Turkish Delight
Cream of tartar and pink food colouring come together in this vegetarian — 60 minutes, 6 steps, and the kind of result worth repeating. Below: the ingredients split into pantry staples and a quick shopping list, a built-in serving scaler, and the method in 6 steps.
You'll mainly reach for saucepan and pan. At easy difficulty across 6 steps, it's a good one for a busy evening. As written, it's meat-free.
What you'll need
Shopping list (2)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
🔁 Unit converter
How to make it
- Lightly oil a small square tin and line it with cling film or parchment, then dust generously with a little of the icing sugar.
- In a saucepan, combine the granulated sugar, 150 ml of the water, the cream of tartar and the lemon juice, and heat gently, stirring until dissolved, then boil without stirring until it reaches 115 C (240 F) on a sugar thermometer.
- In a separate heavy pan, whisk the cornstarch into the remaining 200 ml of cold water until smooth, then cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it becomes a thick translucent paste.
- Slowly pour the hot sugar syrup into the cornstarch paste in a thin stream, whisking continuously, then reduce the heat to low and simmer very gently for 45 to 60 minutes, stirring often, until the mixture turns a deep golden, sticky and glossy.
- Stir in the rosewater and a couple of drops of food colouring, then pour the mixture into the prepared tin, smooth the top, and leave to set uncovered at room temperature for at least 6 hours or overnight.
- Turn the set sweet out, cut it into squares with an oiled knife, and toss the pieces in the remaining icing sugar so they are fully coated before serving.
You'll use: Saucepan · Pan · Whisk
Ingredient substitutions
- Cornstarch
- 2 tbsp flour per 1 tbsp cornstarch (as thickener)
- Lemon
- lime · 1 tbsp white wine vinegar per lemon
Tips & common questions
How long does Turkish Delight take to make?
About 60 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 6 steps and 8 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of cornstarch?
Try 2 tbsp flour per 1 tbsp cornstarch (as thickener). See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
Is Turkish Delight vegetarian?
Its ingredients contain no meat or fish, so it's suitable for vegetarians. Check any cheeses for animal rennet if that matters to you.
Related recipes
Turkish Delight is an original recipe developed in-house by Consomee. Photo: Turkish Delight lokum.jpg by Chris Brown, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure on top — how we source recipes.