Passover Charoset Recipe Made Easy (and Naturally Gluten Free) (2024)

Passover Charoset Recipe Made Easy (and Naturally Gluten Free) (1)

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This Passover Charoset Recipe is a classic recipe that we enjoy every single year. It’s sweet and fragrant, and I get compliments on it every time I make it. This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosures.

Passover is not just a celebration of the Jews release from Egyptian slavery; rather, it’s the birthday of the Jewish people. It’s the celebration of the Jews receiving the Torah directly from G-d and it’s the celebration of the birth of a people, a nation.

During Passover, we serve many symbolic foods to recognize where we came from as to never forget our history.

Most people are familiar with the symbolic food of matzo, which is an unleavened cracker typically made from wheat. I can’t eat regular matzo anymore, but I’m able to purchasegluten-free matzo or make my gluten-free oat matzo so I can still enjoy the mitzvah of taking matzah along with my family.

Related Reading: How to Make Your Own Gluten-Free Matzah with Oat Flour

One of my favorite symbolic foods to eat, however, is charoset. It is a sweet concoction of apples, wine, walnuts, and cinnamon.

Passover Charoset Recipe Made Easy (and Naturally Gluten Free) (2)

Charoset is symbolic of the mortar the Jewish people used to build bricks as slaves in Egypt. The shredded apples look like straw and the walnuts look like mud. This is the food that reminds us we were once slaves in the land of Egypt.

Blended together, the dish doesn’t look very appetizing… but once you bite into it, you’ll taste the sweet apples and wine and forget all about how bad it looks.

How to Make Charoset

To make this charoset recipe, you’ll need a good food processor like this beautiful one by Cuisinart. Shredding apples individually will be such a chore, so invest in a food processor to do it right and with ease.

(Alternatively, you could use a grater, especially if you’re only making a small amount of charoset.)

You’ll first want to peel, core and shred all the apples before processing them. This is what the apples look like when shredded in the food processor.

Passover Charoset Recipe Made Easy (and Naturally Gluten Free) (3)

Then you’ll want to process the walnuts in the food processor until they are finely chopped. Do not overprocess or you’ll have walnut butter!

Passover Charoset Recipe Made Easy (and Naturally Gluten Free) (4)

Then you’ll want to combine the shredded apples and crushed walnuts, along with some cinnamon and Kosher for Passover red wine or grape juice. Mix it all together, adding more wine and cinnamon to taste.

Passover Charoset Recipe Made Easy (and Naturally Gluten Free) (5)

The apples will soak up the wine, so if it tastes dry, add more wine. You will want to fudge with the recipe to make it taste to your liking.

The best part is that charoset is naturally gluten free. Unlike matzo ball soup, gefilte fish, and matzah farfel, which are other foods eaten on Passover that contain gluten, charoset does not.

Gluten-free Jews everywhere can eat charoset with confidence, along with a square of gluten-free oat matzo, which I also make by hand so I can complete the mitzvah of the matzo.

Passover Charoset Recipe Made Easy (and Naturally Gluten Free) (6)

Be sure to double the recipe if you’re cooking for a crowd, making it for both sedars, or just want to have leftovers to nosh on all week long. Charoset makes the perfect snack during Passover week.

A Few Notes

Here are a few notes to make your Passover Charoset work well.

Apple Type: I use and prefer Red Delicious apples because they are sweet and make a wonderful texture for charoset. I also like Fuji and Honeycrisp. Look for a sweet apple vs. tart apple. You could experiment with different apples to find one you like.Try it with Red Delicious, Fuji or Honeycrisp and notice the exceptional texture and taste.

Make Sure Wine is Kosher for Passover: Always use Kosher for Passover red wine (labeled with a circle P) when making charoset for Passover.

Make Ahead: This recipe can be made 1-2 days prior to Passover. Store it in the fridge in a sealed container. It will taste great for 4-5 days after making it.

Like a Different Texture? I like the straw-like apple shreds, but you could take about 1/3 of the apple shreds and process them in your food processor with the chopping blade (the same blade used to chop the walnuts). This will make the apples a bit more mushy in texture. Then mix the chopped apple shreds with the straw-like shredded apples to get a wonderful texture.

More Passover Recipes

Be sure to view some of my other Passover recipes too:

Passover Charoset Recipe Made Easy (and Naturally Gluten Free) (7)
  1. Gluten-Free Chocolate Quinoa Cake (pictured)
  2. Almond Flour Lemon Crinkle Cookies (pictured)
  3. Flourless Chocolate Torte (pictured)
  4. Chocolate Matzah Cake (pictured)
  5. Homemade Gluten-Free Oat Matzah
  6. Easy Beef Brisket
  7. Sweet BBQ Cola Chicken
  8. No-Bake Gluten-Free Chocolate Matzah Cake
  9. Overnight Chocolate Chip Meringue Cookies

Passover Charoset Recipe Made Easy (and Naturally Gluten Free) (8)

Passover Charoset

No Passover seder is complete without charoset. Charoset is a symbolic food that represents the mortar the Jewish people used to build bricks as slaves in Egypt. It’s also a sweet snack that can be enjoyed all week long.

4.75 from 8 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Snack

Cuisine: Jewish

Keyword: Charoset recipe, gluten-free passover recipes, Passover recipes

Prep Time: 25 minutes minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes minutes

Servings: 24 1/2 cup servings

Calories: 191kcal

Author: Jenny Levine Finke

Ingredients

  • 5 lbs Red Delicious, Fuji or Honeycrisp apples or apples of choice (see notes)
  • 3 cups walnuts shelled, about 12 ounces
  • 1 1/2 tbsp cinnamon more to taste
  • 1 1/2 cups Kosher for Passover red wine or grape juice, more to taste

Instructions

  • Peel and core all apples and cut them into large chunks. Then, working in batches, run each apple chunk through your food processor using the shredding disk. Set aside in a large bowl.

  • Optional: If you like your apples more chopped, change to the stainless steel blade and then pulse about 1/3 of the shredded apples mixture 3-5 times in your food processor, working in batches. Combine with the shredded apples.

  • Add walnuts to food processor (using the stainless steel blade) and pulse 4-6 times to finely chop the walnuts into small pieces. Do not overmix, otherwise you'll have walnut paste. Add chopped walnuts to apple mixture.

  • Add cinnamon and wine to the apple mixture and mix well by hand. Add more cinnamon and wine to taste. The apples will soak up the wine and taste amazing!

Notes

I use and prefer Red Delicious, Fuji or Honeycrisp apples because they are sweet and make a wonderful texture for charoset. You could experiment with different apples to find one you like.

Always use Kosher for Passover red wine (labeled with a circle P) when making charoset for Passover.

Recipe can be made 1-2 days prior to Passover. Store in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 5 days.

This recipe makes 12 cups of charoset. Each serving is 1/2 cup. Make extra to enjoy throughout the week!

Nutrition

Calories: 191kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 2mg | Potassium: 224mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 65IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 1mg

Tried this recipe?Mention @GoodForYouGlutenFree or tag #goodforyouglutenfree!

Passover Charoset Recipe Made Easy (and Naturally Gluten Free) (2024)

FAQs

Can I have gluten free bread during Passover? ›

During Passover the only source of gluten is from matzoh. Otherwise, the Kosher for Passover diet is inherently gluten-free. and the Sabbath Meals, special care must be taken to avoid cross-contamination with any form of gluten containing matzoh or other foods containing gluten.

What is Passover charoset made of? ›

Charoset (pronounced har-o-set) comes from the Hebrew word cheres that means "clay," though it goes by many different names around the world. It is a sweet relish made with fruits, nuts, spices, as well as wine and a binder such as honey.

What does charoset mean in Hebrew? ›

The word 'charoset' comes from the Hebrew word 'cheres' which means clay.

How do you eat charoset? ›

Charoset is one of the symbolic foods on the Passover Seder Plate. After reciting the blessings, and eating first maror dipped in charoset and then a matzah "Hillel sandwich" (with two matzot) combining charoset and maror, people often eat the remainder spread on matzah.

Is gluten-free panko OK for Passover? ›

Landau Panko crumbs are light & crispy with no added preservatives or food coloring. Gluten Free and Kosher for Passover, Panko Crumbs are a great choice for all your breaded recipes! Potato Flakes, Potato Starch. No food coloring, no preservatives and fat free.

Are gluten-free oats OK for Passover? ›

To remember the unleavened bread they ate when they left Egypt, we don't eat certain grains during the eight days of Passover. That means wheat, rye, barley and oats are prohibited (other than the grain used to make matzah). As a result, many kosher for Passover foods are also gluten-free.

What can I substitute for wine in charoset? ›

Purple grape juice: Kosher red wine is the traditional choice, but grape juice keeps our version family-friendly! White grape juice also works as a substitute.

What is a substitute for Manischewitz in charoset? ›

If you can't get Manischewitz or another sweet Passover wine, ruby port is a fine substitute. You can make this haroseth one day ahead and store it in the refrigerator; just mix it well before serving to reincorporate any liquid that might have seeped out of the mix.

What ingredients to avoid for Passover? ›

According to the Torah, we are supposed to eat matzo and abstain from eating wheat, barley, rye, spelt, and oats for the eight days of Passover. The category of foods called kitniyot (corn, rice, and beans) have also been off limits for many Ashkenazi families.

What does the lettuce symbolize in Passover? ›

In Ashkenazi tradition, fresh romaine lettuce or endives (both representing the bitterness of the Roman invasions) or horseradish may be eaten as Maror in the fulfilment of the mitzvah of eating bitter herbs during the Seder.

Why do Jews eat charoset on Passover? ›

After this discussion, the Talmud goes on to quote two third-century rabbis from the Galilee, who said that the use of charoset in the Passover meal was symbolic. According to Rabbi Levi, its consumption was “in memory of the apple,” while Rabbi Yochanan said it was “in memory of the mortar.”

What does the charoset symbolize in Passover? ›

On a surface level, charoset is present on the Seder plate to represent the mortar the Hebrews needed to work with during their enslavement, as the Hagadah states, “They embittered the Jews' lives with hard labor in brick and mortar.”

What does charoset mean in English? ›

charoset in British English

or haroset (xæˈrəʊsɛt ) noun. Judaism. a dish of chopped fruit, nuts, and wine eaten at Passover, representing the mortar that enslaved Jews used to build parts of Egypt.

What does the salt water represent on the Seder plate? ›

During the Seder, we're instructed to dip the parsley into salt water to symbolize the tears that were shed and the hardships that the Hebrew slaves were forced to endure.

What are the 6 items on a Seder plate? ›

There are at least five foods that go on the seder plate: shank bone (zeroa), egg (beitzah), bitter herbs (maror), vegetable (karpas) and a sweet paste called haroset. Many seder plates also have room for a sixth, hazeret (another form of the bitter herbs).

What kind of bread can you eat on Passover? ›

What bread is used for Passover? Great question! Matzo is the closest thing to bread that can be consumed during Passover. Obviously matzo meal, matzo cake meal, matzo farfel and any other form of matzo is also considered kosher for Passover.

What bread can you eat during Passover? ›

During Passover, Jews are forbidden to eat leavened foods, and instead eat matzo, an unleavened flatbread similar to the unleavened bread eaten during the flight from Egypt.

Is gluten-free considered unleavened bread? ›

Needless to say, unleavened bread is still made from wheat and is not gluten-free. But don't worry! There is now excellent gluten-free matzah on the market and well as many gluten-free products this time of year!

Can I use gluten-free flour during Passover? ›

Many traditional passover dessert recipes call for matzo meal in place of wheat flour, but other gluten-free and grain-free flours are kosher too.

References

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