Muhammara is a classic Levantine roasted red pepper and walnut dip that balances sweet, savory, salty and spicy flavors. It’s also incredibly easy to make in just 2 steps! Best of all, this gorgeous dip comes together in under 10 minutes!
Enjoy it as part of a Mezze platter alongside Mutabal (roasted eggplant dip), Baba Ganoush, Caramelized Eggplant Hummus, Tzatziki or Cacik, warm pita bread or pita chips, Palestinian Taboon flatbread and Ramazan Pidesi (Turkish Pide).

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What is Muhamarra
Muhammara is a flavorful, slightly spicy and sweet dip made primarily from roasted red peppers, walnuts, breadcrumbs, olive oil, and pomegranate molasses, often seasoned with garlic, and chili flakes. A staple of Levantine Cuisine.
It originates in the Syrian city of Aleppo. Historically, it was created as a way to use local ingredients like red peppers and walnuts, and it became a popular appetizer in the Middle East and Eastern Mediterranean.
The name "muhammara" comes from the Arabic word "محمرّة", meaning "reddened," referring to the vibrant color of the dish. Depending on the dialect, there are variations in the English spelling including Mouhamara, Mehamara, Mhammara, Mhamara, Muhamarah or M'hammara.
Ingredients
This recipe does have a few specialty ingredients which you can pick up from any Middle Eastern grocer.

- Roasted Red Peppers: You can certainly roast bell peppers yourself, but why bother when you can just use jarred fire-roasted peppers? They are affordable, easy to find in most grocery stores, and will save you time. You can also use them to make Harissa Paste.
- Walnuts: Muhammara is a walnut dip. Don’t skip the walnuts! I use standard shelled walnuts. Don’t use any that have been salted or seasoned.
- Pomegranate molasses: A staple in every Middle Eastern, North African and Levantine household. It used to be more difficult to find, but these days you can find bottled pomegranate molasses at most grocery stores (check the world foods aisle). Try some of my other recipes that feature this sweet and tangy ingredient: Mint Chimichurri, Fattoush Salad, Turkish Ezme, and Beef Sambousek.
- Bread crumbs: Plain breadcrumbs work best. Don’t use any seasoned or Italian-style crumbs as they have extra seasonings added to them.
- Chili Flakes: Aleppo chili flakes are ideal and are an ode to this Syrian recipe. But if you don’t have Aleppo chili flakes, you can use any red pepper flakes you have on hand. You can also add some cayenne pepper if you like a spicy dip.
- Sumac: Another Middle Eastern staple, sumac adds flavor and sourness to the finished dip. It can be difficult to go through a container of sumac, so check out some of my other recipes where it is used: Musakhan (Palestinian Sumac Chicken), Musakhan Rolls, Sumac Onions, and Tahini Salad.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make This Muhammara Dip Recipe
This is an incredibly easy recipe to prepare and it comes together in under 10 minutes!

Step 1. Add ingredients to a food processor. Add the roasted red peppers, walnuts, breadcrumbs, peeled garlic, tomato paste, pomegranate molasses, olive oil, sumac, chili flakes, lemon juice and a pinch of salt and pepper.

Step 2. Process. Process until you have a fine consistency. You still want to have some bite to this dip, so don’t turn it into a puree. Transfer to a serving plate and garnish with crushed walnuts, a drizzle of olive oil, pomegranate molasses and fresh parsley. Serve with fresh pita bread or pita wedges.
Expert Tips
- Roasted your own sweet red peppers. If you only have fresh red bell peppers, you can roast them yourself. Cut them in half and de-seed them then rub them all over with a little bit of olive oil. Place them in a single layer on a parchment paper-lined baking tray. Broil in an oven or air fryer until charred. Move the charred bell peppers to a bowl, cover them with plastic wrap, and let them steam. This will make removing the skins easier. Peel the skins and continue with the recipe using the soft red pepper flesh. Also, if you have extra, try making my Red Chimichurri sauce.
- Control the sweetness. Pomegranate molasses can be quite sweet. Start with less. You can always add more if you like.
- Let the dip sit. Let the dip sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes before serving. This will help the breadcrumbs soak up some of the liquid so you don’t end up with a gritty dip.
- Pair it with a rich main. Because this dip is slightly sweet and sour, it can be a nice appetizer to serve before one of my heavier meat-based mains like Pulled Lamb, Shish Tawook, Koobideh Kebab or Beef Kafta.
- Use good quality ingredients. Make sure your spices are fresh and don’t hesitate to use that good olive oil to make this delicious dip!

Recipe FAQs
Yes, this dip can be prepared in advance and stored in a glass airtight container in the fridge. I would recommend making this dip no more than a day before you want to serve it.
Store leftover roasted red pepper dip in a glass container with an airtight lid in the fridge for up to 3 days. I recommend enjoying the leftovers within a day, as the dip will deteriorate over time. Muhammara doesn’t freeze well.
Pomegranate molasses is a thick syrup made from pomegranate juice that has been reduced down with sugar (and sometimes lemon juice) to create a concentrated, slightly sweet but predominantly sour product. It is commonly used in Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, and Persian cuisine.
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Recipe Card

Muhammara (Syrian Roasted Red Pepper Walnut Dip)
Equipment
- Small food processor - Affiliate Link
Ingredients
- 3 Large roasted red peppers - Jarred works fine
- ½ cup Walnuts
- ⅓ cup Unseasoned breadcrumbs
- 2 Garlic cloves - Peeled
- 2 tablespoon Tomato Paste
- 2 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Pomegranate molasses
- 1 tablespoon Lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Sumac
- 1 teaspoon Aleppo chili flakes - See note
- Kosher salt and black pepper
Garnish
- Garnish with crushed walnuts, olive oil, pomegranate molasses an fresh parsley.
Instructions
- Add ingredients to a food processor. Add the roasted red peppers, walnuts, breadcrumbs, peeled garlic, tomato paste, olive oil, pomegranate molasses, lemon juice, sumac, chili flakes, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Process, adjust and serve. Process until you have a fine consistency. You still want to have some bite to this dip, so don’t turn it into a puree. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking. Transfer to a serving plate and garnish with crushed walnuts, a drizzle of olive oil, pomegranate molasses and fresh parsley. Serve with fresh pita bread or pita wedges.
Notes
- Roasted Red Peppers: You can certainly roast your own red bell peppers, but why bother when you can just use jarred fire-roasted peppers? They are affordable, easy to find in most grocery stores, and will save you time.
- Walnuts: Muhammara is a walnut dip. Don’t skip the walnuts! I use shelled walnuts. Don’t use any that have been salted or seasoned.
- Bread crumbs: Plain breadcrumbs work best. Don’t use any seasoned or Italian-style crumbs as they have extra seasonings added to them.
- Pomegranate molasses: A staple in every Middle Eastern, North African and Levantine household. It used to be more difficult to find, but these days you can find bottled pomegranate molasses at most grocery stores (check the world foods aisle).
- Chili Flakes: Aleppo pepper flakes are ideal and are an ode to this Syrian recipe. But if you don’t have Aleppo chili flakes, you can use any red pepper flakes you have on hand.
- Sumac: Another Middle Eastern staple, sumac adds flavor and sourness to the finished dip.
Rebecca says
So much better than the last recipe I tried.
Absolutely perfect! Thank you
Luay Ghafari says
Thank you so much. Glad you liked it!