Muhammara

Name: Muhammara
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: 1 cup (240 ml) roasted red peppers (jarred or fresh roasted), drained well if jarred, or peeled, seeded, and torn into pieces if fresh roasted; 1 cup (115 g) raw, unsalted walnuts, will be toasted and cooled; 3 tablespoon (45 ml) pomegranate molasses; ⅓ cup (40 g) unseasoned breadcrumbs or finely ground pita bread; 2 clove (6 g) garlic cloves, fresh, minced; ¼ cup (60 ml) extra virgin olive oil; 2 tablespoon (30 ml) fresh lemon juice; ½ teaspoon (3 g) fine sea salt or kosher salt; ¼ teaspoon (½ g) ground cumin

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Muhammara is a silky, jewel-toned Middle Eastern appetizer dip built on roasted red peppers, toasted walnuts, and tangy-sweet pomegranate molasses. The balance of flavors—earthy, tart, and slightly sweet—makes it irresistible alongside warm pita. It's naturally vegan and gluten-free if made with gluten-free bread. Serve it as part of a mezze platter or as an elegant first course.

Prep: 10 min
Cook: 5 min
Wait: 2 min
Total: 17 min
Makes: About 2 cups (480 ml; serves 6–8)

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Steps

Before you start

You'll need a food processor to blend the dip smoothly and evenly
Thoroughly drain jarred roasted red peppers, or roast and cool fresh peppers before using
Toast raw walnuts first if you have them; skip this step if using pre-roasted or toasted walnuts
Have pomegranate molasses on hand—it's the signature ingredient that gives this dip its distinctive tangy-sweet flavor

1
Toast the walnuts
- If using raw walnuts, place them in a dry skillet (8–10 inch / 20–25 cm) over medium heat.
- Toast for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant and light golden brown.
- Transfer to a plate to cool for about 2 minutes.
- (If using pre-roasted or toasted walnuts, skip this step entirely.)
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Ready when: Nuts are fragrant with a light golden-brown color
Tip: Don't walk away—walnuts can burn quickly. Stir constantly to toast evenly.
2
Prepare the peppers
- If using jarred roasted red peppers, drain them thoroughly in a colander or fine-mesh strainer, pressing gently with paper towels to remove as much liquid as possible.
- Pat dry.
- (If using fresh roasted peppers, allow them to cool completely, peel off the skin, remove seeds, and tear into pieces.) You need about 1 cup (240 ml) of drained peppers.
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Ready when: Peppers are well-drained and no liquid pools when squeezed gently
Tip: Excess moisture makes the dip watery and dilutes the flavors—don't skip the draining step.
3
Combine dry ingredients
- Add the cooled walnuts, drained roasted red peppers, minced garlic (2 cloves), breadcrumbs (about 1/3 cup / 40 g), pomegranate molasses (3 tablespoons / 45 ml), lemon juice (2 tablespoons / 30 ml), salt (1/2 teaspoon / 3 g), and ground cumin (1/4 teaspoon) to your food processor.
- Pulse 8–10 times until the mixture is roughly broken down and the ingredients are just beginning to combine.
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Ready when: Mixture is chunky and beginning to come together
Tip: Use the pulse button rather than continuous blending to avoid over-processing too early.
4
Blend until creamy
- With the food processor running, slowly drizzle the olive oil (1/4 cup / 60 ml) through the feed tube.
- Blend for 1–2 minutes until the dip is creamy, well-emulsified, and mostly smooth—it should still have a slight grain from the walnuts and bread.
- The texture should be thick and pourable.
- Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl once if needed.
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Ready when: Dip is creamy, smooth, and well-combined with an emulsified, pourable texture
Tip: Add the oil slowly for a silkier, better-emulsified texture. Rushing this step can make it grainy.
5
Taste and adjust
- Transfer the muhammara to a serving bowl.
- Taste it carefully.
- The flavor should be tangy and slightly sweet with an earthy walnut backbone.
- Add more pomegranate molasses if you want it tangier, more fresh lemon juice if you want it brighter, or a little more salt to taste.
- If the dip is thicker than you'd like (thicker than hummus), thin with water or a little extra olive oil, 1 tablespoon at a time.
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Ready when: Flavors are balanced and pleasing to your taste
Tip: Pomegranate molasses is the signature flavor here—don't be shy with it, and adjust first for flavor balance.
6
Serve
- Transfer to a shallow serving bowl.
- Drizzle with a little extra olive oil and garnish with pomegranate seeds, toasted walnut halves, fresh flat-leaf parsley, or a light dusting of paprika.
- Serve at room temperature with warm pita bread, crispy pita chips, or fresh vegetable sticks (cucumbers, carrots, tomatoes, bell peppers).

Good to know

Tips

Toast the walnuts fresh if possible—this brings out their natural oils and deepens the flavor significantly compared to using pre-roasted nuts.
Pomegranate molasses is the backbone of this dip; adjust its amount first to balance the tangy-sweet flavor to your preference.
The dip thickens when chilled; thin with a little cold water or extra olive oil (1 tablespoon at a time) before serving if needed.
Serve this as part of a larger mezze platter alongside hummus, baba ghanoush, fresh vegetables, and warm pita bread for an impressive appetizer spread.

Make ahead

Yes, muhammara can be made up to 2 days ahead. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The flavors actually deepen as it sits.

Storage & reheating

Room temperature: up to 2 hours (covered). Refrigerator: 3 to 4 days in an airtight container. Freezer: up to 1 month (thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then stir in a little extra olive oil before serving). Reheat: bring to room temperature, or gently warm in a skillet over low heat, stirring gently and adding a splash of water if needed.

Substitutions

pomegranate molasses → Mix 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice with 1 tablespoon sugar and a pinch of salt. The dip will be less authentic and slightly less complex, but still delicious and tangy-sweet.
unseasoned breadcrumbs or finely ground pita bread → Finely ground pita bread, panko breadcrumbs, or other unseasoned breadcrumbs. The bread provides body and absorbs excess moisture. Avoid seasoned breadcrumbs as they'll overpower the delicate flavor.
raw, unsalted walnuts → Hazelnuts, pine nuts, or almonds. Walnuts are traditional and provide the best earthy, slightly bitter backbone, but others work in a pinch.
roasted red peppers (jarred or fresh roasted) → Fresh roasted peppers, jarred pimientos, canned red peppers, or even fresh red bell peppers (unroasted). Roasted peppers provide sweetness; unroasted peppers will be less sweet but still flavorful.