Learn to cook the lightest, fluffiest floater matzo balls ever! When it comes to the Jewish holiday of Passover, people tend to love one of two matzo ball textures – floaters or sinkers. My family’s personal preference is for delicate floaters, which are light, tender, and soak up soup broth like a sponge. In this post I’ll walk you through a few different techniques for making floater matzo balls that are light as air. I’ll also share my favorite way to make homemade matzo ball soup – the irresistible chicken soup that matzo balls are typically served with.
![Horizontal shot of floater matzo balls in a shallow bowl of Jewish chicken soup with carrot slices, pieces of celery, and golden broth. Spoon and linen napkin on the white marble counter beside the bowl. Tiles and white jar in background.](https://toriavey.com/images/2023/04/IMG_1274-740x550.jpeg)
What is a matzo ball?
Matzo balls (sometimes spelled “matzah” or “matza”), are a traditional Jewish food that can be likened to a Kosher for Passover soup dumpling. In order to be considered kosher for passover, a recipe cannot contain any leavened grain. The leavened grains in this dumpling are replaced with matzo meal, then combined with eggs, water, fat, and any additional herbs or spices you may like.
Some home cooks prefer light and airy matzo balls, like my recipe below. Others enjoy a firmer, chewier texture, known as “sinkers” (because they sink in the pot). If you enjoy the latter, check out my sinker recipe. It produces a firm, pleasantly chewy texture with the same flavor profile as these floaters.
In my family, we prefer floaters. But how exactly do you make them?
How do you make light and fluffy matzo balls?
There are two ways to make light and airy floaters – use baking powder, or incorporate whipped egg whites with seltzer. Baking powder is the secret to really light floaters. However, some people don’t like to use baking powder during Passover. I’ve included instructions for both approaches in the recipe below – so if you don’t want to use baking powder, no problem.
But honestly, baking powder isn’t against Passover restrictions. Why? Read on!
![Overhead shot of a bowl of floater matzo balls in a shallow bowl of Jewish chicken soup with carrot slices, pieces of celery, and golden broth. Spoon, fresh herbs, and linen napkin on the white marble counter beside the bowl.](https://toriavey.com/images/2023/04/IMG_1259-740x550.jpeg)
Can you use baking powder in matzo balls?
For many years, I used Manischewitz mix to make my matzo balls. One day, I studied the ingredients, and noticed sodium bicarbonate and monocalcium phosphate. These are the active ingredients in baking powder.
So, I started doing a little research. Turns out, baking powder is key to creating the fluffiest, lightest “floater” matzo balls. Using carbonated water or seltzer in combination with whipped egg whites will help get you fluffy floaters. But baking powder makes the biggest difference.
How could baking powder could be kosher for Passover? Baking powder is mineral based, not grain based. Consequently, it does not fall under the banner of “chametz,” the group of foods that are banned for Passover. This issue has been discussed at length on kosher websites across the web. Joan Nathan wrote an article about it for the New York Times in April 2006. In her article, Rabbi Moshe Elefant of the Orthodox Union’s kosher division, says: “There is nothing wrong about a raised product at Passover per se.” The Orthodox Union is the oldest and most widely accepted certifier of kosher foods.
If the OU doesn’t have a problem with certifying baking powder for Passover, neither do I. Actually, there are several brands of kosher for Passover baking powder. Some people choose not to use baking powder they feel it doesn’t jibe with the spirit of the Passover holiday. After all, it is an artificial, non-grain-based form of leavening. Others have no problem using baking powder, as long as it has a kosher hechsher. No judgement here, every family is different.
Suffice it to say, the choice to use baking powder is a matter of tradition and preference. One thing is for sure, it definitely makes for lighter, fluffier matzo balls. However, if you’re in the camp of folks that doesn’t want to use it, I’ve provided alternate instructions below.
Can you freeze matzo balls?
Matzo balls actually freeze well and retain their flavor and texture. Simply cool them to room temperature after cooking. Line a sheet tray with wax paper or plastic wrap, place the matzo balls on a sheet tray, and place in the freezer for 2 hours or so (until they get firm). Transfer to a freezer safe bag or container once frozen. When ready to serve, add them directly to your soup and reheat – no need to defrost.
If you need a delicious chicken soup recipe to serve with your matzo balls, check out my matzo ball soup recipe. It’s truly the best… my family asks for it year-round, whether or not it’s a Jewish holiday! I hope it becomes a favorite in your family, too.
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![Horizontal shot of floater matzo balls in a shallow bowl of Jewish chicken soup with carrot slices, pieces of celery, and golden broth. Spoon and linen napkin on the white marble counter beside the bowl. Tiles and white jar in background.](https://toriavey.com/images/2023/04/IMG_1274-500x500.jpeg)
Floater Matzo Balls
Ingredients
- 1 cup matzo meal
- 1 teaspoon baking powder (optional for Passover – see notes below for details)
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, heaping
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, heaping
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder, heaping
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper (optional)
- 4 large eggs
- 1/4 cup melted schmaltz, avocado oil, or safflower oil (use schmaltz for best flavor)
- 1/4 cup unflavored seltzer (only needed if not using the baking powder)
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh dill or parsley (optional)
- 5 quarts chicken stock (I highly recommend homemade chicken stock – none on hand? Check out the alternative method outlined below)
NOTES
Instructions
To Make Floater Matzo Balls With Baking Powder:
- In a medium mixing bowl, use a fork to stir together the matzo meal, baking powder, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and white pepper.
- In another small mixing bowl, use another fork to mix together the eggs and schmaltz (or oil), stirring briskly to make sure they are well blended.
- Pour egg mixture into the dry ingredients, and add the minced dill or parsley. Mix all ingredients together with a fork until just combined. Do not over-mix.Put the bowl of matzo ball mixture into the refrigerator and let it rest for 30 minutes.
- Bring your 5 quarts of chicken stock (or saffron water stock outlined in Notes section) to a boil over medium heat.While your broth or water is warming, form the chilled matzo ball mixture into 1-inch balls (roughly walnut-sized). Don't overwork the mixture when you roll the balls.
- When your broth or water boils, reduce heat to a simmer and drop the matzo balls gently into the liquid.
- Cover the pot with a lid and let the balls cook for 30-50 minutes until fluffy and soft. Keep the pot covered– no peeking until at least 30 minutes have gone by! If you've followed instructions carefully, the balls should be floating on the surface of the water like billowy clouds of deliciousness. If they still seem dense or tight, they haven't cooked long enough. The should look soft and airy.
- Test for doneness by slicing a test matzo ball in half. It should look the same all the way through the center – tender, with no dark spot in the middle. If the middle is darker than the edges, it will need to simmer a little longer – it's not quite cooked yet. Don't be afraid to cook longer if it seems dense in the center, as it really won't be light and fluffy unless it is fully saturated with broth and cooked all the way to the center.
To Make Floater Matzo Balls Without Baking Powder:
- If you're not using baking powder, you may want to use avocado or safflower oil instead of schmaltz. Both of these oils will yield a fluffy result, though they are not as flavorful as schmaltz. Schmaltz tends to make the matzo balls a little heavier, but it's really flavorful.Separate the egg whites from the yolks, putting the whites in one of the medium mixing bowls and the yolks in the small mixing bowl. Use a fork to stir together the egg yolks and oil (or schmaltz), stirring briskly to make sure they are well blended. Gently stir in 1/4 cup of bubbly unflavored seltzer.
- In the second medium mixing bowl, use a fork to mix together the matzo meal, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and white pepper.
- Pour egg yolk mixture into the dry ingredients, and add the minced dill or parsley. Mix with a fork until just combined. Do not over-mix.
- Whip the egg whites with an electric mixer to stiff peaks.
- Fold the whipped egg whites into the batter. Do not over-mix; you want the egg whites well integrated, but over-mixing will deflate them.Put the bowl of matzo ball mixture into the refrigerator and let it rest for 30 minutes.
- Bring your 5 quarts of chicken stock (or saffron water stock outlined in Notes section) to a boil over medium heat.While your broth or water is warming, form the chilled matzo ball mixture into 1-inch balls (roughly walnut-sized). Don't overwork the mixture when you roll the balls.
- When your broth or water boils, reduce heat to a simmer and drop the matzo balls gently into the liquid.
- Cover the pot with a lid and let the balls cook for 30-50 minutes until fluffy and soft. Keep the pot covered– no peeking until at least 30 minutes have gone by! If you've followed instructions carefully, the balls should be floating on the surface of the water like billowy clouds of deliciousness. If they seem dense, they need to cook longer. Note that after you open the lid the first time, the matzo balls may sink to the bottom of the pot. That doesn't mean you've failed to make floaters – it just happens when the lid comes off.
- Test for doneness by slicing a test matzo ball in half. It should look the same all the way through the center – tender, with no dark spot in the middle. If the middle is darker than the edges, it will need to simmer a little longer – it's not quite cooked yet. If you formed your balls any larger than the recommended size, you may need 10-15 minutes (or longer) than the suggested cooking time. Go by texture and doneness. It won't be light and fluffy unless it is fully saturated with broth and cooked all the way to the center.
- Serve two or three matzo balls per bowl with hot chicken soup ladled over them. If you don’t plan on serving the whole pot of soup at one sitting, make sure you remove the matzo balls from the broth and let them come to room temperature before storing them in a separate sealed container in the refrigerator. If left to sit in the broth, they'll become mushy.
How to Freeze Matzo Balls
- Once your matzo balls are fully cooked, line a baking sheet with wax paper or plastic wrap. Use a slotted spoon to remove the matzo balls from their cooking liquid and place them gently on the lined sheet. Let cool to room temperature.
- Place the matzo balls in the freezer and let them freeze until they are firm to the touch, around 2 hours or so. Once they are firm, you can place the matzo balls into a freezer bag (I use reusable silicone freezer bags).
- Label them with a label maker, if you want, so it will be easier to remember what you have on hand in future. They can be thawed and reheated directly in hot soup (or a pot of soup stock) just before serving.
- Additional Notes: You can cook matzo balls directly in your soup broth (which will give them excellent flavor), but it will soak up a lot of the yummy stock, leaving you with very little broth for serving.
OMG! TORI! What a wonderful recipe. My mother-in-law is crazy for matzoh ball soup, and when we called her to dinner we did not tell her that I made her favorite, and she practical danced, not inly at the sight, but at the flavor. I used the baking powder recipe, and achieved the pillowy perfection promised. I love your recipes because they are so honest and compassionate toward the cook, and as a professional psychologist I can vouch for the positive effect this can have. This is our recipe for matzo balls going forward.
Mark, first of all thank you for writing, and I appreciate so much that you noticed the care that goes into crafting these recipes! I really do try hard to break it down and make them easy and accessible for all. The fact that you noticed that means the world to me! Also… glad you loved the matzo balls!!
Hi Tori,
I tried the floater matzoh ball recipe, and although it turned out light and fluffy, I did think it was a little eggy and I’m wondering if next time I should try the sinker.
But it turned out very tasty and light but the inside was brown no matter how long I cooked it. What did I do wrong?
The only reason I know of for darker colored centers is that they are undercooked; if they were very well cooked and still dark in the middle, I’m not sure why that might be.
Hey Tori
I made them today for RH and after 40 min in the fridge they’re still runny. I made them exactly as your recipes with the seltzer not the baking powder. I need to fix this as they’re ready to be boiled.
Hi Shelley, I’m sorry I am just now seeing this comment. The batter should not be runny, even when you first mix it. It will be soft and moist, but the picture of the texture in the recipe is what it should look like. If yours is runny, I am not exactly sure why that would be. I make this recipe multiple times per year, and never run into this issue. I’m sorry I don’t have more advice to offer!
Hi Mrs.Tori,
I’m actually hoping you come with your
Own cookbook! You have a plethora of recipes!
Super cool! So, I’m hoping you get to come out with one with all your recipes!….👍
I LOVE MATZO BALLS…ITS LOVELY IN A THICK ITALIAN SAUCE OR EVEN WITH MELTED BUTTER, THERE ARE NO RULES WITH MATZO BALLS, USE YOUR COMMON SENSE,AND WILL MAKE YOU HAPPY….THANKS …QUERINO
Not sure what I am doing wrong.
I put the mixture in the fridge for 30 min. Then an extra 30 min. They are still quite runny.
What do I do?:(
Hi Gina! So sorry to hear you’re having trouble. Did you add seltzer to the version of this recipe that doesn’t include whipped egg whites? You should only use the seltzer if you’re making the version with whipped egg whites (version without baking powder) because it is a drier mixture. Using it in the baking powder variation will create too much liquid.
Looking at the floater matzah balll recipe. I’ve never seen a recipe with egg whites, just eggs. It’s not even mentioned in the recipe. The only difference I see is using baking powder the make them lighter. Am I missing something?
Hi Sharon, there are multiple methods for making the matzo balls in this post, and all require eggs with both yolks and whites (as listed in the ingredients). One of the methods involves whipping the egg whites to lighten up the batter. I prefer using baking powder – it’s easier and more effective – but some folks do not want to use that ingredient during the holiday of Passover, which is why I have the alternate methods listed. If you read the instructions carefully, you can decide which method is right for you. Hope that makes sense!
Just like all of your recipes this one is equally amazing. I have never made homemade matzoh ball soup and the floater matzoh balls are delicious. I cannot wait to serve dinner tonight!
Thanks!
Thank you! Beautiful, truly beautiful, and amazingly fluffy mazoh balls. They are the best I’ve ever made! I used the baking powder.
This is the best! First time I’ve made at home – the matzo balls were really easy. I simmered them in the soup and I had plenty of broth. I used the soup recipe too. It was all perfect! Will definitely make again.