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What to eat in Turkiye? Top 52 Turkish Desserts

Last update: Thu Feb 13 2025
Top 52 Turkish Desserts
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01

Ice Cream

KAHRAMANMARAŞ, Turkiye
4.6
Dondurma
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Turkish ice cream is believed to originate from the city of Maraş—hence the name—and what really sets it apart from other varieties is its resistance to melting and a particularly dense, chewy texture. These qualities are brought by adding two thickening agents to the basic milk and sugar mixture: Arab gum, also known as mastic resin, and salep—a type of flour made from the root of the early purple orchid.


In fact, in the Kahramanmaraş region, ice cream typically contains distinctly more salep than usual, which is why it is sometimes called kesme dondurma—from the Turkish kesmek, meaning to cut—which is the reason why this ice cream variety is usually eaten with a knife and fork. 

MOST ICONIC Dondurma

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02
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Antakya künefesi is a traditional kunāfah variety hailing from the ancient Turkish city of Antakya, made from shredded phyllo pastry filled with creamy unsalted cheese. The origins of this dish can be traced back to the Ottoman Empire, and to this day, it has remained one of the authentic representatives of Antakyan culinary heritage and traditions.


To make Antakya künefesi, the pastry is first prepared by shredding phyllo dough into thin strips and placing it into a flat, round tray. The dough, in this form known as kadayıfın, is then topped with a mixture of unsalted cheese, traditionally Hatay peyniri, and another layer of shredded phyllo dough. 
03

Sweet Pastry

TURKIYE and  6 more regions
4.5
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Kunāfah consists of two crunchy layers of shredded and buttered kataifi or knefe dough, filled with a luscious cheese cream that's often flavored with orange zest and cardamom, then drenched in a sugar syrup infused with lemon juice and orange blossom water.


Turkish künefe is traditionally made with Hatay, Urfa, or Antep cheese. It is usually topped with pistachios and is best served warm. Elegant and amazingly simple to make, this dessert is nothing short of what cheese-filled pastry dreams are made of. 

MOST ICONIC Kunefe

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04
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The ancient Anatolian city of Antep, today known as Gaziantep, is Türkiye's gastronomic capital famous for being home to the world’s finest pistachios and the delicious Antep baklavası. Originally an Ottoman legacy, baklava is regarded as one of the greatest creations from the pastry chefs at Topkapı Sarayı, the major royal residence of Ottoman sultans from the 15th to the 19th century.


Baklava was traditionally prepared for Eid-al-Fitr, also known in Türkiye as Ramazan or Şeker Bayramı, a religious holiday when Muslims celebrate the ending of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting. Today, this Turkish treat is available year-round, and with more than 500 baklava bakeries in the city of Gaziantep, it is definitely not to be missed, especially during the pistachio harvest from midsummer to September, when these emerald-colored nuts are just the right size for baklava. 

MOST ICONIC Gaziantep baklavası

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The remarkable baklava is a luscious dessert created with layers of thin phyllo dough intertwined with chopped nuts, all doused in a sweet, viscous syrup. The popularity of baklava has long surpassed borders, regions, and ethnic groups to become a dessert whose origin and invention is claimed by numerous countries.


It is probable that it has an Assyrian origin, dating back to the 8th century, from where it spread out throughout the region all the way to Greece. The Greeks altered the recipe and created the thin sheets, known today as phyllo dough, but modern-day baklava is believed to be an original Turkish creation. 

MOST ICONIC Baklava

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06
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This Turkish oven-baked rice pudding is made with water, milk, sugar, rice, and rice flour. It is a simple, light dessert that is said to have origins in the Ottoman cuisine. Although it has been traditionally flavored with rose water, the modern versions often incorporate vanilla as a flavoring.


After cooking, fırın sütlaç is browned in a salamander broiler, and it is usually topped with either ground cinnamon or chopped hazelnuts before serving.

MOST ICONIC Fırın sütlaç

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07
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This Turkish sweet is made with a smooth, green, paste-like filling known as fıstık ezmesi (lit. pistachio butter). It is like a pistachio version of marzipan, and its bright green color is all-natural—it comes from the early-harvested Gaziantep pistachios.


The delicious pistachio paste is wrapped around a single sheet of phyllo dough, just to hold its green goodness together, which is why this type of baklava is called either fıstıklı sarma or fıstıklı dürüm, meaning pistachio wrap or pistachio roll.

MOST ICONIC Fıstıklı sarma

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08
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Dating back to the Ottoman times, kazandibi is a Turkish dish that can be translated to burnt bottom pudding, referring to the burnt bottom of the pan that it is cooked in. The dessert consists of butter, milk, rice flour, sugar, starch, and flavorings such as vanilla, rosewater, or ground mastic gum.


In Türkiye, kazandibi is usually served as thin ribbons which are then rolled, although it can also be served in thick squares. The caramelized top of kazandibi gives it an earthy flavor, which contrasts quite nicely with the sweet and milky flavors on the interior. 

MOST ICONIC Kazandibi

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09
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The name of this traditional Turkish fig pudding translates as sleeping figs. It comes from the tradition of soaking figs in warm milk and then letting them rest overnight so the dish can be enjoyed the next morning for breakfast. İncir uyutması are usually served drizzled with molasses and sprinkled with chopped walnuts.


Today, the sleeping figs are also often enjoyed as a dessert, though a version called teleme has been a typical goat herders' snack for centuries before, particularly in northeastern Anatolia.

MOST ICONIC İncir uyutması

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İrmik helvası is a granular Turkish dessert made with semolina, butter, sugar, milk, and pine nuts. Although the ingredients are simple, the preparation of irmik helvasi requires great skills. Sweetened hot milk is stirred into the semolina with the addition of melted butter and pine nuts.


The halva is then served in individual bowls, dusted with cinnamon and topped with a few sautéed pine nuts. This dessert signifies good fortune, so it is typically prepared during religious festivities and shared with friends and family.

MOST ICONIC İrmik helvası

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Cookie
İZMIR, Turkiye
4.1
20
21
Bread Pudding
AFYONKARAHISAR, Turkiye
4.0
22
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25
26
Sweet Pastry
MARMARA REGION, Turkiye
4.0
27
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32
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38
Dessert
ISTANBUL, Turkiye
3.6
39
40
Dessert
MERSIN, Turkiye
3.6
41
42
43
44
Dessert
MUSTAFAKEMALPAŞA, Turkiye
3.5
45
Dessert
İZMIR, Turkiye
3.5
46
Frozen Dessert
ÇAMLIYAYLA, Turkiye
3.5
47
48
49
50
51
52
Breakfast
AĞRI PROVINCE, Turkiye
n/a

TasteAtlas food rankings are based on the ratings of the TasteAtlas audience, with a series of mechanisms that recognize real users and that ignore bot, nationalist or local patriotic ratings, and give additional value to the ratings of users that the system recognizes as knowledgeable. For the “Top 52 Turkish Desserts” list until February 13, 2025, 10,877 ratings were recorded, of which 5,295 were recognized by the system as legitimate. TasteAtlas Rankings should not be seen as the final global conclusion about food. Their purpose is to promote excellent local foods, instill pride in traditional dishes, and arouse curiosity about dishes you haven’t tried.

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Turkish Desserts