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Say hello to your new favorite dessert/snack! Vegan Halva! This plant-based halva recipe requires just 3 ingredients and is super easy to make! It’s naturally sweetened and full of tahini flavor!
📘 What Is Halva
Halva, or halvah, is a Middle Eastern dessert very popular in Israel, Greece, Turkey, and many other countries. Made with tahini and honey or sugar, it’s sweet, nutty, and has a crumbly yet soft texture. It is often served with coffee and makes a delicious afternoon snack!
I love Halva, but I’m not a fan of white sugar, so I had to come up with a healthier recipe without sacrificing on flavor. This 3-ingredient halva is not only vegan, but it’s also refined sugar-free! AND I’m sharing 5 ways to flavor it! Let’s do it!
🍁 Ingredient Notes
The base of this recipe requires just three ingredients:
- Tahini – Also called sesame paste, tahini is an essential ingredient in making halva. It brings creaminess, richness, and a nutty flavor. Be aware not all brands of tahini are equal, so try to use tahini that has no bitterness for the best flavor.
- Maple syrup – Preferably grade A maple syrup (light or medium amber). I recommend staying away from dark amber maple syrup, as it would overpower the flavor of the tahini.
- Vanilla extract – To add deliciousness and a floral aroma.
🥣 How to Make It
- Add the maple syrup to a saucepan and bring it to a simmer.
The secret to getting halva that sets and becomes crumbly is to heat the maple syrup to 266°F (130°C), so you will need a thermometer for this recipe. If you don’t boil the maple syrup enough, your halva will have the consistency of nut butter instead of being firm.
- Once the maple syrup has reached the correct temperature: remove it from the heat and stir in the warm tahini.
- Stir until it thickens and forms a paste. At first, it will be quite liquid but will quickly thicken.
- Then transfer to a small baking dish (or greased ramekins). The shape doesn’t really matter. Use what you have on hand.
Finally, wait until the halva firms up, which will take about 2 hours at room temperature. Once firm, cut into squares and enjoy!
You can serve this halva with coffee, latte, or tea or use it as a topping in recipes like brownies, cookies, or even ice cream!
🍫 Flavor Ideas
If you are interested in making flavored halva, I have got you covered! Here are 5 other halva flavors:
- Vanilla: A classic but one that never disappoints! It makes the tahini flavor shine.
- Pistachio: If you are on the crunchy team, this one is for you! Roasted pistachios add more texture and a beautiful green color to the halva.
- Chocolate Hazelnut (aka Nutella): This halva is super nutty with a light chocolate flavor. Tahini combined with hazelnut butter and cocoa powder makes this halva super addictive.
- Pecan Cinnamon: Probably my favorite! Loaded with candied pecans and full of cinnamon, this halva is the best for the Holidays! Plus, it makes a great gift!
- Marble: Melted chocolate swirled into halva? Count me in!
- Peanut Butter: It tastes like peanut butter fudge but is more crumbly and has crunchy peanut pieces.
There are many other ways to flavor halva. You can add spices like cardamom, ground coffee, rose extract, and more!
📔 Tips
- Be aware this recipe yields halva that is crumbly in texture, just like the real one but doesn’t have that crystalized/flaky texture. If you ever had Halva, you probably know what I mean by that. The thing is, it’s not possible to achieve such texture without making a very, very large batch (probably hundreds of pounds of halva). It doesn’t make it any less delicious, though!
- A candy thermometer is essential if you want the best texture.
💬 FAQ
If you are not vegan, you can use honey instead of maple syrup. Simply change the temperature to 240°F instead of 266°F.
Halva will keep for weeks stored in an airtight container at room temperature, just like any nut butter. After about a week, it tends to become a bit dryer, though.
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Vegan Halva (3-Ingredient!)
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 cup tahini
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- optional: 1/3 cup roasted pistachios
Instructions
- Lightly grease a small glass baking dish. You can use a silicone muffin pan if you want. The shape doesn't really matter.
- Place the maple syrup in a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat until it reaches 266°F (130°C). The maple syrup will bubble, and some foam will form; this is normal. While the maple syrup is heating, place the tahini, vanilla extract, and pistachios, if using, in another saucepan and warm over low heat. Tahini must be just warm, not hot.
- Once the maple syrup has reached the temperature, turn the heat off and pour the warm tahini into the saucepan. Using a wooden spoon, stir until it thickens and doesn't look shiny anymore. You can use an electric beater if you want but do not beat for too long as it thickens very quickly, about 5-10 seconds.
- Pour immediately into the prepared dish and spread it into an even layer. Let cool at room temperature for at least 3 hours before removing from the pan or baking dish.
- You can then cut it into small squares or make small chunks using your fingers. Enjoy with coffee, tea, or as an afternoon snack!
- Halva will keep stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 weeks.
Notes
- For non-vegans, you can substitute maple syrup for honey. If you don’t have access to maple syrup, you can use 2/3 cup cane sugar combined with 2 tbsp water, bring it to a temperature of 248°F (120°C), and then stir in the tahini.
Halva flavors
- “Nutella”: Combine 1/4 cup tahini, 1/4 cup hazelnut butter, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, and 1 tsp cocoa powder.
- Pecan Cinnamon: In a small bowl, coat 1/4 cup pecans with 2 tsp maple syrup, 1/4 tsp oil, and 1/8 tsp cinnamon. Roast for 8 minutes at 350°F (175°C). Add the roasted pecans and 1/4 tsp cinnamon to the tahini.
- Chocolate Marble: Melt 3 tablespoons of dark chocolate chips over a double boiler. Prepare the halva as explained above. Stir in the melted chocolate after combining the tahini with the maple syrup. Refrain from stirring too much to keep a nice chocolate swirl.
- Peanut: Combine 1/4 cup tahini, 1/4 cup peanut butter, 1/4 tsp vanilla extract, and 1/4 cup roasted peanuts.
Nutrition
About the Author
Thomas Pagot is the founder, photographer, and recipe developer behind Full of Plants. He created the blog in 2016 as a personal cookbook for vegan recipes. Through years of recipe development, Thomas has successfully grown Full of Plants into a trusted resource for plant-based recipes.
Leave a Comment
hi Thomas,
i just made it, using agave since i have no maple here, i followed everything, with a thermometer. the mixture never stopped being shiny as you described in the recipe. i even tried a blender after a while. now it looks like it won’t set at all but i’ll be checking more. any tips? thank you!
Hi Masha,
I’m afraid replacing the main ingredient will obviously alter the result.
I haven’t tried using agave so I cannot say it works. Each type of sugar has different crystallization point. This recipe has been designed to work with maple syrup so I could only recommend using this ingredient.
Hi
I just tried this recipe in 2 batches. One became nice yummy fudge squares but the other batch remained quite soft. Can I reheat the batch and add a little more heated maple syrup? Is there any other way to save it?
Hi Arz,
The problem is the temperature. I guess you heated the maple syrup to a different temperature on each batch. Reheating won’t work, I’m afraid.
Thank you for your prompt reply. I did heat both to 266 F but my thermometer was going a little crazy. Maybe it was giving the wrong reading. I’ll definitely try again though. It’s so simple to make & delicious to eat!
I made this and it is perfect! brilliant. Thank you!
Thanks Stacy! 🙂
Amazing and so easy to make. Gets better the longer you can manage to leave it before eating it all!
Thanks for your feedback Tess 🙂
Hi! can the maple syrup also be replaced with honey? Can’t wait to try this!
Hi Alexandra,
Yes, that should work!
This recipe never fails me and those I make it for. It took my grandparents back to their youth when halawi was a very special treat.
Have you ever tried to make this with date syrup? Would you assume a 1:1 ratio with maple syrup?
Thanks for your feedback! I have, however, never tried using date syrup to make this halva. I am afraid it will alter the flavor too much.
I made this recipe and substituted date syrup and it came out great. However, do not heat the date syrup to 266 degrees, as it will become too caramelized. I took it off at 250 degrees and that was still too long, however, it was still delicious. I added chocolate chips to the top while it was still warm.
Thanks for your feedback and for sharing your tweaks Claudine!
Wow! I made this this afternoon and it is the best halvah I have ever had in my life. I didn’t even use my candy thermometer. I just let the honey bubble for a bit in the bottom of a small heavy skillet. I added the tahini without warming it and stirred it in with the heat on low for a few minutes. Spread it in a pan and sprinkled a bit of organic cocoa powder on top. Thank you so much! This is a perfect treat.
So glad to hear you liked this halva recipe Celeste! 🙂 Thanks for your feedback!
Hi Thomas, Thank you for your lovely halva recipe – wow, I’m so looking forward to trying it out! I made my first Tahini last week, which was exciting, but then I mixed some honey in, thinking that I’d end up with halva, and was quite disappointed about the texture. Now I know the secret about heating up the sweetener! Thank you.
Hi Lucie,
You’re welcome! Yes halva is always made with heated sugar/honey 🙂
Hi Thomas!
Your recipes are outrageously great, and I thank you for them.
A couple of questions about the halva please:
1. Have you ever made this from scratch, using sesame seeds instead of tahini?
2. Are you using tahini made with toasted sesame seeds, or raw tahini? I would think toasted sesame tahini might render an overcooked taste.
Thank you again,
Rebecca
Hi Rebecca,
Thanks for your kind words!
I haven’t tried making it from scratch as even with a powerful blender I cannot get the same silky smooth texture commercial tahini has.
I’m using raw tahini here. Hope this helps!
The other day I bought a jar of black sesame tahini, and when I opened it, the smell reminded me so strongly of halva I knew I had to try and make some with it. I used to love the stuff, but the last time I had it was something like 15 years ago. So I looked up halva recipes and made this one, because it’s using maple syrup instead of honey and seems les sweet than the others. It really hit the spot! Thank you for this recipe!
After cooling it behaved very oddly, it was somewhat soft but turned rock hard it you pushed it too far, very strange. Anyways it kept its shape, and maybe it was because it was so long ago bu the texture of this halva was exactly like the texture of halva as I remember it! And it was delicious! I made a batch and half and I ate it all within a day because it was so good. I will definitely be making more in the future!
I’m not entirely sure what you mean when you say it doesn’t have a crystalline/flaky texture because it seems like mine broke just like the halva I had many years ago. Maybe it’s because I cut it into rather thin slices instead of cubes, or maybe it’s because it’s summer where I live and the house was really warm and it cooled more slowly than yours did? That would explain why industrial batches of halva set with the correct texture. Or maybe I’m just misremembering and it was just close enough!
I have a question still: why is it that you have to heat maple syrup to a higher temperature than the honey or sugar I’ve seen in all the other recipes?
Thanks for your feedback, I’m glad you liked the halva Lydie 🙂
Yes it breaks like halva but if you compare with the real halva, it lacks that subtle crispiness (from the crystallization). Halva is usually made is very big batches and the mixture is “kneaded” for a long time as it cools, creating the crystallized texture, it’s not possible to get that with small batches in our kitchens unfortunately.
Regarding the temperature, maple syrup doesn’t have the same water content as honey, and that’s at this temperature that I got the best results.
Mine turned out very soft even after cooling. I didn’t have a candy thermometer and wonder if this was due to the syrup not heating enough. Thoughts or suggestions for next time?
Yes, that is most probably the issue. If you don’t heat the syrup long enough, it won’t cristallize.
I made Halva! The first time I didn’t measure the temperature when heating the maple syrup, but the second time I measured and waited for the right temperature, and tanam,, I made Halva! Great taste and texture, thanks Thomas 🙂
You’re welcome Maria, thanks for your feedback 😉
This is the best halva recipe I’ve come across. Made it more times than I can count over the past few months. I’ve made the pistachio, cinnamon, and peanut. I’ve also whipped up a couple of different flavours; vanilla almond with a touch of salt and espresso with a touch of ground coffee. So far, I like the versions with nuts to add a little crunch to each bite.
Thanks so much Lizzie! It’s a dangerously addicting snack 🙂
Fantastic recipe! I love that this halva is lower in sugar than most recipes. Thank you so much!
You’re welcome Shannon!
I just made this. Made the Vanilla version. I couldn’t wait 3 hours so I cut a piece and put it in the freezer for 5 mins and it tasted amazing. Plan o making the other versions at some point all the grocery stores near me are out of Tahini
Thanks for your rating Em 🙂
Amazing recipe!!
Thanks Beatriz!
Made this last night and oh my gosh, it worked! I’m walking around this morning with a happy little mantra in my head of “I made halva I made halva I made halva 🙂 ”
I used palm sugar syrup as I didn’t have any maple syrup on hand. I’ve never had success with candy before, so the whole temperature of the sugar thing was nervous making for me, but it worked!!!! So delicious!
Awesome! Glad to hear you had success with the recipe!
All your varieties and uses sound so amazing! My question is, since I am allergic to sesame (and honey…. I’m an oddball, that is not up for debate. Actually, the medical ‘term’ is “zebra”), would a nut butter work? I can’t have peanut, and have to limit pistachios due to histamines, but almonds and sunflower and some other nuts/butters work for me. And I can have maple syrup…… I’m thinking sunflower butter seems yummy for this if it would work, even with some tweaking if necessary to make it more like tahini texture? What do you think?
I’m sorry to hear that. Sunflower butter should work for this recipe, obviously, the flavor will be different though.
Sunflower halva is very popular in the nord east of europe, especially in Russia.
Nice recipe, however I used to prepare it another way, just pouring alternatively sesame seeds and pieces of date in a meat grinder. Hard work for the grinder, better to have a motor. The tricky aspect it to have seeds and pieces of date well mixed, because grinding twice the dough can make the halwa a bit hard.
could you give me full recipe?
It looks so good I am going to make it and share with you.
I am so glad I found this recipe! Thank you for this yummy treat ❤ I ate about a third of it before it had cooled the full 3hrs. I will make this many many more times!
It’s a dangerously addictive recipe 🙂
Hi, I was wondering if this could be made with date syrup instead of maple syrup? Thank you!
Hi, I was wondering if this could be made with date syrup? Thank you!
I have never tried with date syrup, so I cannot say for sure but I guess it should work.
I encountered halva when I lived in Egypt for a year. Could not get enough of it. I made this recipe first with honey and it was good. Then tried the maple syrup and that is the real winner. I love it! I only have made the vanilla/pistachio version. Chocolate tends to overwhelm flavors and I love the natural flavor so… maybe one day I will get tired of the vanilla version but no sign of that yet.
For those who have no candy thermometer I use the old candy-making trick of a cup of ice water and dripping a bit of the boiling syrup into it to see what happens. Soft crack stage is what you want — the drips make little balls in the bottom of the cup (instead of splats or disappearing altogether) and when you press on then they give a little. Any past that and it’s too much. Works like a charm for me. Now I can almost tell by looking at the boiling syrup when it is ready. The bubbles change.
Thanks so much for your feedback and tips Sophia! Glad you liked this halva!
Best. Recipe. Ever. I cannot stop making this! Thank you!!!
So glad you liked this halva recipe! 🙂
Yum, Yum, Yum – unfortunately I was the only one that liked this in my family – which just meant I ate it all! Thanks again!
Thanks for your feedback Sylvia! You definitely have to like tahini to enjoy halva 🙂
Good halvah, dude. I made the pecan cinnamon variety.
Thanks Charles! 😉
This looks fabulous. I have been working on my own halva recipe for years and have never gotten the texture quite as I’d like. I’ve even bought soapwort (Saponaria officinalis) as they use in old fashioned production to mimic the correct texture. I look forward to trying your version.
Thanks Hanne!
This version doesn’t have that crystallized texture but the flavor is the same and it’s delicious!
I’m not sure it’s possible to get the same texture as store-bought halva, I’ve watched several videos on how it’s made. They make very, very large batches of halva, I think that is the “secret”, by working a large mass of halva, it stays warm for a longer period time and has the time to develop that texture.
I just couldn’t understand some people act. If Google is used well enough everything can be found. Halva is one of them which I posted years ago under Halva or Maltese Helwa. Here in Malta we eat it with bread others as it is. Very similar to this.
Perfect dessert. Do you have a cookbook ? If yes, we need it in our kitchen .
Thanks !
Thanks Line! 🙂
Sorry I don’t have a cookbook!
Hi Thomas:
This recipe looks amazing
I have tahini that’s runny, and one that’s a bit thicker. Is there a preference?
Thank you for sharing your wonderful recipes.
Hi Denise,
I would go with the runny one as you will end up with a better, smoother texture. The one I use is very smooth and runny but I also tried with one that had the consistency of thick peanut butter and both work.