RecipeApple-Cinnamon Matzah Brei Muffins

Nutrition Facts
Amount per Serving
  • Calories: 130
  • Protein: 5 g
  • Total Fat: 3.5 g
    • Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
    • Saturated Fat: 1.5 g
  • Cholesterol: 95 mg
  • Total Carbohydrate: 21 g
  • Dietary Fiber: 1 g
  • Total Sugar: 9 g
    • Natural Sugar: 4 g
    • Added Sugar: 5 g
  • Sodium: 90 mg

My mom is world-famous—okay, maybe “Schloss-famous” (that’s my maiden name)—for two festive Passover dishes: Her matzah balls and her matzah brei. Matzah brei, which translates to “fried matzah,” is a yummy mix of egg-soaked matzah, which is cooked in a skillet like a pancake. It’s a standard breakfast or brunch dish served during the eight-days-long bread-free holiday.

My mom has whipped up a dozen or so creative variations in her days—depending on her eager audience, she might put a savory spin on it with salt, pepper and herbs, or it could be a sweet twist with cinnamon and honey, and sometimes she even adds chocolate chips (my sister, Debra’s fave). I know I have big shoes to fill in the matzah brei department, but I put my own lightened-up stamp on the classic. This particular version features a mouthwatering mix of ingredients that transform typically bland, dry matzah into a super moist, subtly sweet bite that’s sure to satisfy. It tastes like a delicious mix of an apple-cinnamon muffin and French toast. They’re so incredibly moist and flavorful, I’m telling you! And if you can find whole wheat matzah, that’s a big bonus because it delivers extra fiber and minerals (if you can’t, no worries).

I mention a few serving suggestions at the bottom, for example, a drizzle of maple syrup or melty peanut butter, or a spread of fruity jam. But really, they’re scrumptious as is, without having to add anything extra. These have become my go-to breakfast during Passover week, two muffins with a cup of coffee (always coffee, lol). Hope you love them as much as I do.

  • Prep time
  • Total Time
This recipe makes 12 muffins
Ingredients:
  • • 5 whole wheat matzah sheets (broken up into very small pieces)
  • • 6 whole eggs, lightly beaten
  • • 3 tablespoon butter, melted*
  • • 3 small to medium apples finely chopped, skin-on (~4 cups)
  • • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • • 1 teaspoon cinnamon (or apple pie spice)
  • • 1/3 cup maple syrup
  • • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • • Optional chopped walnuts or pecans

*You can swap butter with a neutral oil like avocado, grapeseed or canola oil.

Preparation:

Heat oven to 350°. Add liners to a muffin pan and lightly mist the insides to prevent muffins from sticking when they’re done. (You can pour batter directly into a muffin pan that’s been liberally misted with oil spray, but it can be a bit fussy to remove them straight from the tin while keeping them intact. For that reason, I prefer using liners for this recipe.) Set aside.

Place matzah pieces into a bowl, add about 2 cups hot water (enough to cover the top pieces) and soak for just 2 minutes. Drain well and set aside. *Do not let matzah sit in the water for longer than 2 minutes or it will become too mushy.

Add the remaining ingredients to the mixing bowl with drained matzah pieces and stir to combine. Spoon batter evenly among the 12 muffin tin compartments; you’ll have a hearty amount in each (about ½ cup’s worth of batter). Cook about 30 to 35 minutes.

Let cool for a few minutes and enjoy! You can serve an optional drizzle of maple syrup, melty nut butter, or jam.

You can stash leftovers in the fridge for 2 to 3 days and simply warm in the microwave. Or you can wrap them individually and freeze them for up to a few months.

Try these Cinnamon Sweet Potato Quinoa Pancakes!