Every Passover, my mom would make matzo substitutes of typical chametz foods to eat during the eight-day festival. Matzo lasagna, matzo rolls, matzo casseroles, you get the idea. I would always joke at the irony that we normally had noodle lasagna once per year, so it always struck me as funny that suddenly we couldn’t go a week without the Passover variety. Yet I found myself craving it every year. And while the rolls were nowhere near the taste of our standard kaiser or egg rolls for deli sandwiches, I loved the familiar taste too. We only ate these foods once per year, but it just wasn’t Passover without them.
There are many matzo haters out there, but I look forward to matzo pizza, matzo brei, even a simple matzo schmeared with salted butter. What some say is reminiscent of cardboard I say is a vessel for deliciousness. Bring on the matzo!
Granola is another food that seems like we could go a week without. Yet when chocolate coconut matzo granola tastes this good, why not indulge? The matzo is extra crispy, thanks to a pre-toast. Then it’s covered in chocolate, coconut and almonds for a sweet snack or breakfast over yogurt.
Chocolate Coconut Matzo Granola
Prep time: 10 minutes. Cook time: 30 minutes. Yield: 4 cups.
Ingredients
- 3 pieces matzo, broken into bite-sized pieces (about 3 cups of broken matzo)
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ cup oil (measure before the honey so the honey slides out easily!)
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup salted almonds, rough chopped
- ½ cup sweetened coconut, divided
- ¼ cup chocolate chips (optional)
Directions
- Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees with a rack in the middle. Prep a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Spread the matzo evenly over the parchment paper and toast for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, add the cocoa powder, oil, honey, brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and salt. Cook over low heat while stirring often until the mixture is uniform and the sugar is dissolved, about 5-7 minutes.
- Let the toasted matzo cool slightly, then add the matzo, almonds and ¼ cup of the coconut to the chocolate mixture and stir carefully to coat everything in chocolate. Try not to break the matzo up too much.
- Spread the coated matzo evenly back on the parchment paper and sprinkle with remaining coconut. Bake 15 more minutes, stirring halfway through. The matzo is done when it is dry to the touch and the coconut is toasted. If it starts to burn, lower the heat to 300 degrees.
- Let the granola cool completely. It will crisp up more as it cools.
- Once cool, toss in chocolate chips, if desired. Keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week. Eat over yogurt or by the handful!
