Dukkah or Duqqa is a Middle-Eastern and Egyptian nut, herb, and spice blend used as a dip for bread and a condiment for veggies.

Serve it as an appetizer as part of a colorful mezze platter with other spreads and dips, or sprinkle it on flatbread, vegetables, soups, and stews.

Dukkah with bread and lemon

Check out our best appetizer recipe collection!

Middle-Eastern and Mediterranean recipes are an excellent way to increase our consumption of healthy and nutritious plant foods in the form of delicious dishes!

That’s because many recipes in these regions are naturally vegetarian and packed with colors and spices that make the food tasty and nutritious.

This nut mixture from Egypt is no different. Dukkah (pronounced doo-kah) means “to pound” in Arabic.

Nuts, herbs, and spices are pounded together with mortar and pestle (we use a food processor) until they reach a texture that is neither too fine nor too coarse – it’s something between a crumble and a coarse powder.

We think you’ll love Dukkah because you can use it to add beautiful aromas and a pleasant crunch to simple dishes like sautéed or grilled vegetables, and you can even sprinkle it on soup as an original and tasty topping.

Also, duqqa is easy to make; it only takes about 10 minutes. As usual, take this recipe as a guideline for inspiration, and customize your Dukkah based on your taste and what you have in your pantry.

Feel free to change the nuts and the spices and come up with your family-approved dukkah recipe.

dukkah in a glass bowl

Ingredients

Ingredients for dukkah

Hazelnuts

Toasted hazelnuts add a nice crunch and nutty flavor.

Substitute almonds, pistachios, walnuts, cashews, and pecan for hazelnuts.

Pine nuts

Pinenuts add a fattier texture and flavor to the Dukkah, and we love to add them in when we have them in our pantry.

Since they can be expensive depending on where you live, you can keep them out and replace them with more hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, or seeds such as sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, pepitas, or mixed seeds.

Cumin seeds

Cumin seeds are the most traditional; although you can also use ground cumin if you don’t have the seeds.,

Whole spices add much more flavor and texture than using ground spices.

Sesame seeds

You can use any sesame seeds. We happen to have white ones, but darker color sesame seeds work equally well.

Coriander seeds

Whole coriander seeds add a distinctive citrusy, tangy flavor to this duqqa recipe, and we love them. But, of course, you can replace them with ground coriander seeds, although the whole seeds also add a nice crunch to this recipe.

However, we understand that many people might not enjoy the coriander flavor as much as we do. If this is your case, you can substitute fennel seeds for coriander seeds. Again, whole spices equal the best flavor.

Oregano

Dried oregano adds a pleasant herby flavor, reminding us of za’atar, another popular Middle-Eastern condiment.

Substitute dried thyme, mint, or basil for oregano. You can also add a teaspoon of sumac.

Note: you’ll probably be able to find most ingredients at your local grocery store; however, if you don’t, you can always order them online. We usually get a large (and cheaper) order of each spice, whole, and they last us for several months.

Dukkah on flatbread

Instructions

To a dry skillet, add the nuts and toast them on medium-low heat for a few minutes until they start to brown. Move the pan around often. Remove from the pan a set the nuts aside.

nuts and spices in a pan

To the same pan, add cumin, coriander, and sesame seeds and toast them on medium heat for a few minutes, moving the seeds around the pan often.

They are ready when the seeds start to smoke and turn golden brown.

spices on a black pan

To a food processor, add toasted nuts, toasted seeds, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper.

nuts in a food processor

Pulse several times until you reach a consistency that looks like a coarse powder, making sure not to overmix.

blended nuts and spices

Variations

Dukkah with pistachio nuts

A fantastic variation is one with pistachio nuts. To make it, we add three tablespoons of unsalted and toasted pistachio to the original dukkah recipe.

Here we serve it on top of sautéed spinach, but it works on top of most veggies or as a dip for flatbreads. It is one of our favorite ways of making and eating it.

Dukkah on spinach

Serving suggestions

The traditional way of serving Dukkah is in a bowl so you can use it as a dip for warm flatbreads like pita bread.

The way we do it is we first dip a piece of pita in good quality extra virgin olive oil, then we dip it in this flavorful spice blend. It’s divine!

Dukkah with hand

Another way of serving it is with veggies sprinkled on top:

green beans with dukkah

Finally, the best way to serve Dukkah is as part of an appetizer or mezze platter with other Mediterranean and Middle East-inspired dips and spreads:

tabouli on a mixed mezze platter

Questions

What is Dukkah made of?

Dukkah is an Egyptian and Middle Eastern condiment made of spices, nuts, and seeds. Common ingredients are cumin seeds, coriander seeds, sesame seeds, toasted hazelnuts, black pepper, salt, and dried oregano.

Is dukkah the same as Zaatar?

Dukkah and zaatar are both condiments from the Middle Eastern regions of the world. However, the two are different.

Za’atar is a simpler condiment made with oregano, sesame seeds, sumac, salt, and other spices.

On the other hand, Dukkah is made with a mix of toasted nuts, sesame seeds, and sometimes za’atar is added to it. Both are used as a dip with warm pita bread.

Make Ahead & Storage

Make ahead: Dukkah is an excellent recipe to make ahead as it keeps well for several weeks. It’s great to have it in your pantry, ready to spice up your dinners.

Room temperature: keep Dukkah in an airtight container (we use a sealed mason jar) at room temperature for about a month before it loses its fragrant texture and the flavors start to dwindle.

Freezer: if you plan to store it for more than one month, then we recommend freezing it. To do so, transfer it into a freezer-friendly bag and freeze it for up to 6 months.

Thaw: thaw at room temperature in a dry corner of your kitchen.

More Topping Ideas

These topping ideas are great for green salads when you’re looking for an easy flavor upgrade:

More Middle-Eastern recipes

Try these Middle-Eastern-inspired recipes; they’re delicious and great for weeknight dinners:

For many more side dish ideas, check out our sides category page.

Dukkah with naan bread

Dukkah

By: Nico Pallotta
5 from 2 votes
Dukka or Duqqa is a Middle-Eastern and Egyptian nut, herb, and spice blend used as a dip for bread and a condiment for veggies.
Serve it as an appetizer as part of a colorful mezze platter with other spreads and dips, or sprinkle it on flatbread, vegetables, soups, and stews.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 1 cup
Course: Appetizer, Side dish
Cuisine: Middle-Eastern

Equipment

  • Food processor

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons hazelnuts
  • 3 tablespoons pinenuts or other nut
  • 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
  • 2 tablespoons coriander seeds
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions 

  • To a dry skillet, add the nuts and toast them on medium-low heat for a few minutes until they start to brown. Move the pan around often.
    Remove nuts from the pan and set them aside.
    nuts and spices in a pan
  • To the same pan, add cumin, coriander, and sesame seeds. Toast them on medium heat for a few minutes, moving them around the pan.
    They are ready when they start to smoke and turn golden brown. If you hear some popping, that's normal.
    spices on a black pan
  • To a food processor, add toasted nuts, toasted seeds, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper.
    nuts in a food processor
  • Pulse several times until you reach a consistency that looks like a coarse powder.
    blended nuts and spices
  • The traditional way of serving Dukkah is in a bowl, so you can use it as a dip for flatbreads like pita bread.
    Dip warm pita in good quality extra virgin olive oil first, then dip it in the Dukkah.
    Dukkah with hand
  • We like serving Dukkah on top of sautéed, roasted, or grilled vegetables, on soups, or as part of a mezze platter.
    See the "serving suggestions" chapter above the recipe box for inspiration.
    green beans with dukkah

Notes

Nutrition information is an estimate for the whole batch of Dukkah.
TIP
Take this recipe as a guideline and customize it based on your taste and what you have in your pantry.
Feel free to change the nuts and spices and come up with your family-approved Dukkah recipe.
SUBSTITUTIONS
– Hazelnuts: substitute walnuts, almonds, pistachios, and cashews for hazelnuts.
– Pine nuts: substitute other nuts or seeds such as sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, or mixed seeds for pine nuts.
– Cumin seeds: substitute ground cumin for whole cumin seeds. 
– Coriander seeds: substitute ground coriander or fennel seeds for whole coriander seeds.
– Oregano: substitute dried thyme, mint, basil, or sumac for oregano.
MAKE AHEAD & STORAGE
– Make ahead: Dukkah is an excellent recipe to make ahead as it keeps well for several weeks. It’s great to have it in your pantry, ready to spice up your dinners.
– Room temperature: keep Dukkah in an airtight container (we use a sealed mason jar) at room temperature for about a month before it loses its fragrant texture and the flavors start to dwindle.
– Freezer: if you plan to store it for more than one month, then we recommend freezing it. To do so, transfer it into a freezer-friendly bag and freeze it for up to 6 months.
– Thaw: thaw at room temperature in a dry corner of your kitchen.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 526kcal, Carbohydrates: 21g, Protein: 13g, Fat: 49g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 16g, Monounsaturated Fat: 24g, Trans Fat: 0g, Cholesterol: 0mg, Potassium: 652mg, Dietary Fiber: 11g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 78IU, Vitamin B6: 0.4mg, Vitamin C: 4mg, Vitamin E: 8mg, Vitamin K: 34µg, Calcium: 319mg, Folate: 65µg, Iron: 9mg, Manganese: 5mg, Magnesium: 227mg, Zinc: 5mg
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Nico and Louise in the kitchen

Hi! We are Nico & Louise

Welcome to The Plant-Based School, a food blog with easy, tasty, and wholesome recipes.

Our aim is to help you and your family eat more veggies through delicious recipes with simple ingredients.

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Recipe Rating




2 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Your good is awesome. Thanks so much for you attention to detail! I luv luv that you do the Mediterranean food / I know how to make a crazy delicious baklava. I lived in Jordan! I miss eating that food everyday! I recreate it most of the time!

    1. Hi Gigi,
      Thank you for your kind words – I’m so happy you like our recipes 💪
      Mediterranean food is fantastic. And so is baklava ❤️
      All the best,
      Louise