Spreading Innovation

California walnuts add depth, body and craveable richness to dips and spreads, repositioning them from side to center stage.

Dips and spreads have evolved beyond appetizers and side-of-plate accents. Today, they are foundational menu elements—building blocks for globally inspired shareables, sandwich spreads, bowl bases and more. As this format continues to evolve, chefs are turning to California walnuts to deliver flavor, texture and functional versatility in every bite.

Naturally rich and neutral in flavor, walnuts adapt easily to different formats: blended smooth for creamy dips, crushed for body and texture, or folded into salsas and street food-inspired sauces. Whether used in cold-prep, hot-hold or shareable formats, walnuts help operators meet demand for plant-forward, high-impact menu components.

Check out these three ways walnuts are powering the next generation of dips and spreads:

Visual Flavor Bombs

Today’s guests eat with their eyes, and bold, colorful dips deliver both visual excitement and layered flavor. Blending roasted vegetables with walnut cream or paste creates spreads that pop on the plate and on social media. These walnut-based spreads aren’t just eye-catching; they act as modular components that chefs can adapt across multiple builds, from shareable boards to composed entrées.

Global Comfort, Reimagined

Comfort food today is as likely to draw from global street-food culture as from home-cooked nostalgia.Ingredients like Cotija, chile-lime seasoning and roasted corn have helped elevate Mexican-style street corn, a versatile and beloved flavor profile. Blending charred corn and tangy cheese with a seasoned walnut cream enriches the flavor story while showcasing walnuts’ ability to seamlessly integrate into this globally inspired build.

Plant-Based Creaminess Without Compromise

California walnuts are the ideal foundation for creamy, plant-based dips and spreads with a clean label and broad appeal. Blended with lemon juice, olive oil and fresh herbs, walnuts yield a bright, rich and highly functional base. Operators can use these bases as buildable layers: dolloped into bowls, swirled onto toasts or folded into grain salads—enabling consistent execution with signature flair.

Walnut Solutions for Today’s Menus

Dips and spreads are culinary Swiss Army knives: versatile, prep-friendly and primed for global storytelling. Whether starting with a simple purée or layered into a complex build, walnut-based dips and spreads inspire innovative chefs wherever they are in the development process.

Interested in resources and collaboration? Contact us at foodservice@walnuts.org.