Turkish Halva
A no-bake tahini-and-pistachio confection with toasted sesame and pine nuts
Makes 12-16 bite-size pieces · 15 min active · 1 hr 15 min total · Year-round (made from pantry staples) · Best eaten: midday or early afternoon
Ingredients
½ cup tahini (well stirred)
¼ cup date nectar (date syrup), or 3 tbsp raw honey
½ tsp pure vanilla extract
Pinch of Baja Gold sea salt
½ cup almond flour
½ cup raw sesame seeds (white, black, or a mix), lightly toasted if you like
¼ cup pine nuts
¼ cup raw pistachios
¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
Optional, for bliss balls
¼ cup more almond flour
¼ cup more shredded coconut
4 Medjool dates, pitted
Method
Toast the nuts. Toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly, until golden and fragrant. Watch closely, since pine nuts go from golden to burnt in seconds. Transfer them to a plate to cool. (If you like, toast the sesame seeds the same way, 2-3 minutes, for a deeper, nuttier flavor.)
Mix the base. In a food processor or large bowl, combine the almond flour, tahini, sesame seeds, shredded coconut, date nectar, vanilla, and salt. Process or stir until evenly combined, then scrape the mixture into a bowl.
Crush the nuts. In the same food processor (no need to clean it), pulse the cooled pine nuts and pistachios until coarsely crushed: small pieces, not a paste.
Fold the crushed nuts into the tahini mixture by hand.
Line the pan. Line a small loaf pan (about 4 × 8 inches) with parchment, leaving some hanging over the sides. For thinner, bite-size squares, use an 8-inch square pan.
Press. Press the mixture firmly and evenly into the pan with your hands or the back of a spoon, so it holds together when sliced.
Chill at least 1 hour, until firm.
Slice. Lift it out by the parchment overhang and slice into bite-size pieces.
For bliss balls instead: Add the extra almond flour, coconut, and dates to the food processor with the base mixture and process until it holds together. Fold in the crushed nuts, roll into 1-inch balls, and refrigerate until firm.
Nourishment Notes
Tahini and sesame seeds — calcium, magnesium, copper, and sesame lignans like sesamin.
Pistachios — vitamin B6, copper, and manganese, plus lutein, a carotenoid that supports eye health.
Pine nuts — magnesium, zinc, and vitamin E.
Almond flour — vitamin E, magnesium, and monounsaturated fats.
Coconut — fiber and lauric acid, a medium-chain fat.
Medjool dates (bliss balls) — potassium, magnesium, and fiber-bound natural sweetness.
As a circadian treat, halva lands best at midday or in the early afternoon, when the body handles natural sugars most gracefully in daylight. The rich sesame and nuts also help slow the sweetness down.
Storage
Refrigerated in an airtight container up to 2 weeks, or frozen up to 3 months. Bliss balls keep the same way.
Sourcing
Tahini — organic when available, 100% sesame with nothing added. Al Arz, a family business in Nazareth, makes its tahini exclusively from Ethiopian Humera sesame, and Soom also uses Ethiopian sesame
Date nectar (date syrup) — organic, made from just dates
Raw honey (optional) — organic, local, and unfiltered
Sesame seeds — organic, white or black
Pistachios — organic; for a true Turkish touch, Antep pistachios from Gaziantep (a protected EU PDO), or organic California or Sicilian Bronte pistachios
Pine nuts — organic Mediterranean pine nuts (from the Italian stone pine). Some imported pine nuts, mostly from China, can cause "pine mouth," a bitter, metallic taste that lingers for days
Almond flour — organic and fresh (keep it in the fridge). U.S. almonds are pasteurized by law, even when labeled "raw," so the gold standard is grinding your own from organic, unpasteurized Spanish almonds, like Terrasoul's
Shredded coconut — organic, unsweetened, and sulfite-free
Medjool dates (optional) — organic, soft, and plump
Vanilla — organic pure vanilla extract with no added sugar
Baja Gold sea salt
— Anna aka Food Marshall