• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Free Dinner Ebook! Get your copy!
  • About
  • Videos
  • Learn to Cook
  • Visit my other site: Fun Cookie Recipes

Little Sunny Kitchen

Delicious Recipes for Real Life

  • All Recipes
  • Course
    • Appetizers
    • Breakfast
    • Sides
    • Dinner
    • Casseroles
    • Salads
    • Sandwiches
    • Pasta
    • Soups & Chilis
    • Desserts
    • Snacks
    • Sauces & Dressings
    • Beverages
  • Holiday
    • Easter
    • Summer
    • Fall
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Christmas
    • Valentine’s
    • Game Day
    • Ramadan
  • Method
    • Instant Pot
    • Air Fryer
    • Slow Cooker
    • Oven
    • Casseroles
    • Stovetop
    • Grill
    • Bread Machine
  • Easy Meals
  • Slow Cooker
  • Air Fryer
  • Breakfast
  • Snacks
  • Copycat Recipes
  • Beef
  • Low Carb
  • Chicken
Home Beverages

Sahlab (Middle Eastern Milk Pudding)

Silky smooth and comforting Middle Eastern sweet milk pudding topped with a sprinkle of ground cinnamon, crushed nuts, and desiccated coconut.
4.9
/5 –
Rate Recipe 33 Comments
Jump to Recipe
  • Share
By: Diana Last updated on February 23, 2024

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Sahlab is a Middle Eastern sweet milk pudding. It’s quick and easy to make, and it’s absolutely delicious! Sahlab will definitely warm you up during the cold winter days. 

2 glass cups of Sahlab topped with cinnamon and crushed nuts


During cold rainy or snowy days, we would resort to having hot drinks to keep us warm. Coffee, tea, hot chocolate are traditional options. But have you tried homemade “Sahlab” drink? This Middle Eastern winter-hot-silky-drink is an easy option that is loved by kids and adults alike! It is very common to find “Sahlab” available in the coffee shops in the Middle East, especially in Levant.

In Turkey, Sahlab is also quite popular but it’s known as “Salep” it was originally made with orchid roots flour but the popularity of the drink led to decline in the population of the orchids, so now you probably would only find artificial mixes with salep powder flavorings sold in stores. I visited Turkey last winter, and was very excited about the fact that I could find Sahlab sold in the streets there but with a new name “Salep”. In some coffee shops in Istanbul, you might even find Salep served with coffee.

2 glass mugs with sahlab, and a small teaspoon

Sahlab Drink – an Ammani Tradition

Every time we visit Amman during the winter, we make sure that we go for a drive in the rain to get Sahlab. Although it is really easy to make at home, but when Amman is rainy, we just pick up some Sahlab from our favorite cafe in Sweifieh, it’s like a tradition! My sister, Natalia posted a picture on her Instagram some time back of a cup of Sahlab that we got together from a small cafe in Amman.

When it snows in Jordan, people tend to stock up of a lot of bread and just spend the snow days at home with all the family gathered around the TV. Snow days mean that schools are off, and you won’t have to go to work either! So you end up curling up on the couch with a blanket, and a cup of Sahlab to warm you up.

Silky Smooth Middle Eastern Drinks

Sahlab is one of the most popular Middle Eastern drinks. It is such a comforting drink that works well for a winter dessert or an afternoon drink, it is healthy and not too sweet. Preparing sahlab from scratch tastes much better than the powdered mixture that you can purchase from the supermarket. Follow the recipe below, I promise you will love it!

Girl holding a glass mug filled with sahlab

How to Make Sahlab Drink

It only takes 10 minutes to prepare this milky warm drink (it is also extremely easy!). The base is made with milk and corn or potato starch, vegan milk can also work! You can sweeten it with sugar, or honey. And add vanilla extract or rose water if you like. The toppings are my favorite part, adding some chopped dried apricots along with the shredded coconut, pistachios, walnuts, and cinnamon to the topping is always a great idea!

When you’re boiling the milk with the starch do not step away from the hob for a second if you don’t want things to get messy, and make sure that you’re stirring all the time as milk can get burnt easily!

Middle Eastern Flavors

Middle Eastern flavors are fascinating. Especially when it comes to desserts, you will notice some ingredients being used quite often such as pistachios, rose water, orange blossom, cream, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and many more. All of these ingredients have very distinctive flavors, and the pistachios with its bright green color can always help identify a Middle Eastern dessert. There many variations of this milk pudding drink; Sahlab. Of course, the simplest version is made with milk, cornstarch, and sweetened with sugar. Everything else is an extra. But I believe that everything else is also very necessary.

If you want to make this with minimal toppings, I’d say go for ground cinnamon and desiccated coconut. And if you happen to have some crushed pistachios and walnuts in your cupboard, then why not add them too (sorry I can’t help it!).

If you follow the exact recipe that I’ve written below, there are as little as 222 calories per serving. Imagine all of that deliciousness without the guilt!

Sahlab Powder Recipe

Sahlab powder is sold in most Middle Eastern stores, it is usually flavoured with rose water. However, I like to make my own mix at the beginning of the winter to prepare Sahlab quickly on these cold winter evenings.

Simply, combine powdered milk with vanilla extract and starch (find the amounts in the recipe card below), then I just add water and let it boil until it’s bubbly. Remove from heat and let it slightly set.

The kids in our house always ask for a refill right away after finishing the first cup! And we usually serve warm sahlab drink with these yummy Aniseed Biscuits. Trust me, it’s a match made in heaven!

Also, make sure to check out this simple Middle Eastern dessert Burbara, it’s really good!

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

Recipe
4.91 from 20 votes
(Click stars to rate!)

Sahlab (Middle Eastern Milk Pudding)

Prep Time: 5 minutes mins
Cook Time: 10 minutes mins
Total Time: 15 minutes mins
Author: Diana
Print Rate Recipe
Silky smooth and comforting Middle Eastern sweet milk pudding topped with a sprinkle of ground cinnamon, crushed nuts, and desiccated coconut.
4 servings
Silky smooth and comforting Middle Eastern sweet milk pudding topped with a sprinkle of ground cinnamon, crushed nuts, and desiccated coconut.

Ingredients 

  • 4 cups (1 litre) whole milk
  • 3 ½ tablespoons (25 g) cornstarch cornflour in the UK
  • 6 teaspoons granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon (20 g) desiccated coconut
  • ¼ cup chopped nuts walnuts or pistachios
  • 2 tablespoons raisins optional

Instructions 

  • Combine milk, cornstarch, sugar, and vanilla extract and beat with a whisk over medium heat, bring to boil and let the mixture boil for 2 minutes while stirring. (Or until thick and creamy)
  • Serve hot in mugs and top with a sprinkle of cinnamon, desiccated coconut, and pistachios or walnuts on each serving.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 222kcal, Carbohydrates: 26g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 24mg, Sodium: 110mg, Potassium: 322mg, Sugar: 19g, Vitamin A: 395IU, Calcium: 276mg, Iron: 0.1mg

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.

© Little Sunny Kitchen

Did You Make This?I love to see what you made! Tag me @LittleSunnyKitchen and hashtag #LittleSunnyKitchen
Pin Recipe Tag on Insta Leave Review

You may also like...

  • Mouhalabieh served in a small oriental style bowl, with a spoon. Garnished with crushed pistachio
    Mouhalabieh (Lebanese Milk Pudding)
  • No-bake layered dessert in a 9x13 inch glass pan
    Mocha Carpet Dessert
  • Crockpot middle Eastern french beans
    Middle Eastern Green Bean Stew (Fasolia bi Lahme)
  • Ghraybeh (Middle Eastern Shortbread Cookies)
Previous Post
Vegan Chocolate Cake with Buttercream Frosting
Next Post
Romanian Roasted Garlic Soup

Reader Interactions

Leave a Review! Cancel reply

Have a question or just want to say how much you loved the recipe? Leave a rating below, save for later on Pinterest, and share on Facebook. Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Rate this recipe!




  1. Hana says

    Posted on 10/24/22 at 14:14

    Yum!! Where do you recommend having it in Amman?

    Reply
    • Diana says

      Posted on 10/24/22 at 14:56

      Hi Hana, I no longer live in Amman so I can’t recommend a good place but I’m sure that Gerard does Sahlab during the winter! 🙂

      Reply
  2. Shreya Sharma says

    Posted on 6/16/22 at 06:28

    Can you make this using milk powder and if so what is the quantity of the milk power and water to be used?

    Reply
  3. MarMar says

    Posted on 1/29/22 at 11:34

    5 stars
    Very nice. I always add some mahleb powder. My favorite in winter time.

    Reply
Older Comments 1 … 4 5 6

Primary Sidebar

Diana, author of Little Sunny Kitchen.
Welcome

Meet Diana

Welcome to Little Sunny Kitchen! I'm Diana and I’m here to teach you how to make easy meals that are quick, family-friendly, and delicious!

Read More
Follow on Pinterest for more ideas!
Free ebook!

Download My Free Dinner eBook!


Get my copy!

Free eBook

Download My Free Dinner eBook!

Popular Recipes

Marry Me Chicken

Creamy Garlic Shrimp Pasta

Garlic Butter Chicken Tenders

Air Fryer Chicken Breast

Rasta Pasta Recipe

Shredded Chicken Tacos

Reader Favorites

a light green plate of spaghetti and meat sauce with hidden vegetables.

Meat Sauce with Hidden Vegetables

top down view of cheesy beef enchiladas in a casserole pan.

Ground Beef Enchiladas

Oven Baked Chicken and Rice

three mahi mahi tacos on a wooden board.

Mahi Mahi Fish Tacos

Cheesy Chicken Fajita Casserole

two white bowls of lasagna soup with a dollop of ricotta cheese and other cheeses, garnished with fresh herbs.

Lasagna Soup

Instant Pot Air Fryer Crockpot Easy Dinners Salads Grilling
Opens in a new window Opens an external site Opens an external site in a new window

As Featured On:

Dinner tonight
Free ebook!

Get My Free Dinner eBook!

Join us and receive new recipes every week! Receive our FREE eBook with quick and easy dinner recipes that are family-friendly and delicious.

Back to Top

explore

Recipe Index

Videos

Cooking Guides

Follow Along on Social:

Join My Free Cookie Facebook Group
Back to Top

About

Contact

Privacy Policy

Accessibility

© 2025 Little Sunny Kitchen
|
Site Credits Designed by Melissa Rose Design Developed by Once Coupled

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required