Turkish Delight Recipe Quick Easy

Love homemade candy recipes? Try almond joy, peanut brittle, and crunch bars. My homemade Turkish delight is so much easier to make than you think, and it delivers a sweet and gummy satisfaction. In full disclosure, I’ve been obsessed with this candy ever since I watched The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. So, it’s safe to say it’s been a constant dessert favorite for over 20 years!

Why I love this recipe

An elegant gift. There is a reason why you see Turkish delight all packaged up nicely during the holiday season. Pack up a handful of my homemade recipe for Christmas and Valentine’s Day gifts! Very customizable. You can easily change the flavors, colors, and decorations for Turkish delight well beyond the traditional rosewater flavor. I’ve included some of my tried and true combinations. Gelatin free. Unlike other gummy-style candy, this skips the gelatin, cream, or thickeners. So that’s great if you follow a vegan and/or gluten-free diet!

Ingredients needed

Granulated sugar. Only granulated white sugar will work here. Even brown or coconut sugar will affect the texture. Water. To make the simple syrup and cornstarch slurry. Lemon juice. The acidity gives this sweet candy a more balanced flavor while the pectin helps it set and develop its distinguishable firm, yet chewy texture. Cornstarch. To thicken the syrup and give the candy its dense and jelly-like consistency. Rosewater. This infuses the candy with a pleasant and delicate floral flavor. Please do not omit this as it’s the signature ingredient. You can find rosewater in the baking aisle, often next to the vanilla extract. Red food color. To give the candy a red color true to traditional Turkish delight. If you don’t want to use artificial red food dye, you can use beetroot or pomegranate juice for natural red pigment, but they may slightly alter the flavor. Otherwise, swap the red dye for any other color you like! Confectioners’ sugar and cornstarch. Combined and used to coat the Turkish delight. This improves the presentation and prevents the candies from becoming too sticky.

How to make Turkish delight

I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Also known as Lokum, Turkish delight is a popular confectionery originating in Turkey and popular amongst Middle Eastern countries. These chewy treats are lightly sweetened and flavored with fresh citrus and rosewater for that subtle taste. To finish, they’re coated in powdered sugar for sweet and satisfying bites!

Arman’s recipe tips

Keep the candy base moving. Remember to continuously stir the sugar-slurry mixture to achieve a smooth, syrupy consistency while preventing it from scorching. Patience is key. Once cooked, you must allow the whole sheet of candy to cool completely before cutting it into pieces. For the best results, keep the container on the countertop overnight. Always use a candy thermometer. This is the kind of recipe where precision is pretty important. Sure, you can guess when the syrup is done, but a thermometer makes it so much easier!

Storage instructions

To store: Transfer the Turkish delight to an airtight container. If you need to stack the pieces, place a sheet of parchment paper between each layer to prevent them from sticking together. Store in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight and moisture for up to 1 month. If you are a Turkish delight fiend like me, then you’ve no doubt tried all the varieties available. You can use my base recipe to change it up with just a few tweaks. Flavor variations:

Lemon. Use extra lemon juice and lemon zest for a stronger lemon flavor. Orange. Substitute fresh-squeezed orange juice, orange zest, and orange food color. Cherry. Use cold-pressed cherry juice or cherry extract. Mint. Use peppermint extract and green food coloring. Vanilla. Substitute rosewater for vanilla extract. Almond. Substitute rosewater for almond extract.

Decoration ideas: Decorative toppings. Consider sprinkling garnishes over the top before the candy fully sets. Chopped pistachios, walnuts, crushed hazelnuts, rainbow sprinkles, shredded coconut, and edible glitter would all be great! Chocolate coated. Carefully dip each square into melted chocolate (dark, milk, or white), allowing the excess to drip off before placing them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Set aside until the chocolate hardens.