Halvah is my favorite Middle Eastern treat…
And Easter wouldn’t be the same without it!
Halvah (Middle Eastern Honey-Sesame Candy)
There are 2 kinds of halvah -- the crumbly, nut-butter based kind, and the flour-based variety. I adapted the flour-based kind for whole grain sprouted flour.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup toasted sesame oil
- 2 to 2-1/4 cups sprouted spelt flour
- 1 cup roasted sesame tahini
- 3/4 cup raw honey
Instructions
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Warm oil in a large heavy skillet over low heat.
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Add flour.
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Stir until thoroughly combined.
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Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the mixture begins to turn pale brown.
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Add tahini.
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Stir until the mixture has a uniform color and consistency.
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Turn off heat.
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In a separate small saucepan, bring honey to a boil over high heat.
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Boil for 1 minute.
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Immediately add hot honey to flour mixture.
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Stir until completely incorporated.
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Spread mixture into an ungreased loaf pan and pack down with the back of a spatula.
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Let cool at room temperature for 2 hours or until the pan feels cool.
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It will shrink back slightly from the edges of the pan as it cools, and should therefore unmold easily when the pan is inverted.
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Cover tightly (in or out of the loaf paand store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
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To serve, cut into thin slices.
What are your springtime or Easter traditions? Do you make or enjoy halvah?
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He does indeed LIVE! Praise the Lord! Thanks so much for sharing this recipe. It looks absolutely scrumptious! Hope you and your family have a very blessed Easter! 🙂
I’m always excited about Easter because of God’s awesome gift to us… His Son and how He reigns forever in our hearts! This recipe looks amazing! We love middle eastern food… even found a decent Arabic restaurant in the capital city of Honduras! LOL! I will be keeping my eye out for the nut-based version… don’t have sprouted flour and don’t really want to try learning how to make my own ;o) Love ya!!
How a gorgeous sweet treat!! Happy Easter!
This looks fantastic!! Thanks for sharing. I was never sure what those Halvah bars were. Now I know they are candy.
And Happy Resurrection Day to you too! I love thinking of today that way!
Wardee,
I make my Halvah completely raw. One of my fav. is to make it with black sesame seeds and raw cacao powder. Yum-O!
Raye Ann — I’d love to hear more about your raw recipe! 🙂
3/4 cup raw sesame seeds
1/4 cup golden flax or flax and hemp seed
1 to 2 Tablespoons raw honey (depends on how sweet you want it.)
Raw Sesame, Olive or coconut oil as needed.
Pinch of real salt.
2 Tablespoons Raw Cacao Powder
Mill sesame and flax seeds in a coffee grinder until it starts to bind down. Put the sesame/flax mill in a food processor. Add the honey and salt and blend. If it is too dry to hold its shape add oil one teaspoon at a time until it holds its shape. Be careful not to over blend or you will have very sweet tahini. Roll into small bite size balls or into a log and slice. I many times double this and press into a small 7 x 5 glass casserole. Set in the freezer for about an hour.
Thank you so much. 🙂
Oh that looks so good! I’m wishing I had some tahini now….
These look fabulous! I wonder if they would turn out fine with arrowroot powder? I am out of sprouted flour right now. 🙁 Need to get on it and make some more.
Sarah — I don’t know. It is worth a try — maybe make a fourth of a batch? (And let me know, please!)
I haven’t had halvah since we lived in Saudi Arabia . . . can’t wait to try it! Barbara
Wardee – what brand of roasted tahini do you buy? I have looked at my normal stores & all tahnini is just labeled as tahini.
Also, is the toasted sesame oil the same as what you’d find in Asian markets?
thanks,
Jessie
Jessie — I get my toasted/roasted tahini through a natural food warehouse/co-op. I have seen it here and there – maybe the Maranatha, Artisana, or Natural Value brand?
I’m not sure whether the toasted sesame oil is the same as at an Asian market — I’m sorry! I’ve never been to an Asian market. However, if it says toasted, that’s the one you want. Many sesame oils are just plain. If it doesn’t say, it isn’t toasted. My cold-pressed, organic, toasted sesame oil comes either from Azure Standard or Wilderness Family Naturals.
I hope this is somewhat helpful. 🙂
This looks great!! I’ll have to try some with coconut or almond or arrowroot flours instead.
I was just thinking how I need to make this sometime! Yum!!!
I am so happy to find this recipe! I came across some imported halvah with vanilla at a local store and absolutely loved it, it would be better homemade, I’m sure, especially since I make my own vanilla. Can’t wait to make some of this, and thanks for posting the recipe!
He is RISEN, He is RISEN INDEED. . .everyone have a humbling Maundy Thursday and Good Friday and a JOYOUS RUSURRECTION SUNDAY!! Hallelujah. . .
Sounds so good, definitely gonna try it! Just an FYI, heating honey denatures/destroys the proteins that provide all the benefit, best just to use a less expensive honey (organic if possible) and not waste the raw honey. When I use honey in my tea, I cool it with 2 ice cubes and then add the honey. It’s still hot enough to enjoy the tea, but not so hot as to denature the proteins.
Well, this does look good. I might just try it. But it doesn’t look anything like the halvah that I have known. Is this a “special” recipe from a particular part of Israel? I’ve never heard of making it with flour. All the recipes I have known about are just finely ground sesame seeds, honey (or maple syrup) and a little water. Swirled in cocoa powder is an optional addition. It is a raw confection. Do you know about this method?
do you think I could successfully replace coconut oil for the seaseme oil?
Thank you it’s VERY GOOD 🙂