Complete Your Passover Seder with Sweet, Crunchy Charoset
Charoset, a sweet blend of chopped fruits and nuts, is a symbolic and beloved dish served on Passover. Despite the somber story behind it (charoset symbolizes the mortar the Israelites used when enslaved in Egypt), this dish itself is wonderfully sweet and uplifting. In fact, it’s my children’s favorite thing to eat during a Passover seder!
Passover At A Glance: What Is It?
Passover (Pesach) is a Jewish holiday (my husband’s favorite holiday…) that commemorates the ancient Israelites’ liberation from slavery in Egypt. Each year, families gather for a special meal called a Seder where symbolic foods are eaten to reflect on different aspects of the Exodus story. As a family, we read excerpts from the story–and sing songs and drink 4 glasses of wine!–throughout the Seder.
It’s kind of like a mini service that culminates at the dinner table with a large celebratory meal. And the whole family gets involved; even the youngest member has a special role and reads the Four Questions. The big takeaway? No leavened food (chametz) for the duration of Passover, which lasts eight days.
The dishes we serve on Passover are all rooted in tradition, and apple and walnut charoset is one of the leading stars.
Complete your Seder for Pesach with more easy Passover recipes, like my homemade matzo ball soup, slow-cooked leg of lamb with white wine, or this dense, fudgy flourless chocolate cake perfect for dessert!
What To Expect
This version of charoset strikes a balance between sweet and tangy.
To make charoset at home, you’ll want some crisp apples (my go-to variety here is Gala or Fuji, but Granny Smith is great if you love a bit of tartness) a handful of walnuts, a splash of red wine, a bit of brown sugar, a pinch of cinnamon, kosher salt, and a squeeze of fresh lemon.
I personally like tossing in raisins for extra sweetness—feel free to swap in another dried fruit, like cherries, cranberries, or dried apricots.
The result is a vibrant mixture that’s crunchy, sweet, and slightly tart—perfect for spreading on matzo (with chopped chicken liver please!).
Directions
Making charoset at home could not be simpler!
- Toast the walnuts: Place walnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat. Toast for just a few minutes, shaking the pan every so often. You’ll know they’re done when they become fragrant and lightly golden. Finely chop, then transfer to a large bowl. (Keep an eye on them—walnuts can burn in a flash!)
- Toss with remaining ingredients: Add chopped apples, a splash of red wine, brown sugar, fresh lemon zest, lemon juice, ground cinnamon, and a sprinkle of kosher salt. If you’re a fan of raisins, add a third of a cup now. Give everything a good toss, then taste and adjust with more wine, lemon, or salt, if needed.
You can serve it right away at room temperature, but I find it even better after it sits for about 30 minutes—just enough time for all those flavors to mingle.
Ari’s Best Tips!
- Toasting walnuts brings out their nutty flavor. Don’t skip this step! Be sure to remove them from the heat when they smell fragrant to avoid bitterness.
- Customize to your liking! If you like it less sweet, reduce the sugar and increase the lemon juice. Want to increase the sweetness? Add more dried fruit!
- I always peel the apples, but you certainly don’t need to.
- If avoiding alcohol, you can easily substitute the wine with grape juice. But you still need something to keep the charoset sweet and moist.
I do not recommend freezing leftover charoset. It’s best enjoyed fresh!
What To Serve At Passover Dinner
Traditionally, charoset is served during the Passover Seder alongside matzo and the other symbolic foods: a hard-boiled egg, parsley, bitter herbs, a roasted lamb shank bone, and salt water.
One of my favorite Passover traditions is to add an orange to the Seder plate. I learned about this in 2009 when I was in grad school. It’s meant to symbolize the inclusion of marginalized groups in Judaism, specifically women and the LGBTQ+ community. Ever since then, I’ve added an orange to my family’s seder plate. 🍊
These are the dishes we often serve for Pesach:
- White wine-roasted leg of lamb
- Lamb is certainly traditional, but we have a lot of seafood lovers, so I’ll often make baked salmon with lemon as well. If you prefer beef, flanken ribs with prunes are always a crowd-pleaser!
- Crispy roasted Brussels sprouts or oven-roasted carrots
- Homemade Jewish chopped chicken liver
- Light-as-a-cloud matzo ball soup
And for dessert, my 3 favorites are: Italian almond ricotta cake, this flourless chocolate torte, and the quintessential Passover dessert, chocolate toffee matzo with sea salt!
No Seder is complete without charoset, and this recipe–which I’ve been making for over 15 years!–has never failed me. A perfect complement to matzo, horseradish, and everything else at your Passover dinner.
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Traditional Apple & Walnut Charoset
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup (150g) walnut halves or pieces
- 3 medium Gala apples, peeled, cored, and cut into ¼-inch pieces
- ¼ cup red wine, something good enough to drink, but on the sweeter side
- 1 Tbsp light brown sugar, or honey
- 1 lemon, zested and 1-2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
Instructions
- Toast the walnuts. Place walnuts in a medium dry skillet, then set over medium heat. Cook, shaking the pan occasionally, until fragrant and light golden brown, about 2-3 minutes. They can burn easily, so don’t leave them unattended. Finely chop the walnuts, then transfer to a large bowl.
- Add remaining ingredients. To the walnuts, add diced apples, ¼ cup red wine, 1 Tbsp brown sugar, 1 tsp fresh lemon zest, 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, and ¼ tsp kosher salt. Toss to thoroughly mix, then taste and adjust seasoning, adding additional lemon juice, salt, or wine, as needed. Charoset can be enjoyed at room temperature or chilled, but I like to let it sit for at least 30 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
- To make-ahead: You can prepare charoset a day in advance, which often enhances the flavor since the apples, wine, and spices get more time to mingle. Simply cover and refrigerate.
- Store: Store any remaining charoset in an airtight container and refrigerate. It should stay fresh for around three days. If the mixture looks a bit dry, stir in a little extra wine or lemon juice before serving again.
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