Halva: A Tahini Treat You’ll Make On Repeat

Halva, a tahini-based confection, has a rich, nutty sesame flavor and fudgy texture that melts delightfully in the mouth. Enjoy it with coffee, tea, or as a sweet after-dinner treat. 

This halva recipe streamlines the traditional process (more on this below) to suit modern kitchens, using just five easy-to-find ingredients. This simplified version maintains the classic melt-in-your-mouth sensation but with a smoother, denser texture. 

You can use this base recipe for sesame halva to make versions studded with nuts or dried fruits, drizzled with chocolate, or savored plain. Read on for some creative variations to personalize your halva however you like!

Table of Contents

1. What is Halva?
2. What’s in Halva?
3. How to Make Halva
4. More Halva Flavors
5. What to Serve with Halva
6. More Tahini Treats
7. Halva Recipe

What is Halva?

Halva—aka halvah, halwa, and halaweh—is a sesame-based treat beloved throughout the Middle East and Turkey. 

The name, which references the Arabic word for sweet, also refers to a variety of different cakes and desserts throughout many countries. In Greece, it’s a semolina-based cake, and in parts of the Middle East, Halva can also be wheat or rice flour treats made with rose water. In Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan halwa is a grated carrot and cardamom dessert.

However, the sesame candy version, similar to what I’m sharing with you today, was first documented in a 13th-century Arabic cookbook and popularized across the Ottoman Empire. Today, it remains a cherished treat in Middle Eastern communities around the world. 

Traditionally, artisans craft halva from freshly ground sesame seeds mixed laboriously with melted sugar, egg white, and soapwort root—the latter giving halva its characteristic foamy, somewhat chalky texture. While commercial versions often include stabilizers and additives, one can still find authentic halva made with traditional ingredients in specialty shops.

Some producers now make modern variations, including chocolate-dipped halva candy bars and halva spread with sweetened chocolate-tahini.

My version leaves out the soapwort root and requires only a handful of ingredients you likely have in your cupboard.

What’s in Halva?

This easy sesame halva recipe is prepared using only a few ingredients, most of which you can probably find in your pantry already or in the baking aisle of your supermarket. Here’s everything you need:

• Tahini, a buttery sesame paste, is the main component of halva, so ensure it’s fresh and of the highest quality you can find. It must be at room temperature and well-stirred together to integrate the sesame oil with the solids. If you keep your tahini in the fridge, make sure it comes to room temperature before making halva. Separation is common, so recombine it by giving everything a really good stir. If it’s especially chunky, you can recombine it using an electric mixer.
  • READ MORE: What is Tahini?
  • TRY IT: Soom Tahini is made from the highest quality organic sesame seeds, roasted and crushed.
• Sugar is the sweetening agent in halva. Cooking the sugar with water to 250°F is what gives the halva its soft texture that melts in your mouth. 
• Kosher salt balances the sweetness of the halva.
• Vanilla extract: Besides the flavor of the sesame itself, vanilla is the main flavoring component in this halva recipe.
• Pistachios: Topping the halva with pistachios gives it a crunchy texture and a nice pop of color. They’re completely optional; halva is just as delicious plain!

How to Make Halva

Preparing halva is quite quick and simple, yet it does require precision. You will need a candy thermometer to make sure the sugar reaches the right temperature, and you will need to work quickly in stirring and transferring the mixture to make sure it maintains its silky texture.

• Prepare the pan. Line an 8-inch square pan or a 9-inch by 4-inch loaf pan with parchment paper, ensuring a 2-inch overhang on the sides. Cut slits at each corner of the pan to help the parchment lay flat.
• Season the tahini. In a large, heatproof bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups room temperature, well-stirred tahini, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Stir well to combine.  
• Make the sugar syrup. Place 1 1/4 cups sugar and 1/3 cup water in a medium-sized pot over medium heat. Attach a candy thermometer to the pot. Stir the sugar initially to help it dissolve. Once it begins to simmer, stop stirring, but occasionally swirl the pan. Continue heating until the sugar reaches 250°F. If you place a drop of this syrup into a cup of water, it should form a firm ball.
• Mix the halva. Carefully stream the hot sugar syrup into the tahini mixture while stirring continuously until the mixture is fully combined and starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl. This will take less than a minute. Avoid over-mixing to prevent the mixture from becoming crumbly.
• Mold the halva. Quickly transfer the mixture to the prepared pan, scraping the bowl with a heatproof spatula, and then pressing and spreading it evenly into the pan. Sprinkle with chopped roasted pistachios, if you like. 
• Chill and serve. Allow the halva to cool to room temperature, then cover tightly and refrigerate until fully set, about 3 hours. Once set, lift the halva out of the pan, peel away the parchment, and slice into pieces.

More Halva Flavors

What’s great about this halva recipe is how easy it is to customize to your tastes. Here are a few other variation ideas to explore. I recommend sticking with one variation per recipe. Since you have to work quickly with transferring the mixture to the pan, it’s difficult to split it into 2 separate bowls before transferring it to the mold, unless you have someone helping you. 

• Chocolate Halva: After adding the sugar syrup, quickly mix in 1/2 cup coarsely chopped dark chocolate. Top it with cacao nibs for added bitterness and crunch.

• Chocolate Pistachio Halva: In a 300°F oven, toast 1 cup pistachios until they’re golden and fragrant. Coarsely chop and add half the pistachios to the tahini mixture. After adding the sugar syrup, quickly add in 1/2 cup coarsely chopped dark chocolate. Add the remaining 1/2 cup chopped pistachios to the top of the halva once it’s in the pan.

• Coffee Cardamom Halva: Add 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder and 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom to the tahini mixture. Top the finished halva with chocolate-covered espresso beans or 1/4 cup chopped chocolate.

• Pistachio Rose Halva: In a 300°F oven, toast 1 cup pistachios until they’re golden and fragrant. Coarsely chop and add half the pistachios to the tahini mixture. Replace the vanilla extract with 1/4 teaspoon rose water. Add the remaining 1/2 cup chopped pistachios to the top of the halva once it’s in the pan.

• Dried Fruit Halva: After mixing the halva, fold in chopped dried figs, apricots, cherries, raisins, mangoes, or other dried fruits for added texture and flavor contrast.

What to Serve with Halva

Serve halva next to coffee or Arabic tea anytime of day. I love it alongside a cup of herbal tea for an afternoon treat.

It’s also lovely as a dessert paired with fresh citrus salad or poached apricots—the slight bitterness of the sesame balances beautifully with something juicy and bright. You can also mix halva into any cookie or brownie batter. Chop the halva like you would chocolate, and mix it into the batter before baking, creating sweet halva puddles in each bite.

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