Food Ingredients Nuts + Seeds Chestnuts 18 Chestnut Recipes to Make Throughout Sweater Season By Food & Wine Editors Food & Wine Editors This is collaborative content from Food & Wine's team of experts, including staff, recipe developers, chefs, and contributors. Many of our galleries curate recipes or guides from a variety of sources which we credit throughout the content and at each link. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on December 7, 2022 Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christine Keely Best known for their cameo in the classic Christmas song, chestnuts truly are delicious when roasted over an open fire. But they can also be turned into flour, candied, deep-fried, or pureed. Chestnuts are quite starchy when cooked, with a buttery, sweet flavor — perfect for both desserts such as chestnut pavlova and savory dishes like porcini-chestnut soup. Here, all of our best recipes featuring chestnuts. 01 of 18 Wine-Braised Pork with Chestnuts and Sweet Potatoes © Christina Holmes Legendary chef Jacques Pépin sears pork shoulder to make a terrific crust, then braises it slowly with stock, wine, chestnuts, and sweet potatoes until it's meltingly tender. Get the Recipe 02 of 18 Chestnut Stuffing with Fennel © John Kernick When chef Suzanne Goin was a child, making stuffing for the holidays was one of her first forays into cooking. "My mom always used store-bought crumbs, and it became my job to doctor them up," says Goin. "I'd just raid the spice cabinet and the first batches were a little [wild]. But I figured out what I liked best." The crispy olive oil-soaked bread cubes on top of this chestnut-laced stuffing with pancetta and fennel are especially delectable. Get the Recipe 03 of 18 Baked Acorn Squash with Chestnuts, Apples, and Leeks © Alexandra Rowley Halved acorn squash make perfect single-serving bowls. These are a great vegetarian main course for any winter holiday, but they're also a festive accompaniment to turkey, ham, or roast goose. Get the Recipe 04 of 18 Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Salsify, Chestnuts, and Ham © Lucy Schaeffer Chef Michel Nischan transforms a traditional Italian dish with local produce and country ham. "This satisfies people's yearning for pasta but with a more American approach," he says. Get the Recipe 05 of 18 Chestnut Pavlova Photo by Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Thom Driver This chestnut pavlova recipe from television cook Nigella Lawson is fabulously festive: an exuberant, rich, and luxurious treat for the holidays. The meringue base is crisp on the outside with a soft, marshmallowy interior. It's topped with sweetened chestnut puree (sometimes labeled "chestnut spread;" seek out Clement Faugier brand) followed by swaths of softly whipped cream and splinters of bitter chocolate. Get the Recipe 06 of 18 Roasted Squash with Chestnuts and Pomegranate © James Baigrie A drizzle of tangy pomegranate molasses makes this oven-roasted squash, an archetypal fall recipe, even more delicious. Get the Recipe 07 of 18 Sautéed Chicken with Celery Root Puree and Chestnuts © James Baigrie Chef Mourad Lahlou poaches fresh chestnuts sous vide to accompany chicken breasts and buttery celery root puree. F&W's adaptation calls for store-bought chestnuts that are already peeled and cooked. Get the Recipe 08 of 18 Porcini and Chestnut Soup © Jonny Valiant Chef Michael Tusk uses porcini in two forms in this velvety soup. He blends dried ones with chestnuts for a deep layer of earthy flavor, then adds sautéed ones at the end as a topping. Get the Recipe 09 of 18 Orecchiette Bolognese with Chestnuts © Frances Janisch Store-bought dried orecchiette gets tossed with a bolognese sauce made with just ham and ground chuck. Finishing the dish with chestnuts adds a delicious and unexpected touch. Get the Recipe 10 of 18 Chicken and Chestnut Soup Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christine Keely Tender, falling-off-the-bone slow-cooked chicken thighs simmer alongside roasted chestnuts and smoky black cardamom to form the base of this satisfying soup. There’s no need to discard the cardamom pods — just give the soup a couple of minutes to settle before serving and they will sink to the bottom of the pot. Get the Recipe 11 of 18 Flambéed Candied Chestnut Cake William Hereford This rich cake from 2017 F&W Best New Chef Angie Mar is delicious served with a dollop of crème fraîche or, as it was served at The Beatrice Inn in New York City, with a scoop of white truffle ice cream and shaved white truffles. Get the Recipe 12 of 18 Wild Mushroom Shepherd's Pie with Potato-Chestnut Topping © Michael Turek Star chef Grant Achatz swaps in mushrooms for the usual meat and adds woodsy chestnuts to the potato topping in his vegetarian take on shepherd's pie. Get the Recipe 13 of 18 Scallops with Chestnut Sauce and Crisp Sage © Anna Williams "In 1994, when I enrolled at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, I had to catch up on so much — it was like I had [an inexperienced] palate for food and wine," says winemaker Rajat Parr. "For instance, I'd never had a scallop before; I didn't even know what they were. I had never seen a chestnut before, either. So cooking school was an eye-opening experience." Get the Recipe 14 of 18 Japanese Chestnut Tea Cake Greg DuPree Ayako Watanabe, the founding pastry chef of Dominique Ansel Bakery in Tokyo, created this not-too-sweet chestnut cake with a fine, light crumb. Using cold butter and chestnut paste incorporates plenty of air and volume when whipping the batter, which will make the cake nice and light. Get the Recipe 15 of 18 Wild Rice with Mushrooms, Cranberries, and Chestnuts Marcus Nilsson With just enough cranberries in each bite to balance out the earthiness in the rice blend and mushrooms, this rice salad can be served warm or at room temperature. Get the Recipe 16 of 18 Brussels Sprouts with Chestnuts and Bacon © John Kernick You can use vacuum-packed chestnuts for this recipe, or roast fresh ones yourself. Get the Recipe 17 of 18 Root Vegetable Pan Roast with Chestnuts and Apples © Victoria Pearson Seasoned with thyme and sweetened with syrup, this complexly flavorful side dish may just steal the show from the main course. Get the Recipe 18 of 18 Tofu Salad with Chestnuts and Apple Dashi © Chris Court Chef David Chang’s light and elegant no-cook dish features custardy silken tofu in a sweet and savory Fuji apple broth with thinly sliced chestnuts and frisée. Get the Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit