up without it! 😉
Cheers, Zoë
Hi Zoe – I’ve been making chocolate covered matzah for years, but this year I want to try making it with dairy-free butter, so it’s a parve dish. I saw that you listed Passover margarine on your ingredient list – have you ever made it with that, or do you always use butter? I get nervous using margarine for baking, since sometimes it doesn’t melt nicely! Thanks for your help!
Hi Jen,
I always use butter when I can. I have used butter substitutes when baking for vegan friends and for passover, I’ve had good luck with earth balance and other butter substitutes. I think it will do just fine in this recipe. Maybe try a small batch to make sure you like the results.
Thanks, Zoë
Thanks for the great recipe. My coworkers love these! http://bakingfortheoffice.com/2013/03/26/baking-for-passover-chocolate-caramel-matzo/
Hi Zoe, I made the chocolate caramel matzah according to the recipe that was published with the Ina Garten article. Not being an experienced baker, I had no idea how hard it would be to handle the caramel. The recipe said to pour it over the matzah and that is when the mess began. It went everywhere and was hard to control. I now see that your website said “spread it”, which makes more sense. Because of the splattering, it dripped onto the bottom of the oven and caused terrible smoking. But the results were still delicious and left me craving more! So yesterday I made a simplified version that was just as good. Our guests loved it. I spread a thick layer of butter on the matzahs, put a thick layer of brown sugar on top of that and baked it until bubbly. Then I added the chocolate and went from there. The results were still very yummy.
Hi Beth,
Thank you so much for trying the recipe. I am glad it was tasty, albeit a challenge. The magazine had limited space for directions, so I am happy you found my website to see more details. Let me know if you have any questions!
Cheers, Zoë
These are amazing- thank you! Quick question- 2 of my kids only like white chocolate. I couldn’t get it to melt or spread. I just stuck it back in the oven on warm, hopefully that will help. Did I do something wrong? The milk chocolate was perfect (too perfect!)…they might not make it to seder tonight.
Hi Sandi,
If it was white “coating” chocolate, it doesn’t have a very low melting point, which means it won’t melt just from the heat of the baked matzo. You may have to melt it over a double boiler, then spread it over the matzo.
Thanks, Zoë
I burnt it in the oven :(. Thankfully I don’t need it until tomorrow night’s Seder. I realized after that I needed my chocolate machine. I should have known better. Thanks! Happy Passover!
Hi Zoe – I just had two pieces of this that my friend made. She used actual caramel (I couldn’t figure out your recipe that said caramel but there was no caramel in the ingredients!). I guess the butter and the sugar are the caramel! She sprinkled salt (I think Kosher salt or sea salt in the top.
I am not Jewish – and this reminded me of a butter nut crunch bar that I used to eat when I was a kid.
Such a great recipe!!
Linda
Hi Linda,
Yes, the combination of butter and sugar makes the caramel. So glad you enjoyed it!
Cheers, Zoë