15 Classic Persian Desserts

If you’ve never had a Persian dessert, then you have missed out – but no worries, as these recipes are guaranteed to broaden your culinary horizons, as well as give you some of the most fantastic tasting desserts in the world!

We’ve searched high and low to collect 15 of the absolute best recipes for Persian desserts. You’re going to absolutely love how delicious they are – and you’re going to make good use of a lot of rosewater and saffron too!

1. Koloocheh

Not only is this an absolutely fantastic recipe for some absolutely delicious Persian-style cookies, but it’s really easy too!

The ingredients alone will tell you that these cookies will have a really delicious and yet unique flavor – you’ll need a teaspoon of vanilla beans (crushed to a paste), half a cup of walnuts, half a cup of pitted dates, and 2 tablespoons of rose water!

That should tell you just what you need to know – that these cookies are going to taste and smell absolutely amazing, and that you’re going to love making and eating them!

2. Ghotab / Qottab Pastry

Ghotab, or Qottab (they’re the same thing – just different ways of transcribing the word from the original language into English) are delicious pastries from Iran, filled with almonds and walnuts.

They are absolutely delicious, and they’ll make your house smell amazing while you’re making them too, thanks to the delicious and fragrant cardamom and cinnamon you’ll also be using for this recipe!

You’ll need a blender or food processor to make this recipe, as you’ll absolutely need to get the almonds and walnuts ground well down. That is, unless you really fancy spending a lot of time and effort with a mortar and pestle!

3. Pashmak

Pashmak is a fantastic Persian treat that’s very similar to something that you might already be familiar with – cotton candy!

While you might well think that there’s no way you can make something so delicious and yet so fine at home – the strands can be so thin that they’re almost like hair – it’s actually surprisingly easy to make this delicious treat!

In fact, it will only take you around 30 minutes in total to make these. WHat’s more, you don’t need any special equipment – you’ll make thye super fine strands entirely with your hands!

4. Noghl

Noghl is a classic treat that has been popular in Iran (and, of course, many other nearby countries) for an extremely long time! As the author of this recipe states, they are used in many different local ceremonies – for example, in weddings and funerals.

They’re also so sweet that the author says Iranians sometimes use them in place of sugar cubes in their tea!

You’ll need 6 cups of water, 2 cups of sugar (you can tell how sweet they are going to be already!), a tablespoon of catkin syrup, a cup of walnuts, some tartrate cream, and a teaspoon of vanilla flavoring.

This recipe will make enough of these delicious sweet treats to make 4 people very happy!

5. Ajil-e Moshkel Gosha

Ajil-e Moshkel Gosha are a special mix of dried nuts and fruits. They’re traditionally eaten during Yalda in Iran – the winter solstice festival that’s celebrated on the longest and darkest night of the year.

The name literally translates to “problem-solving nuts” – the tradition states that making a wish and eating these nuts will help you out with your problems!

This recipe uses a huge variety of different fruits and nuts to help solve your problems!

Pumpkin seeds, pistachios, hazelnut, cashews, almonds, chickpeas, raisins, mulberries, apricots, and figs – that’s a lot of ways to solve problems! And of course, not to forget the delicious cubes of Turkish delight!

6. Halva

Easily one of the single most popular sweet treats in the entire middle east, halva is something that you absolutely have to try!

There are so many different recipes, of course – after all, it’s eaten so widely that it should be no surprise that there are many different variations on the theme!

This particular recipe is really easy for you to make at home – it uses just 6 ingredients, for a start! Sugar, water, rosewater, saffron, butter, and flour is all you need – and this recipe will show you how to use them to make delicious halva in under half an hour.

7. Masghati

Saffron and rosewater are, of course, some of the most widely used ingredients in Persian cuisine. Masghati is yet another fantastic tasting dessert that makes great use of these two delicious flavorings.

Great news for those of you who can’t eat gluten, as this recipe is gluten free!

Traditional masghati will take, as the author writes, around 3 hours to make. This recipe is an alteration of original masghati that gives similar results, but in much less time!

8. Zoolbia

A really scrumptious and crunchy sweet from Iran, Zoolbia is extremely popular in Iran during Ramadan. It’s extremely commonly served alongside another delicious Iranian sweet treat called bamieh – you’ll also find a recipe for that here!

This recipe will also show you how to make one of the most essential parts of this combination too – the deliciously sweet syrup that you’ll use to coat everything!

Of course, you’ll use the obligatory saffron and rosewater here too – in fact, the recipe doesn’t even give a quantity, but simply tells you to use as much as required!

9. Bamieh

The traditional accompaniment to zoolbia, bamieh are another Iranian sweet treat.

They’re covered in exactly the same deliciously sweet and sticky saffron and rosewater flavored syrup as zoolbia too – both recipes we’ve included here also include the recipe for this beautiful syrup!

Bamieh also doesn’t take very long to make – you’ll only need around an hour total, including 45 minutes of cooking time.

Zoolbia and bamieh go so well together – so if you’re going to make one, then why not try your hand at making the other as well?

10. Cake Yazdi

These delicious Persian muffins are absolutely exceptional! Flavored with rosewater and cardamom, they’re a welcome change from many flavors you might normally associate with muffins.

They are so fantastic tasting, and as they’re still a muffin, they’re of course very easy to make at home!

A great feature of this recipe site is that it has quick links in the recipe section to double and triple the quantities being made – meaning it’s really easy to make extra large batches of these delicious cakes!

11. Ranginak

If you’re looking to make a delicious Persian style dessert with little effort, then why not try out this recipe for delicious ranginak? It’s a fantastic dessert that’s made from dates and walnuts – a really traditional and delicious treat!

You’ll also need flour, butter, powdered sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, and a cup of either pistachios or coconut for this recipe.

You’ll be in and out of the kitchen in almost no time at all, as this recipe needs only 15 minutes to prepare, and a further 15 minutes to cook in your skillet!

12. Sohan-e Qom

This absolutely fantastic candy hails from a city called Qom. Qom should definitely be proud of the absolutely delicious treat that they’ve invented. It tastes so good, that it’s no wonder that they put their name on it!

It’s a brittle candy that, as the author recommends, goes absolutely perfectly with a nice cup of tea! You’ll have the made really quickly too – just half an hour in the kitchen and they’ll be ready!

13. Faloodeh

If you’ve never tried noodles as part of a dessert, then you are really in for a treat when you make faloodeh! You’ll use either thin rice noodles or vermicelli to make this delicious dish.

You’ll only need a few more ingredients too, as this is a simple dish to make!

1 cup of granulated sugar, 1/3 of a cup of lime juice, 2 tablespoons of rosewater, and 4 ounces of noodles or vermicelli. Some lime wedges to serve, and that’s it! So simple, and yet it is absolutely delicious.

14. Gaz

Gaz is an absolutely fantastic Iranian treat! It’s essentially a form of nougat that’s absolutely stuffed with pistachio nuts. And, of course, it’s scented and flavored with delicious rosewater!

Traditionally, gaz is sweetened with a substance called gaz-angebin, which is actually a resin that is produced by certain insects. However, you’re unlikely to find that in any local store, so don’t worry, this recipe doesn’t expect you to be able to source any!

Instead, this recipe uses ingredients that you shouldn’t have any trouble finding, either at a supermarket or a Persian grocery store!

15. Sholeh Zard

Sholeh zard is an absolutely delicious dessert that’s extremely popular in Iran, being made as part of many ceremonies and celebrations. In English, this dish is perhaps best described as a saffron rice pudding.

You’ll need jasmine rice to make this recipe, as well as rosewater and ground saffron. As the author says, you should be able to find rosewater in Persian and Middle Eastern markets!

Frequently Asked Questions 

Are These Recipes Only From Iran?

You’ll find these foods eaten all across Iran – but not just there, as these are very common foods in many Middle Eastern countries.

What’s The Difference Between Persian And Iranian Cuisine?

Don’t worry about it – this isn’t the time for a history lesson, but for the purposes of this article you can assume that they’re exactly the same thing, as they are.

Where Can I Get Rosewater And Saffron?

Both of them should be available at Persian or Middle Eastern grocery stores.

Conclusion

You are going to have so much fun making and eating these delicious sweet treats! Remember to stock up on rosewater and saffron beforehand, as you’ll use both of them in almost every recipe on this list – they’re so popular in Iranian cuisine!

15 Classic Persian Desserts

If you’ve never had real Persian desserts, then you’re missing out on some of the best sweet treats! We’ll show you the best recipes for Persian desserts!

Ingredients

• Koloocheh

• Ghotab / Qottab Pastry

• Pashmak

• Noghl

• Ajil-e Moshkel Gosha

• Halva

• Masghati

• Zoolbia

• Bamieh

• Cake Yazdi

• Ranginak

• Sohan-e Qom

• Faloodeh

• Gaz

• Sholeh Zard

Directions

• Pick a recipe from the list above
• Click the recipe name and visit the website
• Collect the ingredients and cook the food
• Enjoy – don’t forget to leave a review

Recipe Video

• Author
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Jess Smith

Hi, my name is Jess Smith, and I love cooking in my spare time. Around three years ago, I decided to give up my day job as a teacher to pursue my passion for food. While I have enjoyed sharing tips and tricks on Social Media, I have decided to expand my horizons through this blog.

Through this blog I hope to help others learn the basics and more intricate details of cooking. I know from personal experience how frustrating it can be to cook a meal, only to realize you are missing one ingredient from your list. This is why I love to write articles chatting readers through some great substitutes that can be used in an emergency.

I hope you will find this blog useful, and that it will help you to develop your culinary skills, to help you cook up a storm!

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