Quick Vegan Halva Recipe (3-Ingredient Tahini & Maple Syrup Dessert)

Make melt-in-your-mouth vegan halva in minutes! This 3-ingredient recipe uses tahini and maple syrup for a rich, nutty dessert. Achieve that perfect traditional texture.

Recipe Details

• Prep Time: 2 min
• Cook Time: 15 min
• Total Time: 1 hr 20 min
• Yield: 12-15 mini halva squares

Ingredients

• ¾ cups maple syrup
• 1 and ½ cups tahini
• 3 tsp vanilla extract
• 8 x 12” glass tupperware (or 2 smaller single person portion tupperwares work fine too)

Instructions

• Place the maple syrup in a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat until it reaches 266°F (130°C). The syrup will bubble and foam…this is normal! Don’t move the pot or turn off the heat until it reaches temperature or develops a slightly roasted aroma, which signals proper crystallization for good texture. If it smells like it’s burning, you can take it off the heat (in which case, you may have used too wide of a saucepan and the liquid was too shallow to get a proper reading)
• Once the maple syrup has properly crystalized, remove it from the heat and quickly stir in the tahini and vanilla extract until the mixture thickens and loses its shiny appearance. You must stir in the ingredients as soon as you can, or else it will clump. Stir until the mixture is combined smoothly, and has a velvety texture.
• Then, pour it immediately into a medium-sized glass container and spread the maple tahini mixture into an even layer with a spatula.
• Sprinkle crushed pistachios (or other nuts or chopped dried fruits) on top, if desired.
• Freeze the dessert for at least 1 hour so that it will more easily keep it’s integrity when cutting it into squares to serve.
• You can refrigerate it instead for a softer, fudgier texture, but the freezer is much faster to serve.

Tips

• Darker maple syrup is easier to boil and handle with this recipe
• Removing the mixture from heat too early will give a softer, fudgier texture.
• If tahini and vanilla aren’t added immediately, the mixture may look clumpy or oily. You can pour off excess oil to salvage it and it will still taste great.
• Cooking too long, or using sugar instead of maple syrup, can make it slightly grainy with a more roasted flavor, but it’s still delicious.