A Sephardic charoset recipe made with raisins, dates, dried figs and almonds. This tasty spread is delicious on matzoh for Passover and a must-have on your seder plate.
My husband, Isaac, is Jewish and over the years of being together I’ve had a lot of fun learning about Jewish traditions, participating in Jewish holidays and enjoying lots of amazing Jewish food! With Passover right around the corner, I thought it would be appropriate to share a traditional Passover dish that my mother-in-law (aka Bubbie) makes every year, charoset.
Charoset is a sweet, brown, pebbly paste of fruits and nuts, representing the mortar used between bricks by the Jewish slaves to build cities in Egypt.
The mixture varies depending on region. For instance, an ashkenazi charoset recipe from Eastern Europe would typically include nuts, chopped sweet apples (usually galas or fujis), cinnamon and sweet wine whereas the Sephardic recipe is thicker and contains ingredients native to the Middle East such as raisins, figs and dates.
I’ve had several different versions of charoset and have liked them all, however being a dried fruit lover, I absolutely love the texture and taste of the Sephardic version.
Luckily Bubbie was willing to share her recipe so I could make it myself (and share it with you)!
The ingredient list for charoset is pretty minimal! Here’s what you’ll need:
For this charoset, you’ll need a food processor or blender because the mixture is blended into a paste rather than just chopped. Here’s how to make it:
Pulse: Pulse until the mixture looks like a coarse paste. Remove the charoset from the processor and place it into a bowl or container.
Enjoy: Serve as a spread for matzoh.
Charoset is traditionally served at the Passover Seder and used as a spread on matzoh, but that doesn’t mean you have to be Jewish to enjoy it.
Maybe it’s the fruit and nut lover in me, but I honestly think this spread would be delicious on just about anything.
I already have plans to add the charoset to my oatmeal and yogurt bowls this week. It would also be phenomenal on a cheese plate or charcuterie board. The possibilities are endless.
This recipe can easily be made ahead of time! Refrigerate any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for later use. The charoset should last for 5-7 days in the fridge.
This recipe makes about 3.5 cups so if you’re only making it for a small family, you could easily halve the recipe.
Leave a Comment
This is sooo yummy! We don’t celebrate Passover but made it anyway to snack on and I’m so glad I did. Excellent!
Ahh yay!! So glad you enjoyed this recipe! Thanks for making it and for coming back to leave a review. I so appreciate it, Claire.
I have frozen processed figs that were fresh from our fig trees. I was wondering if I could use those instead of the applesauce, unless applesauce is an essential ingredient.
I haven’t tried it, but I bet that would work! Let me know how it turns out if you try it. 🙂
This Charoset reminds me the charoset we had in my childhood. Using applesauce instead of apple chunks is fantastic. It is also great as naturally sweetened spread. Thank you for sharing this.
Thanks for sharing! I actually need a recipe for this weekend 🙂
Let me know if you try it and what you think!!
This looks great. I am always looking for new chorset recipes. My challenge is tree nuts. I am allergic and trying to find substitutes. Any thoughts?
I bet you could try chopped apples instead of the nuts for this recipe. I haven’t tried it so I’m not 100% sure how it’ll turn out, so let me know if you try it!