Sweet, sticky and delightful, this charoset recipe is also very easy to make. It is made with nuts, raisins, honey, and just a little wine.
I don’t consider Passover as a particularly tasty holiday. Hanukkah is much better (hello, latkes!). Matzo is not very good (except when made into matzo brei), and the traditional Seder meal, while certainly tasty, is not exactly exciting, culinarily speaking.
However, charoset is a delicacy. And particularly this recipe is so very good. Made with no apples, it’s fabulously smooth, sticky and sweet.
The ingredients you’ll need
You’ll only need five simple ingredients to make this tasty treat. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below. Here’s an overview of what you’ll need:
Walnuts: Make sure you use raw and unsalted nuts. These tasty nuts are among my favorites, by the way.
Raisins: I use 3 oz, and I prefer to use dark raisins, not golden raisins. Though if all you have are golden raisins, you can go ahead and use them.
Honey: Just 1/4 cup adds the perfect amount of sweetness and stickiness.
Dessert wine: Traditionally you would use a Jewish dessert wine. I often use marsala wine, which is a departure from tradition, but a tasty departure.
Vanilla extract: Try to use the real thing – pure vanilla extract – and not the artificially flavored stuff. It does make a difference, especially in an uncooked recipe.
How to make charoset
It’s so easy! The food processor does all the work. Scroll down to the recipe card for the detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps:
1. Start by processing the walnuts in your food processor. You want them finely chopped, but you should stop before they turn into walnut butter.
2. Now add the remaining ingredients and process until smooth.
3. Remove the blade and give the mixture one last good stir with a rubber spatula, paying special attention to the bottom of the bowl.
What wine to use?
I like to use Marsala wine. This is a (delicious) departure from tradition, for sure, but any sweet dessert wine will do.
If you wish, you can also make this recipe without wine. You can simply omit the wine, or you could use 100% grape juice instead. But the wine does add wonderful flavor, and it’s such a small amount.
What dried fruit to use?
I like to use raisins in this charoset recipe. If you wish, you can replace the raisins with chopped dates. It’s really a very flexible, forgiving recipe, so play with it and use your own preferred ingredients.
Not a low-carb recipe, obviously
This blog is dedicated to (mostly) keto and low-carb recipes, and this recipe is obviously not. However, I make it once a year for the Passover holiday and so I include it here (this blog is, after all, also my personal cookbook!).
Can I double this recipe?
Yes! This recipe, as written, yields a fairly small amount of charoset – 3/4 cup, or 6 servings. If you’re hosting a big Seder, you can easily double this recipe.
What about leftovers?
Leftovers keep well in the fridge, in an airtight container, for about a week. Do take them out of the fridge an hour or two before you plan on enjoying them.
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Charoset Recipe
INGREDIENTS
- 2 oz raw walnuts
- 3 oz raisins
- 4 tablespoons honey (80 grams)
- 2 tablespoons marsala wine (or any dessert wine)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
INSTRUCTIONS
- Process the walnuts in your food processor until finely chopped, but not a paste.
- Add the raisins, honey, wine and vanilla extract and process until fairly smooth.
- Remove the food processor’s blade and use a rubber spatula to give the charoset one more good stir, scraping the bottom, until well-blended.
- Transfer the charoset to a serving bowl.
- If not using the charoset the same day, cover and refrigerate, but remove from fridge 2 hours before serving and give it one final stir.
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NOTES
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Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, Reader's Digest, and Better Homes and Gardens.