Sweets are celebrated as festivals in Turkey. Going beyond the regal Baklava and Turkish Delights glamorously displayed in pop culture, we bring you a whole list of desserts in Turkey that you would have no shame to sink all your teeth in.
27 Best Desserts You Must Try Out in Turkey
1. Turkish Delight
Also known as Lokum, Turkish Delight is the country’s signature dessert that you must try. Available in a plethora of flavours with and without nuts, your trip to Turkey would be incomplete if you left without tasting these pillowy treats.
2. Kunefe
Made using shredded wheat, sweet syrup, luscious cheese, and loads of ground pistachio, Turkey’s Kunefe is an addictive treat that will make you forget your dieting schedule. The chewy, nectareous middle and the crunchy, crisp topping, especially when paired with Turkish ice cream, make for a truly satisfying experience.
3. Pistachio Baklava
Also known as Fistikli Baklava in Turkey, the Pistachio Baklava is a decadent treat that is as hugely popular in the rest of the world as it is in its home country. It consists of flaky phyllo dough stacked into multiple layers that are buttered together along with a coating of sticky sugar syrup. A rich pistachio filling is added to the equation, transforming this desert into an irresistible treat.
4. Katmer
Katmer is a traditional Turkish dessert that you would love to dig in. It is characterized by an exceptionally crisp phyllo dough generously dotted with pistachios and clotted cream. The pistachios in the dessert act as an energizer, so this delicacy is popularly referred to as a breakfast item instead of an end-of-the-day dessert.
5. Acıbadem Kurabiyesi
If you love cookies and have a soft corner for flavours with depth and bitter-sweet notes, you will love this Turkish biscuit. It is a traditional one, baked primarily using almonds, sugar, and egg whites. A tiny amount of bitter almonds are used, which gives the biscuits a distinct depth of flavour.
6. Kabak Tatlısı
This is a seasonal treat, best enjoyed in Turkey during the wintertime. It is a pumpkin dessert cooked with cubes of peeled pumpkin that have sugar heartily sprinkled on top and chopped walnuts, sesame, and cream.
7. Pismaniye
This is a delicate Turkish dessert that stars fine strands made by roasting flour in a rich butter and pulled sugar. Often garnished with nuts and pistachios, Pismaniye can be termed as the regal rendition of cotton candy.
8. Sobiyet
If you love Baklava, there is no way that you can afford to miss out on this sweet delight. Sobiyet is a super crusty dessert with a luxurious cream filling that is made using milk and semolina. Nuts are also stuffed inside, giving Sobiyet a fun texture.
9. Cezerye
Another traditional sweet classic, the pleasantly lingering taste of Turkey’s Cezerye, is tough to beat. This dessert features caramelized carrots along with shredded coconut, roasted walnuts, pistachios, and hazelnuts.
10. Stick Candy
Known as Macun in Turkey, the Stick Candy is the “OG” lollypop you must try. It is a soft, zingy, toffee-like sugar candy on a stick with bright colours and truly exciting flavours such as kiwi, mint, rose, lemon, and so on.
11. Tahini Halva
A sesame-flour-based dessert, the Tahini Halva in Turkey, is by far one of the most nutritious desserts you will ever find. It is loaded with honey and nuts such as pistachio and almonds. It is occasionally flavoured with divine additions such as rose water, orange oil, coffee, vanilla, and chocolate.
12. Dondurma Ice Cream
Dondurma is a rich, gooey Turkish ice cream, and what makes it unique is the use of unusual ingredients. Salep, flour made from orchid tubers, and Mastic, a plant resin, are used to prepare this unique frozen dessert.
13. Sekerpare
Turkey has an abundance of super-yum cookies, and Sekerpare is a testament to it. It is a wildly popular cookie made using an almond-based pastry doused in thick, sticky, lemon-infused sugar syrup.
14. Kazandibi
Roughly translated as a burnt bottom milk pudding, Turkey’s Kazandibi is a must-try. Caramelized sugar forms the burnt base of this pudding, adding a nice crunch to the cool, airy, light milky goodness.
15. Burma
Burma, or Burma Baklava, is a type of Baklava that is immensely popular in the country. It is a flaky, crunchy filo pastry that is generously filled with walnut, lemon juice, and butter, among other decadent ingredients. Do give it a try; we guarantee that you won’t regret it.
16. Keskul
If it is not apparent yet, Turkey is extremely fond of almonds; and Keskul only highlights this fact. It is a rich, nutty, almond-based milk pudding that also features rice flour, pistachio, and cream. Garnished with shaved coconut, a bowl of Keskul feels like love milked into a container.
17. Halka Tatlısı
This dish is basically Turkey’s rendition of churros. One of the most beloved desserts in the country, it stars ingredients such as semolina, lemon juice, butter, and eggs. It is a deep-fried, golden-brown delicacy that is doused in a nectareous, sticky syrup.
18. Tulumba
Another variation of the churros, Tulumba, is almost identical to Halka Tatlısı. While most of the ingredients are the same, Tulumba also features vanilla flavour and even more liberal use of lemon juice.
19. Firin Sultac
This dish is Turkey’s astoundingly unique take on the famous Rice Pudding of the West. Firin Sultac is a milk-based delicacy that is baked in a clay pot. It has such gentle notes of sweetness that it appeals to even those who aren’t too keen on desserts.
20. Lokma
Simply described as deep-fried dough bites, Lokma is an especially popular beach-snack in Turkey. It is sweet and super crunchy with its oblong shape the size of a walnut. The sweetness pairs exceptionally well with the texture achieved from the whole frying business, thus making for a darn addictive munch.
21. Sambali
Sambali is a Turkish cake primarily made using semolina. It is rectangular in shape and is deliciously sweetened with sticky syrup. Heartily topped with peanuts and almonds, this divine cake is too good to be true.
22. Tavuk Gogsu
Tavuk Gogsu is an incredibly quirky dessert, for the main ingredient in this dish is chicken. Yep, you read that right. Chicken is ground into a smooth, fine paste and blended with milk, sugar, and cinnamon to make this delightfully chewy sweet treat.
23. Bulbul Yuvasi
It must be established by now that Turkey’s phyllo dough treats are bang on. Bulbul Yuvasi is just another example of that. This dessert has a hollow, circular shape. Once caked, it is treated with warm, sweet syrup and filled with pistachios.
24. Bici Bici
This is a super light Turkish dessert that is typically enjoyed during the hot summertime. Bicibici Muhallebisi is a frozen dessert that stars ingredients such as fruit (usually any red one), sugar, rose water, and corn starch. Garnished with fresh fruit and mint leaves, this is a truly refreshing dessert.
25. Serbet
Serbet, or Sherbet, is an amazingly exhilarating fresh fruit drink with a massive fan following in Turkey and the rest of the world, and rightly so. Commonly starring rose, hibiscus, lemon, pomegranate, mint, or tamarind, Serbet is most definitely recommended.
26. Cevizli Sucuk
Also known as Churchkhela, Cevizli Sucuk is another quirky Turkish dessert that can make you fall right in love. Featuring ingredients such as grape must, almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, chocolate, and occasionally raisins, this candle-shaped candy is doused with grape or any other fresh fruit juice to develop the flavour even further.
27. Ashure
This Turkish dish is popularly known as Noah’s Pudding. Traditionally served during Muharram, Ashure is an exuberant dessert porridge that lavishly features grains, fresh fruits, dry fruits as well as nuts. It also happens to be one of the oldest known dessert recipes.
Thus, Turkey boasts of an absolute sweet parade that you should unquestionably participate in, if you are looking for a deeply satisfying, regal dessert experience.
