Greek carrot cake semolina halva
A Greek semolina halva inspired by the flavours of carrot cake. Made with course semolina, Greek olive oil and with the addition of carrots, pineapple, walnuts, cinnamon and nutmeg, this is a truly a special dessert.
Greek semolina halva is a wonderful dessert that is easy to make and especially popular during periods of lent. This is a nistisimo recipe, meaning it contains neither eggs nor dairy. I love halva so much and when fasting it really hits the spot. Growing up Greek we spent a good part of the year fasting, avoiding meat, dairy and eggs. What did we eat you wonder? Lots of wholesome delicious lenten foods and even some amazing desserts like these orange koulourakia, this perfect chocolate blueberry cake and of course, halva!
What makes this recipe great
This is a vegan dessert! It contains no dairy and no eggs!
Now, the truth is, I am not vegan…but still. Being Greek Orthodox there are significant parts of the year when I am fasting, and so don’t eat meat, dairy or eggs. Having lenten options is great. Plus, although I may not be vegan, I do know (and love) people who are, so having delicious desserts to serve them is wonderful.
No oven required!
This is a dessert that is prepared entirely on the stove top, which is perfect if you are cooking up a feast and don’t have free oven space. It is also handy on hot summer days when you don’t want to turn on the oven!
It is fun, and delicious
I love taking a classic Greek recipe and turning it into something fun and special. I love carrot cake, and I love halva, so it seemed like a natural combination to put these two great desserts together. I am so happy with how this turned out!
Key ingredients
Nothng too fancy goes into this dessert, but trust me, the result is fancy and special!
Semolina I use thick or coarse semolina to make halva. Semolina is a coarse flour made of durum wheat and it is typically yellow.
Olive oil I always use Greek olive oil in this recipe, and any recipe that takes olive oil – you will taste the difference!
Sugar The syrup is sweetened with white granulated sugar – a mild flavour, but plenty of sweetness.
Carrots You can’t have a carrot cake inspired halva without carrots! I add grated carrots to my syrup so that they get nice and soft and extra sweet.
Crushed pineapple I add crushed pineapple, juice and all, to the halva. The small bits of pineapple throughout the halva really make it something special.
Walnuts Adding walnuts to this halva is great. They add flavour, texture and they look pretty!
Cinnamon I adds a cinnamon stick to the syrup so that I get the cinnamon flavour without changing the colour of the syrup as much as cinnamon powder would. I do put some ground cinnamon in the semolina itself though.
Nutmeg A bit of nutmeg goes a long way to give flavour to this carrot cake inspired halva!
Recipe substitutions
- Instead of walnuts, you can use pecans.
- Instead of crushed pineapple you can use pineapple tidbits (small pieces of canned pineapple).
- You can use vegetable oil or another type of mild flavoured oil if you prefer.
- You can add in some raisins if you want to. I would suggest about 1/2 a cup.
How to make Greek carrot cake semolina halva
There are two parts ot making this dessert. First, you have to make the syrup and then you have to toast the semolina. Neither step is difficult!
Make the syrup
Combine the ingredients for the syrup into a pot and bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer for about 5 minutes. The sugar will have dissolved. Allow the syrup to cool down as you toast the semolina.
Prepare the semolina
Step 1
In a large pot heat the olive oil and toast the semolina until it is slightly browned and toasty. Remove the pot from the heat and slowly add in the syrup.
Step 2
After all the syrup has been added, carefully, add in the rest of the ingredients. Stir well until the pineapple, walnuts, cinnamon and nutmeg are well combined. Return to the heat and stir constantly. Cook until the halva pulls away from the sides of the pot. At this point, remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes.
Step 3
Transfer halva to a heat proof container like a silicone mould or a baking pan. Allow to cool for about an hour and then either remove from mould or pan and serve or place in the refrigerator for later.
Helpful hints
Use caution when adding syrup to the semolina!
Although making this carrot cake semolina halva is easy, you do need to exercise caution. When you add the syrup to the pan with the hot semolina, it will splatter. There is no way to avoid that. What you do need to do however is take care not to burn yourself, or anyone else. Remove the pot with the semolina from the heat source. Add the syrup a bit at a time using a long handled ladle. Make sure kids and pets are far away, and don’t have your face right over the pot – trust the process, you don’t have to see what is happening in there! You will notice that after you have added about half the syrup, the splattering will stop.
Cinnamon stick for flavour, without the colour
I like to add cinnamon sticks to my syrup because too much ground cinnamon would really change the colour of my halva. That is okay, and you can definitely do that, but I prefer using both a cinnamon stick and some ground cinnamon in this recipe.
Get creative, or not, with your pan
When I make halva I usually transfer it to a gelatin mould or a bundt pan to cool, and take shape. You can use anything you like in fact, so long as it is heat-proof. I have even used small, individual portion moulds for fun and I have also used a small ice cream scoop to make little balls of halva. Anything goes!
Frequently asked questions
How finely do I grate the carrots for this halva recipe?
I like to use the coarse side of my box grater to prepare the carrots for this recipe. I prefer to leave the pieces of carrot a bit large, so that they do not disintegrate when they are cooked in the syrup and so that you can see them in the halva. I find that looks pretty, but if you prefer to grate the carrot more finely, that is okay too.
Can I use fine semolina to make halva?
Semolina comes in two general varieties, fine and coarse. The fine semolina is used when you really don’t want to notice the texture of semolina – this is why I use it in my galaktoboureko recipe, where the custard filling is smooth and creamy. When making halva, you want some firmness, so the coarse semolina is ideal.
How do I know when the halva is cooked?
When you have combined the syrup and the semolina and you are cooking it on the stovetop, stirring constantly, you will notice the semolina thickening and pulling away from the sides. Also, when you run a spoon across the bottom of the pot, you will leave a track. That means your semolina is ready.
How long does it take for the halva to set?
It will take at least an hour for the halva to set once you have transferred it to a mould. Longer is better as you want to make sure it does not fall apart when you remove it from the mould.
Recipe variations
If you like the idea of this Greek carrot cake semolina halva, then I think you will absolutely love the other halva recipes that I have. Here is a sampling of other ways to make halva!
From left to right they are: 1) Marble Halva, 2) Petimezi Halva, 3) Apple and Raspberry Halva and a 4) Classic Halva with Raisins. But that is not all! Check out the Mia Kouppa Home page and search for Halva for even more recipes!
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Storing
Halva will keep well in the refrigerator for up to a week.
How to serve
This Greek carrot cake semolina halva is best served either chilled or at room temperature.
Recipe
Greek carrot cake semolina halva
Equipment
- 1 small pot
- 1 large pot
- 1 heat resistant mould or baking pan
Ingredients
- 2 cups coarse or thick semolina
- 235 ml Greek olive oil
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- 398 ml crushed pineapple including the juice
- 1½ cups chopped walnuts
For the syrup
- 6 cups water
- 2 cups grated carrots, packed
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick
Instructions
Prepare the syrup
- In a medium saucepan combine all the ingredients for the syrup. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, and simmer, covered, for approximately 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.6 cups water, 2 cups grated carrots, packed, 2 cups sugar, 1 cinnamon stick
Prepare the semolina
- In a large pot heat the olive oil and the semolina over medium heat. Stir well and cook, stirring constantly until the semolina starts to brown slightly and smells toasty. This should take about 10-15 minutes. Move pot off of the burner for the next step.2 cups coarse or thick semolina, 235 ml Greek olive oil
- Very carefully, add the syrup one ladle at a time, to the pot with the semolina and oil. It will likely splatter, so be very careful and be sure that there are no children or pets near the oven. Once all of the syrup has been added, return the pot to the heat. Reduce heat to low-medium. Add in the pineapple, walnuts, ground cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir until everything is well combined.1 tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp nutmeg, 398 ml crushed pineapple, 1½ cups chopped walnuts
- Stir constantly. The mixture will thicken and begin to pull away from the sides as you stir it. When it has reached this consistency, remove from the heat and let it sit for a couple of minutes.
- Ladle the mixture into a lightly greased mould, such as a bundt pan or a jell-o mould. You can use any mould you like, so long as it is heat resistant. Let the halva cool and refrigerate for at least one hour. Remove from mould and cut into serving pieces.