Learn how to make dukkah seasoning with this simple guide. This flavorful condiment is easy to customize and a great way to add that extra oomph to your meals.

What is Dukkah?

Dukkah or Duqqa (pronounced DOO-kah) is an Egyptian seasoning that consists of a blend of herbs, toasted nuts and seeds, and fragrant spices.

The name comes from the Egyptian Arabic word meaning ‘to pound’, which is exactly how it’s made.

Dukkah seasoning adds a nice textural element to your food, taking your meals to the next level, and giving them that extra oomph of flavor!

It’s great on:

salads: fennel salad, broccoli salad, roasted Brussels sprouts salad
soups: roasted tomato soup
eggs or in a healthy breakfast hash
bread: toasty bread dipped in oil or ricotta toast with roasted grapes
pasta: margherita pasta or noodles with peanut sauce
pizza or spaghetti squash pizza boats
roasted vegetables: sweet and spicy butternut squash
dragon bowls
dips such as roasted red pepper hummus

As you can see, it’s an incredibly versatile topping.

Ingredients for Making Dukkah

nuts: almonds, brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, peanuts, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios, walnuts
seeds: sesame seeds (black or white), pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds
herbs and spices: anise seeds, cardamom seeds, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, cayenne, cinnamon, garlic, paprika, peppercorns, fennel seeds, lavender, rosemary, salt
extra add-ins: dried rose petals, citrus zest, coconut shreds, dried herbs, curry powder, ground cinnamon, dried garlic, freshly ground nutmeg

How to Make Dukkah

Toast the nuts and seeds. Toast the raw nuts and seeds in a dry pan over medium heat until lightly browned and aromatic, about 5 minutes. Then add to the bowl of a food processor.
Toast the sesame seeds and spices. Add them to the same dry pan and toast until aromatic, about 1-2 minutes and add to the bowl of a food processor with the nuts and seeds.
Salt & Add-ins. Now add your salt along with any optional add-ins.
Pulse. Pulse the mixture a few times until it’s coarse with some bigger pieces. You don’t want it to be a powder, it should have some texture.
Store. Store the dukkah in a sealed jar for up to 1 month.

Helpful Tips

Use raw nuts, seeds, and spices. You’ll be freshly toasting them to enhance their flavors, so to do this you want to start with a neutral base (which means raw and unsalted).

Using a mortar and pestle? This is how dukkah is traditionally made. To do this, you add each ingredient to a mortar separately until you’ve pounded it into a coarse texture.

Uncertain if flavors go well together? Make a small batch to be eaten in a single serving. Once you get more comfortable with making dukkah, you can make a full batch to eat throughout the month.

More Cooking Basics You’ll Love

Print Recipe

How to Make Dukkah Seasoning

Learn how to make dukkah seasoning will this simple guide. This flavorful condiment is super easy to customize and a great way to add texture and oomph to your meals.

Author: Lindsey Jenkins

Ingredients

Base Recipe for Dukkah

½ cup raw nuts of choice
3 tbsp raw nuts or seeds of choice
2 tbsp raw sesame seeds
2 tbsp whole spices choose 2
½ tsp kosher salt
2 tsp add-ins (optional) see notes

Hazelnut Fennel Dukkah

½ cup hazelnuts
3 tbsp pumpkin seeds
2 tbsp white sesame seeds
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tbsp fennel seeds
½ tsp kosher salt

Instructions

Toast the nuts and seeds. Toast the raw nuts and seeds in a dry pan over medium heat until lightly browned and aromatic, about 5 minutes. Then add to the bowl of a food processor.
Toast the sesame seeds and spices. Add them to the same dry pan and toast until aromatic, about 1-2 minutes and add to the bowl of a food processor with the nuts and seeds.
Salt & Add-ins. Now add your salt along with any optional add-ins.
Pulse. Pulse the mixture a few times until it's coarse with some bigger pieces. You don't want it to be a powder, it should have some texture.
Store. Store the dukkah in a sealed jar for up to 1 month.

Notes

Extra add-ins. Use up to 2 teaspoons total of any of the following: dried rose petals, citrus zest, coconut shreds, dried herbs, curry powder, ground cinnamon, dried garlic, or freshly ground nutmeg.
Makes 1 heaping cup.