Honey Sesame Seed Candy

Name: Honey Sesame Seed Candy
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 2 cups sesame seeds (* see note); 1/2 cup honey (* see note); 1/2 cup brown sugar (dark or light); 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

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This homemade honey sesame seed candy is a popular treat that is so easy to make. Naturally, gluten- and dairy-free, this popular sesame candy can be made crunchy or soft. It is not only a healthier candy, but it is perfect for holiday gift-giving.

A gift jar filled with wrapped honey sesame candies

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Why Make This Recipe:
Ingredient Notes:
Recipe Step-By-Step Directions:
Expert tips and Recipe FAQ:
More Delicious Candy Recipes:
Recipe
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Although our family enjoys this homemade sesame candy around Hanukkah, this honey sesame candy is thought to originate in the Mediterranean, possibly dating all the way back to ancient Greece.

They call this sesame candy Pasteli in Italy, and many cultures include it in their holiday celebrations. In Hebrew, it is called Sukariyot Soomsoom, and it is the perfect candy to serve for Hanukkah or Rosh Hashanah.

Pack it in a jar, wrap it up, and gift it to someone you love. They will thank you because this is the best sesame seed candy! If you love making homemade candy, check out my gluten free candy recipes!

Check out my web story on making sesame candy too!

Why Make This Recipe:

If you haven't tried a candy recipe with sesame seeds, you are in for a treat. This sesame candy can be made into sesame crunch and sesame bars or keep it on the chewy side. This versatile candy is something easy to make in about 15 minutes, not including cooling time.

For those that like this candy on the softer chewy side, you can use cookie cutters to cut this candy into shapes!

Ingredient Notes:

Sesame seeds - I highly recommend getting these on Amazon because they are much cheaper to find in larger quantities than the small jars at the grocery store.
Honey - any type is great. You don't need to use expensive local honey; make sure your choice is 100% honey and has no added corn syrup.
Dark or light brown sugar - either one works perfectly
Cinnamon
Ginger
A non-stick cooking spray - I used a coconut oil one, but any light, the non-flavored spray will work.

Recipe Step-By-Step Directions:

Step 1: Begin by spraying or coating a casserole dish or baking pan so the candies will not stick. Grab an ungreased, non-stick skillet and the sesame seeds. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until the seeds become lightly browned and aromatic.

Place the seeds into a bowl and allow them to cool.

sesame seeds mixed with the honey mixture in a pan — Step 3

Step 2: In your non-stick skillet, add the brown sugar, honey, cinnamon, and ginger over medium heat. Stir this mixture constantly and bring it to a boil.

As soon as the mixture comes to a full rolling boil, begin timing. Allow the mixture to cook for exactly two minutes in the pan.

Step 3: After two minutes, remove the skillet from the heat and add the sesame seeds. Stir quickly until they are completely mixed in.

Step 4: Pour the mixture into the pan where you sprayed cooking oil. Use a metal spoon or spatula that has been dipped into cold water to press the candy into the pan so that it is an even, smooth layer. Let the candy cool for 15 minutes or until it is only lukewarm to the touch.

Step 5: Gently dump the candy on a silicone mat. This is the time to make cuts and have some fun. You can cut the candy into small shapes with cookie cutters or just cut it into squares or rectangles.

Cut pieces of honey sesame candy on wax paper. — Step 6

Cut honey candy ready to be wrapped in wax paper. — Step 6

Step 6: Place the cut pieces of cooled sesame honey candy on wax paper. Make sure there is plenty of space around each piece.

Step 7: Cut the wax paper around the candies. Fold the wax paper over the candy, then twist both ends.

Step 8: Store the sesame candy in an airtight container at room temperature. This recipe will make approximately 64 small pieces of candy.

If you love seed candy, you may also love these crunchy nuts clusters!

Expert tips and Recipe FAQ:

If you have one, you will want to use a silicone mat. It will prevent sticking and a lot of grief when washing dishes. NOTE: You can use wax paper in a pinch, but you need to move it off quickly, so the wax paper doesn't stick permanently.
Do not buy your sesame seeds in a bulk container. Bulk bins are a huge risk for cross-contamination with gluten!
You can make this with regular white sesame seeds or black sesame seeds.

Are sesame seeds healthy?

Sesame seeds are full of fiber and healthy fats. This helps make this sesame candy healthier than regular candy.

How do you store sesame candy?

This sesame seed candy should last up to 2 weeks in an air-tight container.

a wooden bowl filled with wrapped honey sesame candies

More Delicious Candy Recipes:

Recipe

the top view of a jar of wrapped sesame candy

Honey Sesame Seed Candy

Sandi Gaertner

A deliciously sweet sesame seed candy that is also naturally gluten free and vegan. It makes a great holiday gift.

5 from 8 votes

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Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 15 mins

Cooling 20 mins

Total Time 45 mins

Course Gluten Free Candy Recipes

Cuisine Mediterranean

Servings

Calories 42 kcal

Ingredients

▢ 2 cups sesame seeds * see note
▢ ½ cup honey * see note
▢ ½ cup brown sugar dark or light
▢ ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
▢ ¼ teaspoon ground ginger

Instructions

Spray a cookie sheet or dish with non-stick spray.
In a non-stick pan, toast your sesame seeds over medium heat
In a pot, add the honey, brown sugar, and spices. Cook on medium stirring constantly. Allow this mixture to rolling boil and time it for 2 minutes.
When the two minutes are over, remove the skillet from the heat and add the sesame seeds. Mix well.
Quickly pour the mixture quickly onto the prepared pan. With a metal spoon or spatula that has been dipped into cold water, press the candy into the pan so that there is an even, smooth layer.
Let the candy cool for 15 minutes, or until itis only lukewarm to the touch. Carefully turn it onto the cookie sheet and cut it with a knife or small cookie cutters before it hardens too much.
Lay pieces of the sesame candy on a large piece of wax paper. Cut around each candy allowing room for folding. Fold the wax paper over each piece of candy and twist the edges to close it. This should make roughly 64 pieces of candy.

Notes

You can use white or black sesame seeds. You want them raw so you can freshly toast them for this recipe.
You can use any honey, there is no need to use expensive honey. Just make sure to use real honey with no corn syrup.
This candy will keep up to 2 weeks in an air-tight container.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 42kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 1gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 1mgPotassium: 26mgFiber: 1gSugar: 4gVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 47mgIron: 1mg

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Nutrition Disclaimer

Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.

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This post was updated from an older June 2015 post with more details and easier-to-follow directions.