Soft Passover Popovers Recipe (or Muffins)
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Passover Popovers are moist with a soft crumb. This bread for Passover will delight anyone at your table.
There’s no need for a special popover pan. Make matzo meal muffins. They make the perfect Passover Pastry too.
Why You’ll Love these Popovers for Passover
Only 6 ingredients. You are going to love this easy recipe that only uses 5 ingredients and water.
Quick and easy to make. Add Matzah to boiling liquid, add the eggs, and bake. You don’t have to worry about confusing steps or strange ingredients.
No fancy equipment. This is a flexible recipe that can be used to make popovers or muffins. I’m including a video showing you how they can be made into muffins without any changes to the recipe.
Kosher. Popovers and muffins made with Matzah are Kosher making them perfect for Seder dinners.
What Are Passover Popovers?
Passover dietary rules restrict the use of grains that can ferment and become leavened. These grains are wheat, barley, spelt, oats, and rye.
Passover bread is made of matzo cake meal, which is an unleavened bread eaten by Jews during the holiday of Passover (Pesach) in commemoration of their Exodus from Egypt.
Passover Popover recipes can be savory like this recipe or sweet and eaten with any meal or as a snack.
Items used to make Easy Passover Popovers
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- As you can see I’ve made them with a popover pan and a muffin pan which most kitchens are equipped with.
- Saucepan.
- Wooden spoon or spatula.
This was a very simple recipe to make, but unquestionably unlike any bread recipe that I’ve ever made. This recipe’s title stated that they were popovers, but the instructions have you fill muffin tins. Therefore, I used both pans. They both came out beautifully, so use what you have available to you.
Ingredients for your Passover Popovers Recipe
Canola oil – Canola is a Kosher option. You can use another neutral flavored oil such as vegetable oil.
Matzo meal – You can find Matzo meal in the Passover or Kosher section of your grocery store or order some from Amazon.
Eggs – Using fresh grade A large eggs creates structure and stability within the batter. They’re such a key ingredient when making popovers, use the freshest you can find. Eggs are the leavening agent in this recipe (what makes them rise). The liquids (water) create steam and the protein in the eggs provides structure and traps the steam.
What is Matzo meal?
Matzo meal is a Kosher form of bread crumbs that serve as a substitute for flour. Matzo meal has a coarse texture and is made from a product that’s already been baked, making it permissible to eat them for Passover.
Matzah Meal resembles breadcrumbs to me and contains only wheat flour and water.
Passover Popovers are made with Matzah Meal, Matzah Cake Meal, or a combination of both.
How to make Matzo Passover Popovers and Muffins
Combine the water and canola oil in a saucepan and bring it to a boil.
Remove the pan from the heat and add the Matzoh meal, sugar, and salt. Stir until completely combined.
Stir in the eggs one at a time until creamy. Allow the mixture to rest while you preheat the oven.
Prepare the popover or muffin pan with oil or cooking spray and fill the pan 3/4 full.
Bake popovers or muffins on the center rack of the oven until crisped and golden brown.
FAQs
Why do you let the batter rest? Letting the batter rest will give the popovers a better rise and an airy texture.
What is the leavening in this popover recipe? Egg whites are the leavening agent in this recipe. The liquids create steam and the protein in the eggs provides structure and traps the steam.
Why did my popovers deflate? The most likely cause is that they’re underbaked. They release steam as they’re baked and undertaking popovers usually have too much moisture trapped inside causing them to deflate.
Underbaking popovers or muffins can also result in a doughy eggy center.
Can Passover popovers and muffins be made ahead of time? Yes, they can be made 1 day in advance. Once cool, put them in an airtight container at room temperature. Heat them in a 375ºF oven for 5 minutes to crisp them up.
Are these Passover rolls Gluten-Free? No. Your typical Matzo meal isn’t gluten-free. However, some Passover rolls are made with gluten-free products such as potato starch. You can also try using this gluten-free Matzo meal, however, I have not tested it.
Tips for the Best Passover Popovers
Thoroughly preheat the oven before baking. The biggest reason that popovers fail is because the oven isn’t hot enough.
Make sure the ingredients are at room temperature before beginning. To warm cold eggs place them in a bowl of room-temperature water for 5 to 10 minutes. The batter needs to be at room temperature when it’s ready to bake.
Prepare the pan before filling by thoroughly greasing it or spraying it with non-stick cooking spray, including the lip surrounding the cups on the popover pan.
Release the popovers from the pan after 5 minutes and cool them on a cooling rack.
How to Store
Popovers are best eaten the day they’re baked however, they can be stored. The best way to store popovers or muffins is in an airtight container once they’re completely cool at room temperature or in the refrigerator. Freeze popovers in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
How do you serve Passover Popovers and Muffins?
Serve Passover Popovers and muffins your favorite Passover main meal such as soup or roasted chicken. For breakfast or dessert, they can be served with a pastry cream similar to cream puffs, or with a little jam. They can also be dusted with powdered sugar.
If you’re lucky enough to have any leftovers, they’re delicious stuffed with egg salad the next day.
We love making bread and rolls for every occasion. As delicious as these Passover Popovers and Muffins are, we also enjoy our Passover Rolls and 6-Strand Challah! Our sweet Cinnamon Sugar Popovers are a delicious breakfast or brunch recipe even though they’re not Kosher.
I hope you enjoyed this delicious recipe as much as we do. Drop me a comment below, and don’t forget to give it a star rating. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐. Your comments and ratings help others decide if this recipe is for them too.
Passover Popovers or Muffins
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1½ cups water
- 1/2 cup oil canola for kosher option
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1½ cups matzah cake meal
- 7 eggs
Instructions
- Combine water and oil and bring to a boil. in a 2-quart saucepan.
- Remove the pan from the heat and, using a wooden spoon, stir in dry ingredients until well combined. The batter will be very thick. Allow popovers to cool slightly.
- Stir in eggs one at a time until well combined. Rest batter for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 400 °F. Grease a muffin or popover pan. Fill cups 3/4 full.
- Bake muffins for 20 to 25 minutes and popovers 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and turn out onto a towel or cooling rack and allow to cool.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
This recipe was calculated using the exact brands and measurements I used to make this recipe. If you are following a strict diet please note changing anything will cause the nutritional info to change. My calculations are intended as a guide only.
This recipe was originally posted in 2015. I’ve added tips and explanations to help the reader. No changes were made to the recipe.
Did you enjoy this recipe? Don’t forget to pin it for later and follow me on Pinterest for more delicious recipes like this one!
I originally baked these beautiful Passover Popovers as a part of a monthly bread-baking challenge. The theme of the month was Jewish bread recipes.
Jewish Rye which is delicious and found in many wonderful delis. If you’re a sourdough baker, maybe you’ve seen my Sourdough Rye recipe. However, for this challenge, I wanted a recipe that I’d not made or eaten before.
Sadly, this challenge group ended, but I learned not to be afraid to try something new. These Passover Popovers were definitely a success!
How delicious! Thank you so much for linking up at Tasty Tuesday! This post has been pinned on the Tasty Tuesday Pinterest board! I love having you and can’t wait to see you next week!
You know, I’ve never had popovers – passover ones or otherwise! But these do look really yummy 🙂
Thanks Michelle!
I’m sure they were amazing!
Thank you Margherita!
I’ve never made popovers–these sound really good, Julie!
Thank you Nancy!
One of my favorite treats ever! They never end up looking as poofy as yours though so I’m going to try your recipe and see how it goes! Happy FF!
Thank you Cynthia! They are easy to make and I hope you enjoy them! I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
Oh my goodness those popovers look perfect! I really need to get a popover pan, since the tall ones just look so good 😀
Thank you Claudia! I saw some beautiful popovers and couldn’t wait to get a pan for them. I’ve only used it twice, but the are fun!
I love popovers and made with Matzah, you are my hero 🙂
Awe thank you Sarah!
I was married to a Jewish guy long ago and really did not like anything Matzah. I also did not like much else either. Jewish rye though, yummm.
Thank you! I’ve never had matzah anything but these are good! I’ve always been hesitant on a lot of jewish dishes and still haven’t dove in very far, but like you, the rye bread is delicious!
Oooo such a sumptuous looking bread , just loving this Julie…. yummm
Thank you Chitra!
I am loving your bread baking series Julie. So much to learn and discover along the way.
These popups are so cute and an easy recipe to follow. I have tasted the Jewish breads and they are really different from te default breads in a good way! Will keep an eye to try these somewhere!❤️
Thank you Sonal! I’m having quite a bit of fun with the breads. Like John says, we need something with our butter. 🙂
men and their bread
YUM! I love popovers! I want these so bad! Do you have to have the special popover pan to bake these?
Thank you! I do that pan. It was one of those pans that I just had to have and have used twice. They did bake beautifully in the muffin pan too.
I will HAVE to make popovers sometime because these look soooo delicious! I love how simple and no-fuss you’ve made these!
Thank you! They were very easy! Enjoy your day.
I JUST got a pop-over pan. I’ll definitely give these a try soon. Thanks for the recipe.
Thank you! Please let me know what you think!
I’ve never used Matzah, but your popovers look beautiful. I’m sure they were yummy! 🙂
Thank you Ana! I never had either. The dough was so thick that I didn’t think they would even turn out, but they did. 🙂
Cool! And very pretty! I wish I had one now…
Thank you! I wish there was a virtual share button. Maybe that’s next?
Wouldn’t that be great?
I love popovers with prime rib! Never used matzah before but I bet they were delicious 🙂
These were so easy to make Judi! Prime rib? Yum!
Those popovers look warm, comforting and delicious Julie! 🙂
Thank you! They were thick and heavy to make but baked up nice and soft. I wasn’t sure what I would get.
What a great find! They are so cute!!! Very cool choice.
Thank you Karen. They were a fun choice.
Thank you, Julie! Your popovers are lovely looking. Special bonus: Your recipe looks absolutely do-able! I will be seeking out matzah cake meal on my next trip to the market =) P.s. Love your philosophy of doing at least one thing a day that brings you joy.
Thank you! This recipe is very easy! The matzah may also be listed as just Matzah meal. Mine was but I googled it and it was o.k. I love to think of something that I am looking forward to everyday before my feet hit the floor. Sometimes it’s just not having a ton to do! Thanks again for stopping by!
These look really yummy, Julie! I’ve never made popovers before. I have always heard they are tricky. Yours sure came out beautiful!
These were not hard at all, and quite frankly, I was amazed that they came out as light as they did since the batter was like mud! It’s the first time I’d ever tried Matzah. It was a great experience.
Ooooohh yummy!!!
Thank you Amanda!
I was totally intrigued when I saw you were making Passover popovers because I couldn’t imagine what they’d be like. But let’s hear it for good old matzo meal; it sure is versatile. These actually look GOOD and you can’t say that about too many Passover workarounds. Can’t wait to give them a try. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you Robin! It was the first time that I have used Matzo and the batter was soooo thick that I could even imagine that these popovers would be as light and soft as they were. I loved the experience.
I love that these have a matzah base – what a fun idea! I love the look of both…but am a sucker for those tall popover-style! 🙂
Thank you Heather! It was a fun theme. I had no experience with matzah, and now I can say that I do.
I had the same level of Jewish bread experience as you did up to now. And love your find and recipe, they look great.
Thank you Evelyne! I sure didn’t know what to expect so was actually pleasantly surprised. It was a fun challenge.
This is awesome Julie! 😀 I LOVE popovers and this is great idea to make it with Matzah! I definitely want to try this out 🙂
Thank you Dini! It was sure an experience for me. I’ve never used Matzah before and it was so easy not having to wait for bread to raise. Let me know if you do and what you think. They were much lighter than what I expected because the dough was so thick.