7 Simple Ways to Use Walnuts

Even with rising food prices, walnuts don’t have to leave your grocery list! These versatile nuts are great for various recipes, from snacks to meals and desserts. Besides this, they are an easy way to add a delicious dose of plant-based nutrition to your dishes.

The following 7 simple ways to use walnuts at home provide quick ways that you can enhance the flavor and texture of your dishes by simply including the mighty walnut!

Whether you pair this tasty nut with oatmeal for breakfast or charcuterie trays or make them into a delicious trail mix, you’ll find you can do a ton with California walnuts!

Plus-Up Cereal or Oatmeal
Add the perfect crunch to your breakfast by chopping up a handful of walnuts and using it on top of cereal or oatmeal. You’ll boost the nutrition of your meal in the process while adding four grams of plant-based protein! One of our favorite walnut recipes, Banana Bread Overnight Oats, offers a deliciously sweet breakfast option that only requires a few ingredients. This quick, satisfying meal will help tide you over until lunch!

Pair with Fruit, Cheese, and Crackers
What’s better than a tasty charcuterie board with fruit, cheese, crackers, and walnuts! You can add nutrition and crunch to a charcuterie board or a simple cheese and fruit plate by including walnuts. You can also create Walnut Snack Boxes, which feature hard-boiled eggs, veggies, crackers, hummus, and more for a quick and easy snack!

Walnut, Fruit, Cheese, and Cracker Board

Swap-in on Salads
Tired of using boring old croutons Try swapping in walnuts to boost the flavor of a salad and add a yummy crunch! Add them to your daily basic salad and enhance the taste.

Whip up Walnut Butter
Did you know that you can blitz walnut butter in just 10 minutes This homemade goodness can be used as a substitute for your usual butter. Swapping table butter with walnut butter is a healthy and delicious way to incorporate more nutrients into your diet. Creamy and delicious, walnut butter is a perfect spread for sandwiches and toasts and can be used as a dip with your favourite appetizers.

Just Eat a Handful Plain
For a nutritious snack, you can’t beat a handful of walnuts. About one handful (28g) adds 2.5g of omega-3 ALA, the plant-based fatty acid (the most ALA of any tree nut), 4g of plant-based protein, 2g of fiber, and 45mg of magnesium. To add to that nutty flavor, try toasting your walnuts, it only takes 10 minutes.

A Handful of California Walnuts

Top Your Pizza, Pasta, or Roasted Veggies
You can even top pizza, pasta, and roasted veggies with walnuts! Doing so boosts the flavor, texture, and nutritional value. Plus, adding walnuts to a pre-made pizza crust can jazz it up with extra crunch.

Swap Walnut ‘Meat’ for a plant-forward diet
It may seem challenging to get extra protein into your diet. However, you can easily turn walnut “meat” into various tasty dishes. When you mix walnuts with beans, vegetables, and spices, you can make a wholesome meat alternative! From tacos to burgers, the options are endless with walnut “meat“!

Walnut Meat

Maximize Your Budget with California Walnuts
Here’s a bonus budgeting tip! Avoid food waste by maximizing the life of your walnuts. Keep them in the fridge or freezer for walnuts that stay fresh longer.