Turkish Flour Halva Recipe

You can easily stop your sweet cravings with this Turkish Halva recipe that requires simple ingredients.   It takes almost 20 minutes from start to finish!  There is a secret ingredient that makes this recipe soft and crunchy at the same time.  Once you make it with or without this secret ingredient, I am sure this will be your go-to flour halva recipe!

Today I share my grandmother’s flour halva recipe that is so delicious with few simple ingredients.  I haven’t met anyone who tasted this halva and didn’t ask for this recipe.  It is that good and I am not exaggerating at all!

What is Turkish Halva

There are 3 common types of Turkish Halva; flour halva, semolina halva and tahini halva.

In this post, I am sharing Turkish Flour Halva.

The common ingredients for the flour halva are flour, unsalted butter, water and sugar. These four ingredients are a must for flour halva.

In my recipe, I share my grandmother’s secret ingredient; a slice of bread that is torn into small pieces.  You may not see bread in flour halva recipes but it is what makes this recipe soft and crunchy at the same time. 

Even without this addition, this halva recipe is so delicious.  Once you make it, I am sure you’ll want to make it again and again.

Halva Ingredients

• Flour-This is the main ingredient. Flour to butter ratio is so right in this recipe that not only the taste is delicious but also it makes the mixing part easy without the flour staying on the bottom and burn.   
• Butter– You need unsalted butter.  As I mentioned above flour to butter ratio is very important.  Too little butter will not give the delicious taste but you don’t want to use excess butter which will make this halva too heavy.
• Sugar– You need granulated sugar.
• Water-You need water to dissolve the sugar.  We are not making a thick syrup, we only dissolve the sugar.  
• Bread-This is the secret ingredient.  A slice of bread torn into little pieces gives crunchiness. 

How to Make Turkish Halva

First I place the sugar and water in a medium pan over medium heat.  Once the sugar is dissolved, I remove the pan from the heat.  I set aside to cool.  

Next, I remove the crust of the bread and tear the bread into small pieces( around 0.20 inch/5mm).

Then I place the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  As the butter melts, I add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon. 

When the flour and butter are homogenized, I add the bread pieces and continue to stir.

I continuously stir with a spoon to avoid burning the mixture.  You should be active during the whole process.

In the first 10 minutes, you won’t see a big difference in color, but as you keep stirring you’ll slowly reach a golden brown.  

In almost 18 minutes, the mixture becomes golden brown with a nice aroma. (You can check if it is toasted enough by taking a little flour mixture and pouring over the syrup.  If it sizzles, it means it is toasted enough. ) 

I change the heat to low and pour the syrup over the mixture. The mixture bubbles when meets with the syrup so I carefully continue to stir.  I mix until the mixture looks uniform. This process takes a maximum of 30 seconds.

Next, I place the mixture on to the serving plate and spread with a spoon. 

Then my grandmother makes her design that I love.

Using the edge of a spoon, starting from the middle, she gently presses the halva to make a sign.  Then she makes the same sign to the sides.

Next, she turns the serving plate and gives the same design to two empty middle parts. 

It looks beautiful.

Then she cuts diagonally to make diamond shapes.  

I hope you enjoy this Turkish Halva as much as I do!

Tips

• You should continuously stir the mixture to avoid burning.  If you want to give a little break, remove the pan from the heat and slowly stir. You still need to stir because the heat of the pan can burn the mixture but you can work in slow motion for some time. 🙂
•  In order to understand if you toast the flour enough, you can check it before adding the syrup; you can take almost a teaspoon from the flour mixture and add to the syrup.  If it sizzles, it means your flour is toasted enough and it is the right time to add the syrup.
• Be careful when you add the syrup as the mixture will bubble.

If you like Halva, I am sure you’ll enjoy my shortbread cookies too.  They have the same main ingredients and they remind me of each other but with a totally different texture.   

Turkish Flour Halva Recipe

You can easily stop your sweet cravings with this Turkish Halva recipe that requires simple ingredients.

5 from 13 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Turkish

Prep Time: 2 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 18 minutes minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 people

Calories: 361kcal

Author: Meymi

Ingredients

• ▢ 210 g (1 and ½ cups) all-purpose flour, dip and sweep
• ▢ 125 g (½ cup and 1 tablespoon) unsalted butter
• ▢ 130 g (½ cup and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• ▢ 95 g/ml (⅓ cup and 1 tablespoon) water
• ▢ 1 slice of (½ cup) bread, crust is removed and the bread is torn into small pieces

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

• Place the sugar and water in a medium pan over medium heat. Once sugar is dissolved, remove the pan from the heat. Set aside the pan to cool.
• Remove the crust of the bread and tear the bread into small pieces around 0.20 inch(5mm) with your hands.
• Put the butter in a medium pan over medium heat. When the butter melts, add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon.  As the flour and butter are homogenized, add the bread pieces and continue to stir. You'll need to stir continuously to avoid burning the mixture. It takes around 18 minutes to toast the flour. *
• Once the mixture is golden brown, change the heat to low and add the water-sugar syrup. When you add it, the mixture will bubble. Carefully stir the mixture until it looks uniform. This step takes a maximum of 30 seconds.
• Place the mixture on to the serving plate and spread with a spoon. You can eat as it is or make a design on top. You can make the design as in the pictures; using the edge of a spoon, starting from the middle, gently press to the halva to make a sign.  Then make the same sign to the sides. Next, turn the plate and make the same sign into the empty middle parts. Enjoy!

Notes

I use 1 and ½ recipe in the pictures but I decided to share 1 recipe in the recipe card as you may prefer to try in less amount if it is your first time trying halva.

*You should continuously stir the mixture to avoid burning.  If you want to give a little break, remove the pan from the heat and slowly stir. You still need to stir because the heat of the pan can burn the mixture but you can work in slow motion for some time.  In order to understand if you toast the flour enough, you can check it before adding the syrup; you can take almost a teaspoon from the flour mixture and add to the syrup.  If it sizzles, it means your flour is toasted enough and it is the right time to add the syrup.

How to Store: It is best when served warm. You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1-2 days.  Although it won't be as same as warm, I even enjoy eating the halva straight from the fridge.

The calorie information above is an estimate that is provided by an online nutrition calculator.

Nutrition

Serving: 6people | Calories: 361kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 45mg | Sodium: 5mg | Potassium: 37mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 521IU | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 2mg

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