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carrot cezerye
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5 from 52 votes

Cezerye | Turkish Carrot and Walnut Bars

Cezerye / Carrot and Walnut Bar is the most famous Turkish dessert made from grated carrots and walnuts and dusted with fine coconut.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 10 minutes
Course: Burfi and halwa, Dessert
Cuisine: Middle Eastern, Turkey
Diet: Vegan
Servings: 15 squares
Calories: 173kcal

Equipment

  • pan
  • bowl
  • spatula

Ingredients

  • 1 lb Carrots grated
  • 1 ½ cups Sugar
  • 1 tablespoon Cornstarch
  • 1 ½ cups Walnuts coarsely or finely chopped
  • ¼ cup Coconut powder
  • 1 cup Water plus 2 tbsp

Instructions

  • In a heavy bottom pan, combine the carrot, sugar and 1 cup of water.
  • Cook over medium low heat until all the liquid has been absorbed. I cooked it covered for the first 15 minutes and then cooked it uncovered for about 30 mins. It might take longer, but cook until the liquid has almost disappeared.
  • At this stage add the cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoon of water to the carrot mixture.
  • Mix well and using a potato masher, mash the carrots well.
  • Now stir in the walnuts and mix. Remove from flame.
  • In a 5 x 7 Pyrex pan, spread about ½ of the coconut powder on the bottom.
  • Now spoon the carrot mixture into the dish and spread evenly. Use a spatula or your finger tips to even it out in the top.
  • Now spread the remaining coconut powder evenly over the carrot mixture and keep it aside covered partially to cool. Let it cool in room temperature for about 3-4 hrs.
  • Now cut into 1 inch squares and serve! If preferred, sprinkle more coconut powder when serving.

Notes

Expert tips
  • Use fresh carrots and when possible use the red / deep pink carrots. They are naturally more sweeter than the regular orange carrots.
  • Corn starch is essential as it helps give the structure. If making cezerye without cornstarch, make sure to cook the carrot until it is very sticky.
  • The listed quantity of sugar is needed as that is what makes the dessert sticky and also helps give it the texture.
  • I have mentioned using walnuts for the recipe but I love using pecans in season. Our neighbor has a pecan farm and every winter when I get the fresh batch of the pecans, this is something I make using it. Pistachios work great as well.
  • Coconut powder gives the Turkish dessert a unique aroma and flavor. If allergic or dislike coconut, you could skip it.

Nutrition

Calories: 173kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 22mg | Potassium: 154mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 5054IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 1mg