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This garlicky Middle Eastern roasted red pepper dip is made with walnuts, breadcrumbs, and pomegranate molasses for a big flavor payoff with only a handful of ingredients. It makes a vibrant, flavorful addition to any appetizer spread served with pita bread for dipping.
I've been making this tasty dip for well over a decade now. It's a nice way to change up your traditional dip selection (not that I don't love a good homemade hummus or layered taco dip) and add a pop of color to your table.
Whether you're serving this as part of a Middle Eastern dinner spread, an addition to a selection of game day appetizers, or just on its own as a snack, this recipe has you covered!
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🧡 Why we love this recipe
- Just look at that vibrant color!
- It's different from a lot of traditional dips that are served at parties.
- You can easily adjust the amount of garlic to give it more or less of a "kick".
- It's easy to make in advance - just be sure to bring it down to room temperature before serving so it's nice and smooth.
📝 Ingredients
Here's everything you need to make this muhammara dip (see recipe card below for ingredient amounts and full directions):
- Garlic - use anywhere from 2 - 4 cloves!
- Kosher salt - you'll smash this with the garlic to make a paste
- Jarred roasted red peppers - both the peppers and some of the liquid from the jar will go into this dip
- Breadcrumbs
- Walnuts - feel free to toast them if you'd like. I've made it both ways and don't find that it makes a significant difference.
- Fresh lemon juice
- Pomegranate molasses
- Ground cumin
- Dried red pepper flakes
- Extra-virgin olive oil - this goes both in the dip and optionally on top for garnish
- Garnish suggestions - mix and match your favorites:
- Crumbled feta (omit to keep this vegan)
- Chopped walnuts
- Fresh cilantro or parsley
- Pomegranate arils
- Pita triangles or flatbread for serving
♥️ Ingredient spotlight: pomegranate molasses
This recipe uses pomegranate molasses which is a bottled thick, tangy, reduced pomegranate juice. Some brands sell a pomegranate syrup that's also able to be used in this recipe. Don't use grenadine, which is a thinner, sweeter product used in beverages, most famously the Shirley Temple.
Pomegranate molasses can sometimes be tricky to find in grocery stores in the U.S. but it's readily available at Middle Eastern markets, many health food stores, or online.
I love using pomegranate molasses to add a richness of flavor to muhammara (roasted red pepper dip), mixed into yogurt for a pop of tartness, or as a way to boost the pomegranate tomato jam in Persian lamb burgers.
✅ How to make this recipe
- Smash garlic and salt into a paste and add to yogurt.
Roughly chop the garlic cloves. Sprinkle the salt on top of the garlic. Using the flat side of your knife, smash, scrape, and chop the garlic until it forms a paste. - To the bowl of a food processor, add the drained peppers, breadcrumbs, walnuts, ¼ cup of the reserved liquid from the jar of roasted peppers, garlic paste, lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, ground cumin, and red pepper flakes. Purée until smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally to make sure it's evenly blended.
- Remove the pusher from the feed chute and turn the motor on. With the motor running, add the oil gradually until it reaches your desired consistency. If it's too thick, you can add more oil or more liquid from the roasted red pepper jar.
- Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with additional olive oil, feta cheese, chopped walnuts, as desired. drizzle with a little more olive oil and sprinkle on some feta. Serve at room temperature with pita for dipping.
See recipe card below for full instructions.
📌 Tips
Back when I first started making this recipe, I'd use ¾ cup of extra-virgin olive oil. A few years ago, I decided to see if I could swap part of the oil out to make it just a little less calorie-dense.
Since the jar of roasted peppers has liquid in it, I figured that would be a perfect substitute to still thin the dip out without adding excess oil.
Feel free to use more or less of the oil/liquid, depending on your preference here. You want it to be thin enough at room temperature to be able to spread it or scoop it up with pita bread or pita chips.
Be sure to scrape down the sides of your food processor to ensure that your dip is evenly blended.
The vibrant color of this dip is so gorgeous that it doesn't really need any garnishes. I do like to add an extra drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil on top before serving, and some chunks of feta cheese.
You can also sprinkle on some additional walnuts, fresh herbs (cilantro and parsley are both great options), or pomegranate arils. A sprinkling of ground sumac would also be nice.
If you're taking your muhammara out of the refrigerator, be sure to let it sit out for a bit to reach room temperature before serving. This helps it get that smooth texture again, since the refrigerator will make the oil in the dip solidify a bit.
💡 What to serve with muhammara
This roasted red pepper dip is wonderful alongside so many different Middle Eastern dishes. Try pairing it with some of these recipes:
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📖 Recipe
Muhammara - Roasted Red Pepper Dip
Ingredients
Method
- Roughly chop the garlic cloves. Sprinkle the salt on top of the garlic. Using the flat side of your knife, smash, scrape, and chop the garlic until it forms a paste.
- To the bowl of a food processor, add the drained peppers, breadcrumbs, walnuts, ¼ cup of the reserved liquid from the jar of roasted peppers, garlic paste, lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, ground cumin, and red pepper flakes. Purée until smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally to make sure it's evenly blended.
- Remove the pusher from the feed chute and turn the motor on. With the motor running, add the oil gradually until it reaches your desired consistency. If it's too thick, you can add more oil or more liquid from the roasted red pepper jar.
- Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with additional olive oil, feta cheese, chopped walnuts, as desired. drizzle with a little more olive oil and sprinkle on some feta. Serve at room temperature with pita for dipping.
Joanne says
I can never get enough of muhammara! Love the pomegranate flavor in it.
Fronita Lovett says
I ❤️ All of your Recipes
Ashley says
Thanks so much!! This is one of our all-time favorite recipes - it's always a hit!