Charoset (Apple Walnut Spread)
Charoset aka apple walnut spread is a fresh, naturally sweet take on the traditional Passover dish. It combines chewy dates, crunchy walnuts and almonds, tart Granny Smith apple, citrus juice, and warm spices into a flavorful spread with plenty of texture.
It's sweet, tangy, nutty, and warmly spiced- like my spiced pear butter and makes a delicious addition to any meal where you want a flavorful fruit-and-nut spread.
The dates are blended with orange and lemon juice until they form an almost-smooth paste, then mixed with chunky nuts and freshly grated apple. There's no cooking involved, and the whole thing comes together in a food processor and a bowl.
The spread has warm undertones, like apple cider caramel sauce, and is great to make during the cooler months of the year.
Quick Look: Apple Walnut Spread
- 🔪 Prep time: About 15 minutes.
- 🍳 Cook time: None.
- 🍽️ Servings: Depends on the quantity prepared.
- 🥣 Main ingredients: Dates, walnuts, almonds, Granny Smith apple, orange juice, and lemon juice.
- ➡️ Method: Blitz nuts → blitz dates with citrus → combine → add grated apple and spices → mix.
- ⭐ Difficulty: Easy.
- 🍎 Best served with: Crackers, bread, cheese, or as part of a holiday spread with cinnamon sugar tortilla chips.
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What's So Great About the Recipe?
- It's an incredibly easy, no-cook recipe. All you need is your food processor and a few simple ingredients.
- You can control how chunky or smooth you want the texture to be.
- It works as both a traditional holiday dish and a versatile fruit-and-nut spread- like my date salted caramel sauce.
Recipe Ingredients
Apple: I used a Granny Smith apple for that fresh crunch and a pleasantly tart flavor.
Walnuts + almonds: Blitzed, for a rich, nutty flavor and satisfying crunch. I like using candied walnuts with brown sugar sometimes.
Dates: Medjool dates are best, but feel free to use any other soft dates if you aren't able to find these. To make things, you can also use date puree.
Citrus juice: Orange and lemon juice, to slightly loosen the mixture, and also for the acidity to balance the sweetness from the dates.
Spices: Ground cinnamon and cardamom, along with a pinch of sea salt. You can also add dried ginger powder for extra warmth.
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- Use pecans instead of walnuts for a slightly sweeter, buttery flavor, or swap some or all of the almonds for another nut you enjoy.
- Use another tart apple if Granny Smith isn't available.
- Use only orange juice or only lemon juice if that's what you have available, although the combination gives the spread a nice balance. Add some orange zest for extra brightness.
How to Make Charoset
Step 1: Add walnuts and almonds to your food processor and blitz until the mixture is coarse and chunky. Remove and set aside.
Step 2: Add dates, orange juice and lemon juice to the same food processor and blend until you get a paste that's almost smooth.
Step 3: Combine the crushed nuts with the date paste, spices, grated apple and a pinch of salt in a bowl.
Step 4: Mix well to combine. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.
💭Top Tip
Don't turn the nuts into a fine powder. Keeping the walnuts and almonds chunky gives the charoset a much more interesting texture and creates a nice contrast with the soft date paste and grated apple.
Tips & Tricks to Nail the Recipe
- Use soft, plump dates so they blend easily into a paste. If the dates that you have aren't soft enough, soak them in warm water for 10-15 minutes to rehydrate them before using them.
- Make sure the dates are completely deseeded before adding them to the food processor.
- Don't over-process the walnuts and almonds- you want them chunky for texture.
- Grate the apple just when you're about to mix things together. I did this when I made my carrot cake jam too.
How to Serve Charoset
Spoon this charoset apple walnut spread onto crackers or bread for a simple snack. The sweet, nutty mixture also pairs beautifully with cheese, making it a lovely addition to a larger appetizer or holiday spread, alongside other appetizers like cream cheese stuffed dates and Churro popcorn.
For the best texture, give it a good stir before serving so the apple, nuts, and date mixture are evenly distributed.
Troubleshooting and FAQs
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Yes. You can finely chop the nuts by hand and mash or finely chop the dates before mixing them with the citrus juice. The food processor simply makes the date paste quicker and easier.
Yes. Blitz the nuts more finely and process the date mixture until completely smooth. You can also grate the apple very finely for a more uniform texture.
More Fall Condiments
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If you tried this Charoset or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Charoset (Apple Walnut Spread)
Ingredients
- 1 Granny Smith apple
- 4-6 Medjool dates
- ½ cup orange juice
- ½ lemon juiced
- ½ cup walnuts
- ¼ cup almonds
- ¼ teaspoon cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 pinch sea salt
Instructions
- Add the walnuts and almonds to a food processor and blitz until chunky.
- Remove the nuts from the food processor and set aside.
- Add the deseeded dates, orange juice, and lemon juice to the same food processor.
- Blitz until the dates form an almost-smooth paste.
- Transfer the date mixture to a bowl.
- Add the chunky walnuts and almonds, a pinch of salt, powdered cinnamon, and powdered cardamom.
- Grate the entire Granny Smith apple and add it to the bowl.
- Mix everything well until thoroughly combined.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
- Keep the walnuts and almonds chunky rather than processing them into a fine powder.
- The dates should be blended into an almost-smooth paste while retaining a little texture.
- Use a crisp, tart apple such as Granny Smith for the best contrast with the sweet dates.
- Adjust the cinnamon, cardamom, and salt to taste.
- Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container.
