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What is Kosher for Passover? 26 Must-Make Recipes

Published: Modified: by This post may contain affiliate links.

Every year Jewish households celebrate Passover with their families. Passover is a tradition rooted in history; it’s a celebration to commemorate the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt.

Jewish cuisine varies depending on where your family is from during Passover and all year round.

Passover is marked by a change in diet – those observing will keep kosher for Passover and avoid certain foods. Read on to find out which ones!

Collage of Passover dishes with title text.
TABLE OF CONTENTS hide
1 Which Foods Are Kosher for Passover?
2 What Are Examples of Leavened Foods?
3 Which Beverages are Kosher for Passover?
4 Kosher for Passover recipes
5 Prepared kosher items for Passover
6 Explore More Jewish Recipes!

Which Foods Are Kosher for Passover?

There are many foods that you can't eat if you’re observing Passover. The following list compiles the foods that are kosher for Passover and good to have on your menu.

  • All fruits 
  • Most vegetables (except the following: corn, millet, lentils, beans, peanuts, soy beans, mustard, cumin, fennel seeds, sesame seeds, poppy seeds)
  • Fermented vegetables
  • Matzos
  • Beef, turkey, chicken, fish with scales, duck, or goose
  • Dairy (as long as it is not combined with meat)
  • Eggs
  • Herbs and spices
  • Unflavored teas and unflavored coffee
  • Nuts and nut butters (except peanut and soy butters)
  • Quinoa, almond, coconut, and quinoa flours
  • Processed foods marked kosher-for-Passover

One special thing I make for myself during Passover is sweetened condensed coconut milk. I use it to make my homemade coconut macaroons, and also to sweeten my tea as a special treat.

It’s important to note that there are additional foods that are Kosher for Passover depending on whether your family is Ashkenazi or Sephardic. I myself and half Ashkenazi and half Sephardic, which has given me the unique opportunity to experience and practice both traditions. 

In addition to this list, if you’re Sephardic, you can eat the foods classed as Kitniyot, as follows*:

  • Beans
  • Buckwheat
  • Caraway
  • Cardamom
  • Corn
  • Edamame
  • Fennel Seeds
  • Fenugreek
  • Flaxseed (Linseed)
  • Green Beans
  • Hemp Seeds
  • Lentils
  • Millet
  • Mustard
  • Peas
  • Poppy Seeds
  • Rapeseed
  • Rice
  • Sesame Seeds
  • Soybeans
  • Sunflower Seeds
  • Teff

*List sourced from oukosher.org

What Are Examples of Leavened Foods?

For Passover, chametz (foods that incorporate wheat, oats, barley, rye, and spelt) are not allowed. Leavened foods are also not allowed. Leavened foods are those that have used a leavening agent to make them rise, like baking powder, baking soda, and yeast. Leavened foods that can’t be consumed over Passover include:

  • Bread, cakes, and baked goods
  • Beer and grain alcohol
  • Any foods containing baking powder, baking soda, and yeast
  • Grains including wheat, barley, spelt, oats, and rye

Which Beverages are Kosher for Passover?

During Passover, grain alcohols are not allowed, but there are still many alcoholic beverages available to you. Following are alcohols that are kosher for Passover:

  • Wine with the kosher certification
  • Whiskey, as long as it’s not derived from a chametz ingredient  
  • Vodka, as long as it’s not derived from a chametz ingredient  
  • Prosecco and sparkling wine with the kosher certification
  • Gin
  • Rum
  • Tequila, and other agave-derived spirits 
  • Brandy, distilled from kosher wine
  • Unflavored seltzer and sparkling water are good, even without any Kosher certification

Kosher for Passover recipes

It can feel really hard to keep kosher for Passover, especially because most people are used to eating out, ordering takeout, or eating prepared food for their weekly meals. 

If you cook for yourself, it can be easier to do because a lot of whole foods are allowed and can be turned into delicious meals. Here's some menu inspiration with recipes that I make every year for Passover. 

Passover Sweets and Desserts

Matzo Icebox Cake
This icebox cake has an (optional) matcha twist! It's easy to make with delicious sweet layers of chocolate-covered matzo and whipped cream, and frozen to make a wonderful treat you'll want to enjoy all year long.
Check out this recipe
Slice of green ice box cake.
Dark Chocolate Mousse
A 4-ingredient, light, and decadent chocolate mousse. It’s a tasty, fluffy and kosher for Passover if you use kosher for Passover chocolate. 
Check out this recipe
Strawberry Matcha Semifreddo
One of my favorites - a smooth and decadent Strawberry Matcha Semifreddo that you can make without an ice cream maker. You can’t go wrong with fresh strawberries, matcha powder, eggs, sugar, vanilla extract, and heavy cream.
Check out this recipe
Cast-Iron Noodle Kugel
Get your trusty cast iron pan out to get a crispy outside layer on this amazing dessert! Noodle kugel is a delicious baked sweet pudding with egg noodles, cream cheese, sugar, and apples. It's so rich and creamy - a must-try!
Check out this recipe
Baked noodle casserole with cinnamon topping in a cast iron pan.
Coconut Macaroons
A tasty dessert and Passover classic, these coconut macaroons have a perfectly soft and chewy texture and a delightfully sweet flavor.
Check out this recipe
Cookies drizzled with chocolate stacked in a dish.

Brisket Recipes

Slow Cooker Passover Brisket Recipe
Kotlet are delicious meat patties, the Persian version of meat cutlets. My grandmother’s recipe, this version has a good amount of cumin, and I absolutely love it!
Check out this recipe
Shredded meat on a black cutting board.
Red Wine and Honey Braised Brisket
A tender and juicy brisket braised in red wine and honey. Not just a Passover and Rosh Hashanah staple, but great for all year round!
Check out this recipe
Sliced brisket on a serving plate with chopped vegetables.

Chicken for Passover

Whole Roasted Chicken with Dried Fruit and Red Wine
You can’t go wrong with this one - it’s the most incredibly juicy and tasty roasted chicken. You just place all the ingredients in a pot, marinate the chicken overnight to infuse the flavors, and then this dish is ready with ease.
Check out this recipe
Peruvian Style Roasted Chicken with Aji Verde
Drop the aji verde and this amazing dish is kosher for Passover!
Check out this recipe
Stack of roasted chicken next to green sauce.

Kosher Snacks

Matzo Pizza
This is a classic 4-ingredient matzo pizza with rich pizza sauce, mozzarella, and basil. It satisfies all the cravings that I'm having for those foods we don't eat this week!
Make this!
Two squares of matzo pizza.
Persian Tea Eggs
Persian tea eggs are a Sephardic Jewish tradition I grew up with. Memories of these slow-simmered Persian tea eggs from childhood bring such joy! These eggs are incredibly easy-to-peel and the flavor & color infuse beautifully.
Check out this recipe
Charoset
Charoset is the sweet snack you're looking for this week: naturally sweet from the dates and apple and perfect for smearing on matzo.
Check out this recipe
Bowl of date dip.
Nut Butter Cups
If you make these with almond butter instead of peanut butter, they are kosher for Passover!
Check out this recipe
Close up of one peanut butter cup.

Kosher Appetizers

Matzo Ball Soup
Matzo ball soup is a Jewish classic, usually enjoyed during Passover. It takes only 5 ingredients and is much easier to make than you think.
Check out this recipe
Three bowls of matzo ball soup.
Lamb Stuffed Piquillo Peppers with Avocado Lime Puree
Easy and delicious piquillo peppers stuffed with delicious spiced ground lamb and roasted to perfection. Make sure you find jarred peppers with the kosher for Passover certification.
Check out this recipe
Cast-Iron Potato Kugel
Potato kugel is a hearty potato casserole dish with a crispy baked top, like a hash brown cake. It's delicious on its own or as a side.
Check out this recipe
Shredded potato in a cast iron pan.
Salmon Gefilte Fish with Fennel & Tarragon
Gefilte fish is a fish cake poached in broth that has a texture like matzo balls. They are delicious served as soup, or as an appetizer on radicchio or endive.
Check out this recipe
Fishcakes nested in radicchio.

Kosher Meat and Salmon Dishes

Kotlet
Kotlet are delicious meat patties, the Persian version of meat cutlets. My grandmother’s recipe, this version has a good amount of cumin, and I absolutely love it!
Check out this recipe
Meat patties on a plate.
Citrus Thyme Salmon
A tasty, easy meal for Passover. This Citrus Thyme Salmon uses barely any additional ingredients in order to highlight the wonderful, natural flavor of the salmon.
Check out this recipe
Salmon over pasta.
Beef Stew with Red Wine
This red wine beef stew uses an entire bottle of red wine, and that magical ingredient both tenderizes the meat and flavors the stew. It tastes incredible!
Check out this recipe
Bowl of beef stew.
Koufteh - Persian Meat & Rice Dumpling Soup
This mouthwatering koufteh, a Persian meat & rice dumpling soup, is filled with fresh herbs & spices. It's a heartwarming recipe you'll love!
Check out this recipe
Bowl of dumpling soup.

Passover Vegetables and Sides

Roasted Kabocha Squash
Simple, easy roasted squash that tastes incredible,  All you need is salt, pepper, and oil to roast this squash to perfection.
Check out this recipe
Roasted kabocha squash on a white plate on a wood table.
Shirin Polo aka Morasa or Javaher Polo
Meet the most incredible rice dish you'll ever try – Shirin Polo! This special, jeweled rice is usually served at weddings to bring sweetness to the new couple. It's a sweet rice pilaf with dried fruit, nuts, and candied orange peel.
Check out this recipe
Rice pilaf with gold serving spoons.
Blistered Shishito Peppers
These blistered shishito peppers are the perfect salty bite to satisfy all your junk food cravings, It’s a healthy, plant-based snack, complete with a subtle, salty crunch!
Check out this recipe
Eggplant Rolls in a Spicy Pomodoro
This dish is full of great flavor and can work with both fresh tomatoes and canned, whatever you have handy. It’s also a fun dish to make with kids, they’ll do a great job rolling the eggplants up! 
Check out this recipe
Rolled eggplants in red pasta sauce.
15-Minute Shirazi Salad - Persian Cucumber Tomato Salad
This salad is so good, and found regularly on the tabl at most meals in Persian homes. Luckily, it's made with few ingredients and the lemon and olive oil dressing is just incredible.
Check out this recipe
Large platter of cucumber tomato salad with gold utensils.

Prepared kosher items for Passover

If you want to stock up on some prepared items and snacks, here are some that I usually buy during Passover. Always make sure to check for the Kosher for Passover certification.

  • Matzo
  • Cream Cheese
  • Cheese and Deli meats
  • Pizza Sauce 
  • Chocolate Hazelnut Spread
  • Apple Cider Vinegar
  • Chocolate Chips
  • Wine
  • Pickles and other Fermented Foods

I hope this guide helps you create some fun and delicious dishes for Passover. Although Passover will look a bit different this year, it remains a holiday to spend quality time with family and remember our history. Chag Pesach sameach!

Explore More Jewish Recipes!

I create Jewish recipes for all holidays and occasions and share them on this blog. You'll love these throughout the year!

This post was originally published in March of 2021 but was republished with additional recipe ideas in March of 2023.

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