Rustic and earthy, chestnuts add a sweet nutty flavor to any recipe. They’re also packed with vitamin C, fiber, and potassium. Snacks, sides, mains, or desserts – chestnuts are a delicious addition to any dish. These 20 chestnut recipes will give you plenty of culinary inspiration if you’re new to the nut. Keep it simple and satisfying with roasted chestnuts, or broaden your taste horizons with fun and festive chestnut cheesecake. If you’re serving a crowd, you might want to whip up some chocolate-covered chestnuts or an impressive chestnut risotto. There’s a chestnut dish for everyone on this list. These nutty nibbles are too good not to share!
1. Roasted Chestnuts
Roasted chestnuts are a classic winter warmer. Served piping hot, straight from the oven, they’re an amazingly cozy treat. Sprinkle them with sea salt and dive in. You’ll gobble these up by the handful!
2. Chestnut Soup
This nutty soup makes a great fall appetizer. Made from pureed chestnuts, it’s thick, creamy, and cozy. Garnish with salty bacon and aromatic chives before serving for a dreamy dish of warming goodness.
3. Chestnut Pasta with Pork and Cabbage
This hearty recipe is a traditional Italian dish from the northern mountain regions. It’s made with chestnut flour, shaped into thick ribbons, and boiled until beautifully tender. If you love authentic, rustic pasta, this is a must-try.
4. Marrons Glaces (Candied Chestnuts)
A popular French candy, marrons glaces are festive treats traditionally enjoyed at Christmas. For those of us who aren’t French chefs, this recipe makes things easy. The sugar syrup does all the work here. Simply dunk your chestnuts in the syrup, let them soak for a few days, and then dry them in the oven before eating. Bon appetit!
5. Karyoka (Chocolate Covered Chestnuts)
These Turkish treats are to die for. They’re soft balls of pureed chestnuts and sugar, coated with a hard chocolate shell and sprinkled with pistachios. You could make them as a gift for loved ones, or eat them all yourself. No one needs to know.
6. Chocolate Chip Chestnut Cake
This fluffy cake is all about chestnut goodness. It’s sweetened with a sugary chestnut puree, making it that much more moist and delicious. And if that’s not enough, there are plenty of dark chocolate chips in the batter. This is a cake to fall in love with and eat in one sitting.
7. Castagnaccio Pugliese (Chestnut Flour Cake)
An Italian classic, this gluten-free cake is a dense dessert with plenty of rich flavor. It’s made with chestnut flour, olive oil, dried fruit, and nuts. Chewy, crunchy, soft, and sweet – there’s a little bit of everything in each delicious bite.
8. Boiled Chestnuts
If you’re looking for healthier snacks, look no further. With a bowl of these boiled chestnuts on hand, you’ll have a nutritious alternative when carb cravings strike. Fancy something savory? Add sea salt or cajun flavorings for a spicy treat. Do you have a hankering for the sweet stuff? Sprinkle them with cinnamon or a natural sweetener like stevia.
9. Roasted Pumpkin Chestnut Soup
This nourishing soup has all the flavors of fall. It’s a dreamy blend of creamy pumpkin, nutty chestnut, and seasonal herbs. Swirl with a dash of cream before serving for an elegant appetizer or hearty main.
10. Chestnut Cookies
In Italy, these cookies are known as calzoni di castagne. In the U.S, you can just call them insanely delicious. They’re more like sweet pastry pockets than cookies made from flaky dough wrapped around a chestnut, coffee, and chocolate filling. You’ll need an air fryer for this decadent dessert, but any kind of deep fryer would work in a pinch.
11. Chestnut Brownies
Show your gluten-intolerant friends and family how much you love them with these grain-free brownies. They’re soft and gooey (like all good brownies should be) with a melt-in-the-mouth fudgy texture. They’re also topped with a silky chestnut ganache, just to make things really special.
12. Brussels Sprouts with Chestnuts
Brussels sprouts are a true team player, blending nicely with all sorts of other ingredients. You may have paired them with bacon in the past, but now’s the time for a change. Pan-fry them with a dash of cream and some soft chestnuts for a truly impressive Thanksgiving side.
13. Chestnut Cheesecake
This lusciously rich cheesecake is one for special occasions. The creamy chestnut cake is layered over a cookie crumb and then drizzled with a syrupy glaze. And there’s a lot going on in this glaze. Nutty chestnuts, zesty lime, warming ginger, and cardamom make for an intensely flavorful topping. This is an unforgettable combo that’ll soon become a holiday favorite.
14. Chestnut Rice
This Japanese rice is the perfect accompaniment to curries, stews, and other aromatic dishes. It’s a warming bowl of fluffy, sticky short-grain rice, flavored with freshly boiled chestnuts and black sesame seeds.
15. Chestnut Risotto with Butternut Squash
Chestnuts add nutty depth to this creamy risotto. Sweetened with tender chunks of butternut squash and flavored with fresh herbs, this is a dreamy dish. It’s also very adaptable and is equally welcome at family suppers or fancy dinners.
16. Chestnut Log
Make the holiday season super special with this heavenly chestnut log. It’s a rich blend of pureed chestnuts, amaretto, pistachios, and spices, all coated in a thick chocolate shell and drizzled with white icing. Make this indulgent dessert for a crowd. A small slice goes a long way.
17. Chocolate Chestnut Mousse
Don’t be tied to the stove over the holidays, serve this make-ahead mousse and get on with the celebrations. This easy but elegant dessert is a rich blend of chocolate, chestnuts, cream, and brandy. There are no eggs, no cooking, and no hard labor involved. Just chill, serve, and gobble it down!
18. Chestnut and Mushroom Casserole
This hearty plant-based casserole will have both vegetarians and carnivores begging for more. It’s packed with seasonal ingredients like butternut squash, wild mushrooms, shallots, and thyme, alongside a generous helping of chestnuts.
19. Chestnut Chocolate Truffles
I love giving food as gifts, and these colorful chestnut truffles are the perfect present. You can dress them up with sprinkles, coconut flakes, or chopped nuts. This is a great weekend project to do with kids. Just be careful they don’t eat all the results!
20. Chestnut Smoothie
This 4-ingredient smoothie makes a great Christmas cocktail. It’s a thick, silky blend of chestnuts, yogurt, almond milk, and bananas. You might want to drink it for breakfast on Christmas morning or add a splash of rum and sip it over dinner. Either way, this is one blissful beverage! Click on a star to rate it!
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