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Justine Doiron

just real good food

Baking + Sweet, Bars & Brownies, Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Recipes, Special Diets, Vegan, Vegetarian · October 24, 2022

Matcha Halva

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This little bite-sized matcha halva is like heaven in a candy. They are one of the easiest candies to make in my opinion, and so fun as a quick halloween treat or something to make to have on hand throughout the week.

If you haven’t heard of halva, it’s a Middle Eastern sweet that varies across regions, but usually consists of a base of tahini, then cooked sugar and vanilla extract. This gives the candy a shattery, fudge-like texture with a subtle nuttiness that is totally delicious. I’ve added matcha to this version for a green color and light flavor, as well as chia seeds for texture, thickness and crunch.

For a five-minute candy, this recipe delivers. If you’re a halva fan, or even if you’ve never had it, this matcha halva is sure to get you hooked.

Table of contents

  • What is halva?
  • Ingredients you will need for this matcha halva
  • How to make this matcha halva
  • Looking for other desserts?

What is halva?

Halva, although it has many names across many regions, is a type of confectionary hailing from Persia. It is now found in multiple regions across the Middle East, and can vary in preparation. Commonly you’ll find halva made with a paste made from flour, semolina, or finely ground seeds or nuts (such as sesame or sunflower seeds), and sweetened with sugar or honey. In this case we are riffing on the classic tahini-based halva, which is why tahini is such a core component of this recipe.

Ingredients you will need for this matcha halva

Now that we have halva covered, here is everything you need to make this slightly untraditional version!

  • 1 & 1/2 cups tahini
  • 1/3 cup chia seeds
  • 1 tbsp ceremonial grade matcha powder
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 & 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 bar dark chocolate, 57 grams
  • 1 tsp coconut oil
  • 2 tbsp edible flowers

How to make this matcha halva

And what’s wonderful about halva is it is typically very easy to make. All you need to do is whisk together the tahini and the other base ingredients, heat up your sugar and water, and combine. Here is a step-by-step breakdown to keep you organized as you make this matcha halva:

  • In a large bowl, whisk together the tahini, chia seeds, matcha powder and kosher salt. Set this aside.
  • In a small pot or saucepan, add the sugar, water and vanilla extract. Put this on medium heat and stir to combine. Let the sugar start to bubble slightly, stirring often.
  • Let the sugar mixture get to 245°F and then immediately pour it into the tahini mixture.
  • Quickly stir the sugar mixture and tahini together, the tahini will immediately begin to thicken and seize up.
  • Pour the halva mixture into two parchment lined 8″x5″ loaf pans, pouring the mixture until it is about 1.5″ high. Tap on the counter to smooth out the top, and then move the pans to the fridge to chill for 30 minutes to an hour.
  • While the halva is setting, melt the chocolate and coconut oil together until smooth. You can do this in the microwave in 30 second increments.
  • When the halva is set, slice each pan into 12 pieces. Drizzle the chocolate mixture on top of each piece, and sprinkle with edible flowers. Move back to the fridge to set a second time.
  • Let the halva set another 30 minutes in the fridge, and then serve!
  • Store the halva in the fridge and grab a piece whenever you’d like one. These will keep for up to two weeks.

Looking for other desserts?

Here are a few that the blog is LOVING lately!

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I'm known for making a pretty dam* good cookie, and these brown butter banana cookies are no exception. They have irresistibly crispy edges, a subtle but still noticeable banana flavor, and the best chewy center in the game. They use one whole banana, two sticks of butter, and a whole bag of chocolate chips, so there are no forgotten ingredients in this recipe. And one other perk? No eggs in case there are any egg allergies in the house!
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And that’s everything for this matcha halva recipe!

If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.

And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3

Matcha Chia Halva

4 from 1 vote
This halva might be untraditional, but it's absolutely delicious. The matcha adds a signature color and subtle flavor, and the chia adds a rich thickness and crunch. Put it all together and you have a quick, gorgeous, and easy halva dessert.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time:15 minutes mins
Cook Time:15 minutes mins
Cooling Time:1 hour hr
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Keyword: chia seeds, Halva, matcha, tahini
Servings: 24 pieces

Ingredients

  • 1 & 1/2 cups tahini
  • 1/3 cup chia seeds
  • 1 tbsp ceremonial grade matcha powder
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 & 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Optional coating

  • 1/2 bar dark chocolate 57 grams
  • 1 tsp coconut oil
  • 2 tbsp edible flowers

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, whisk together the tahini, chia seeds, matcha powder and kosher salt. Set this aside.
  • In a small pot or saucepan, add the sugar, water and vanilla extract. Put this on medium heat and stir to combine. Let the sugar start to bubble slightly, stirring often.
  • Let the sugar mixture get to 245°F and then immediately pour it into the tahini mixture.
  • Quickly stir the sugar mixture and tahini together, the tahini will immediately begin to thicken and seize up.
  • Pour the halva mixture into two parchment lined 8"x5" loaf pans, pouring the mixture until it is about 1.5" high. Tap on the counter to smooth out the top, and then move the pans to the fridge to chill for 30 minutes to an hour.
  • While the halva is setting, melt the chocolate and coconut oil together until smooth. You can do this in the microwave in 30 second increments.
  • When the halva is set, slice each pan into 12 pieces. Drizzle the chocolate mixture on top of each piece, and sprinkle with edible flowers. Move back to the fridge to set a second time.
  • Let the halva set another 30 minutes in the fridge, and then serve!
  • Store the halva in the fridge and grab a piece whenever you'd like one. These will keep for up to two weeks.

Posted In: Baking + Sweet, Bars & Brownies, Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Recipes, Special Diets, Vegan, Vegetarian

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Comments

  1. Stailor says

    October 28, 2022 at 1:47 pm

    4 stars
    Ok I made this recipe for a dinner party and it was so tasty!

    My Halva unfortunately did not maintain shape while setting – it started to seize quicker than I thought during the mixing stage and become increasingly crumbly in the fridge while setting. When I went to cut it up, it immediately turned into crumble!

    I googled this outcome and it’s either a product of mixing too much before it set or not using enough water, so just a note for that final step.

    I still wanted to find use for the candy so I whipped together some chocolate pudding (shout out to NYT’s Chocolate Oat Milk Pudding if you haven’t tried it yet) and put the Halva crumble on top. A total hit. Thanks, Justine!

    • Justine says

      October 28, 2022 at 1:55 pm

      Hello! I’m sorry to hear about the halva seizing – while you do want a shattery texture, it should hold. My one suggestion would be to use a very “drippy” tahini to make sure you have enough moisture for everything, but I’m glad you were able to troubleshoot in the moment!

  2. Shawn R says

    November 1, 2022 at 8:38 pm

    Good, but honestly way better without the chocolate. Turned out amazing anyways!

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