The Charoset Recipe You Will Want to Eat All Year

This easy Charoset recipe combines crisp sweet/tart apple, dried apricots, apricot preserves, toasted pecans, and aromatic cinnamon for a Passover dish that tastes like apple pie filling. It’s so delicious, you’ll want to eat it year-round!

For the past few years, each Passover I’ve been playing around with my Charoset recipe to come up with something I really love. This year I finally got it down pat!

Charoset is an easy recipe to customize the flavor and really make your own. For example:

• You can use different types of apple for a whole new taste.
• Most recipes have nuts, commonly walnuts, but sometimes almonds or pecans.
• Other recipes have dried fruit, such as raisins, dates, or figs.
• Most versions have cinnamon, and some also call for other warm spices, such as nutmeg.
• There’s typically some type of sweetener, such as honey or brown sugar.
• And quite a few recipes also have a little bit of Passover-friendly red wine.

This recipe is made without wine, and it’s my absolute favorite version. It tastes like apple pie filling!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• No bake (and no-cook!). This is as easy to make as it is delicious! It’s just a matter of chopping pecans, dried apricots, and fresh apple, and then combining everything.
• It tastes like apple pie filling. With apple, cinnamon, and sweet apricot preserves, it really does taste like pie filling!
• It’s versatile. Of course you can eat it on top of matzo (it’s one of my favorite Passover breakfasts!), but it’s also delicious year-round on top of yogurt, cottage cheese, oatmeal, pancakes, etc.

The Best Easy Charoset Recipe

In this recipe, I use a sweet/tart apple that provides great flavor and crunch.

Dried apricots and apricot preserves really help bring the sweet flavor of apricot to the foreground.

Toasted pecans add nutty crunch and depth.

A little bit of fresh lemon juice adds balance.

A hefty spoonful of cinnamon and a little touch of salt are the finishing touches.

However, you can take all that as guidelines and not hard-and-fast rules. Feel free to swap out ingredients to suit your preferences or based on what you have on hand. Make this dish your own!

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Sweet/tart apple – My favorite apple to use here is Honeycrisp. It has great flavor and crunchy texture.
• Dried apricots – Dried apricots add a chewy texture and bursts of sweet/tart flavor. To avoid sulfur dioxide (which is a preservative that sulphured apricots are treated with), look for unsulphured apricots.
• Toasted pecans – You can use walnuts, almonds, or any type of nuts you like. Alternatively, you can omit them if you prefer.
• Apricot preserves – Apricot preserves acts like a sauce or binder here. It’s the secret ingredient that makes this Charoset taste like apple pie filling!
• Fresh lemon juice – A little bit of fresh lemon juice adds a just enough tart flavor to make sure this isn’t too sweet.
• Cinnamon – Feel free to adjust the cinnamon level up or down, and add other warm spices (such as nutmeg) if you like.
• Salt – Salt helps create a balanced flavor profile, and pulls out the flavor of everything else.

Instructions

1. Toast and chop the pecans. Dice up the dried apricots.
2. Peel, core, and dice the apple.
3. Add all the ingredients to a bowl.
4. Stir to combine. If you have time, cover it and let it sit in the fridge for 2 hours before serving.

Storage

You might be wondering can you make Charoset ahead of time?

And the answer is yes! You can make it up to 5 days ahead and store it in an airtight container in the fridge.

As this sits in the fridge the flavors blend well and it releases liquid, which turns into a deliciously sticky sweet syrup that collects in the bottom.

Tips

• Use a crisp apple. Any type of apple will work, but I like to use a crisp apple (like Honeycrisp or Granny Smith) so it doesn’t completely lose its crunchy texture even after a couple days in the fridge.
• Take the time and toast the pecans (or whatever nuts you use). Toasting the nuts adds a delicious toasted nutty component to the dish. You can toast pecans on a baking tray in a 350F oven for 7 to 10 minutes, or in a skillet on the stovetop over medium heat for about 5 minutes.
• Let Charoset sit for about two hours before serving. Plan ahead just a little bit and let it chill in the fridge for a while because it’s even more delicious after the flavors have had the chance to blend.

Charoset FAQs

What is the Meaning of Charoset?

Derived from the Hebrew word “cheres”, meaning “clay”, you can also find this dish transliterated as Haroset or Haroseth.

It is a sweet condiment of fruit, nuts, and spices that Jewish people eat during Passover, notably during Passover feasts known as Seders.

What Does Charoset Symbolize in Passover?

Charoset is traditionally a brown paste-like condiment that’s meant to look like the mortar that the Hebrews used to make bricks while they were slaves in Egypt, the story of which is told in the Book of Exodus in the Bible.

Eating Charoset is not a mandate in the Torah; rather, the purpose of eating Charoset is from the Talmud.

You can read more about Charoset and the meaning behind it in Eater, Jamie Geller, Reform Judaism, and Chabad.

How Do You Eat Charoset?

Traditionally, Jewish people eat this along with bitter herbs (which are called “maror”) as part of a Passover Seder. It also makes a delicious breakfast or snack on top of matzah.

I think this version with apricots and pecans tastes similar to apple pie filling, and you can enjoy it in a few different ways.

Here Are a Few Ways to Eat Charoset Year-Round:

• Along with matzah or other crackers.
• As part of a cheese plate or charcuterie board along with other jams, relishes, and condiments.
• On top of yogurt or cottage cheese.
• As a topping for pancakes, waffles, French toast, or crepes.
• Warmed up and topped with a scoop of ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.

More Passover Recipes to Try

• Beef Brisket
• Coconut Macaroons
• Vegetarian Borscht
• Coconut Chicken Tenders