How to Cook with Black Walnuts: Recipes and Tips from Top Chefs

Black walnuts are a favorite among local chefs and culinary experts nationwide, adding a rich, distinctive flavor to any dish. With their bold, earthy profile, Hammons Black Walnuts add a taste of the Ozarks to both sweet and savory dishes.

Chef Calvin Davis of Hotel Vandivort in Springfield, often incorporates Hammons Black Walnuts into his recipes, celebrating their local roots. “I love using black walnuts because I literally grew up with them,” Davis says. “My hometown of Stockton, Missouri, is the home of Hammons.” For Davis, using black walnuts brings a sense of nostalgia and a taste of home. “The flavor is so unique,” he says. “There really isn't anything like them.”

When cooking with black walnuts, Davis recommends toasting them before adding them to any recipe. “Specifically with black walnuts, it really complements their flavor, and the texture is dramatically improved as well,” he says. One of his favorite ways to use black walnuts is in his black walnut gremolata, a versatile topping that pairs well with meat, fish or vegetables.

Black Walnut Gremolata 

Ingredients
• 1 cup Hammons Black Walnuts, toasted
• 2 tablespoons fresh sage, finely chopped
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• Salt, to taste

Instructions 
Place all ingredients in a food processor, and pulse a few times until the nuts are crushed.

Using Black Walnuts for Nut Milk with Award-Winning Chef Alan Bergo

Chef Alan Bergo, a James Beard Award–winning chef nationally known as the Forager Chef, is based in Minnesota and has appeared on Hulu’s Chefs vs. Wild and many other programs. He uses Hammons Black Walnuts in his own recipes. “I love using black walnuts on my menus as most people have heard of them, but may not have tried them, or even know they’re edible,” he says. “Greene County having more black walnut trees than anywhere else in the United States makes black walnuts a special seasonal ingredient inextricably connected to the food traditions of the Ozarks Region.” 

Bergo has experimented with cooking with black walnuts. His top tip is to swap black walnuts for regular walnuts or other nuts to add a deep, rich flavor to your favorite recipes. “Sweets like granola, bars, pies, cookies, breads and pastries are classic, but they’re also incredible in savory dishes,” Bergo says. “Try them in a pesto, mixed into a stuffing or just toasted and tossed in a salad. Their unmistakable flavor enhances anything they're added to.”

One of Chef Bergo's favorite recipes using Hammons Black Walnuts is homemade, dairy-free black walnut milk, which can be found on his website, along with many other recipes.