Şekerpare (Turkish Semolina Cookies in Syrup)

Nov 3, 2026 · By VanillaGoods

Baking Cookies bars Vanilla: Extract Easy

Şekerpare (Turkish Semolina Cookies in Syrup)

Tender butter and semolina dough balls baked golden, topped with an almond, and soaked while hot in cool lemon syrup until moist and melting. Makes 20 cookies in about 2 hr 55 min.

Prep 30 min

Cook 25 min

Cooling 2 hr

Total 2 hr 55 min

Yield 20 cookies

Ingredients

Adjust yield

2 cups (250 g)all-purpose flour
3 oz (80 g)fine semolina
½ cup (120 g)unsalted butter, melted and cooled
½ cup (100 g)sugar, for the dough
2 (100 g)eggs
2 tsp (8 g)baking powder
1 pinchlemon zest, finely grated
1 tsp (5 ml)vanilla extract
2 ½ tbsp (20 g)blanched almonds, whole, about 20
1 ½ cups (300 g)sugar, for the syrup
1 ⅔ cups (400 ml)water
1 tbsp (15 ml)lemon juice

Fresh ingredient guides

Baking tools for this recipe

Convert to grams Scale it Change the pan

Instructions

Make the syrup: simmer the sugar and water for 15 minutes, add the lemon juice, and cool completely.
Heat the oven to 350 F (175 C) and line a baking sheet with parchment.
Mix the flour, semolina and baking powder. Add the butter, sugar, eggs, zest and vanilla and mix to a soft dough; knead 3 minutes.
Rest the dough, covered, 15 minutes.
Divide into 20 balls (about 35 g each), set them 2 inches (5 cm) apart on the sheet, flatten slightly and press an almond into the center of each.
Bake 22 to 25 minutes until light golden.
Ladle the cooled syrup over the hot cookies right out of the oven and let them soak 15 minutes.
Cool until the syrup is absorbed, then serve.

Tips

Pour cool syrup over hot cookies for the best soak without sogginess.
Use a thin spatula to move them since they are tender.
They improve after sitting overnight.
Good with turkish coffee or tea.

Made this?

Log it to keep your bakes, ratings and notes together in My Kitchen.

Be the first to share one.

Recipe FAQ

How long does it take to make şekerpare (turkish semolina cookies in syrup)?

Plan on 30 minutes of prep and 25 minutes of cooking, plus 2 hours to chill. The recipe makes 20 cookies.

How should I store şekerpare (turkish semolina cookies in syrup)?

Store airtight at room temperature up to 4 days.

Can I make şekerpare (turkish semolina cookies in syrup) ahead?

Yes. It needs time to chill and set, so it is a good one to make the day before you serve it.

Can I use a different form of vanilla?

Yes. This recipe uses 1 tsp vanilla extract (5 ml). Each teaspoon of pure vanilla extract can be swapped for 1 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste, the seeds of half a vanilla bean, or 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla powder. Paste and seeds add the classic dark specks.

Sekerpare are soft Turkish cookies baked with a nut on top and soaked in lemon syrup, popular during Ramadan. Serve it with turkish coffee or tea.

Estimated · per serving

Nutrition

Per serving = 1 of 20 servings this recipe makes.

194 Calories / serving

6.0g Fat

32.8g Carbs

2.7g Protein

20.2g Sugar

Whole recipe (20 servings): ~3880 cal · 120g fat · 656g carbs · 54g protein · 404g sugar

Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.