Name: Gullac Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 3 min
Total time: 18 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: Turkish
Ingredients: 1.4 liters milk; 300 grams sugar; 10 sheets güllaç; 150 grams crumbled walnuts; Ground pistachios; Pomegranate arils

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Güllaç is a light, refreshing, and absolutely delicious Turkish dessert that's especially popular during Ramadan. It’s no-bake and made with just a few simple ingredients. This milk-soaked treat is perfect for anyone looking for an easy yet impressive dessert.

A tray of traditional Turkish Güllaç dessert, made with layers of thin starch wafers soaked in sweetened milk, garnished with ground pistachios and pomegranate seeds.

Just like Turkish pide ekmek, Gullac dessert is a special food served during the month of Ramadan. You can't see it anywhere in Turkey other than this month. This is why it is special.

Also, check out our easy Turkish baklava recipe and künefe recipe or our best Turkish desserts list if you want more dessert recipes.

If you like milk based desserts like this one, check out our Turkish rice pudding sutlac too!

What Is Gullac?

In Turkish food culture, there are some certain dishes which are made on special days or occasions. We want to share another special dish made just in Ramadan month.

This is a simple, but tasty dessert called gullac. The crispy sheets are simply made of corn starch, wheat flour and water. They are soaked in sweetened warm milk, layered with walnuts and chilled.

A close-up of a slice of Turkish Güllaç dessert on a white plate, topped with crushed pistachios and pomegranate seeds, with a baking dish and pink roses in the background.

In Turkish gül means rose and aş means food; gullac is the abbreviation of güllü aş, which means food flavored with rose. Nobody calls it güllü aş today, gullac is easier to pronounce, so it is the modern name of this yummy dessert.

So what is the relation of rose with this dessert? Actually, it’s not the rose, but rose water which has that relationship with this Turkish dessert.

Rose water used to be the main flavor in this dessert in Ottoman culture because of its refreshing effect.

Just like when making Turkish delight, today, it depends on your taste to add rose water or not. Some people use it, some don’t.

Personally, we don’t love its flavor in gullac much, so we prefer not using it. But it doesn’t mean it tastes bad, it gives a quite refreshing flavor to the dessert.

History

In the early times of Ottoman Empire, people used to make sheets from corn starch, flour and water and they could keep these for months. As these sheets are dry and super crispy, people used to soften them with milk and sugar.

Probably, it wasn’t a kind of dessert those times, but more of a main dish. The best part of it for those people was the simple ingredients in the recipe.

And keeping the dried sheets for long might be the second reason for people to love it. Then as the empire got richer, it turned out to be a dessert special for the palace and it became sultans’ favorite.

Two plates of Turkish Güllaç dessert served on white scalloped plates, garnished with ground pistachios and pomegranate seeds, with a baking dish of the dessert and pink roses in the background.

And today, It has that fame as one of the palace desserts. When you tend to buy the dessert (not the sheets) from a pastry shop, you will see that it’s not that cheap.

More Ottoman desserts: Turkish Flour Halva Recipe, Sesame Seed Candy Recipe, Tulumba Recipe Homemade.

Another Ottoman tradition about gullac is that it’s always decorated with pomegranate and we love to see these cute red beads on the white surface of this dessert. They complete each other and address to our eyes first.

And we love to add a third wonderful ingredient for garnish: Pistachios! When you have these three at the same time, the pleasure you feel doubles.

About The Ingredients

Gullac sheets surrounded by pistachios, pomegranate arils, walnuts, sugar and milk in separate bowls on a dark background.

Güllaç sheets are made from corn starch and water. They’re paper-thin and dry, similar to rice paper, and become soft and silky when soaked in warm milk. You can usually find them at Turkish or Middle Eastern grocery stores, especially around Ramadan.

We use whole milk for a creamy and rich flavor, but you can also make this dessert with plant-based milk like almond or oat milk for a vegan version.

Traditionally, walnuts are used between the layers, but you can also use almonds, hazelnuts, or even pistachios—whatever you prefer or have on hand.

For garnish, pomegranate arils are the most classic choice and add a fresh, slightly tart touch. Ground pistachios are optional but add a nice pop of color and flavor. You can also get creative and top it with strawberries or cherries if pomegranate isn’t available.

A person holding a plate with a slice of Turkish Güllaç dessert, topped with crushed pistachios and pomegranate seeds, with pink roses and scattered pomegranate arils on a dark surface.

When To Buy Güllaç

You can see gullac at pastry shops and at markets just in Ramadan. Just like dates, in Turkey it is special for Ramadan. This simple and easy dessert is made from gullac sheets. You may think that they are similar to phyllo sheets, but these are totally different. Gullac sheets are so white, thin and crispy.

Today, people don’t make these sheets themselves as it requires special talents. These are sold in packages at the markets. And there are about 15 sheets in a package. There are two big companies producing and selling these sheets to markets, Saffetabdullah Gullaclari and Istanbul Gullac.

These sheets are completely natural, they don’t have any additives. Moreover, it is a very light dessert. These are just two of the reasons why people prefer gullac to end their iftar meal with something sweet. You know, in Ramadan, muslims don’t eat or drink anything from sunrise till sunset, so their body needs more sugar than usual because of hunger.

A four-step collage showing the preparation of Turkish Güllaç dessert: layering starch sheets, pouring milk mixture, adding crushed walnuts, and finishing with the top milk-soaked layer in a baking dish.

How To Make Gullac

First, prepare the milk. Put milk and sugar (and 1 tablespoon rosewater if you like) in a pot and heat it until the sugar melts. Stir it occasionally. It shouldn’t be too hot to touch, so let it cool a little if needed. If it is too hot, your dessert gets soggy.

Second, make the layers in a pan. Put a gullac sheet in the pan. Wet it with the warm milk. Repeat this with five sheets.

After the fifth one, spread the crumbled walnut on it.

Then put the rest five sheets one by one and wet each of them with milk. When you finish with the tenth one, pour the rest of the milk on it. They don’t need to be very good in shape while arranging them in the pan.

They will combine when they get wet with milk. After pouring the milk, you will see the sheets are rising, do not touch them. Cover it with stretch film and put it in refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

Third, garnish it. I always leave the garnishing part to the serving time, otherwise pomegranates and pistachio may change the color of gullac. After taking it from refrigerator, cut it in squares or rectangles, garnish and serve.

A close-up of a creamy slice of Turkish Güllaç dessert on a white plate, topped with ground pistachios and pomegranate seeds, with pink roses and pomegranate pieces in the background.

Serving Suggestions

Güllaç is most commonly enjoyed after iftar, served cold with a cup of Turkish tea or Turkish coffee. That’s the traditional way—but it also pairs surprisingly well with a little whipped cream, kaymak (clotted cream) or a scoop of dondurma (ice cream) on the side, even though that’s not traditional.

Storage Tips

Güllaç is best enjoyed cold and fresh, but it can be stored in the fridge for later. Cover the dish tightly with plastic wrap or transfer leftovers to an airtight container. It will keep well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Keep in mind that the longer it sits, the softer the layers become and the more milk it absorbs, which may slightly change the texture. For the best taste and appearance, try to consume it within the first 2 days.

Freezing Güllaç, as the texture doesn’t hold up well after thawing.

More Turkish Desserts

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📖 Recipe

Gullac Recipe

A large rectangular dish of Turkish Güllaç dessert, cut into squares and decorated with crushed pistachios and pomegranate seeds, with pink roses and a dark cloth nearby.

Print Recipe

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5 from 3 reviews

This classic Turkish Güllaç dessert is light, milky, and refreshing. Made with crispy starch sheets soaked in sweetened milk and layered with walnuts, it’s a no-bake treat that’s perfect for Ramadan or any special occasion.

Author: Zerrin & Yusuf
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 3 minutes
Total Time: 18 minutes
Yield: 12
Category: Dessert
Method: Mixing
Cuisine: Turkish

Ingredients

1.4 liters milk
300 grams sugar
10 sheets güllaç
150 grams crumbled walnuts

For garnish

Ground pistachios
Pomegranate arils

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Instructions

Heat the milk and sugar in a pot, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Do not boil, just warm it enough to melt the sugar. It should be warm but still comfortable to touch.
Break a güllaç sheet into 4–5 pieces and place them in a 32x25 cm (5 cm deep) baking dish. Pour a ladle of the warm milk over the pieces.
Repeat the process with 5 güllaç sheets, then evenly sprinkle the walnuts over the top.
Continue layering with the remaining güllaç sheets, pouring milk between each layer. Once all the sheets are used, pour any remaining milk over the top.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1–2 hours.
Slice, garnish with pistachios and pomegranate arils, and serve chilled.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 slice
Calories: 261
Sugar: 31.5 g
Sodium: 80.8 mg
Fat: 8.6 g
Carbohydrates: 33 g
Protein: 15.2 g
Cholesterol: 2.3 mg