What are the holidays without a nut tray adorning your coffee table or centerpiece? There’s no need to confine walnuts, pistachios, almonds and pecans to the holiday season—I discovered just how often I use these little treasures putting together this list. There are so many ways to use the earthy flavor and texture of nuts in baking in my favorite nut recipes.
Looking for more fall and winter recipes that feature nuts? Try my guide to crisps, crumbles and cobblers, where you’ll find tips on how to make nutty streusel toppings.
Nut Recipes
Chopped pistachios make for a wonderful garnish to these donuts with saffron glaze. The savory elements work beautifully together to create a unique and delicious donut.
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Rugelach are little filled pastries from Jewish baking. I made mine with raspberry, nuts and chocolate wrapped in cream cheese dough— perfect bites that balance sweetness with a little zest.
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Whenever I bake this homemade granola the smell brings me back to my childhood living on a commune in Vermont. It's so delicious, I can't wait for you to try it!
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Would you ever guess just by looking at this chocolate pecan pie that it's dairy free? I swapped plant butter for regular dairy butter and it worked beautifully! No one I served this to guessed it was made without dairy butter!
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Bread pudding is one of the those desserts that also doubles as breakfast, like pie and cake! No, really, it is full of eggs and toasty bread and this one just happens to have bits of chocolate and chunks of chestnuts.
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This is like the most elegant brownie-cake you've ever had. That really doesn't do it justice, but you know that fudge texture of a perfectly baked brownie, where the top has a nice crust and the inside is smooth and rich? This is that, but even better and somehow lighter. I gilded the lily with candied hazelnuts.
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This is a simple and rich fudge that is sure to be a hit with everyone in your house. It's wonderful on its own, or can be topped or mixed with nuts or your other favorite goodies.
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Looking for a simple but absolutely delicious chocolate bar for a party? These Chocolate Mousse Bars with Feuilletine Crunch are rich and chocolatey with a wonderful crunch on top.
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For this recipe I started with the Master Recipe from my Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day books, then pulled off a piece of dough, rolled in some raisins and pecans, let it rest and scored the top with a super sharp bread knife just before I baked it in a cloche. I love how easy it is to make each loaf your own with whatever mix-ins you're craving!
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Pistachio and espresso is the perfect combination. I should know, because I ate it daily in the form of gelato during two weeks in Italy. This pistachio cake is based on that perfect marriage.
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This halva diva cake with tahini buttercream, chocolate ganache and crushed pistachios is a perfect cake for passover.
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The flavor of this banana bread depends on the sweetness of the fruit. The riper the banana the sweeter the bread. Pecans add nice texture.
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These Russian Tea Cakes look like little snowballs, making them perfect holiday cookies. The toasted pecans, brown butter and sugar make for a delicious cookie that is beautiful, simple and elegant.
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This gorgeous cake is just as suited for a holiday table as it is for a Tuesday-morning coffee cake. It is super simple to get the dreamy texture of this cake, because the batter is made in a food processor, so the almond paste is blended smoothly. It yields a cake that is dense and tender at the same time. Try the variation with kirschwasser-soaked dried cherries or cranberries in place of the grapes.
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This Apple Almond Galette is just an apple pie without the plate or a top crust. So, it’s even easier to make than pie and, I think, just as beautiful in a fruit forward, rustic way. The pie crust recipe makes two galettes, but you can always freeze one disk for later. I have also made this tart in a tart pan using my tart dough or even sugar cookie dough (great way to use up scraps).
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The hazelnut candies adorning this glazed cheesecake look like delicate little jewels and add a wonderful sweet crunch to the smooth and rich chocolate cheesecake. The result is a striking look and flavor.
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The pistachio marzipan adds a wonderful flavor and striking visual to this cassata. The candied citrus is a perfect compliment to the creamy smooth layers of ricotta and the orange liqueur soaked sponge cake.
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