Vegan Tahini Halva with Pistachios
This no-bake, vegan tahini halva comes together with just 5 ingredients. It has a rich and chewy texture and it can be filled with nuts or chocolate.
What is Tahini?
Tahini or tahina is a Middle Eastern condiment made from toasted ground hulled sesame. It is served as a dip or as a major ingredient in hummus, baba ghanoush, and halva. Tahini is a loanword from modern Greek tachíni (ταχίνι) which was originally adopted from the Ottoman Turkish “tahin”. Tahini looks like most of the nut butters but it is less sweeter and has a stronger nutty flavor.
Clean Monday!
There are numerous variations of halva in Greece with the most popular being a semolina based halva and the tahini one. You can also check this flour based halva pudding with raisins. We typically consume tahini halva during Clean Monday (Greek: Καθαρά Δευτέρα), also known as Pure Monday, Ash Monday, Monday of Lent or Green Monday, which is the first day of Great Lent throughout Eastern Christianity. The festive table always includes lagana (a Greek type of flatbread), shellfish and of course tahini halva for dessert.
Ingredients for Tahini Halva:
- Tahini: Use a creamy tahini paste with no additive flavor for the best results. Tahini tends to separate if it stays in the jar for too long. It is a natural process and it’s safe to use. Just make sure you stir it well before using in the recipe. If there are any lumps, the recipe won’t work.
- Nuts: The options are endless. My favorite nuts to use on tahini halva are chopped pistachios, toasted almonds and hazelnuts. Pick your favorite or omit nuts for a soft and chewy halva.
- Chocolate: For a chocolaty tahini halva use 1 tbsp of cocoa powder at the end of the process (see recipe card) or simply use 1/4 cup of chocolate chips.
How to make Vegan Tahini Halva:
Mix tahini with vanilla extract and salt in a big bowl. Boil water with sugar until it reaches caramel consistency for about 7-9 minutes. Gradually add the hot mixture in the tahini while stirring. Once the tahini thickens, fold in the nuts or cocoa powder/chocolate chips. Spread the mixture in mini bundt pans or a loaf pan and refrigerate until firm. Enjoy with a cup of coffee.
FAQ
Yes. Tahini halva is naturally gluten free.
Yes. A small portion can contribute to a healthy diet. Halva is an excellent source of protein, antioxidants and high energy.
You can slice it and enjoy with a cup of coffee. You can also spread halva over bread. Due to its very intense flavor it goes best with bland breads, like baguettes and Greek lagana.
Tahini halva is a long shelf life food. You can make it ahead of time and store in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for 1 month.
Tahini halva has a rich flavor that goes a long way. A small slice will be enough to satisfy your taste buds! This vegan dessert is perfect for fasting, snacking or breakfast. If you try this recipe, leave us a comment below sharing your feedback. Happy Baking!
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Vegan Tahini Halva
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups Tahini Paste well stirred
- 1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1 ¼ cups Granulated Sugar
- 1/2 cups Water
- 1/4 cups Nuts (optional)
Instructions
- Grease 3 mini bundt cake pans or an 8 x 2 inch loaf pan and line with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl stir together the tahini, pure vanilla extract and salt. Set aside.1 ½ cups Tahini Paste, 1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract, 1/4 tsp Salt
- In a large non-stick saucepan combine granulated sugar and water over medium heat. Stir to dissolve sugar and bring to a boil.1 ¼ cups Granulated Sugar, 1/2 cups Water
- Once the mixture starts to boil, insert a candy thermometer and observe until it reaches 250°F (121 C). This will take between 8-10 minutes.
- Immediately, remove from the heat and add into the tahini mixture in thirds, while stirring right after each addition. The mixture will start to thicken. Do not overmix once all ingredient are combined.
- Gently fold in nuts or cocoa powder/chips to the mixture if you are using.1/4 cups Nuts
- Transfer halva into 3 mini bundt cake pans or in a prepared loaf pan and spread evenly.
- Refrigerate for at least one hour or until the halva is firm.
- Cut into slices and serve. Enjoy!
Notes
- Measure Ingredients: I recommend using an electric food scale to accurately measure the ingredients.
- Candy Thermometer: It is best to use a candy thermometer for this recipe. If not, pay close attention to the mixture at all times and remove from heat when the mixture has thicken. To test the consistency, drop a very small amount of the boiling sugar syrup into very cold water. It should form a ball that holds its shape but is still very sticky when pressed with your fingers.
- Be careful at all times of handling the hot sugar syrup mixture. Use apron and mittens for protection.
- Do not overmix after all ingredients are full incorporated. This will result in the halva separating.
- Pour the sugar syrup slowly into the side of the bowl while stirring.
- Allow tahini halva to completely cool down before removing from the pan.
- If you are using mini bundt cake pans, use a knife to loosen halva from the pan. Slide the blade between halva and the pan moving slowly around the edge.
- Make Ahead & Storage Instructions: You can make tahini halva ahead of time and store in an airtight container.
- Tahini halva will keep fresh for up to 1 month stored in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
- Have any questions about the recipe or want to ask for substitutions? Please contact us.