Our family charoset recipe came to us courtesy of my husband’s sister. She learned the recipe from my mother-in-law, a Sephardic Israeli Jew who was married to an Ashkenazi Russian Jew. The charoset is pureed with dates, Sephardic-style, but it also contains apples and walnuts (traditional Ashkenazi charoset ingredients). Because of the blending of two food traditions, I call this our Ashkephardic Charoset Recipe.
Not only do I love the flavor of this charoset, I think it’s wonderful how my husband’s ancestry is reflected in the final dish. The pureed texture resembles mortar, which is one of the symbolic reasons we eat charoset (it represents the mortar that the enslaved Jews of Egypt used for building). Spreading this charoset on a matzo cracker is a highlight of our Seder meal. I hope your family enjoys this recipe as much as we do!
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Ashkephardic Charoset
Ingredients
- 1 cup pitted dates, tightly packed
- 3/4 cup walnut halves
- 1 apple, peeled, cored, and sliced
- 1 small ripe banana
- 2 tablespoons sweet kosher wine, or more to taste
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- A few apple slices, walnut halves, and lemon juice for garnish
NOTES
Instructions
- Pulse the pitted dates and walnut halves in a food processor till they form a crumbly mixture.
- Add raisins, banana, apple, sweet wine, cinnamon and black pepper to the processor. Blend for 1-2 minutes, scraping the sides periodically, until mixture becomes the consistency of a sticky paste (like hummus).Taste the mixture. Add kosher wine for more sweetness and to soften the mixture, if desired.
- Best when served chilled. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Please note that apples and bananas will begin to oxidize after the first day, and the mixture may darken in color. This is normal and does not affect the taste of the charoset.
Nutrition
Geshmak! I modified the recipe to suit a Nazir by substituting pomegranate juice for the red wine and a few more dates in place of the raisins. That worked beautifully.
This is absolutely THE best charoset I’ve ever had. It was hard not to eat more after tasting it! The recipe is amazing and easy to follow, and as this is the first time I’ve tried making charoset, I’m extremely happy with it and will be using it every year. Thank you so much!
Tori, how would you recommend proceeding with the recipe in a household where alcoholic beverage is forbidden (think along the lines of Nazirite)? I was thinking apple juice with a drop of apple cider vinegar, but perhaps you’ve tried something already. Thanks, Mike
Hi Mike, Tori’s assistant Ashley here. Apple juice would probably work, grape juice would also be nice. Sweet kosher wine tends to be quite sweet, so I would recommend a sweet juice.
Hi Tori, I just made your Israeli salad with pickles and mint and your sephardic charoset truffles for a women’s seder at a friend’s temple and both were hits.
Now I’m thinking about my family seder and want to do as much “cooking ahead”. How far in advance to you think this charoset can be made?
Thanks, Jill
Hi Jill– so sorry for the delayed response. You can make this up to two days ahead, it will last in the fridge for a few days but for best flavor try to make 48 hours ahead or less.
Tori, I made this for one of the Seder meals we had this week and it is the best charoset I’ve ever had! I wanted to dive head first into the bowl after the first bite! Had used all my dates and raisins for another dish, so I substituted them for prunes. Will definitely make again and again even after Pesach! Thanks so much for all the wonderful recipes!
Shalom & Schmaltz!(Peace & Chicken Grease!)
Angela that makes me so happy! Thank you for writing!
I am not Jewish, just a vegan and love your recipes. I hate to sound ignorant….but what is a CHAROSET and how do you eat it? Is it a dessert?
Judi charoset is a traditional Jewish dish used as a blessing during the Passover Seder meal. It is meant to represent the mortar that the enslaved Ancient Israelites of Egypt used when they were forced to build for the Pharaoh.
lol I mean “Cooking” of course!
😀 Thank you, Tori!!! ALL your recipes have been AMAZING for us here at home. Can’t believe you showed up on the scene! Where have you been cooling all my life!?!?
Aprnstrngs, you rock the kitchen! Glad it turned out well for you. 🙂
Thank You, Tori. This is a very special dish. I made it immediately (just to try it, as usual) and it is without a doubt my favorite charoses I have ever had. So glad I found you!
This is what I’ve been waiting for! I’ve never actually seen this pureed before. I’m going to have to try it for myself this year. Thanks for posting!
What a beautiful CHAROSET presentation!! Can’t wait to give it a try! 🙂 Michelle from Chicago