Chef-Approved Tips for Egg-Free Pesach Dishes
With Pesach just around the corner, many of us are asking the same question:
“What are we going to do about the rise in egg prices?!”
Eggs are a Pesach staple, essential for everything from the ke’arah (Seder plate) to kugels, cakes and countless other recipes. But this year, with no end to the bird-flu in sight, Jewish households are feeling the strain.
So we at Jewish Action decided to conduct an admittedly non-scientific survey and put out a feeler for just how many eggs the average Jewish family buys on a regular basis and compare that to the number of eggs needed for yom tov preparations. We came up with a list of questions and sent it out to readers via social media and WhatsApp. The results told us everything we needed to know.
According to the survey, 40 percent of respondents say that they purchase between one and two dozen eggs on a weekly basis. But for Pesach preparations, over half of respondents need at least nine dozen or more eggs. Note that a classic Pesach sponge cake recipe that yields two cakes alone calls for sixteen eggs!
Sixty-nine percent of respondents are willing to pay more to ensure they have enough eggs, but many are actively looking for alternatives or planning to cut back on the number of eggs they use. Think fewer kugels or more fruit-based desserts.
Additionally, 88 percent of surveyed families start purchasing their Pesach eggs two to three weeks in advance, while others wait until the final days, potentially facing even higher prices or shortages. And with Easter coming up right after Pesach, egg prices could very well be astronomical.
It should be noted, says Rabbi Eli Gersten, recorder of OU Psak and Policy, that one should purchase eggs before Pesach. If one did not buy enough eggs before Pesach, he may buy more eggs on Pesach, but it is preferable to buy them before. One reason for this is because the eggs are washed in a hot water bath to remove all of the dirt before they are packaged. Eggs may have chicken feed, which is chametz, on them. To avoid the chance that there was chametz in the water used to wash the eggs, it is preferable to purchase eggs before yom tov. [Such chametz would not pose a concern before Pesach as chametz prior to Pesach is nullified but it is not nullified on Pesach.] This is just a chumrah (stringency) for various reasons beyond the scope of this article, but it is best to avoid these questions and purchase eggs in advance. (Please note that egg whites and pasteurized eggs are available with an OU-P. Please refer to the OU Passover Guide for a complete list: https://oukosher.org/passover/download-passover-guide-signup/.)
So, what can we do to beat the egg prices?
I reached out to our fellow kosher chefs and food creators of Instagram for their best egg-free Pesach recipes and substitutions. Whether you’re planning to use fewer eggs to save money or simply looking for creative new ways to cook and bake, here are some delicious options to explore.
Happy baking!
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Jeff Mosczyc @foodkidsandsleep
Eggs are an essential baking ingredient all year round, but on Pesach they become even more indispensable as we’re already forced to turn to substitutes for so much else. However, with egg prices being what they are, many will want to be judicious in their use, and that means finding egg alternatives that provide the richness and fluff eggs provide.
For the Sephardic community it’s a bit easier, aquafaba (the liquid in a can of chickpeas) is a wonderful substitute for egg whites, and whipped silken tofu is a great way to simulate the richness and cream of egg yolks.
For the Ashkenaz community the options are somewhat narrower, mashed ripe bananas and applesauce are common if flawed options for baking. A more effective, if surprising, alternative is seltzer. Just 1/4 cup of the less-fun bubbly will replicate the effects of 1 egg, as carbonation in the seltzer acts as a leavening agent, creating air pockets for a lighter, fluffier texture for your kosher-for-Passover baked goods.
Egg-Free Two Ingredient Club Soda Cake
1 box of any 15–16 ounce kosher for Passover cake mix
12 ounces seltzer (You can also experiment with soda flavors like sprite for a lemon cake or cherry coke with a chocolate cake mix)
It’s important to remember that the bubbles in the seltzer/soda are what activate the baking soda and act as a leavening agent, so don’t over mix or your cake will be flatter. Stir gently (no mixer), adding the bubbly as you go. Also, keep in mind warm seltzer will shed bubbles faster than cold. That’s because CO2 becomes less water soluble as temperatures go up, so I’m sorry but you’ll have to sacrifice the cold stuff here.
Once mixed, let it rest for 5 minutes then add to a greased pan and cook per box directions.
Jeff Mosczyc is, among other things, a recipe developer, strong opinion haver and general know it all.
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Naomi Ross @naomirosscooks
“Focus on less-egg-heavy dishes: fruited desserts, chocolate dipped confections, nut/matzah bark.”
Naomi Ross is a cooking instructor and food writer based in Woodmere, New York. She teaches classes throughout the country and writes articles connecting delicious cooking and Jewish inspiration. She is the author of The Giving Table (Brooklyn, NY, 2022).
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Miriam (Pascal) Cohen @overtimecook
“[Pesach] recipes are finicky . . . [Here is] an egg-free Pesach cookie recipe.”
Cinnamon Snowballs
Yields about 2½ dozen cookies
Note: this recipe can be pareve or dairy
Photo: ArtScroll
½ pound margarine or butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ teaspoon Kosher salt
1¾ cups potato starch
1¾ cups almond flour
COATING
½ cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
Preheat oven to 375°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together margarine/butter, powdered sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and salt. Beat well until smooth and creamy.
Gradually add potato starch and almond flour. Beat until combined. The dough will be crumbly but will hold together.
Use a medium cookie scoop or heaping tablespoon to scoop dough onto prepared baking sheets. Bake for 10 minutes, until cookies are set.
Prepare the coating: While cookies are baking, stir together powdered sugar and cinnamon. As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, sift or sprinkle sugar mixture generously over the tops, coating cookies completely.
PLAN AHEAD
Cookies can be frozen in an airtight container or bag. The powdered sugar coating may dissolve somewhat in the freezer, but the taste and texture of the cookie will not be affected.
Reprinted from Real Life Pesach Cooking by Miriam (Pascal) Cohen with permission from the author and Artscroll. Miriam (Pascal) Cohen is a food blogger, recipe developer and best-selling cookbook author.
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Faigy Murray @mykitchenmystudio
“Make lots of fruit salads. Making cookies or bars always calls for fewer eggs. Jam bars don’t call for eggs.”
My Kitchen, My Studio, was founded by Faigy Murray in 2017. Faigy’s passion for cooking was ignited at a young age, and she’s been perfecting her craft ever since. In 2021, she authored her debut cookbook, My Pesach Kitchen, followed by the launch of her website in 2023.
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Naomi Nachman @naominachman
“This recipe comes with special permission from the children of Betty Levy, a”h. She was one of my mum’s best friends and like a second mother to me. She gave me this recipe fifteen years ago, and swore me to secrecy. I’ve never shared it before. Betty passed away shortly before I started writing this book, and her children and I decided that it would be fitting to include this special, secret recipe in her memory.”
Betty’s Fruit Sorbets (pareve)
Yields 8 servings per variety—freezer friendly
Photo: Miriam (Pascal) Cohen
Strawberry Sorbet:
2 cups chopped frozen strawberries
½ cup oil
½ cup sugar
Kiwi Sorbet:
2 cups chopped kiwis, peels removed
½ cup oil
½ cup sugar
Cantaloupe Sorbet:
2 cups chopped cantaloupe, peels and seeds removed
½ cup oil
½ cup sugar
1. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the “S” blade, puree each fruit separately. Add oil and sugar, processing to combine.
2. Place each puree into a separate container; freeze for 6 hours.
3. Remove from freezer; process again. Return to freezer until ready to serve.
Chef’s Tip: If you make more than one variety, you can layer them in a loaf pan for a strata effect.
I use a melon baller to scoop out the sorbets and serve a few of each in a glass dessert bowl.
Reprinted from Perfect for Pesach by Naomi Nachman and photography by Miriam (Pascal) Cohen with permission from Naomi Nachman, Miriam (Pascal) Cohen and ArtScroll. Naomi Nachman is a kosher cookbook author, personal chef and media personality.
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Rachelly Eisenberger is Associate Digital Editor of Jewish Action.