A smoky-sweet red pepper and walnut dip from Syrian cooking, punched up with toasted walnuts and pomegranate molasses. Scoop it up with warm flatbread, or set it out as part of a mezze spread.

A bowl of red pepper dip garnished with chopped walnuts and spices, with a wooden spoon resting inside. The bowl is on a light textured surface, next to a beige cloth.

Muhammara is a brick-red pepper dip from Syria, and different versions are found throughout the Mediterranean. It’s thick and deeply flavored — smoky from the roasted peppers, and ever-so-sweet and spicy at the same time.

The ingredients that make it, and ones you can swap

  • Pomegranate molasses: The “secret” ingredient in this dip is pomegranate molasses, a Middle Eastern condiment that’s made by boiling down pomegranate juice until it becomes thick and syrupy. It has an intriguing, sweet-sour taste and a deep, dark treacly consistency. I’ve tried balsamic vinegar and it’s a great substitute – go for one with a thick consistency or a glaze.
  • Walnuts: Walnuts are essential to Syrian and Levantine cooking — locally grown in the region, and they give sauces, fillings, and sweets real richness that contrast with sweet-sour flavors like pomegranate molasses. Raw walnuts taste bitter straight from the bag, but toasting wakes up their oils to make them deeper, sweeter, and crisper.
  • Crusty bread: I pull the crust off a slice of sourdough or other country-style bread and tear it into pieces. I’ve noticed that using panko or fine bread crumbs risks ending up with a dry, gummy texture I don’t find appealing. I want the sensual experience of scooping up muhammara without it sliding off, but not feeling like tpp much like paste.
  • Spices: My everyday version uses what’s already in most spice drawers — paprika (sweet or smoked, your choice), ground cumin, and a pinch of cayenne. If you have Aleppo pepper on hand, swap it in for the cayenne it brings a fruitier, gentler heat.

How to make muhammara in a food processor

  • A roasted red bell pepper with charred skin sits in a small metal baking pan, surrounded by dark, caramelized juices—perfect for transforming into a vibrant romesco sauce. The pan rests on a light-colored, woven trivet atop a white surface.
    1. Roast the peppers until the skin is blackened on all sides and the pepper has softened and collapsed. Transfer to a bowl and cover — trapping the steam is what loosens the skin.
  • Food processor bowl filled with roasted red peppers and seasonings, surrounded by small bowls of walnuts, lemon halves, brown sugar, and spices on a white countertop.
    2. Once cool, peel the roasted peppers and add them to the processor — don’t worry about chasing down every last seed, a few left behind isn’t a big deal. Pour in any juices that collected in the bowl as the peppers cooled, too — that liquid carries a lot of the roasted flavor.
  • A food processor bowl filled with tomatoes, walnuts, bread pieces, spices, and seasonings sits on a white counter, surrounded by a lemon, a small bowl of walnuts, and a tablespoon of pomegranate molasses.
    3. Add the walnuts, torn bread, olive oil, pomegranate molasses, spices, garlic, and lemon juice to the processor along with the peppers. Everything goes in together — there’s no need to process the nuts or bread separately first.
  • A food processor filled with blended muhammara sauce sits on a counter, surrounded by a yellow bowl, a lemon half, measuring spoons with spices, and a jar in the background.
    4. Pulse until the mixture comes together into a thick, mostly smooth dip — a little texture from the walnuts is good, you don’t want it perfectly smooth. Taste and adjust the salt or lemon before serving.

Set a mezze table

Muhammara is right at home on the mezze table — nubby with walnuts, so put it right next to smooth herb hummus and baba ganoush and enjoy the textural contrast. Toss in a spiced chickpea salad for crunch and color, warm pita for scooping (and don’t skip the olives). If you’re already smitten with the walnut-and-red-pepper combination, romesco is muhammara’s Spanish cousin — spoon it over grilled chicken or fish for a more substantial feast.

A bowl of red pepper dip garnished with chopped walnuts and spices, with a wooden spoon resting inside. The bowl is on a light textured surface, next to a beige cloth.
5 from 1 rating

Muhammara Recipe

Karen Tedesco
My everyday muhammara — toasted walnuts and roasted red peppers blended with pomegranate molasses for a dip that's smoky, a little sweet, and a little tangy all at once. Set it out on a mezze platter, spread it on sandwiches, or spoon it over grilled chicken or fish.
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Yield: 6
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients
 

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

  • 3 medium red bell peppers (about 1 pound), roasted and peeled *see how-to instructions below
  • ¼ cup torn sourdough bread, about 1/2 slice
  • ½ cup toasted walnuts, toasted
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 smashed and peeled garlic cloves
  • 1 teaspoon paprika, sweet or smoked
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ¼-½ teaspoon cayenne or Aleppo pepper, to taste

Garnish

  • Chopped walnuts or pistachios
  • Paprika or za'atar
  • Extra virgin olive oil

Instructions
 

  1. Place the roasted and peeled red peppers and their collected juices from the bowl into a food processor bowl. Add ¼ cup torn sourdough bread, ½ cup toasted walnuts, 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses, 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 smashed and peeled garlic cloves, ½ cup toasted walnuts, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon fine sea salt and ¼-½ teaspoon cayenne or Aleppo pepper
  2. Process for about 1 minute, scraping down the sides once halfway. You're going for a thick texture that doesn't need to be completely smooth.Taste and season with additional salt, pomegranate molasses or lemon juice if needed.
  3. Scrape the muhammara into a bowl and swirl the back of a spoon over the top to create a groove. Drizzle olive oil into it, and sprinkle with paprika, (and or za'atar) and chopped or crushed walnuts.

Notes

  • To roast a red bell pepper, place under a broiler, on a hot preheated grill or directly on a gas flame on the stovetop. Roast the pepper, rotating it as it turns black on all sides. Place the pepper in a bowl and lightly cover to steam as it cools. When cool enough to handle, peel off the skin and seeds and discard.
  • Toast walnuts for about 10 minutes in a 350-degree oven, until they smell nutty.
  • Substitute 1 1/2 cups jarred, fire-roasted red peppers (drained) in place of the freshly roasted pepper.
  • The dip will keep in the fridge for up to a week (if you don’t devour it all at once).

Nutrition per serving

Calories: 142kcal Carbohydrates: 10g Protein: 2g Fat: 11g Sodium: 398mg Fiber: 2g Sugar: 5g

Nutrition facts are calculated by third-party software. If you have specific dietary needs, please refer to your favorite calculator.

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