By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 14, 2026
Serves 4
240 cal · 15 min
Sephardi Charoset
Recipe GLPR63cef68bf0a360
A traditional Passover paste made from dried fruits simmered in sweet wine until tender and syrupy, then blended with toasted almonds. This Sephardi version combines raisins, dates, and apricots for a rich, naturally sweet condiment with warm spice notes. Served during the Seder ceremony, it pairs wonderfully with matzah or as a topping for other dishes.
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Ingredients
100 ml sweet dessert wine, red wine, or grape juice
110 g raisins
55 g Medjool or regular dates, finely chopped
55 g dried apricots, finely chopped
ground cinnamon, plus extra to taste
60 g whole almonds, toasted
salt to taste
Directions
Pour the wine or grape juice into a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add the raisins, chopped dates, chopped apricots, and a large pinch of cinnamon. Simmer gently, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 6 minutes, until the liquid becomes syrupy and the fruit softens. If the liquid begins to evaporate too quickly before the fruit softens, add another 20 ml of wine or juice. Remove from heat and allow the mixture to cool completely.
Place the toasted almonds in a food processor and pulse until the nuts are broken into a mix of smaller and larger pieces with no whole nuts remaining. Transfer the processed almonds to a mixing bowl. Add the cooled fruit mixture to the food processor and pulse until it forms a coarse paste with some visible chunks of fruit still present.
Scrape the processed fruit mixture into the mixing bowl with the almonds and stir thoroughly to combine. Season with a pinch of salt and taste, adjusting with additional cinnamon and salt as desired. Transfer to an airtight container and store for up to several days.
Comments
Every ingredient is available at any Charlotte supermarket—Wine, raisins, dates, dried apricots, cinnamon, and almonds are standard shelf stock at Harris Teeter, Food Lion, Walmart, and ALDI. At roughly $12–15 total for four servings, the cost per serving runs $3–4, driven mainly by the dried fruit and nuts, which is reasonable for a holiday condiment. The stated 15 minutes is honest; you're simply chopping dried fruit and nuts, then mixing with wine and spices—true hands-on time plus no complicated technique. This reheats perfectly and keeps for days in the refrigerator, making it ideal for a Passover or holiday meal where prep can happen in advance.
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