Mild, earthy, and little tangy, walnuts have a sweet and bitter taste that can bring unique flavor and crunchy texture to an entire dish. This type of nut is versatile and can be consumed toasted, candied, plain, raw or incorporated into other dishes.
The addition of walnuts can be amazing, from desserts to savory dishes. Yet, underrated nut lends its distinctive texture and flavor to multiple dishes.
Whether trying to liven up a favorite recipe or shell whole walnuts for a snack, there’s always a way to enjoy these nuts even more.
What to eat with walnuts? Walnuts pair well with fruits, cheese, chocolate, cookies, and variety of condiments such as maple syrup, caramel, and vanilla.
Additionally, they complement well with savory dishes with chicken, sauces, salads, and wine. Walnuts can be found worldwide and commonly included in Mediterranean cuisine, they are perfect for both sweet and savory dishes.
Including oatmeal, cereal, and yogurt, walnuts serves an excellent fiber and nutrient rich superfood to add in a breakfast meal. Furthermore, they mix well with quinoa, pilaf dishes or fresh salad for other times of day.
Walnuts can be paired with savory and sweet dishes, even coated with spices, candied or served raw. They can also be presented on cheese platter or add crunchiness to roasted vegetables.
This article gives more information about what to eat with walnuts. Answered below are frequently asked questions about pairing foods and beverages with walnuts, and what flavor combinations go well together. Read through to learn more!
What flavors go well with walnuts?
Walnuts have a nutty flavor that blends perfectly with savory, earthy and sweet flavors. The ingredients that go well with walnuts include apples, cinnamon, dates, bananas, sea salt caramel, cherries, chocolate, maple, vanilla, pumpkin, coffee, sesame, or cayenne.
With these classic ingredients, here are flavor combination that chefs are fond of:
- walnuts + anise + dried figs + orange
- walnuts + apples + honey
- walnuts + caramel + prunes
- walnuts + coffee + cream
- walnuts + cumin + prunes
What goes well with walnuts?
With walnuts, there are many dishes you make incredibly delicious including salads, roasted vegetables, or a quick snack to pair with wine and beer. Whether you are considering adding chopped walnuts to sweet or savory dishes, select ingredients wisely because even though the nut is subtle in taste, not all food pairs well with them.
Here are foods that go well with walnuts:
- Breakfast: pancakes, waffles, oatmeal, cereal
- Nuts: chestnuts, hazelnuts, pecans, pine nuts, praline,
- Dairy: buttermilk, cream, créme fraîche, ice cream, marscapone, yogurt
- Condiments: caramel, corn syrup, honey, maple syrup, olive oil, vanilla, walnut oil, molasses, soy sauce
- Meat & seafood: chicken, bacon, shrimp, halibut, sea bass
- Chocolate: dark, milk, white
- Sugar: brown, confectioner, white
- Vegetables: sweet potatoes, potatoes, brussels sprouts, green beans, broccoli, carrots, endive
- Drinks: coffee, tea
- Wine: Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot
What cheese goes well with walnuts?
Walnuts are a less oily nut that is perfect to serve with aged cheddar, and an ideal match with goat, sheep or mixed-milk cheese.
If a person likes pungent tastes, walnuts are amazing with blue cheese, especially when honey drizzled over them. Sheep’s milk cheese can complement walnuts as well.
Some cheese options that go well with walnuts:
- blue cheese
- cheddar cheese
- goat cheese
- parmesan cheese
- ricotta cheese
- roquefort
What fruit goes well with walnuts?
For sweet treats, fruits are best selection to create natural flavor combined with honey, maple syrup, and sugar. Depending on the fruit, walnuts can complement well with sour, tangy, and sweet tastes.
Typically, apples have an amount of tartness that, when paired with walnuts, provide an optimal amount of acidity required in a balanced dessert.
The chef’s favorite fruit pairing that goes well with walnuts includes:
- Stone fruits: apples, apricots, cherries, grapes, nectarines, peaches, pears, persimmons, plums, pomegranates
- Citrus fruits: grapefruit, kumquats, lemon, quince
- Berries: cranberries, raspberries
- Tropical fruits: bananas
What dried fruit goes well with walnuts?
When making trail mix or baked goods, dried fruits are an excellent choice to add more sweetness and chewy texture. Additionally, they make great granola to top on yogurt or blend with chocolate fulfill that sweet tooth.
If you are looking for dried fruits to complement with walnuts, here are classic dried fruits that taste good with walnuts and do not overpower the flavor.
- dates
- figs
- prunes
- raisins
- apricots
- cranberries
- cherries
What spice and herb go with walnuts?
Spices and herbs blend well with walnuts, and can be combined to create wonderful pasta or salad. Fold chopped spice and herb walnuts into a sauce or dip for bread and crackers to make a quick appetizer or snack.
What alcohol goes with walnuts?
When walnuts and alcohol are blended together, the flavor combination is not only delicious, but warms you up with nutty and enriching flavor. Your body processes the alcohol and fats generate warmth that heats you from the inside.
Eat With Walnuts: Conclusion
Walnuts are frequently used as a complementary ingredient in desserts, snacks and breakfast dishes due to the earthiness and richness. They are also quite versatile and can be added to pretty much everything.
However, be sure to use the correct pairing ingredients since a little goes a long way. From fresh to dried fruits, walnuts blend perfectly with sweet, sour, and tangy fruits to create cereal, oatmeal, and granola to serve on top of pancakes or waffles for breakfast.
Furthermore, walnuts are a great addition to savory recipes including chicken, pasta, salads, and sauces. These nuts can be raw, roasted, chopped, or even puréed to add on to the dish easily.
When creating savory dishes, select mild, soft, and easy to melt cheeses that pair well with walnuts as these elements go together beautifully with earthy and bitter taste.
Whether you are making a quick snack or main course, the next time you are preparing your favorite dish, throw in some walnuts based on the flavor combinations presented.