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    Cooking Gorgeous » Pastries & Sweets » Dessert Recipes

    Keskul - Turkish Almond Pudding

    Published: May 27, 2022 · Modified: Sep 4, 2022 by Ayla Clulee · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe

    Keskul is a light and creamy Turkish Almond Pudding made with milk, rice flour, cornstarch, sugar, and ground almonds.

    This delicious Turkish dessert is similar to Muhallebi - Mahalabia Dessert and is traditionally served in small bowls, garnished with ground pistachios, red fruits, or coconut shavings.

    3 bowls of keskul served with ground pistachio and strawberries
    Jump to:
    • What is Keskul?
    • Why This Recipe Works?
    • Ingredients and Substitutes
    • How to Make Keskul?
    • Top Tips From the Chef
    • Recipe FAQs
    • Related Recipes
    • Keskul - Turkish Almond Pudding

    Keşkül is definitely one of the tastiest milk-based puddings in Turkish cuisine.

    Also, this indulgent Turkish dessert is very easy to make and comes together in just 25 minutes.

    Same as Sutlac - Turkish Rice Pudding, Kazandibi, Ayva Tatlisi - Turkish Quince Dessert, and Turkish Fig Pudding - Incir Uytmasi, it is perfect to serve for dinner parties as well as for a weekday family meal.

    keskul served in small bowls

    What is Keskul?

    Keşkül is a milk-based pudding from Turkish Cuisine, dating back to Ottoman Empire.

    The meaning of the name is "beggars bowl", the bowl used for collecting donations by dervishes.

    The collected donations would then be used to buy groceries for making this milk pudding and served to the poor again in the same bowls.

    Therefore, the name of the pudding eventually got the name of the bowl, "keşkül", coming from the old Ottoman saying, “Keşkül-e-Fugara (Poor Man’s Beggar Bowl)”.

    Why This Recipe Works?

    • It is extremely easy to prepare this light and creamy Turkish dessert with a few ingredients you might have in your fridge/pantry.
    • You can prepare this delicious almond pudding in advance, it tastes even better after a day or two!
    • Keskul is perfect for sudden sweet cravings, Keskul will be ready in just 25 minutes.

    Ingredients and Substitutes

    labeled picture of ingredients for keskul
    • Milk - I prefer full-fat milk for milk-based desserts but you can substitute it with semi-skimmed or skimmed milk. You can use almond milk if you have a dairy intolerance.
    • Vanilla paste - It is a great flavoring for milk-based desserts. Vanilla beans are the best option if you have them or you can use a good-quality vanilla extract.
    • Ground almond - It is also called almond flour. You can buy it from most large supermarkets.
    • Corn starch - Same as rice flour, it is used for thickening the pudding.
    • Egg yolk - It gives a more decadent tasting, velvety smooth pudding, and a deeper yellow color that is more appetizing.
    • Desiccated coconut - It gives texture and flavor to the pudding. You can omit it and use coconut shavings for garnishing the top.

    How to Make Keskul?

    Making Keskul - Turkish Almond Pudding is very easy and straightforward.

    However, you need to follow a few simple steps and tips to achieve the best results:

    Place the egg yolk, sugar, rice flour, and cornstarch in a saucepan and mix.

    Egg yolk, sugar, rice flour and corn starch are placed in a pan

    Add ½ cup of milk to the mix and continue beating until the mixture is smooth and free of lumps.

    Mix in the remaining milk.

    Add the ground almond and desiccated coconut to the saucepan, and mix well.

    Milk, the ground almond and coconut are added to the pan

    Place the saucepan on low-medium heat and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, stirring continuously.

    Cook the mixture for a few more minutes and then add the vanilla paste.

    the mixture is cooking on low heat until it boisl

    When the pudding gets thick enough, remove the pan from the heat and divide the mixture into serving bowls.

    You can check the consistency of the pudding with a spoon.

    It should be covering the back of the spoon without dripping.

    3 bowls of chilled keskul garnished with nuts and strawberries

    Let the bowls chill in the fridge for a couple of hours and then garnish them with ground pistachio, coconut flakes, and red fruits before serving.

    Please scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredients list with measurements, complete recipe method, recipe notes, and nutritional information.

    Top Tips From the Chef

    • Make sure to stir the pudding continuously on low heat without letting it boil.
    • Adjust the thickness by adding more milk if it's too thick or adding cornstarch slurry if it is too thin.
    • Turn this delicious pudding into vegan by omitting the egg yolk and using almond milk instead of regular milk

    Recipe FAQs

    How to store the leftovers?

    This delicious Turkish dessert would keep for up to five days when refrigerated in an airtight container. Unfortunately, Keskul is not suitable for freezing as the texture and taste change when defrosted.

    Can you make Keskul vegan?

    Yes, you can easily turn this delicious pudding into vegan. Simply omit the egg yolk and use almond milk instead of regular milk to turn this delicious pudding vegan-friendly.

    Related Recipes

    For more delicious Turkish Desserts why not try:

    • Kazandibi
    • Revani - Turkish Semolina Cake
    • Güllaç
    • Homemade Turkish Baklava Recipe

    Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.

    I hope you enjoy the process of making this scrumptious milk dessert "Keşkül" as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂

    Bon appétit! / Afiyet Olsun! 

    keskul served in small bowls

    Keskul - Turkish Almond Pudding

    Ayla Clulee
    Keskul is a light and creamy Turkish Almond Pudding made with milk, rice flour, corn starch, sugar and ground almonds.
    5 from 4 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Cook Time 20 mins
    Total Time 25 mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine Turkish
    Servings 6 people
    Calories 336 kcal

    Equipment

    • 1 kitchen scale
    • 1 measuring spoons
    • 1 Measuring cups
    • 1 Saucepan

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 1 l full-fat milk (whole milk)
    • 220 g caster or granulated sugar
    • 1 egg yolk
    • 1 tablespoon rice flour
    • 2 tablespoon corn starch
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla paste
    • 50 g ground almond
    • 15 g desiccated coconut (optional)
    • ground pistachio and red fruits for garnish

    Instructions
     

    • Place the egg yolk, sugar, rice flour, and corn starch in a saucepan and mix.
    • Add ½ cup of milk to the mix and continue beating until the mixture is smooth and free of lumps. Add the remaining milk.
    • Add the ground almond and desiccated coconut to the saucepan, and mix well.
    • Place the saucepan on medium-low heat and bring the mixture to a gentle boil, stirring continuously.
    • Cook the mixture for a few more minutes and then add the vanilla paste.
    • When the pudding gets thick enough, remove the pan from the heat and divide the mixture into serving bowls. You can check the consistency of the pudding with a spoon. It should be covering the back of the spoon without dripping.
    • Let the bowls chill in the fridge for a couple of hours and then garnish them with ground pistachio, coconut flakes, and red fruits before serving.

    Notes

    • You can use almond milk if you have a dairy intolerance.
    • This indulgent Turkish milk dessert is very easy to make and comes together in just 25 minutes.
    • Turn this delicious pudding into vegan by omitting the egg yolk and using almond milk instead of regular milk.
    • Adjust the thickness by adding more milk if it's too thick or adding cornstarch slurry if it is too thin.
    • Make sure to stir the pudding continuously on low heat without letting it boil.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 336kcalCarbohydrates: 51gProtein: 8gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 53mgSodium: 68mgPotassium: 276mgFiber: 1gSugar: 46gVitamin A: 322IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 234mgIron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @cookingorgeous or tag #cookingorgeous!

    This post uses affiliate links. This means that if you click on them and then buy something, we get a small commission to keep the site running, but it doesn’t cost you anything more.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Lila

      July 01, 2022 at 5:12 am

      5 stars
      I do love a light and flavorful dessert like this one! Perfect for summer parties too! Thanks for the recipe!

      Reply

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    Welcome to Cooking Gorgeous, where delicious recipes and culinary inspiration await you! I'm Ayla, a passionate and professional chef based in the UK, and I'm thrilled to have you here. The kitchen is my happy place and cooking is my therapy. To me, food is more than ingredients and nutrition; it is a language of love, a way of expressing compassion.

    More about me →

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