20 Best Chestnut Recipes (2024)

These deliciously different chestnut recipes will make you fall in love with the nutritious nut.

Rustic and earthy, chestnuts add a sweet nutty flavor to any recipe. They’re also packed with vitamin C, fiber, and potassium.

20 Best Chestnut Recipes (1)

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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.

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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 co*cktail.

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!

20 Best Chestnut Recipes (3)

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20 Best Chestnut Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Why do you soak chestnuts before roasting? ›

The soaking period allows the shells to fill up with water. The water in turn produces a steaming effect when the chestnuts roast, forcing the shells to burst away from the nut. Many recipes and tips I've encountered throughout my cooking life call for a brief soak, 30 minutes or so.

Do chestnuts lower blood pressure? ›

As discussed earlier, chestnuts contain potassium and this is one of the most important minerals when it comes to lowering blood pressure. Potassium acts as a vasodilator, which helps in increasing the general blood flow, therefore decreasing the overall pressure.

How many chestnuts should you eat a day? ›

Just 10 roasted chestnuts include 17% of what you need for the day — a major plus considering most of us don't get nearly enough. Americans eat on average about 16 grams of fiber per day, half of the recommended amount of 25 to 30 grams.

What do you do with chestnuts? ›

Chestnuts are also eaten as a stuffing or cooked with pheasant, duck, goose, and chicken. Chestnut-fed pork and beef are considered a delicacy because the chestnuts impart a sweet flavor to the meat. Pigs are fed on chestnuts to produce such specialties as the Serrano hams in Italy and 'jamón ibérico' in Spain.

What happens if you don't soak chestnuts? ›

There's no need to soak chestnuts before chestnut roasting, though it may make them easier to peel and slightly softer once roasted.

Do chestnuts have health benefits? ›

Chestnuts remain a good source of antioxidants, even after cooking. They're rich in gallic acid and ellagic acid—two antioxidants that increase in concentration when cooked. Antioxidants and minerals like magnesium and potassium help reduce your risk of cardiovascular issues, such as heart disease or stroke.

Who should not eat chestnuts? ›

That said, some people may be allergic to chestnuts despite safely tolerating both peanuts and tree nuts. Raw chestnuts are safe for most people to eat, but because they contain tannins, they may cause digestive disturbance and nausea in some individuals.

What is the healthiest nut to eat? ›

Top 10 healthiest nuts
  1. Almonds. Sweet tasting almonds have a number of health benefits. ...
  2. Brazil nuts. Originating from a tree in the Amazon, Brazil nuts are one of the richest food sources of the mineral, selenium. ...
  3. Cashews. ...
  4. Chestnuts. ...
  5. Hazelnuts. ...
  6. Macadamia nuts. ...
  7. Pecans. ...
  8. Pine nuts.
Mar 30, 2023

Do chestnuts have a laxative effect? ›

Chestnuts are a good source of fiber, which has many health benefits. For one, fiber helps add bulk to your stools, which makes them easier to pass and can help keep you regular ( 15 ). In addition, the fiber in your diet reaches your colon largely undigested, where it acts as a prebiotic.

What country eats the most chestnuts? ›

Asia is the largest producer and consumer of chestnuts in the world. The use of chestnuts as food over 9,000 years ago in Japan is documented in carbonized nuts found in ancient villages. Recent programs have mandated the large-scale establishment of chestnut orchards in many different regions of China.

What is the healthiest way to eat chestnuts? ›

Cooking them before you eat them, though not required, is strongly recommended, says Applegate. “It makes the starch more digestible.” The best cooking method depends on how you plan to use them, Kamp says. For snacks and salads, you want to keep the chestnuts dry, so roasting is her pick.

Is chestnut good for hair? ›

Hair is damaged by dyes, hair irons, hair dryers and chemical treatments that make hair weak and brittle, hindering its ability to retain water. The chestnut extract is said to repair and protect hair from this daily damage without causing buildup and is said to impart a glossy look to hair.

What do Chinese people do with chestnuts? ›

In cuisine, the chestnut is an important ingredient. Chestnuts can be roasted or made into flour for cakes and bread. Stewed chicken with chestnuts is also a famous dish in many regions of China.

What do Italians do with chestnuts? ›

Chestnuts in cooking

They can be milled into flour for bread, cakes, pastas, or polenta. They are used to thicken soups and sauces. They can be candied or puréed and sweetened for desserts. They are used to make fritelli (fritters), and they are also used as a substitute for potatoes in stews.

Why do you soak chestnuts? ›

Soak them in water for 15 minutes up to an hour before roasting. This helps the nut separate from the shell and makes peeling even easier after roasting.

Do you need to rinse water chestnuts before cooking? ›

Prepping Water Chestnuts

Canned water chestnuts should be rinsed under cool, running water. To remove the "tinny" taste, soak the rinsed water chestnuts in fresh water with 1 teaspoon of baking soda for 10 minutes before slicing or chopping for various recipes.

Why are my chestnuts still hard after roasting? ›

When cooked, the shells will burst open, and the chestnut will be golden brown. Roast until the shells begin to peel back where you cut into them. “Keep a careful watch to ensure they are not overcooked or undercooked,” Patton says. “Either will result in hard chestnuts and the inner skin will be difficult to remove.”

Should chestnuts be refrigerated before roasting? ›

To extend their shelf life, store chestnuts in a fridge with ideal temperature and humidity levels. If storing chestnuts in the refrigerator, take them out of the fridge a few days before cooking them for the best flavor.

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