Traditional mandel bread is dairy-free by design. It is an oil-based cookie, created specifically so it could be served after meat meals in kosher homes, where dairy would not be allowed. Whether a modern mandel bread is dairy-free depends on the baker, so always check. For ours: our Almond and Funfetti MandelBites are dairy-free, and we are very careful about keeping them that way.
Why the tradition is dairy-free
Kosher law separates meat and dairy at the same meal. Ashkenazi home bakers solved dessert with foods called pareve: neutral, containing neither. Mandel bread, made with oil instead of butter, was the flagship pareve dessert. It could follow brisket on Friday night or blintzes on Sunday morning, no questions asked. That flexibility is a big reason the cookie became universal in Jewish homes.
Our dairy-free flavors
Our recipe follows the oil tradition, and here is the flavor-by-flavor picture:
Dairy-free: Almond MandelBites and Funfetti MandelBites. No butter, no milk, no dairy ingredients of any kind. We use no dairy in these flavors, period, and we are very careful about keeping it that way in how we source, bake, and pack them. If you want a full box of it, our dairy-free box is 3 bags of Funfetti and 3 bags of Almond.
Contain dairy: Chocolate Chip MandelBites and our Gluten-Free MandelBites. The dairy comes from the chocolate chips themselves.
And the standing disclosure we include whenever kosher comes up: we are not kosher certified, something we hope to pursue as we grow. The full picture is in is mandel bread kosher.
Why this matters for gift-givers
If you are bringing dessert to a dinner where you do not know the kitchen's rules, dairy-free is the safe direction. A dessert without dairy can follow any meal in a home that separates meat and dairy, which is why etiquette guides for holiday meals specifically recommend against dairy desserts. If that is your situation, go straight to the dairy-free box, or tell us it is a gift with that purpose and we will point you to the right flavors.
Frequently asked questions
Is mandel bread pareve?
Traditionally yes: oil-based and dairy-free, designed to be served after any meal. Individual bakeries vary, and pareve as a formal status requires kosher certification, which we do not currently have.
Which Lazar Family Bakehouse flavors are dairy-free?
Almond and Funfetti. We use no dairy in either, and we are careful about keeping them that way. Chocolate Chip and Gluten-Free contain dairy from their chocolate chips.
Do you have a fully dairy-free box?
Yes. The dairy-free box is 3 bags of Funfetti and 3 bags of Almond, and it ships nationwide.
The short version
The tradition is dairy-free, and so are our Almond and Funfetti MandelBites, available together as a dairy-free box. Denver locals can order right on our site, and we ship locally. Everywhere else ships nationwide, baked from Grandma Jeanne's recipe with a delicate crunch on the outside, softer on the inside.