Taste Test: 22 Nut-Free Charoset Recipes

Flavors from Around the World

Have you tried avocadoes, bananas, ginger, chocolate or cayenne pepper in charoset? How well does Ashkenazi apples-nuts-wine charoset stand up to her cousins? Have an international Jewish taste test and discover your favorites!

For each recipe, chop the ingredients, stir to blend, and experience new charoset flavors from Jewish traditions around the world.

In alphabetical order:

American Fusion

•  Dried cranberries
•  Dried cherries
•  Honey
•  Strawberries (fresh or frozen)
•  Cinnamon
•  Ginger
•  Curry



Ashkenazi

•  3 red apples
•  ¼ cup grape juice
•  ½ cup honey
•  1 cup raisins
•  Cinnamon



Brazilian

•  Avocado
•  Banana
•  Orange
•  Granny Smith apple



Bubbe’s Special

•  1 Granny Smith green apple
•  A blend of white and red raisins
•  2 teaspoons cinnamon
•  2 teaspoons sugar
•  Grape juice to moisten



California 1

•  Banana
•  Dried apricots
•  Mango
•  Dried apples
•  Banana chips
•  Cinnamon
•  White grape juice to moisten



California 2

•  1 large avocado, peeled
•  Juice of ½ lemon
•  Golden raisins
•  Pitted dates
•  Pitted prunes
•  Dried figs
•  Grated peel of one orange
•  Orange juice



Chocolate

•  Chocolate chips
•  Apples
•  Honey
•  White grape juice



Cranberry

•  Apples
•  Cranberries
•  Raisins
•  Cinnamon



Greek

•  1 orange, peeled and seeded
•  ½ cup raisins
•  ½ cup pitted dates
•  Cherry preserves
•  Dark grape juice
•  Ground ginger
•  Cayenne pepper
•  Sugar
•  1 tablespoon dark grape juice



Iraqi

•  Honey
•  Figs
•  Dates
•  Raisins
•  Currants
•  Dark grape juice



Israeli

•  2 red apples
•  2 oranges
•  ½ cup pitted dates
•  ¼ cup white grape juice
•  Cinnamon



Italian

•  1 apple, cored and cut into pieces
•  3 sliced bananas
•  10-pitted dates
•  Juice and grated rind of ½ lemon
•  Juice and grated rind of ½ orange
•  Dark grape juice
•  1 teaspoon cinnamon
•  Sugar or honey
•  Matzah meal to hold it together



Mexican

•  1 pear, peeled
•  3 apples, peeled
•  3 bananas, mashed
•  2 cups pitted dates (about 1 lb)
•  2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
•  1 cup dark grape juice



Moroccan

•  Figs
•  Dates
•  Raisins
•  Other dried fruit, like currants
•  Grape juice



Persian

•  1 pear, peeled
•  1 apple, peeled
•  Pitted dates
•  Raisins
•  Cinnamon
•  Ginger root, grated
•  Apple cider vinegar
•  Dark grape juice



Sephardic

•  Apples
•  Pitted Dates
•  Raisins
•  Other dried fruit, like currants
•  Grape juice
•  Honey (optional)



Traditional

•  3 red apples
•  ¼ cup grape juice
•  ½ cup honey
•  1 cup raisins
•  Cinnamon



Turkish

•  Pitted dates
•  Dried apricots
•  Dried figs
•  Ginger
•  Coriander
•  Cinnamon
•  Dark grape juice



Venetian

•  Matzah meal
•  1 apple, peeled  
•  3 sliced bananas
•  10 pitted dates
•  Juice and grated rind of ½ lemon
•  Juice and well-grated rind of ½ orange
•  3 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
•  Dark grape juice
•  1 teaspoon cinnamon
•  Sugar or honey



Wolfgang Puck's

•  6 Granny Smith apples
•  1 lemon, juiced
•  1 cup golden raisins
•  Honey to taste
•  Cinnamon to taste
•  Dark grape juice to moisten



Yemenite 1

•  Pitted dates
•  Dried figs
•  Dried apricots
•  White or black raisins
•  Macintosh apples
•  Dark grape juice
•  Ground cinnamon



Yemenite 2

•  Chopped dates
•  Chopped green apple
•  Matzah meal
•  Sesame seeds
•  Ground ginger powder
•  Cinnamon
•  Cayenne pepper