Kabak Tatlısı (Turkish Candied Pumpkin with Tahini and Walnuts)
Thick blocks of pumpkin layered with sugar and left overnight to make their own syrup, then baked until candied and served cool with crushed walnuts and a drizzle of tahini, no water added.
Turkey's pumpkin dessert needs no water at all. Ozlem Warren, the Turkish-born cooking teacher and cookbook author behind Ozlem's Turkish Table, describes kabak tatlısı as a popular sweet in Türkiye: pumpkin layered with sugar and left overnight releases enough juice to nearly cover itself, and that juice becomes the syrup the pumpkin bakes in (October 28, 2013:). It is finished with crushed walnuts, and Warren suggests tahini drizzled over the top as a variation; kaymak, Turkey's thick clotted cream, is the classic partner. Food writers describe it as an autumn and winter dessert made with the large, pale-skinned pumpkins Turks call balkabağı.
Why it works the kitchen science
Sugar as the only liquid
The overnight rest draws water out of the pumpkin by osmosis, so the syrup is pure pumpkin juice and sugar and the flavor never gets watered down.
Turning and basting
The blocks bake uncovered, so turning them halfway and spooning syrup over keeps the tops from drying out while the syrup reduces into a glaze.
Step by step
- Step 1
Layer the pumpkin blocks in a large baking dish in one or two layers, sprinkling the sugar evenly over each layer. Tuck in the cloves or cinnamon if using.
- Step 2
Cover and refrigerate overnight, 8 to 12 hours. The sugar pulls out enough juice to almost cover the pumpkin.
- Step 3
Heat the oven to 350°F. Uncover the dish and bake, spooning the syrup over the pumpkin every 20 minutes.
- Step 4
At 45 minutes, taste the syrup and stir in a few more tablespoons of sugar if you like, and turn each block over so it stays moist.
- Step 5
Keep baking 15 to 30 minutes more (1 to 1 1/4 hours in all), until the syrup has mostly been absorbed and the pumpkin is tender, glossy and candied.
- Step 6
Cool completely in the dish, at least 1 hour. Serve at room temperature or chilled, with crushed walnuts on top, a drizzle of tahini and a spoonful of kaymak if you have it.
Kabak Tatlısı (Turkish Candied Pumpkin with Tahini and Walnuts)
Serves 8 · about 1 kg candied pumpkin · 1 hr 30 min total
Pumpkin
- 1 kg (2 1/4 lb) peeled, seeded pumpkin or butternut squash, cut into blocks about 3 inches long and 1 1/2 inches thick
- 250 g (1 1/4 cups) sugar, plus a few tablespoons to taste
- Optional: 3 or 4 whole cloves or 1 cinnamon stick
To serve
- 1 cup (117 g) walnuts, crushed
- 1/4 cup tahini, stirred well
- Optional: kaymak or clotted cream
Method
- Layer the pumpkin blocks in a large baking dish in one or two layers, sprinkling the sugar evenly over each layer. Tuck in the cloves or cinnamon if using.
- Cover and refrigerate overnight, 8 to 12 hours. The sugar pulls out enough juice to almost cover the pumpkin.
- Heat the oven to 350°F. Uncover the dish and bake, spooning the syrup over the pumpkin every 20 minutes.
- At 45 minutes, taste the syrup and stir in a few more tablespoons of sugar if you like, and turn each block over so it stays moist.
- Keep baking 15 to 30 minutes more (1 to 1 1/4 hours in all), until the syrup has mostly been absorbed and the pumpkin is tender, glossy and candied.
- Cool completely in the dish, at least 1 hour. Serve at room temperature or chilled, with crushed walnuts on top, a drizzle of tahini and a spoonful of kaymak if you have it.
Adapted from Ozlem Warren's "Candied Pumpkin Dessert with Walnuts, Turkish Style; Kabak Tatlısı" (Ozlem's Turkish Table, October 28, 2013), as written for 6 to 8 (we call it 8). Her list gives "225 g (1 cup)" crushed walnuts; USDA's portion data puts a cup of chopped walnuts at 117 g, so we use 1 cup (117 g). Her tahini is a serving suggestion without an amount; 1/4 cup is ours. The overnight rest in the refrigerator is our food-safety choice. Ozlem's Turkish Table. Ingredient list follows the source; the method is in our own words.
All sources (1)
Tips
- Warren prefers Crown Prince pumpkin and says regular pumpkin and butternut squash work too; avoid watery carving pumpkins.
- Tahini plus walnuts is the classic pairing; kaymak is the luxury one. Plain thick yogurt is a good stand-in (our suggestion).
- Leftovers keep covered in the refrigerator for about 4 days (our guideline).
The rules people argue about
What the sources agree on, what they don't, and what is just a good story.
- No water goes in. Documented for Warren's recipe; some home versions add a splash of water or cook on the stovetop instead.
- Kabak tatlısı is served with tahini and walnuts. Documented as a common finish (Warren's walnuts, with tahini as her variation); kaymak is equally traditional in many homes.
- You must use Turkish balkabağı. Folklore: Warren uses Crown Prince or butternut with good results.
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