This colorful homemade muhammara recipe with roasted red peppers, walnuts, and tangy pomegranate molasses is an irresistible Mediterranean appetizer. It’s a vegan dip that’s easy to prepare and so flavorful. The Middle Eastern spread is perfect for entertaining and best served with warm pita or fresh vegetables.
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Muhammara is a Middle Eastern roasted red pepper and walnut dip originating in Syria but is popular throughout the region. It’s common on Lebanese restaurant menus.
I first tried muhammara dip when visiting family in Dubai and had to replicate it! I like to serve muhammara as an appetizer with warm pita bread or veggies, but it also works great as a sandwich spread or as a topping for grilled meat.
Walnuts and breadcrumbs add texture, while the pomegranate molasses adds sweetness and tanginess, making this recipe stand out from other dips.
The bright red color makes this dip an attractive addition to a Arabic mezze platter or appetizer table. Muhammara tastes better if you let it rest in the refrigerator for a day.
➡ If you like this walnut and roasted red pepper recipe, you’ll love my other Middle Eastern dips for entertaining, such as mutabal (baba ganoush) and hummus.
Ingredients and Tips
🧂 Ingredients You’ll Need for this Easy Muhammara
💡 Ingredient and Recipe Tips for Syrian Red Pepper Dip
🫒 Olive Oil: Use the best quality extra virgin olive oil.
🍶 Pomegranate Molasses: Pomegranate molasses is a crucial ingredient for this Middle Eastern walnut dip and is available on Amazon or Arabic markets. It’s a concentrated pomegranate juice similar to balsamic glaze.
🍋 Lemon Juice: If you can’t find pomegranate molasses, use lemon juice and a bit of honey.
🫑 Bell Peppers: You can buy fresh red bell peppers and grill them on the stove or in the oven, or use jarred roasted peppers. It’s a great shortcut for this recipe!
🌶️ Red pepper flakes: I use red chili flakes if I don’t have Aleppo pepper flakes. However, if you have Aleppo pepper, use it instead. You can also substitute Aleppo chili pepper with cayenne pepper.
🌰 Walnuts: Toast the walnuts in a skillet or the oven and allow to cool for best results.
❓ FAQs
You could add sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds. The texture and taste will be different, but these alternatives will still provide body to the roasted red pepper walnut dip. You could also add some more breadcrumbs instead.
Authentic muhammara has a mild to medium heat from Aleppo pepper. You can easily adjust the spice level by increasing or decreasing the quantity of red pepper flakes or Aleppo pepper to suit your preference.
Breadcrumbs absorb liquid from the roasted red peppers and create a chunky texture. Use gluten-free breadcrumbs or add extra walnuts.
♨️ How To Make Muhammara Arabic Dip
- In a food processor, puree the homemade or jarred roasted red peppers until coarsely chopped.
- Reserve a few pieces of walnuts. Add remaining ingredients (except garnishes).
- Puree until slightly coarse (or desired texture).
- Transfer to a shallow bowl and garnish with walnuts, olive oil, and parsley. Serve with pita bread or pita chips.
Muhammara Roasted Red Pepper Dip
Ingredients
- 2 roasted red peppers peeled (fresh or jarred)
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 cup walnuts toasted and chopped
- 2 teaspoon garlic minced
- 2 tablespoon pomegranate molasses [See Note 1]
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- ½ teaspoon granulated sugar optional
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper or Aleppo pepper
- parsley to garnish
Instructions
- Reserve a few pieces of walnut for garnish. In a food processor, puree 2 roasted red peppers till coarsely chopped.
- Add ¼ cup olive oil, 1 cup walnuts, 2 teaspoon garlic, 2 tablespoon pomegranate molasses, ¼ teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 cup panko breadcrumbs, ½ teaspoon granulated sugar, ¼ to ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- Transfer to a shallow bowl and spread the muhammara in concentric circles to the edge of the bowl. Make a groove in the middle with a spoon. Drizzle some olive oil into the groove and all over. Garnish with reserved walnuts and parsley. [See Note 2]
Notes
- Note 1: Pomegranate molasses adds a unique flavor to this recipe. In a pinch, you can substitute lemon juice and 1 teaspoon honey.
- Note 2: For maximum flavor, allow the red pepper walnut dip to rest overnight before serving, to let the flavors meld.
Nutrition
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I am not a certified nutritionist. I provide my best estimate of nutritional information merely as a courtesy to my readers. If you depend on nutritional information for dietary or health reasons, I suggest using your favorite online nutrition calculator to confirm the nutritional value of this recipe based on the actual ingredients that you use.
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