Noodle Kugel for Passover? Am I meshugana? Nope. This kugel is completely Passover-appropriate. It also happens to be grain-free, gluten-free, nut-free, lactose-free, and low FODMAP. (Sorry vegans – I’m working on it.) Don’t be scared by that long list of “frees” either; this kugel is the opposite of deprivation. Carrot noodles take the place of traditional noodles, which means more flavor. And holding them together? It’s that traditional sweet cream cheese custard we all know and love. In fact, when I first made this, I was almost disappointed by how much it tasted like your standard deli kugel – should I have added some ginger? Orange zest? Something to make it a bit more unique?
Then I realized grain-free noodle kugel was unique, and the fact that it tasted remarkably similar to traditional kugel was probably a selling point. Spiralized carrots are baked with sour cream, eggs, cream cheese, brown sugar, cinnamon, and a few (optional) raisins. Then the whole thing is chilled overnight, cut into squares, and …voila! It’s that traditional, sweet, Jewish dessert so quintessential to special occasions. And Kosher for passover to boot.
So if you want to experiment with some ground ginger, or orange zest, or cardamom, or whatever sounds good to you – by all means, do it! And please let me know how it turns out. But if you are a traditionalist – look no further. This is your kugel.
A couple notes about the recipe:
-This kugel is on the sweet side. Hence the fact that it tastes so traditional. You can cut the sugar if your sweet tooth isn’t up to it.
-Don’t skip the overnight chilling; this dessert must be served cold!
-Since I have yet to purchase a spiralizer, I used 1½ packages of the 16-oz carrot noodles sold in the produce section at my local Whole Foods.
-For low FODMAP or lactose-free, use lactose-free sour cream and cream cheese. Green Valley Organics makes both. The only two high FODMAP ingredients in this kugel are raisins and coconut flour. Raisins are low FODMAP at 1 tablespoon, which means they won’t give you any trouble unless you eat more than half of the entire kugel in one sitting (haha – please don’t do that!) Coconut flour has only been tested by Monash at 2/3 cup servings (high FODMAP) and a 3 tablespoon serving is also listed as high FODMAP by the Fodmap Friendly app (sorbitol), but again – since there is only 1 tablespoon of it in the entire kugel, a slice is *likely* low FODMAP.
Grain-Free Lokshen Kugel
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1½ pounds carrot “noodles” (spiralized carrots)
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup (lactose-free) sour cream
- 1 cup (lactose-free) cream cheese
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon coconut flour
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons raisins (optional)
Directions:
Grease an 11 x 7 ceramic casserole dish with coconut oil and preheat the oven to 350°F.
Heat the coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the spiralized carrots and sauté until tender, about seven minutes.
In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with a fork. Add the sour cream, cream cheese, cinnamon, and vanilla and mix well. Finally, add the coconut flour and sugar, making sure everything is well-incorporated. Stir in the carrot noodles and (optional ) raisins.
Pour carrot mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for about one hour and five minutes, until edges are beginning to brown and top is set. Remove from oven and let stand until room temperature. Cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight. Cut into squares and serve cold.
Dreading the task of figuring out what to eat on Passover? Check out last year’s compilation of Passover-friendly recipes.
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