• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Only Crumbs Remain
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Subscibe
  • Contact
menu icon
go to homepage
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Subscibe
  • Contact
  • Follow me

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • About
    • Recipes
    • Subscibe
    • Contact
  • Follow me

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Homemade Turkish Delight (Lokum)

    Published: Nov 25, 2020 · Modified: Feb 22, 2021 by Jacqueline Bellefontaine ·

    Sharing is caring!

    152 shares
    • Share
    • Tweet
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Pile of Turkish delight.
    Gift box of Turkish delight.

    Turkish delight or Lokum as it is also known is a sweet fragrant jelly confection traditionally  flavoured with rosewater and heavily dusted with icing sugar and cornflour.

    Gift box filled with homemade Turkish delight.

    It is not difficult to make your own homemade Turkish delight but it does require a bit of patience as it requires long slow cooking with frequent stirring. Your efforts are rewarded with a delicious sweet treat.

    Turkish delight is served alongside coffee or tea in Middle Eastern households try it as a tasty alternative to a biscuit or cookie. Growing up we always had a box of Turkish delight every Christmas, it was my mother's favourite treat alongside dates in a box with a plastic stem that doubled up as a prong to pick up the dates.

    serving plate piled with Turkish delight.

    I must confess back then I wasn't a fan (which probably pleased my mum as it left more for her!) But as with many foods my tastes have changed over the years and I now love it, although I've never come to like the rose flavour. My favourite flavours are mint, lemon or vanilla with pistachio nuts.

    Today I sometimes serve with coffee at the end of a special meal or just treat myself to a cube or two as a snack at any time. It also makes a fabulous foodie gift for friends.

    Variations

    I've chosen the classic rose flavour Turkish delight for this recipe but you can easily change the flavour to suit your own tastes. The possibilities are endless orange flower water or citrus flavours are also traditional as are oils flavoured with cinnamon or peppermint which are sometimes used as an alternative to rosewater.

    You can also flavour with fruit extracts such as raspberry. Nuts can be added at the same stage you add the flavour as well as a suitable food colouring.

    Suitable for Vegans

    Unlike some jelly sweets Turkish delight is not usually made with gelatine, so it is suitable for vegetarians and vegans but it is worth noting that some commercial brands do use gelatine, so the best way to guarantee that it is suitable for vegans is to make your own.

    Closeup of rose Turkish Delight.

    Cooking the Turkish delight

    It is made by combining sugar syrup with a cornflower mixture which is then cooked together very slowly until it forms a dense sticky Jelly.

    When combining the sugar syrup with the cornflower mixture this should be added slowly to avoid any lumps. Add the syrup in small quantities and beat well until completely smooth. You can do this  beating with a wooden spoon but you may find it easier to use a balloon whisk at this stage. Do not be tempted to rush this step.

    • combining cornflour and water in pan.
      Combine water and cornflour.
    • cooked cornflour paste in saucepan.
      Cook to form a thick paste.
    • Thermometer in sugar syrup showing 115 ℃
      Make a syrup and boil until it reaches 115℃ (239°F).
    • adding syrup to the cornflour mixture.
      Gradually beat the hot sugar syrup into the cornflour mix.

    Once combined the mixture is then boiled very gently until the mixture forms a very thick jelly and turns a golden amber colour. This will take at least an hour and here is where you will need to be patient.

    You cannot just leave and forget about it as during this time you will have to stir frequently particularly towards the end and always taking care to make sure you get right into the corners of the pain. Many recipes suggest that it should be stirred continuously. While I have not found that strictly necessary I really do mean frequently every minute or two.

    I find it best to use a wooden spoon at this stage as I find the balloon whisk does not get right into the corners and it is here that the mixture will tend to burn. 

    • cooked Turkish delight in pan with a few drops of colour added.
      Cook until golden then add flavouring and colour.
    • pouring Turkish delight into tin.
      Pour into tin and allow to set.

    Once cooked the Turkish delight is then flavoured and a little food colouring can be added at this stage too. It is then poured into a tin and allowed to set  for at least 6 hours or up to 24 before cutting into squares and dusting with an icing sugar and cornflour mixture to prevent them from sticking together.

    • turned out Turkish delight on baking parchment.
      Allow to set before turning out.
    • cutting into squares,
      Dust with cornflour and icing sugar and cut into squares.

    How to store 

    Once cut into squares and dusted with the icing sugar mixture  I find it is best to leave them out to dry for 24 hours before packing into a loosely covered container at cool room temperature.  Airtight containers are not the best as Turkish delight tends to sweat. It will keep for up to a month.

    Turkish delight in a gift box.

    More confectionary you might like to make

    squares of traditional vanilla fudge on crumbled parchment
    Traditional Vanilla Fudge
    blank
    Chocolate Florentines
    bowl of vegan meringue kisses and some on work surface.
    Vegan Meringue Kisses
    Gift box filled with homemade Turkish delight.

    Homemade Turkish Delight (Lokum)

    A sweet fragrance jelly confection traditionally flavoured with rosewater and heavily dusted with icing sugar and cornflour. Homemade Turkish delight makes a fabulous foodie gift. Present in a pretty box tied with ribbon.
    Course confectionary, Dessert
    Cuisine Middle Eastern
    Keyword candy, foodie gift, jelly, vegan
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 1 hr 15 mins
    Setting time 8 hrs
    Servings 36 pieces
    Author Jacqueline Bellefontaine
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Recipe Saved!

    Equipment

    • 18cm square cake tin
    • non stick baking parchment
    • 2 large saucepans
    • sugar thermometer

    Ingredients

    • a little vegetable oil for greasing
    • 1 litre (1¾pts) water
    • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
    • 800 g (1lb 12oz) granulated sugar
    • 125 g (4oz) cornflour
    • 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
    • 1–2 tablespoon rose water
    • few drops pink food colouring

    To complete

    • 50 g (2oz) icing sugar
    • 15 g (½oz) cornflour

    Instructions

    • Line a 18cm (7in) square pan with non stick baking parchment and oil the paper.
    • Place 500ml (18floz) water, 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 800h (1lb 12oz) sugar in a heavy based saucepan and bring gently to the boil, stirring constantly until the sugar has dissolved. Once all the sugar has dissolved increase the heat, cover the pan with a lid and allow the mixture to boil for 1 minute.
    • Remove the lid. Continue to boil the syrup without stirring until the temperature reaches 115°C (139°F). Remove from the heat and set to one side.
    • Place 125g (4oz) cornflour and 1 teaspoon cream of tartar in a large saucepan and gradually stir in 500ml (18floz) water a little at a time. Once the cornflour and water have been combined, cook gently stirring with a wooden spoon all the time until the mixture forms a very thick gluey paste.
    • Remove from the heat and gradually beat in the sugar syrup a little at a time, beating well until smooth after each addition. Do not rush this step.
    • Return to the heat and bring slowly to the boil, stirring well, then reduce the heat and simmer very very gently for about 1 hour, stirring frequently. Make sure you get into the corners of the pan so that the mixture doesn’t catch. The mixture will turn a golden amber colour when it is cooked sufficiently.
    • Remove from the heat and stir in 1-2 tablespoon rose water and a few drops of pink food colour. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and allow to set for at least 6 hours.

    To complete

    • Sift 50g (2oz) icing sugar and 15g (½oz) cornflour together into a bowl. Then sift a little of sugar and cornflour mixture over the set Turkish delight.
    • Turn out onto a sheet of baking parchmentand dust with more icing sugar mixture. Cut into squares using a lightly oiled knife.
    • Drop the squares a few at a time into the remaining icing sugar mixture and toss to coat well.

    Notes

    • It is important not to rush adding the sugar syrup to the cornflour mixture as any lumps that you allow to form at this stage will be impossible to remove from the Turkish delight mixture.
    • Very frequent stirring is essential during while cooking the Turkish Delight.
    Store
    • Store in a covered container in a cool dry place for up to 1 month.
    • Do not freeze.
    Tried this recipe?Leave a comment or mention @OnlyCrumbsRemain or tag #OnlyCrumbsRemain!

    I'm linking this post to #CookBlogShare hosted at A strong Coffee

    #CookBlogShare logo
    « Cranberry & Oat Cookies
    The Best Fudge Recipes »

    About Jacqueline Bellefontaine

    Jacqueline is a member of the Guild of Food Writers and has been a cookery writer and food stylist for over 25 years. She has written over 15 cookery books, in addition to writing for several major magazines. She likes to champion good basic home cooking and as the daughter of a master baker, she is passionate about home baking.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Chris Williams

      February 07, 2022 at 1:47 pm

      4 stars
      I followe the recipe to the letter, it took the required 1.5 hours but at the end my mixture was so thick I had to spoon it into the tin. and then could not achieve a smooth surface. It was almost set at that point. Now 24 hours later it tastes fine (using 3/4 tsp rose essence) but is a very firm jelly. Where did I go wrong?

      Reply
      • Jacqueline Bellefontaine

        February 08, 2022 at 2:50 pm

        I'm sorry it didn't turn out as smooth as you would have liked but glad that it tasted good. It sounds to me like you just cooked it a little too long. The recipes says to cook for about 1 hour (although exactly how long it takes to turn apple golden will vary from cook to cook) so if you cooked yours for 1½ hours that is likely the cause. I would suggest next time you don't cook it as long.

        Reply
    2. Jennian

      November 27, 2021 at 9:46 pm

      Can rose extract be substituted for 2tbsp rose water and still taste traditional? If so, how much should be used? Thank you! My husband loves these and I'm hoping to surprise him with some homemade fr the holidays.

      Reply
      • Jacqueline Bellefontaine

        November 30, 2021 at 3:58 pm

        I can not see why you couldn't use extract as I often use orange or lemon extract in mine. Personally I'm not a fan of rose Turkish Delight. But I am sorry but I can not tell you how much to use as I have not tested it but I would imagine only a ¼ to ½ teaspoon.

        Reply
    3. Sammy

      October 08, 2021 at 8:39 am

      5 stars
      This looks so amazing, thanks so much for sharing. Quick question, in step 6 you mention stirring frequently, does this mean stirring all of the time without leaving the pan or just intermittently? Sorry if this seems like a silly question ☺️ x

      Reply
      • Jacqueline Bellefontaine

        October 27, 2021 at 5:48 pm

        Not a silly question at all. Stirring frequently means that you do not have to stir continuously however you certainly can leave the room and go do something else but you might be able to start to tidy up,put the odd thing away or wipe down a surface etc between stirring. The later in the cooking process the more frequently you will need to stir . Hope this helps

        Reply
        • Sammy

          November 14, 2021 at 11:22 pm

          5 stars
          Thank you so much, that’s really helpful x

          Reply
    4. Saffi

      July 25, 2021 at 8:19 pm

      5 stars
      Amazing. Can't wait to.try. can you coat in chocolate?

      Reply
      • Jacqueline Bellefontaine

        July 26, 2021 at 2:51 pm

        I have not tried dipping them in chocolate but I don't see why you couldn't. But you would need to make sure it has dried sufficiently as any moisture would cause the chocolate to sieze. If you give it a go do let me know how you get on.

        Reply
    5. Lupita Vidajic

      June 27, 2021 at 4:25 pm

      The recipe seems wonderful. If I wanted to add strawberry extract instead of rose water, how much should I add? I know that extracts are stronger in flavor and it's easy to overdo it.
      Thanks on advance!

      Reply
      • Jacqueline Bellefontaine

        June 27, 2021 at 6:44 pm

        I would add ½ tsp.

        Reply
    6. Heather Johnstone

      February 14, 2021 at 2:29 pm

      I'd love to try making Turkish delight. Can you use other flavours besides rose water?

      Reply
      • Jacqueline Bellefontaine

        February 15, 2021 at 4:22 pm

        You can indeed vary the flavour you add, see variations in the post above.I like mint as well as vanilla with the addion on pistachios

        Reply
        • Charlene Miller

          September 10, 2021 at 3:48 am

          If you were making the orange or vanilla flavors, how much of them would you add (the same 2 Tablespoons as the rose water)?

          Reply
          • Jacqueline Bellefontaine

            September 14, 2021 at 8:10 pm

            It will depend a little on the quality of the flavourings you were using. Extracts are much more concentrated than the rose water so I would used 1 tsp.

            Reply
    7. Chloe Edges

      December 07, 2020 at 2:18 pm

      5 stars
      Looks fab, its never even occurred to me to home make Turkish delight before!

      Reply
    8. Louise Fairweather

      December 06, 2020 at 8:24 pm

      This looks amazing. What a great gift. Thanks for sharing #cookblogshare

      Reply
    9. Janice

      December 05, 2020 at 4:38 pm

      5 stars
      Turkish Delight takes me right back to Christmas with my grandfather. He loved it and we always made sure he had a box to enjoy. I'm pretty fond of it myself now, especially homemade or the real high-quality kind.

      Reply
    10. Rebecca - Glutarama

      December 04, 2020 at 10:42 am

      5 stars
      I've always been worried that Turkish Delight is difficult to make but your simple step-by-step instructions have encouraged me to give it a go ... I am a HUGE fan of Turkish Delight after all.

      Reply
      • Jacqueline Bellefontaine

        December 04, 2020 at 2:44 pm

        So long as you dont rush it, it really is quite simple to make.

        Reply
    11. Angela Hook

      December 04, 2020 at 12:34 am

      5 stars
      The recipe worked a dream, and is absolutely delicious! Will definitely be making more to give as Christmas presents! Thank you

      Reply
      • Jacqueline Bellefontaine

        December 04, 2020 at 2:44 pm

        Thanks Angela I'm sure you will have some very happy friends there is something rather special about Homemade Turkish Delight.

        Reply
    12. Kat (The Baking Explorer)

      December 03, 2020 at 4:29 pm

      5 stars
      This looks beautiful and such a pretty colour!

      Reply
    13. Helen @ family-friends-food.com

      December 03, 2020 at 10:22 am

      5 stars
      That looks amazing! I would never have thought that Turkish delight was something that could be made at home. Thanks for sharing! #cookblogshare

      Reply

    Rate and leave a comment - I love to get your feed back and will reply as soon as I can. Comments may be held for moderation before publishing. Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    head and shoulders of Jacqueline Bellefontaine.

    Hello I'm Jacqui,

    I love baking and I have been writing recipes for more years than I care to remember. I can't wait to share some of my favourite sweet and baking recipes for you to enjoy.

    More about me →

    Member of

    Guild of food writers logo

    Popular recipes

    • blank
      Pear & Almond Frangipane Tart
    • blank
      White Chocolate Buttercream
    • blank
      Lemon and Raspberry Layer Cake
    • blank
      Rhubarb and ginger loaf cake

    Visit my other blog

    recipes made easy logo

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Privacy

    • Disclosure and Privacy policy

    Copyright © 2022 Only Crumbs Remain