Wondering how to chop nuts for your favorite recipes? These methods walnut disappoint.
How to Chop Nuts, 5 Ways
Updated Mar. 10, 2023
Chopping nuts can drive you, well, nuts but it’s impossible to make many of our favorite recipes without them. Pecan pie, granola and holiday spiced nuts, to name a few. While you can buy pre-chopped nuts at the grocery store, you’ll save money by chopping nuts at home. Learning how to chop nuts also allows you to control the size. These go-to methods make the process quick and easy.
How to Chop Nuts with a Knife
Chopping nuts with a knife might be a bit of a pain, but it’s the best way to obtain evenly chopped nuts. Here’s a little kitchen hack: the nuts have a tendency to scoot around wildly as you chop, so roll up a towel and place it around the edge of the cutting board to catch them.
To chop nuts with a knife, place them in a small pile on a cutting board. Keep the tip of the blade on the cutting board and your non-cutting hand in a claw shape over the pile. Slice downward through the nut pile, cutting the nuts with the butt end of the blade and moving your claw hand backwards as you move through the pile. Once you’ve made a single pass over the nuts, turn the pile 90 degrees and make a second pass. At this point, the nuts will be coarsely chopped. To finely chop the nuts, place your non-cutting hand over the top of the blade and carefully rock the blade back and forth until the nuts reach the desired size.
How to Chop Nuts in a Bowl
Chopping nuts on a flat cutting board is can make a bit of a mess, especially when you’re chopping round nuts like hazelnuts. Instead, put the nuts in a bowl and put pressure on them using a pastry cutter, the back of a measuring cup or a small bowl. The nuts will crack under the pressure, producing coarsely chopped nuts. To finely chop the nuts, move them to the cutting board and proceed to chop them using the knife method above.
How to Chop Nuts with a Nut Chopper
A nut chopper is a perfect investment if you use a lot of chopped nuts. The design varies depending on the manufacturer, as some are able to chop both vegetables and nuts while others are specifically designed for nuts only. Be sure to check with the user’s manual, but they usually work in a similar fashion: load the nuts into the gadget before turning the grinder handle or pushing down on the chopper until the nuts reach the desired size.
How to Chop Nuts with a Food Processor
If you need to chop a large quantity of nuts for a recipe like granola, the food processor is the way to go. Working in batches (about 1 cup of nuts at a time), pulse the nuts in the food processor until they reach the desired size. They will go from perfectly chopped to dust very quickly, so keep a close eye on them as you pulse.
How to Chop Nuts with an Apple Corer
We love this method because it takes a uni-tasker and turns it into a multitasker! Place the nuts in a pile on a cutting board. Press down firmly with the apple corer, repeating the process until all the nuts are chopped.
Dessert Recipes That You'll Go Nuts Over
Pecan BrowniesIndulge in the rich, complex flavors of these chewy, gooey pecan brownies, where rich chocolate meets caramel-tinged pecans in a symphony of decadence.
Wondering how to chop nuts for your favorite recipes? These methods walnut disappoint.
Tender Pecan LogsFolks always ask me to make these tender nutty logs. Not overly sweet, they're just right with a steaming cup of coffee or tea. —Joyce Beck, Gadsden, Alabama
Cranberry Walnut BiscottiA chocolate drizzle lends a little extra sweetness to biscotti.—Joan Duckworth, Lee's Summit, Missouri
Cinnamon Peanut BrittleI made this sweet, peanut-packed candy for Christmas and sent some with my husband to work. His co-workers liked it so much they asked for more. It has a lovely glossy look and the cinnamon is a delightful surprise. You've got to try this peanut butter brittle recipe. —Grace Miller, Mansfield, Ohio
Pecan Pie CookiesMy family loves pecans. In fact, we have pecan pie at Thanksgiving and this pecan pie cookies recipe at Christmas! —Julie McQuiston, Bradenton, Florida
Butter Pecan Cookie Bars with Penuche DrizzleI have made these Butter Pecan Cookie Bars for many, many years. They are rich, chewy, nutty and buttery—all the good stuff. They freeze well, that is, if they last long enough. A little drizzle of old-fashioned penuche icing takes them over the top. —Kallee Krong-McCreery, Escondido, California
Magic BarsThese rich bar cookies will melt in your mouth! They’re ideal to have on hand for a snack. —Pauline Schrag, Theresa, New York
Skillet Chocolate Chunk Walnut BlondiesWhat's better than a chocolate chip cookie? How about a giant chocolate chip pizookie!
Chocolate Hazelnut ShortbreadWe love hazelnut flavor and cookies that aren’t too sweet, so this recipe is perfect for us! If you like your cookies on the sweeter side, bake up these crisp beauties and slather some Nutella between two to create an extra-special sandwich cookie. —Karla Johnson, East Helena, Montana
Spiced Upside-Down Apple PieMy grandma taught me to make this pie when I was 4. Over the years, I've kept it about the same with just a few changes. Flip it out the second it stops bubbling. The glaze makes it look especially delicious. —Francine Bryson, Pickens, South Carolina
Pumpkin Pecan CustardMy family loves pumpkin pie flavor, but this is a delicious, creamy, healthier alternative—and we don’t miss the crust at all. It firms up as it cools. —Abby Booth, Coweta, Oklahoma
Hazelnut Madeleine CookiesThese soft, cakelike cookies have a delicate hazelnut flavor—perfect for making great memories! They’re baked in the distinctive shell-shaped madeleine pan, available in kitchen specialty stores. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
Candied PecansThese candied pecans combine toasty nuts with butter, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla for a salty-sweet snack that you can eat by the handful or as an accompaniment to salad, cheese, desserts and so much more.
Easy Nutella CheesecakeThis Nutella cheesecake recipe bursts with hazelnut flavor and features a baked Oreo crust topped with a luscious Nutella filling.
Maple-Walnut Spritz CookiesAfter taking a trip to Vermont during maple harvest season, I just had to make something using maple syrup. Because I love maple, walnuts and spritz cookies, I combined all those elements to create these perfectly delicious bites. I adore the aroma when these are baking.
Caramel Cashew CheesecakeWhen a friend served this luscious cheesecake at a birthday party, I left with the recipe. Every time I make it, rave reviews and recipe requests come my way. —Pat Price, Bucyrus, Ohio
Cinnamon Nut BarsClassic bar meets good-for-you ingredients in this updated recipe. If you have the patience, after the bars are cool, store them in a tin for a day to allow the flavors to meld...I think they taste even better the next day.— Heidi Lindsey, Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin
Salted Caramel Walnut TartIt took me a while to figure out a way to convert one of my favorite ice cream flavors into a pie—one of my favorite desserts. The result took quite a few tries, but in the end, it was so worth it. —Ruth Ealy, Plain City, Ohio
Baklava Thumbprint CookiesThe topping on my sister-in-law's peach cobbler was so delicious that I asked for the recipe; then I decided to use that to top a cookie I developed with the flavors of baklava. My adult son tried one and immediately ate two more—which is unusual for him! It's a good recipe to mix up the night before and bake fresh the next day for company. —Sharon Eshelman, Harrington, Delaware
Italian Butter CookiesButtery soft with a sweet chocolate tip, these Italian butter cookies are a surefire way to impress your guests. Make them ahead of time (they freeze exceptionally well), or fresh in just a few hours; either way, you'll have a simple yet tasty treat to satisfy your sweet tooth.
Pumpkin FudgeA confection as cozy and autumnal as this pumpkin fudge deserves that can of pumpkin puree you’ve been saving. Followed by cinnamon baking chips, ground cinnamon, nutmeg and pumpkin pie spice, it tastes as if you’re eating fall itself.
Biscotti RecipeTake a break and have some coffee or tea with one of these tasty biscotti. It's sweet but not overly so, and it's a crunchy, satisfying snack that's fantastic for when you want to relax and have something simple to eat.
Date-Nut PinwheelsPinwheel cookies with dates and walnuts are a family treasure. There are a few steps when prepping, so I sometimes freeze the dough and bake the cookies later. —Frieda Whiteley, Lisbon, Connecticut
Pumpkin and Walnut SquaresThe buttery crust and crumb topping plus the creamy pumpkin filling make this a popular dessert at potlucks. Try it with whipped cream, ice cream or all by its yummy self. This is the pumpkin walnut recipe to end all recipes. —Ruth Beller, Sun City, California
Pecan Pumpkin DessertI always make this treat for Thanksgiving. A friend gave me the recipe, and I've since shared it with many others. —Sue Williams, Mount Holly, North Carolina
Cranberry Nut CookiesIn fall, I stock up on fresh cranberries and freeze them so I can make these cookies throughout the year. Tangy cranberries are a nice addition to a buttery cookie. —Machelle, Wall, Rosamond, California
Chocolate Walnut CrescentsI use a round cookie cutter to form the crescent shapes for these nutty favorites. They're so pretty sprinkled with sugar and drizzled with chocolate. —TerryAnn Moore, Vineland, New Jersey
Caramel-Pecan Monkey BreadThe kids will get a kick out of pulling off gooey pieces of this delectable monkey bread. It's hard to resist a caramel-coated treat. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
Frosted Cashew CookiesWe savor these cookies at Christmas, but they're special year-round with coffee or tucked into a lunchbox. I won a ribbon with these cookies at my county fair. —Sheila Wyum, Rutland, North Dakota
Copycat Patti’s Sawdust PieWe top this with sliced bananas, whipped cream and more sliced bananas. It's based on a sawdust pie recipe my mom got from a potholder she bought at the Patti's 1880s Settlement in Grand Rivers, Kentucky. —Jennifer Choisser, Paducah, Kentucky
Originally Published: November 04, 2021
