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If you’ve never been tempted to polish off a whole bowl of charoset by yourself, that’s about to change. This traditional charoset recipe is a little sweet, a little spiced, and absurdly delicious on some matzo. It comes together in one bowl, in under 15 minutes, with just 8 simple ingredients. Whether you’re prepping for a Passover Seder or just craving something naturally sweet and spiced, this stuff seriously over-delivers—minimal effort, maximum flavor, and a classic that never gets old.
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Charoset (חֲרֽוֹסֶת pronounced "ha-ro-set") is an essential symbolic food of the Passover Seder, with deep historical roots in the Exodus story. The name comes from the Hebrew word “cheres,” meaning clay, representing the mortar the Israelites used in Egypt. But let’s be real, this dish is way too good to only enjoy once a year. This version sticks to the classic Ashkenazi style with tart apples, toasted walnuts, a dash of cinnamon, and a splash of sweet kosher wine. It’s fresh, flavorful, and the perfect balance for any Passover spread.
Whether you're spreading it on matzah, making a Hillel sandwich with horseradish, or sneaking spoonfuls straight from the fridge, this charoses will quickly become your new favorite Seder side.
And if you’re building a full Passover feast, don’t miss out on my other go-tos: potato kugel, matzo ball soup, tzimmes, and that flourless chocolate cake my family fights over after we sing our hearts out with that classic dancefloor banger, Dayenu. However you enjoy it, this charoset is about to be the star of your Seder (or snack stash). Let’s get chopping!
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🥰 Why you’ll adore this easy Charoset recipe
✅ Tested and Approved Worldwide: Like all of my vegan Jewish recipes, after tweaking and perfecting, this charosis was shared with a team of testers around the globe who all nailed it on their first try.
⏱️ Quick to Make: You can whip this up in under 15 minutes (not counting the chill time) with just a cutting board, a skillet, and one mixing bowl. Ideal for when you need something fast but still impressive.
🛒 Made with Pantry Staples: Everything in this recipe—apples, walnuts, cinnamon, cardamom, and even the optional sweet wine or grape juice—is easy to find at any grocery store. No need for specialty shops or hard-to-pronounce ingredients.
✊ Vegan AF & GF: Like all of my vegan recipes, this Passover charoset is completely pareve, cholesterol-free, and made without causing harm to a single animal or insect. No honey, no dairy, no gluten—just natural, wholesome ingredients that deliver big on flavor.
🍎 Ashkenazi Charoset Ingredients
Apples
Apples (called "tapuach" in Hebrew) form the base of this charoset. Granny Smith (my fave for making vegan apple pie with), Fuji (which I use in my vegan Japanese curry), or pink lady (the absolute legend for making vegan apple cider donuts and vegan apple muffins) work best for their crisp texture and balance of sweetness and tartness.
Brown Sugar (or Coconut Sugar)
A touch of brown sugar ties everything together, bringing subtle molasses depth that pairs perfectly with the apples and walnuts. For a deeper, even more natural sweetness, I also love using coconut sugar or palm sugar (they add a caramelly flavor that’s perfect here). Plus, they’re a staple for Southeast Asian desserts, like Malaysian kuih ketayap, Indonesian Onde Onde, and Filipino suman malagkit, so I always keep them on hand.
Cardamom
Hey, not everyone uses cardamom in their charoset, but I think it gives a wonderfully subtle, musky flavor that I’d hate to leave out. Any ground cardamom will work, but I especially love the cloud forest cardamom from Burlap and Barrel.
Sweet Kosher Wine (or Grape Juice)
For that authentic depth and richness, a sweet kosher wine, like Manischewitz wine, does the trick. If you prefer non-alcoholic, grape juice (growing up, my family always used Kedem) works beautifully, still providing that traditional sweetness and fruitiness.
But honestly, Kedem is kinda crappy in the sense that it’s typically made from concentrate, and some varieties contain preservatives too. There are some bangin’ not-from-concentrate organic grape juices out there, and they have better flavor.
*See the recipe card at the bottom of the page for exact quantities, nutritional info, and detailed cooking directions.
🤯 Variations
Sephardic Charoset
Embrace Sephardic tradition by blending dried fruits like dates, figs, and raisins with chopped almonds and a hint of cinnamon. Some Sephardic recipes also add pomegranate molasses (the stuff I love to use plenty of in my ezme and kisir) or even swap wine for orange juice.
Yemenite Charoset
This spiced variation brings serious depth with a mix of dates, figs, and currants blended with black pepper, coriander, ginger, or homemade baharat. It’s naturally rich, slightly smoky, and a perfect balance of sweet and heat. Scoop it up with Afghani bolani bread or serve it alongside vegan shawarma dripping with zhoug and tahini dressing for an explosion of bold and contrasting flavors.
📖 How to make charoset
Follow these step-by-step photos with helpful instructions and nail this traditional charoset on your first try. Or scroll down to the bottom for the easy-to-print recipe card.
Step One
Apple-y Ever After:
Finely dice the apples into small pieces and set them aside.
Step Two
Jabba the Nut:
Toast the walnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently, until they’re lightly browned and fragrant. Let them cool, then chop them finely.
Step Three
Old Mix Donald:
In a large mixing bowl, combine the diced apples, chopped walnuts, brown sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, salt, and your sweet kosher wine or grape juice. Stir it all up until evenly mixed.
Step Four
(Optional) Blend Me Up, Scotty
If you’re into a more finely ground charoset, toss the mix into a food processor and pulse it just a few times.
✅ Just be careful not to overdo it! You aren’t looking to puree the stuff to oblivion, just break it up more than maybe your knife skills have time for.
Step Five
Chill Bill:
Transfer your charoset to an airtight container and chill it in the fridge for at least 4 hours. Let those flavors mingle and get even more delicious.
Step Six
Auspicious Accoutrement:
Serve it chilled for the best flavor, or let it sit at room temperature for a softer texture.
🥪 How to Make a Hilel Sandwich:
Usually my father and I make all of the hillel sandwiches at our Passover seder to pass around to the rest of the family. Assembling them like this is a great plan if you have lots of little kids at the table.
Step 1
First, break the matzo into slightly larger-than-bite-sized pieces on a platter.
Step 2
Place a small amount of bitter herbs ("maror" like horseradish) onto the bottom half of each matzo pair. You can either use julienne cut strips of fresh horseradish, or use the ground horseradish that’s prepared with beet juice in it.
Step 3
Add a generous dollop of charoset over the horseradish.
Step 4
Place the top portions of matzo to form little finger sandwiches.
This symbolizes the bittersweet nature of Passover, combining the bitterness of slavery with the sweetness of redemption; this practice is named after the ancient Rabbi Hillel who is said to have eaten the Passover elements this way.
Got a whole box of extra matzo leftover after your seder? Use it to make this absurdly good vegan matzo brei for breakfast the next day!
💡 Serving Ideas
Want to smash this outside of Pesach? It slaps slathered on some homemade vegan challah (or round challah for Rosh Hashanah). It’s absolutely glorious spooned over oatmeal, to go with vegan matzo meal pancakes, swirled into breakfast bowls, used to top vegan chocolate babka, or tossed into a simple green salad for a burst of fruity, nutty goodness.
👉 Top tips
- Lightly Toasted Walnuts: Toasting walnuts in a skillet for 4-5 minutes brings out their nutty flavor without overpowering the dish. Stir them often to prevent burning.
- Mind the Dice: Chop your apples and walnuts into uniform, super-fine dice. Don’t over-process—charoset should be chunky, not puréed.
- Let It Marinate: Refrigerating for at least 4 hours (or overnight) helps the flavors combine and build up, so don’t rush this step!
🤷♀️ Recipe FAQs
Charoset is a sweet, chunky nut mixture combined with fruits and wine, traditionally offered on the Passover Seder plate. Its texture and color are meant to resemble the mortar used by the Israelites during their enslavement in Egypt. Beyond its symbolic significance, charoset adds a delightful sweetness to the Seder plate.
Among the many traditional foods of the Passover holiday, charoset stands out as a symbolic dish representing the mortar used by the Hebrews during their backbreaking enslavement in Egypt. In the Haggadah, it’s described as: “They embittered the Jews’ lives with hard labor in brick and mortar.” But charoset isn’t just about suffering; it’s about redemption too. It symbolizes the spiritual freedom granted by God when He freed the Israelite slaves.
Beyond the Exodus story, charoset also recalls the blood of the paschal lamb, the mark on the doorposts that spared the firstborn in Egypt. Over time, sweet red wine—called the “blood of grapes” in Genesis 49:11—took its place, mixed with fruit and nuts to create this deeply meaningful dish. The cinnamon? That’s thought to represent the straw the Israelites gathered for Pharaoh’s never-ending construction projects. And that mix of sweet and bitter? It’s no accident—the sweetness of charoset balances out the bitterness of maror (horseradish), reminding us that even in suffering, there’s hope.
Interestingly, charoset isn’t actually mentioned in the Torah, but the Talmud links it to the fruits of Israel in spring, as celebrated in Shir Hashirim (Song of Songs). It’s a symbol of gratitude, abundance, and the sweetness of freedom—fitting, since it’s hands down one of the best parts of the Seder plate.
Got an allergy? I’m not trying to send you to the hospital in anaphylactic shock! For a nut-free charoset, you can substitute nuts with seeds. Sunflower pine nuts (which I use to make butter for my blue corn pancakes) or pumpkin seeds can add a pleasant crunch without introducing allergens.
Yes, charoset is naturally gluten-free since it’s just fruit, nuts, spices, and wine or juice. That said, if you’re making it for someone with celiac or a serious gluten sensitivity, double-check that your wine or grape juice is certified gluten-free. Some processed versions can have sneaky additives, and cross-contamination is always a thing to watch out for.
Absolutely! Charoset actually gets better after sitting in the fridge for a few hours (or even overnight). Just don’t prep it more than 24 hours in advance—apples can lose their crunch after too long.
Simply store it in an airtight container, give it a stir before serving, and if it looks a bit dry, add a splash of wine or juice to freshen it up.
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Traditional Passover Charoset Recipe
Equipment
- food processor (optional)
Ingredients
- 2 medium apples (granny smith, fuji, pink lady, or gala)
- 2 cups walnuts
- 4 teaspoons brown sugar or coconut sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ½ teaspoon orange zest
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup sweet kosher wine or grape juice
Instructions
- Finely dice the apples and set aside.
- In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast the walnuts for 4-5 minutes stirring frequently, until fragrant and lightly browned.
- Allow the walnuts to cool, then finely dice them.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the diced apples, diced walnuts, brown sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, salt and either wine or grape juice. Stir until the mixture is evenly combined.
- Optionally, if you want finer charoset, you can pulse the mixture a few times in a food processor. Just be careful not to grind it down too significantly.
- Transfer the mixture to a sealed container and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Serve the chilled charoset with matzah. To make a Hillel sandwich, spread charoset on a piece of matzah, layer with a small amount of horseradish, and top with another piece of matzah.
Notes
🥜 All About That Toast
Toasting walnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for 4-5 minutes brings out their deep, nutty flavor without overpowering the dish. Stir frequently to prevent burning.🔪 Dice Hard
Chop apples and walnuts into small, even pieces for the perfect chunky texture. Over-processing can turn charoset into a paste—keep it rustic!🥶 License to Chill
Let charoset chill for at least 4 hours (or overnight) to let the flavors fully develop. It’s worth the wait—don’t rush the magic!Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
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hg says
Simple but great. One of the few things that actually make matzo taste good.