Sekerpare

What is Şekerpare?

Şekerpare (pronounced sheh-kehr-PAH-reh) is a traditional Turkish dessert made with buttery cookies that combine flour and semolina, then soaked in a lemony sugar syrup.

The word şeker means “sugar,” and pare comes from Persian, meaning “piece.” So the name of the dessert literally translates to “a piece of sugar.”

In everyday Turkish, though, şeker is also used to mean candy or sweet treats, so you can think of Sekerpare as a little piece of sweetness, both in name and in taste.

The Second Most Loved Dessert in Turkey

Sekerpare might just be the second most loved dessert in Turkey, right after baklava.

When we were living in Turkey, it was our go-to treat to bring along whenever we were invited to a friend’s house for dinner.

You can find this simple yet delicious dessert in almost any dessert shop or even in the bakery section of most supermarkets in Turkey.

It’s a common choice for afternoon tea gatherings, especially when hosting guests. You’ll also often see it on the table during Ramadan iftar dinners, and it's a favorite during Eid celebrations and other special occasions.

It’s just as beloved as baklava, but way easier to make and definitely more budget-friendly.

Simple Ingredients, Yummy Dessert

We can group the ingredients for Sekerpare under four simple categories—but don’t let that scare you! They’re all easy-to-find and minimal ingredients.

For the syrup, you’ll only need sugar, water, and a bit of lemon juice.

The cookie dough is made with butter (has to be at room temperature), egg, oil (sunflower or olive oil), powdered sugar, semolina, baking powder, and flour.

Optionally, you can brush the tops with egg yolk before baking for a golden finish.

And for serving, feel free to sprinkle some ground pistachios, hazelnuts, almonds or shredded coconut on top, or keep it plain. It’s delicious either way.

How to Make Şekerpare

Full instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.

Start by making the syrup so it has time to cool. Just combine sugar and water in a saucepan, bring it to a boil, then lower the heat, add lemon juice (and the squeezed lemon slice if you like), and let it simmer for about 10 minutes. Set it aside to cool completely.

While the syrup is cooling, prepare the cookie dough. In a large mixing bowl, combine softened butter, egg, oil, powdered sugar, and semolina. Use a spatula to mash and mix everything together until smooth. Then add the flour and baking powder, and mix until you have a soft dough.

Take small pieces of dough and shape them into ovals. Place them on a baking tray. Brush the tops with beaten egg yolk, and gently press a fork on top of each to create a simple pattern.

Bake the cookies until they turn golden. As soon as they’re out of the oven, pour all of the cooled syrup over the hot cookies. Let them soak it all in.

When ready to serve, feel free to sprinkle some ground pistachios on top or just enjoy them plain.

Pour Cool Syrup Over Warm Cookies

Since Sekerpare is a syrup-soaked dessert, you want the cookies to absorb all that syrup nicely. And here’s how to make sure that happens:

Pour the syrup over the cookies right after they come out of the oven while they’re still warm. But the syrup itself should be completely cooled to room temperature.

Don’t forget: the syrup must be cool, and the cookies must be hot. By "cool," we don’t mean ice cold, slightly warm is okay, but it should definitely not be hot! Otherwise, the cookies can become mushy.

Let Them Sit in the Syrup for a Few Hours

To let the cookies soak up all the syrup properly, they need to rest for at least 3 to 4 hours.

If you rush and try to eat them too soon, the syrup won’t have fully soaked in, and the inside of the seker pare will be a bit dry instead of soft and moist.

So be patient, give them time to absorb all that goodness. It’s totally worth the wait!

Want More Syrup-Soaked Desserts?

If you love syrupy treats like Sekerpare, Turkish cuisine has plenty more to offer—and we’ve shared recipes for all of them before on our blog!

Here are some other classics you might want to try:

• Turkish Baklava – The most famous of all.
• Kadayif – Shredded phyllo pastry filled with nuts, soaked in syrup.
• Tulumba – Fried dough pieces with a crispy outside and syrupy inside.
• Lokma – Bite-sized fried dough balls drenched in syrup.
• Halka Tatlısı – A ring-shaped fried dessert, crunchy and sweet.
• Revani – A soft semolina cake soaked in lemony syrup.
• Künefe – A warm dessert made with shredded pastry and melty cheese, soaked in syrup.

Two Ways to Shape Sekerpare

There are two popular versions of Sekerpare in Turkey.

The first is the one we’ve shared in this recipe: oval-shaped, brushed with egg yolk, and lightly patterned on top with a fork.

The second version is round, with no egg wash and no pattern on top. Instead, a whole hazelnut or almond is placed right in the center before baking.

The dough and syrup are exactly the same in both versions, the only difference is the shape and the final touch.

Serving Suggestions

In Turkey, Sekerpare is most commonly served with a glass of Turkish tea or a cup of Turkish coffee.

If you have some at home, it also pairs wonderfully with a spoonful of kaymak (Turkish-style clotted cream) or a scoop of dondurma (Turkish ice cream) on the side.

How to Store Sekerpare

Seker pare will keep well at room temperature for 5 to 6 days, as long as you store it in an airtight container. If it’s very hot where you live, it’s best to transfer it to the fridge after the second day.

Before serving, take it out of the fridge about 30 minutes ahead of time so it can come back to room temperature.

If you want to store it for longer, you can freeze the unbaked cookies, without brushing them with egg yolk. When you're ready to make the dessert, simply prepare the syrup, let the dough come to room temperature, bake the cookies, and pour the cooled syrup over them just like in the recipe.

We don’t recommend freezing Sekerpare after it has been baked and soaked in syrup, as it may affect the texture.

More Turkish Desserts

• İrmik Helvasi (Semolina Helva)
• Un Helvasi (Flour Helva)
• Gullac
• Baklava