Turkish · Snack
Turkish Candied Pumpkin with Walnuts
Kabak tatlısı
Thick slices of pumpkin slowly poach in their own juices with a light touch of sugar, clove and cinnamon until glossy and tender. Served with crunchy walnuts and an optional drizzle of tahini, it is a classic Turkish autumn dessert.
- Prep
- 75 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Total
- 120 min
- Serves
- 6
Calories come from: Carbs 71% · Fat 24% · Protein 5%
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Ingredients
For 6 servings- 800 g (about 1 small pumpkin)Pumpkin, peeled and seeded
- 1/2 cup plus 1 1/2 tbsp120 gGranulated sugar
- 1/4 cup60 gWater
- 4Whole cloves
- 1Cinnamon stick
- 1 tbsp15 gLemon juice
- 1/3 cup40 gWalnuts, chopped
- 2 tbsp30 gTahini (optional)
Steps
- 1
Cut the peeled pumpkin into pieces about 3 cm thick and 6 cm long.
- 2
Arrange the pumpkin in a single snug layer in a wide, heavy pan.
- 3
Sprinkle the sugar evenly over the pumpkin.
- 4
Cover and leave to rest for 1 hour so the pumpkin releases its juice.
- 5
Add the water, cloves and cinnamon stick to the pan.
- 6
Cover and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat.
- 7
Lower the heat and cook covered for 30 minutes, without stirring.
- 8
Carefully turn the pieces, then cook uncovered for 10–15 minutes more until tender, translucent and the syrup has thickened.
- 9
Stir the lemon juice into the syrup and spoon it over the pumpkin.
- 10
Remove the cloves and cinnamon stick and let the pumpkin cool in its syrup.
- 11
Toast the walnuts in a dry pan for 2–3 minutes until fragrant.
- 12
Serve the pumpkin warm or chilled, topped with walnuts and a drizzle of tahini if you like.
Swaps, storage and make-ahead
Swaps
- Use chopped pistachios or hazelnuts instead of walnuts for a different nutty crunch.
- For a nut-free version, skip the walnuts and sprinkle toasted sunflower seeds on top, keeping in mind that tahini is made from sesame.
- Swap the granulated sugar for an equal amount of light brown sugar for a slightly caramel flavour.
- Use butternut squash if pumpkin is hard to find, checking for tenderness a few minutes early since it can cook faster.
Storage
Refrigerate the cooled pumpkin in its syrup in a covered container within 2 hours and eat within 3 to 4 days, adding the walnuts and tahini only when serving so the nuts stay crunchy. Freezing is not recommended, as the pumpkin turns watery and soft when thawed.
Make ahead
Cook the pumpkin up to 2 days ahead and chill it in its syrup, which firms it up nicely for serving cold. Toast the walnuts ahead too and keep them in an airtight container at room temperature.
Nutrition values are for the recipe as written.
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Allergens and nutrition
Contains: Tree nutsSesame
Check the labels of packaged ingredients for allergens and suitability for your diet.
Full nutrition
| Per serving (173 g) | Per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 158 kcal | 91 kcal |
| Protein | 2.4 g | 1.4 g |
| Carbohydrates | 30.2 g | 17.5 g |
| of which sugars | 23.9 g | 13.8 g |
| Fiber | 1.4 g | 0.8 g |
| Fat | 4.5 g | 2.6 g |
| of which saturated | 0.5 g | 0.3 g |
| Sodium | 2 mg | 1 mg |
Nutrition is calculated from USDA FoodData Central data and may differ from what you cook.
