If you’ve ever wondered what a Turkish dessert tastes like, then you’re in luck! I’ve rounded up a list of 30 Turkish desserts for you to try.
Turkish desserts are a force to be reckoned with.
They’re so good, in fact, that they can be the perfect ending to any meal.
They’re so delicious that you’ll want to eat them daily for dessert.
And they’re so addicting that you might even find yourself sneaking one into your lunch box as an afternoon snack.
But it’s not just their taste that makes Turkish desserts great.
It’s also their texture, appearance, and all the different varieties!
Needless to say, these 30 Turkish desserts are amazing—and they will blow your mind!
You’ll find everything from simple recipes like Muhallebi (Turkish Milk Pudding) and Kabak Tatlisi (Turkish Candied Pumpkin) to elaborate ones like Tavukgogsu (Turkish Chicken Breast Pudding).
But if you’re looking for something exotic like rosewater or cardamom flavoring, try #29.
1. Baklava
Baklava is the kind of dessert you want to eat every single day.
It’s flaky and crispy, but it still has a little bit of tenderness to it.
The butter in the phyllo dough also gives it a rich, silky flavor that will make you feel like you’re eating something from a five-star restaurant.
And it’s easy to make!
Make sure you use a deep pan because this stuff spreads out.
If you’re craving something sweet and tasty, Keskul is the perfect treat for you!
It’s a pudding that combines the rich flavor of almonds with a creamy texture that will leave you feeling satisfied.
And when you get to try it, it’s like biting into a cloud: soft, fluffy, and totally luscious.
Kunefe is made from buttered pastry noodles stuffed with cheese and then cooked until golden and soaked in a sweet syrup.
And what do you get?
A balanced combination of cheese and sugar—a little bit tart and a little bit sweet.
Also, it’s hard to come up with an American equivalent to this delicious Turkish treat, but I’d say it’s somewhere between the base of cheesecake and flan.
Turkish Delight is a unique, sweet treat.
It’s delicately chewy, and the texture is somewhere between jello, marshmallow, and soft taffy.
And it’s beautifully speckled with powdered sugar, so it looks like a cloud in your mouth—it’s like you’re eating candy!
You can eat it up or throw it in other sweets for a little extra flavor.
It works great on top of ice cream or cake!
If you like sweet treats that don’t require much effort, these Turkish Almond Cookies are for you.
They’re chewy, soft little cookies that you can make in your kitchen with only four ingredients.
Besides, there’s no need to run to the grocery store because all the ingredients are right there in your kitchen!
These Turkish Stuffed Apricots are a one-bite sweet treat.
The rich, luscious filling is made with yogurt and stuffed into juicy Turkish dried apricots that are soaked and candied with a tangy, aromatic syrup.
Then, they’re garnished with piney and slightly minty pistachios for a burst of flavor and crunch.
Are you craving a dessert that’s simple yet sweet and elegant enough to serve at a dinner party?
Then this is the recipe for you.
This Kabak Tatlisi will have everyone wondering how you made something delicious from a pumpkin!
Really, the full flavor of pumpkin is so intense and tasty that it’ll have everyone begging for seconds (and thirds).
And the best part?
It doesn’t require any weird ingredients or complicated steps—just your regular kitchen tools and some time.
Sekerpare is a sophisticated dessert that’s as delicious as it is beautiful.
It’s sweet without being too much and has just enough crunch from the outside to balance out its soft texture on the inside.
It’s also great for any occasion—from parties to family gatherings to romantic dinners.
With its delectable flavor and irresistible softness, everyone will be smiling all day long.
Pismaniye is cotton candy with a unique texture and flavor.
It’s made by mixing flour and butter, then pulling it into thousands of fine, crumbly strands that resemble floss.
And it’s a mess to eat, too.
If you’re not careful, it will all fall on your shirt!
This is why Pismaniye is made in bite-sized balls and boxed up like candy.
These Turkish Orange Cookies are the perfect pick-me-up when you need to fill yourself up with something sweet.
They have a crumbly texture and a soft inside, making them almost like eating cake batter, but with less guilt!
They’re also aromatic and have a great citrus flavor that’s just right for an after-dinner treat.
What’s better than a doughnut?
A Turkish doughnut, that’s what!
They’re called Lokma, and they’re bite-size pieces of sweet fried dough covered in saccharine syrup.
And they’re great for kids’ parties and adults alike because they’re just fun to eat.
Tulumba Tatlisi is the kind of doughnut that makes you forget about your diet.
They’re puffy, fried dough coated in a sticky-sweet glaze.
They’re also crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, like a fluffy pillow.
And they’re garnished with ground pistachios, which add a bit of crunch to the mix.
Plus, they’re so sweet they’ll make you literally want to lick your fingers after every bite.
This Turkish dessert is much like baklava—it’s made from layers of crispy bread saturated in syrup and topped with clotted cream.
It’s basically the lovechild of two of my favorite sweets: baklava and bread pudding.
And it’s sweet and salty, crunchy and creamy.
It just bursts with a whole bunch of different flavors.
Plus, you can make it with any kind of bread, but I prefer baguettes or ciabatta.
They have a little more crunch than regular sliced bread does.
Although, croissants would be good too!
All that really matters is that you make sure to soak those layers in syrup until they’re nice and soft before you top them with kaymak or another type of creamy cheese.
You’ll be surprised by how soft and crunchy this flour halva is!
And it’s not overly sweet or fatty, so it’s the perfect treat for your favorite people.
The secret ingredient?
Bread.
Yes, bread!
A piece of bread torn into little pieces has that satisfying crunchiness that makes them keep coming back for more.
Ayva Tatlisi has a scrumptiously soft and fruity quince at its base, which is the fruit that looks like a large, clunky pear in appearance.
It’s got a beautiful, sweet scent, a mildly tart taste, and juiciness that’s oh so extra when served with a generous dollop of kaymak and ground pistachios.
This dish is so good that people will think you’re a top-notch chef.
Cezerye is a unique carrot paste treat with a chewy texture similar to Turkish delight and dried fruit bars.
It has a light pink tint and is made from fresh carrots—which are boiled and pureed to extract their natural sweetness.
It’s then mixed with sugar and other ingredients to create this uniquely delightful dessert that’s perfect for any time of year!
What to eat when you’re looking for a little extra love in your life?
You can try a whole new restaurant, or you can do what I do: whip up a batch of Sutlac.
Sütlaç is a rice pudding.
It’s so velvety, rich, and decadent that it melts in your mouth like butter.
But it’s not overly sweet, so it doesn’t overwhelm you with its lusciousness like some other desserts might.
In fact, it’s pretty light for its thick texture—you’ll be able to eat more than one serving without feeling too full!
18. Kadayif
Kadayif is like a Turkish version of crepes.
The noodles are thin and delicate, and they’re covered in butter and walnuts, then baked to a golden brown, crispy perfection.
But wait, there’s more!
This dessert gets finished off with a delicious lemon sugar syrup.
Kadayif noodles are best served with some traditional kaymak cream.
The kaymak cream is basically whipped butter, so it’s light and fluffy—the perfect complement to these crispy pastry noodles.
Tavuk Gogsu is a unique milky, sweet chicken pudding with a caramelized top.
It’s so sweet that you won’t detect even the slightest trace of chicken flavor.
But that doesn’t mean this dish is bland!
It’s actually full-bodied, with a touch of cinnamon to give it some spice—and the taste is beyond decadent.
The secret to its success?
Milk!
It’s boiled down to create a thick, creamy sauce that perfectly coats each white chicken strand.
Have you ever bitten into something so light that it just floated away?
That’s what this is.
It’s a semolina cake.
It’s light, it’s extremely moist, and it just might be one of the most interesting things you’ve ever tasted.
It’s also covered in a lemon syrup: a delightful lemony sugar syrup that gets its flavor from fresh lemon juice and zest.
These rolls have all the same elements as traditional baklava—phyllo dough, nuts, and syrup—but instead of being cut into squares and arranged on a plate, they’re rolled up like logs.
The result is an amazing combination of crunchy phyllo dough with just enough sweetness from the sugar syrup to complement the nutty flavor of pistachios.
And the best part about them?
You can eat them warm or cold!
If you’re a fan of milk puddings, this one might be for you.
This Muhallebi is simple to make and has a heady scent of orange blossom.
It’s like the smell of spring in a bowl.
And it’s similar to the French Biancomangiare but lighter and creamier.
The pudding itself is also very delicate and not too sweet—just what I like!
Garnish it with pistachios and sprinkle it with some dried fruit or dates for extra tartness.
You may have heard of semolina halva, but have you ever tried it?
This delectable pudding is rich with butter and pine nuts soaking in hot sugar syrup.
With its sweet and tangy taste, this dessert is sure to be a crowd-pleaser.
If you serve this dessert with ice cream, you’ll be surprised at how quickly it disappears from your plate.
Turkish Yogurt Cake is like a cross between an egg souffle and a fluffy cheesecake, with a yogurt tang and quite a bit of lemon flavor.
The texture is light, airy, and fluffy—almost like a souffle.
But it has a texture that’s like a cheesecake, too.
It’s somewhere in-between.
It’s not gooey or sticky, but it still has that smooth, creamy feel to it.
Ashure is a tasty, hearty mix of dried fruits, legumes, and whole-wheat grains.
It’s literally a bowl of sweet goodness cooked together in one pot.
And it has a satisfying taste that will warm you up inside.
Another great thing about it is that it doesn’t need to be refrigerated once you cook it!
This means you can make it ahead of time and keep it on hand for whenever your friends or family want a filling treat.
Do you know those stretchy balloons that you can wrap around your hand and make a dog or a cat?
Well, dondurma is like that, only it’s ice cream.
And it’s sweet, creamy, and chewy at the same time.
It’s all because of the inclusion of a starchy root of wild orchids called salep.
Salep is what sets this ice cream apart from all others—it just gives it its unique texture!
You’re not far off if you’re imagining a gooey, creamy custard.
But Kazandibi is actually similar to creme brûlée or caramelized milk pudding.
The main difference?
It’s made with whole milk and a mix of rice flour and all-purpose flour instead of just egg yolks and sugar.
The result is a rich, silky pudding that’s been cooked until it’s browned and bubbling around the edges—and it’s so good that you’ll want to eat it right out of the pan!
Sari Burma is a fun twist on the traditional baklava, with a filling made from walnuts and a syrup flavored with lemon and cloves.
And it’s not hard to see why this pastry has become so popular.
It’s sweet and savory, has crunchy and soft textures all at once, is easy to make, and looks gorgeous when you pull it out of the oven.
Bulbul Yuvasi is the latest way to get your baklava fix.
This dessert is named for its resemblance to a bird’s nest.
You can make it with phyllo dough, shape it into rings, and fill it with ground pistachios, hazelnuts, almonds, or walnuts, then cover everything in aromatic syrup.
The result is a crisp, bite-sized type of baklava that’s hard to resist.
Gullac With Cardamom & Hazelnuts is a pastry dessert that’s got it all—layers of thin, cornstarch pastry stuffed with hazelnuts soaked in a cardamom-flavored milk mixture, with more layers of pastry on top.
It’s a treat you’ll love if you like sweet and savory Turkish desserts but don’t want to choose between them.
Gullac is often served after dinner as a sweet treat, but it can also be used to perk up a cup of coffee or tea throughout the day.
The bottom line
In the end, there are really a lot of options out there.
Turkish desserts are widely varied, but it’s a safe bet that you’ll find at least a few that call to your taste buds.
Plus, since this list is only the tip of the iceberg, you can always try out a few more recipes if things don’t work out the first time around.
But I’m still confident that you’ll be satisfied with these treats—because once you give them a try, you won’t be able to resist coming back for more.
BEST Assortment of Turkish Dessert
If you've ever wondered what a Turkish dessert tastes like, then you're in luck! I've rounded up a list of 30 Turkish desserts for you to try.
Ingredients
- Baklava
- Keskul (Turkish Almond Pudding)
- Turkish Kunefe (Sweet Cheese Pastry)
- Turkish Delight
- Turkish Almond Cookies
- Turkish Stuffed Apricots
- Kabak Tatlisi (Turkish Candied Pumpkin)
- Sekerpare (Turkish Soft Cookies In Sugar Syrup)
- Pismaniye (Turkish Cotton Candy)
- Portakalli Kurabiye (Turkish Orange Cookies)
- Lokma (Fried Sweet Dough)
- Tulumba Tatlisi (Turkish Churros)
- Ekmek Kadayifi (Turkish Bread Pudding)
- Turkish Flour Halva
- Ayva Tatlisi (Turkish Quince Dessert)
- Cezerye (Turkish Carrot Paste Delight)
- Sütlaç (Turkish Rice Pudding)
- Kadayif
- Tavuk Gogsu (Turkish Chicken Breast Pudding)
- Revani (Turkish Semolina Cake In Lemon Syrup)
- Baklava Pistachio Rolls
- Muhallebi (Turkish Milk Pudding)
- Irmik Helvasi (Turkish Semolina Halva)
- Turkish Yogurt Cake
- Turkish Ashure (Noah’s Pudding)
- Dondurma (Turkish Or Salep Ice Cream)
- Kazandibi (Burned Milk Pudding)
- Sari Burma (Baklava Walnut Rolls)
- Bulbul Yuvasi (Nightingale’s Nest)
- Gullac With Cardamom & Hazelnuts
Instructions
- Skim through our Turkish Desserts list.
- Select the recipe you’re looking for.
- Prep the ingredients as instructed.
- Spill your thoughts on our Facebook page!