Gluten Free Turkish Delight

For this gluten free Turkish Delight we are giving a huge shout out to Simply Delish for this recipe inspiration! Full disclosure – we joined the Simply Delish affiliate program which essentially entails them sending us a box of their gluten/dairy-free pudding and jel boxed mixes every few months, and us coming up with recipes that involve those boxed mixes as an ingredient every month, so you’ll see a few other Simply Delish-inspired recipes on here once in a while! This one uses their new Black Cherry Jel boxed mix and if you’re into it, use our specific link here to go check out their products, and use our 10% discount code SSGPUDDING to get 10% off of whatever you order!

The Turkish name for this confection, lokma or lokum, means “morsel”, and these sweet squares are exactly that. They are a delicately chewy treat, perfectly sweetened, and infused many different flavors, our favorites being rosewater or pomegranate with pistachios. Dates or nuts are caught in a gel-like candy concoction that is then dusted with icing sugar, cream of tartar, or copra (desiccated coconut) to avoid sticking and caking. In their country of origin they are usually sold by the pound or in decorative, festive boxes with different flavors. Now this gluten free Turkish Delight can also be made vegan if you follow the traditional way of making it which involves a more complicated sugar syrup process.

I first discovered these sweet treats when I was about 7 years old and I read The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe for the first time. I first tasted them many years later in a small Turkish rug store, in Saratoga Springs, New York. It was the middle of one of the worst winters on the East Coast and it was negative nineteen degrees with windchill. We had stopped in to get out of the cold for a little bit and got to talking with the lovely older gentleman who ran the store. During our conversation he offered us some Turkish Delight. It was pomegranate and pistachio flavored and I must admit, I ate about half the box! Thankfully for Turkey, this gluten free Turkish Delight is originally gluten free! No matter if you make the easier gelatin version, or the more complicated traditional version.

If you loved this delicious creation using SIMPLY DELISH products, make sure to check out our Gingerbread Orange Bars, or our Chocolate Coated Baked Donuts, or our fancy Charlotte Russe!

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Gluten Free Turkish Delight

An easy and fun recipe for this Middle Eastern dessert!

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time1 hour hr

Chill Time:12 hours hrs

Total Time13 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American, Middle Eastern

Diet: Gluten Free

Keyword: dessert, fruit, gelatin

Servings: 100 pieces

Calories: 375kcal

Author: Kendra Farber

Cost: $15

Equipment

• Medium saucepot
• 8×8 square pan

Ingredients

For the Turkish Delight:

• 1 1/2 Cups water
• 1/2 Cup corn starch
• 4 Cups white sugar
• 1/8 Tsp salt
• 1/4 Tsp citric acid
• 1/4 Cup corn starch & powdered sugar each for dusting

For the Gelatin:

• 1 Box SIMPLY DELISH Black Cherry Jel Dessert
• 3 Tbsp gelatin powder
• 1/2 Cup warm water

Instructions

• First set out an 8X8 inch square baking dish. Line it neatly with foil, then spray it generously with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
• In a medium sauce pot whisk together the corn starch, sugar, salt, and citric acid. Add in the water and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Turn on your heat and boil this mixture for 7 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. For the gelatin, in a medium bowl mix together your SIMPLY DELISH Jel Dessert (You can use any flavor you'd like!), the gelatin powder, and the warm water. Make sure it is fully mixed and the powders are dissolved before IMMEDIATELY adding to the cooling mixture in the pot. Add any additional food coloring you want or any chopped nuts.
• Pour into your prepared baking dish – Be careful, it's hot! – let it cool down on a counter until it has stopped steaming and you can handle the baking dish with bare hands. Place your baking dish in the fridge and chill for at least 12 hours up to 24.
• Once your dessert has sufficiently chilled, remove from fridge. Pull or turn out the candy from the baking dish onto a work surface. Cut into squares, usually 1×1 inches in size. Fill a shallow plate or bowl with your 50:50 ratio of corn starch and powdered sugar for dusting. Drop each cut piece of candy in your dusting mixture and make sure it is fully coated. The candy should be somewhat hard after chilling, but will soften as it sits at room temperature. Enjoy!

Tag @sisterssansgluten on Instagram if you snap a photo of your delight!

Food photography and styling by Kendra Farber