Marble halva

This marble halva combines the wonderful flavour of cinnamon and chocolate. Making this classic Greek semolina dessert is so easy, and only requires a few simple ingredients. It is made entirely on the stovetop, so you don’t even need to turn on your oven.

Growing up in a Greek family, we fasted for a large part of the year. That means no dairy, eggs or meat, chicken and fish. Still, sometimes you need dessert so my parents had a great collection of vegan desserts available like loukoumades, tahini honey cookies and many versions of halva, including a delicious halva with apple and raspberry.

Why I love this recipe

I love making halva because once you understand the basics you can get really creative. That is how I came up with chocolate halva, and cactus pear, lavender and walnut halva . This marble halva is definitely one of my favourites, and this is why:

It satisfies the chocolate craving

Sometimes you really need a bit of chocolate, but when you are fasting and not consuming eggs or dairy, that can be a bit difficult. This marble halva however is full of chocolate goodness, and is dairy free.

You don’t need to turn on your oven

Sometimes you don’t want to use your oven to make dessert. If that is the case, then halva is great for you! The entire dessert is made on the stovetop, and is set and cooled in the refrigerator. So easy!

Key ingredients

You need only a few basic ingredients to make this amazing halva.

Sugar White granulated sugar is used to makes the syrup for halva. It dissolves well and provides a sweetness but a mild flavour.

Water Regular tap was will do here, but of course you can use filtered water if you like.

Cinnamon sticks I prefer to use cinnamon sticks instead of cinnamon powder. That way I enjoy the cinnamon taste, but without the colour change that comes with the powdered cinnamon.

Cardamom pods Crush your cardamom pods pods before you add them to the syrup to help release the flavour.

Coarse semolina Semolina is coarse flour made from durum wheat. When durum wheat is milled, the most nutritious part is turned into semolina.

Olive oil Greek olive oil is my go to in this recipe, and in all recipes! Greek olive oil is fragrant and delicious; the flavour really comes through in this halva.

Cocoa powder I use unsweetened cocoa powder for the richest and most delicious chocolate taste.

How to make it

Making semolina halva is so easy – with a few easy steps and simple ingredients you can have this classic Greek dessert ready to enjoy within a few hours.

Step 1
In a medium saucepan combine the water, sugar, cinnamon sticks and cardamon pods.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, and simmer, uncovered, for approximately 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and let cool. Remove spices from the syrup and discard them.

Step 2
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.  Move pot off of the burner for the next step.

Step 3
Very carefully, add the syrup 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. Keep the pot which contained the syrup handy – you will need it.

Step 4
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 immediately transfer approximately half of the mixture to the pot which you made the syrup in. To this add the cocoa powder and stir immediately to incorporate the cocoa powder into the semolina. If it appears too dry and it is not incorporating well, add about 1/4 cup water.

Step 5
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.  Alternate between the plain and the chocolate halva to create a marbling effect. Once you have filled your pan, use a rubber spatula or a knife to pierce through the mixture – you want to ensure that you don’t have any air pockets. Smooth the top with the back of a spoon. Let the halva cool and refrigerate for at least one hour.  Remove from mould and cut into serving pieces.

Recipe substitutions

Instead of using cinnamon sticks you can use 1 tsp of ground cinnamon.

Instead of sugar you can sweeten your halva with honey; Use half the amount of honey as you would sugar, because honey is sweeter than sugar is.

Helpful hints

Use caution when making your halva

Although making halva is really quite simple, you do need to be careful, especially when you add the syrup to the toasted semolina. The best advice is to remove the semolina off the heat and to add the syrup, a little at a time, with a ladle. Once you can add syrup without any more sizzling and steaming you are fine to add the rest of the syrup all at once. Only then should you return the pot to the heat.

Keep your heat on low when cooking your halva

Keeping the heat on medium to medium low will help prevent as splatting of semolina that can burn you as you stir the mixture.

Remove any air pockets

Make sure that you don’t have any air pockets in your halva when you transfer the mixture to the pan. Use a knife or spoon to press the semolina down, and tap the bottom of the mould on your counter; these tricks will help remove any air pockets that are present.

How to store

Semolina halva will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week. Even if you have removed it from the mould, it will retain its shape.

How to serve

Semolina halva is a delicious dessert to serve after a meal, or even as a midday treat. Be sure to serve it alongside a Greek coffee, or my particular favourite, a cup of Greek mountain tea. If you are looking for more of a refreshing drink, give Greek frappé a try.

Related recipes

If you love the idea of using semolina in desserts, you are going to love these other Greek classics:

Galaktoboureko The classic Greek custard dessert made with phyllo and soaked in syrup

Bougatsa Individual servings of crisp phyllo dough filled with a creamy custard.

Samali A unique Greek dessert that is made with semolina and soaked in a flavourful syrup.

Thanks for sharing!