This is a recipe my husband has been making for us since we moved into our house, 17 years ago. Our next door neighbors have an apple tree in their front yard and they don’t eat any of the apples from the tree but they’re thrilled that we do. While applesauce is also good to make with apples, this recipe is quick and easy, and goes down quickly at our house.
Apples, walnuts, and cinnamon is actually a traditionally Jewish dish called, Charoset (pronounced Ha-row-set) and is usually served at a Passover meal. When my husband was growing up, lots of his friends were Jewish and he attended many a Bar Mitzvah and Bat Mitzvah. He was served this dish often and it really stuck with him. He also knows all of the Seder dinner responses, too.
When our other neighbors (not the ones who have the apple tree in their front yard) invited our family over for a Seder dinner one Friday, I think they were surprised at how a Catholic would know all of their prayers so well.
I was just impressed that he could remember the prayers at all since I can barely remember what happened last week!
Apples, walnuts, cinnamon (or officially Charoset) is great with breakfast, lunch or as an after-school snack. I have no idea what type of apples we’re using but there’s nothing better than juicy, fresh, organic apples that were just picked – minus the worms!
Dicing the apples and scraps go into the green bowl. The green bowl goes to our backyard chickens. They don’t mind eating bad, wormy apples.
- 5 cups apples, diced
- 2 cups walnuts, chopped
- 1 lemon, juice of
- 3 Tablespoons red wine (or grape juice)
- 3 Tablespoons honey
- 3 teaspoons cinnamon
- Core apples and remove any bad spots.
- Dice apples into bite size pieces.
- Place apples in large mixing bowl.
- Pour lemon juice over apples quickly so they don’t turn brown
- Chop walnuts and add to bowl with apples.
- Add red wine, honey, and cinnamon.
- Stir until well combined.
- Serve and enjoy.
Notes:
- Store this in an airtight container in your refrigerator.
- No need to peel the apples but cut out the bad spots or wormy spots and compost – or give them to your backyard chickens.
- If you don’t have red wine or don’t want to use it, grape juice may be substituted.
My kids love this as an after school snack. My son got this beautiful plate of food when I picked him up from school for a piano lesson recently.
I’m not above bribing my kids with food during soccer season so that they stick with their piano!
How do you like to eat fall apples? Any favorite recipe you’ve been making for years?
Go Gingham related links:
Betsy’s best brownies – our chicken who is no longer with us
Healthy and tasty chocolate chip cookies – yes, with flax seeds and chocolate chips!
Delicious cake to make with apples – excellent cake
What to do with honey that’s hardened
Just say no to baby carrots!
The easiest applesauce ever – seriously
Go Gingham 
I love charoset, but it has never occurred to me to make it myself. I have everything but the wine. I could probably substitute juice for that. Mmmm…I’m looking forward to this.
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Ginger Kay!
So glad you’re going to make this. It is really good and now we need to make some more. The batch we made yesterday is already gone! It goes quickly – consider yourself forewarned 😉
Thanks for leaving a comment. Please let me know how it turns out for you with the juice.
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This dish looks wonderful! I have several apples that I need to use soon, so I’ll try this recipe this weekend. Thanks for sharing it.
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Tina, so glad! It’s a great recipe to use up your apples with before they go bad. While I love a good apple pie for using up apples – this is much easier and there’s no butter!
Thanks for leaving a comment, Tina.
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This looks so tasty. I’ve got to try it out. I was in the kitchen today making applesauce, but still have half a bushel left.
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Heidi, you’ll love this recipe because it’s super easy. Your pumpkin pie spice recipe is a good one. I bookmarked it. Thank you.
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I was pretty excited just to read the title of your latest post. Mmm. But I’m even more excited to read the recipe. Our church hosted a traditional passover seder meal this past Easter season and tied it in with Easter. My kids (well, all of us) loved the charoset and I vowed to make it sometime. Of course I forgot all about it–thank you for your timely reminder!
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Kris, you are so welcome and I’m glad you’re going to try it. It isn’t just for passover meals 🙂
I know what you mean about forgetting to make something – if I don’t write it down in my little notebook or on my calendar, it’s gone!
Thanks for leaving a comment. Please let me know how it turns out 🙂
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Oh, my gosh these all look so delish. I’m an apple fiend. For a while that and some peanut butter to dip in were my brown bag lunches.
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That’s what my daughter eats for a snack often – peanut butter mixed with honey and then she dips apples into the mix. It’s quite a little treat – except for the person who is cleaning out the little cup 😉
Thanks for leaving a comment!
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Ohhhh adding honey sounds amazing. I’m on par with your little one! Haha.
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I am super impressed about your husband’s ability to remember the prayers! I have been to one Seder and it was really long! The food was good though – thanks for sharing this recipe!
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