Semolina Halva Recipe: Delicious Turkish Dessert
Semolina halva (irmik helvasi) is a light Turkish dessert made by toasting semolina in butter with nuts, then folding in warm sweet milk. Recipe below.
Originally published May 3, 2013, updated September 12, 2021
Semolina halva, or irmik helvasi, is a light Turkish dessert made by toasting semolina in butter with crushed nuts, then stirring in warm sweetened milk and letting it rest under a lid until fluffy.
Semolina halva is a classic Ottoman dessert, and Turkish people have been cooking it for centuries in their houses. Sometimes it is cooked with milk, sometimes with pine nuts, but it is always a very light dessert. Semolina halva is also served at funerals in Turkey, cooked after a family member passes away. In winter it is served with a cup of warm black tea, and in hot summer months it is usually served with a scoop of plain ice cream. It sits among the lighter end of Turkish desserts, away from the syrup-soaked plates like baklava.
Semolina halva recipe ingredients:
- 1 cup semolina
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 cups milk (or 1 cup milk + 1 cup water)
- 4 tablespoons butter or margarine
- 4 tablespoons crushed nuts (almonds or walnuts)
- optional - toasted pine nuts to top
Semolina halva cooking method:
- Heat the milk and sugar in a small saucepan and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat.
- In another saucepan, melt the butter and add the nuts. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the semolina and stir until the mixture is thick, the butter has been absorbed into the semolina and the mixture is beginning to change color.
- Stir the milk and sugar mixture into the semolina. Be careful that the milk does not boil.
- Cook mixture over a low heat until the semolina is cooked to desired texture and the mixture is 1-2 times larger than when you started (such as rice). Remove from heat.
- Place a lid over the semolina saucepan and allow it to stand for 10-15 minutes to infuse.
- Serve with toasted pine nuts sprinkled over the top. You can also serve semolina halva with a scoop of ice cream.
A lot of Turkish sweets can be very sweet. Sometimes too much so. I like this semolina halva recipe because it’s subtly sweet, easy to make, and is a great end to Turkish meals. If you want to taste the wider range of Istanbul sweets in person, our Taste of Two Continents food tour crosses from the Spice Market to Kadıköy in a group of no more than 10.
