Halva is likely the quintessential favourite dessert in the Middle East. Traditional halva recipes can vary greatly from region to region and country to country. Usually, it is a dense, sweet confection and the two most common variations are flour-based halva and a nut and seed-based halva. I personally prefer the drier, more crumbly texture of a simple seed-based halva. Most commonly found in Cyprus, Egypt, Israel, Iraq, Lebanon, and Syria, is halva that uses sesame seeds as its superstar, and so do I in my keto, paleo, and vegan-friendly recipe here.
Aromatic spices combined with toasted sesame, sunflower, and pumpkin seeds make these truffles a vehicle for healthy fats and fiber to be delivered in the most delicious way! I’ve upgraded my halva for my health with just two tablespoons of sugar-free maple (instead of traditionally used sugar), vanilla monk fruit drops and coconut flour (instead of traditionally used white flour with wheat and gluten). Feel free to use whatever liquid sweetener you prefer, I just like mine to be sugar-free wherever possible so as not to buy myself (or my clients) a ticket on the blood sugar rollercoaster. Experiment as you wish with this recipe, as sometimes I like to add food-grade rose essential drops and saffron. I will say though, that most of the time I stick to this OG recipe – you can’t go wrong! Definitely one of my fav treats. I hope you enjoy the nutty flavours as much as we do!
Halva Sesame Truffles
Course: Desserts, Snacks, Sweet Tooth, Uncategorized10
minutes5
minutes15
Ingredients
76g ½ Cup White Sesame Seeds (plus extra for rolling garnish at the end)
60g 3 Tbsps Tahini
40g – 60g 2-3 Tbsps Sugar Free Maple Syrup (I use 2 Tbsps Choc Zero brand & add 6 drops of Now Foods brand liquid monk fruit drops in vanilla) Or you can use your preferred liquid sweetener eg: Regular maple syrup, yacon syrup (truffles will be darker), or honey.
Optional: 6 Drops Vanilla Monk Fruit
40g ¼ Cup Pumpkin Seeds
23g 2 Tbsps Sunflower Seeds
22g 3 Tbsps Coconut Flour
5g 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
2g 1 tsp Pumpkin Spice
1g ½ tsp Turmeric Powder
¼ tsp Cardamom Powder
1g ¼ tsp Unrefined Salt
Directions
- On the stove on low heat, in a medium pan, add in the sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds. Stir and toast for 5-7 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the heat. Set aside to cool.
- In a food processor, process the toasted seeds, coconut flour, spices and salt, until a crumbly mixture is formed.
- Add in tahini, sugar-free maple syrup, vanilla extract and (optional) vanilla monk fruit drops. Process until well combined and the mixture comes together when you press it. Transfer the mixture to a clean bowl.
- Prepare a tray lined with baking paper. Using a tablespoon, scoop and form the mixture into balls with your hands. Place the balls onto the prepared tray. Repeat until all of the truffles are rolled.
- In a bowl, roll each of the truffles in the extra sesame seeds and place back onto the tray.
- Place the tray of truffles into the freezer to set for 10 minutes. Transfer truffles to the fridge (see storage directions below.)
Notes
- Storage: Truffles store well in an airtight sealed container in the fridge for up to one month.
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