My Family's Apple Harosets Recipe & What Passover Is Really About (2024)

Published: · Modified: by Dana Shrager · This post may contain affiliate links

Harosets is my favorite Passover dish. I have no idea why we only make it one time a year because it has the best contrast of texture and flavor. I love it served on matzo where the apples are soft in comparison to the crispy matzo. The apples burst with cinnamon and sweetness while the matzo is plain. My family's harosets recipe is in the traditional Ashkenazic style with apples, cinnamon, walnuts, and wine.

My Family's Apple Harosets Recipe & What Passover Is Really About (1)

This recipe has to be one of the only family recipes that I haven't tinkered with. The recipe is simple and perfectly balanced as is. This is a rare family recipe that actually comes with precise measurements. So many of my family's legendary old recipes seem to be just a list of ingredients without measurements or directions. I remember asking my mom about the vague recipes a long time ago, and she said, "Well, the ladies in the family just knew how to cook from watching the previous generation and from experience. They only needed general guidelines and didn't need detailed recipes." It was hard for my young self to image ever being able to cook without a recipe. That just seemed impossible to me when I was a new cook. And yet after decades of experience, I too know how to cook without a recipe. My younger self would be shocked and pleased.

My mom further explained that the generation before her didn't haveany recipes written down. They came from the 'Old Country' and literally measured ingredients by the handful, pinch, or drinking cup. They were poor, less educated, and had very different living conditions. My mom gave me a small glimpse into what life must have been like for my grandparents in a Russian shtetl (small village)100 years ago. As I get into the mind space of Passover and its theme of freedom, I want to remember to be thankful that my grandparents escaped Czarist Russia and immigrated to the United States. I have a much better life and more freedom thanks to them. As I enjoy my sweet harosets at the Passover seder, I want to remember that my grandparents made my sweet life possible. Appreciating our freedom is what Passover is really about.Chag Sameach (Happy Holidays).

My Family's Apple Harosets Recipe & What Passover Is Really About (2)
My Family's Apple Harosets Recipe Print

Cuisine: Passover

Author: Dana @ FoodieGoesHealthy.com

Prep time:

Total time:

Serves: 16 servings or more

This delicious apple harosets recipe has been on my family's Passover seder table for generations.

Ingredients:

  • 1-¼ cups toasted walnuts
  • 6 medium apples, unpeeled, cored and quartered (Fuji and Granny Smith, or other like Gala, Pink Lady)
  • 1-½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon honey
  • 3 ounces Manischewitz Concord grape sweet wine

Instructions:

  1. In a food processor use the chopping blade, and chop the walnuts until they are finely chopped. Set aside in a large bowl.
  2. Then chop the apples in the food processor in batches until they are very small pieces but not mush. Transfer the chopped apples to the large bowl.
  3. Next add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl and stir to combine. Taste for sweetness and cinnamon, and add a little more if desired.
  4. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days before Passover. Serve slightly cold during the Passover Seder.

Notes:

Update from 2016: This recipe as written is the exact recipe that I have been making for countless years. But this year Passover came late in the year, and my end of the season apples weren't that sweet and didn't have a lot of flavor. So, I had to add another tablespoon of honey, a couple more shakes of cinnamon, and another good splash of wine. Don't be afraid to adjust this recipe to taste. Also, my cousin likes to squeeze juice from half of a lemon into the recipe. It's flexible.

I always make extra harosets because I love to eat it all week long. Just in case I get tired of eating it on matzo, do you have any other ideas for enjoying leftover harosets? Please let me know in the comments.

More Jewish Holiday Favorites

  • Chocolate Covered Toffee Matzo Crack
  • Matzo Lasagna for Passover
  • Matzo Recipe Ideas for Passover
  • Easy Matzo Pizza for Passover

Reader Interactions

Comments

    Leave a Comment

  1. Beth says

    My children's favorite way to eat leftover Haroset is with a spoon, but you could try it in a tart shell, or if by some miracle there is a lot, you could use it in a pie or make hand pies with it.

    Reply

    • Dana Shrager says

      I love these ideas. It would make such good hand pie filling.

      Reply

  2. Tina says

    How big are the servings? I’m looking for a total yield in cups. (Upcoming service at church)

    Reply

  3. Cyndi says

    Is there a good substitution for the wine? I’ll have some that would prefer I left it out. Thanks!

    Reply

    • Dana Shrager says

      Yes, grape juice is a good substitute.

      Reply

  4. Margaret says

    Thank you for the recipes. Always looking for new dishes during passover and days of unleavened bread.

    Reply

    • Dana says

      Thank you for commenting. This is a great twist on a classic, so it's a fun one to add to the repertoire.

      Reply

  5. Deborah Davidson, Ph.D. says

    Love this!

    Reply

    • Dana @ Foodie Goes Healthy says

      Deb, thanks so much for checking this out.

      Reply

  6. Nancy Rose Eisman says

    Wonderful tradition and memories. Happy and Healthy Holidays Dana!

    Reply

    • Dana @ Foodie Goes Healthy says

      Hi Nancy- thanks for the quick read. Happy Passover. Hope to see you soon!

      Reply

My Family's Apple Harosets Recipe & What Passover Is Really About (2024)

FAQs

What is a typical Passover dinner menu? ›

The actual Seder meal is also quite variable. Traditions among Ashkenazi Jews generally include gefilte fish (poached fish dumplings), matzo ball soup, brisket or roast chicken, potato kugel (somewhat like a casserole) and tzimmes, a stew of carrots and prunes, sometimes including potatoes or sweet potatoes.

What is Charo set? ›

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 food is served at the Passover? ›

What Do You Eat for Passover Seder Dinner? In addition to the foods included on the Seder plate, Passover typically involves a delicious meal for all to enjoy. The menu may differ depending on family tradition, but some popular choices include brisket, roasted chicken, gefilte fish and potato kugel.

What are 3 examples of traditional Passover foods? ›

If you're looking to make some delicious meals with some of the Passover foods below and more, some of our favorite recipes include:
  • Matzo Ball Soup.
  • Gefilte Fish.
  • Slow Cooker Brisket.
  • Crispy Roasted Potatoes.
  • Green Beans With Olive-Almond Tapenade.
  • Roasted Chicken and Potatoes with Kale.
  • Cauliflower Tabbouleh.
  • Potato Kugel.
Apr 8, 2022

What are the three foods of the Passover meal? ›

The biblical passover meal involves the commanment to eat Roasted Passover Lamb, Matzoh, and Bitter Herbs alongside an edible mixture to remind us of mortar.

Why is charoset eaten for 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 is haroset in Hebrew? ›

Charoset, haroset, or charoises (Hebrew: חֲרֽוֹסֶת, romanized: ḥəróseṯ, Yiddish: חרוסת, romanized: kheróyses) is a sweet, dark-colored paste made of fruits and nuts eaten at the Passover Seder.

What is the most important Passover food? ›

The major mitzvah of Passover is two fold 1. you must eat almost 2 pieces of matzah on the seder night (though you don't have to have wine - you can have grape juice instead.)

What foods are not allowed at Passover? ›

Ashkenazi Jews, who are of European descent, have historically avoided rice, beans, corn and other foods like lentils and edamame at Passover. The tradition goes back to the 13th century, when custom dictated a prohibition against wheat, barley, oats, rice, rye and spelt, Rabbi Amy Levin said on NPR in 2016.

Can you eat potatoes on Passover? ›

Potatoes are the answer to that yearly question, "what am I going to cook for Passover?" Instead of focusing on what you can't eat during Passover, enjoy what you can eat, like potatoes.

What are the 6 foods 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 not to eat on Passover? ›

During Passover, Ashkenazi Jews traditionally stay away from not only leavened foods like bread, namely barley, oats, rye, spelt, and wheat, but also legumes, rice, seeds, and corn. The ban has been in place since the 13th century, but it's always been controversial.

What does a biblical Passover meal consist of? ›

The Seder plates I've grown up with create a culinary retelling of the story using five elements: karpas, a fresh herb to represent spring, usually parsley; maror, the “bitter herb” God told the Israelites to eat on Passover, often represented as horseradish root; charoset, a rendition of the mortar the slaves used in ...

What is the Catholic seder meal? ›

Seder participants gather around a table to eat and drink items that remind them of the exodus using salty, sweet, savory and bitter flavors. Participation in this meal gives us a more profound understanding of the Eucharist. This is the Passover meal that Jesus ate with his disciples on the night before he died.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Zonia Mosciski DO

Last Updated:

Views: 6230

Rating: 4 / 5 (71 voted)

Reviews: 94% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Zonia Mosciski DO

Birthday: 1996-05-16

Address: Suite 228 919 Deana Ford, Lake Meridithberg, NE 60017-4257

Phone: +2613987384138

Job: Chief Retail Officer

Hobby: Tai chi, Dowsing, Poi, Letterboxing, Watching movies, Video gaming, Singing

Introduction: My name is Zonia Mosciski DO, I am a enchanting, joyous, lovely, successful, hilarious, tender, outstanding person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.