Many people might say their favorite dessert is chocolate cake, glazed donuts, or coffee ice cream, but mine is halva. Halva is a delicacy famous in many Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cultures. I would describe its unique texture as a fusion between fudge and crumbly cookies. There has always been halva at my Armenian household since I was a kid. There must always be some trays of halva sitting in the fridge ready to be consumed as a midnight snack to resolve a sweet tooth. Though I have been familiar with this dessert since I was a kid, I had not tried it until just a few months ago. Once I finally gave it a try, I realized what I had been missing out on for all those years.

Halva can be made in a variety of ways. Most Middle Eastern cultures make halva with a tahini, sesame seed paste base; however, Armenians usually use flour as the main base for this dessert. You can make halva in an infinite number of flavors. A traditional flavor associated with halva is pistachio and rose, but there are also flavors with a modern twist such as cookies and cream. Though the flavor possibilities are practically endless, a simple halva has always been the one to win over my taste buds.

Ingredients for halva

My mom has been making halva from scratch since she was a child. It’s a very easy recipe that she taught me and takes less than an hour to make. You'll need only a few simple ingredients.
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​STEP 1: Gather the following ingredients:
- 2 cup flour
- 1 cup melted butter
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- cinnamon       

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STEP 2: Start by heating a pan on low heat. Add in your 2 cups of flour. Continuously stir the flour for about 25 minutes. While you’re stirring the flour, this is a good time to also melt your 1 cup of butter on a separate pan so it’s ready for the next step. Make sure to keep the heat on low and to keep stirring otherwise the flour will burn. Once the flour has changed from a pure white color to a light creamy color, your flour is ready for the next step.

Flour after Step 2

STEP 3: Add your cup of melted butter to the pan with the flour. Carefully stir the flour and butter mixture. As you are mixing you should notice the mixture’s consistency changing into a very light brown paste. You are ready for the next step once the butter and flour have fully mixed into a crumbly dough mixture.

Ingredients mixture after Step 3

STEP 4: Add a pinch of cinnamon and continue stirring with a folding motion until it has fully mixed with the rest of the ingredients. Cinnamon is optional and does not have to be added to make halva, so if you are not a fan, you do not have to add it. If you love cinnamon, you can defintely add a pinch or two more.

Halva placed into shape molds

STEP 5: After everything is mixed, get your desired cooking mold and scoop all the paste out with a spoon from the pan. Pack the halva into the shape mold. Smooth out the tops of the shapes with a spoon to get a clean finish. Once you have packed the halva in the shape molds, let the halva settle to cool and harden. After about 30 minutes, the halva should be hardened enough to keep its shape. Carefully take the halva out of the cooking mold and you are ready to plate and serve.

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Now your halva is ready to be eaten and enjoyed! Halva’s sweet delectable flavor pairs nicely with a cup of dark roast coffee in the morning. You could even crumble it on top of some ice cream as a topping. Halva is a simple versatile dessert with endless possibilities. Take the Armenian halva recipe that I have shared and feel free to give it your own flair or flavor!

Halva served with Armenian coffee