Greek Desserts
Melitzanaki Glyko Recipe (Greek Candied Baby Aubergine Spoon Sweet)
Μελιτζανάκι γλυκό meh-leed-zah-NAH-kee glee-KOH · Melitzanaki glyko
Photo: Eggplant macun from Northern Cyprus.jpg by E4024, CC BY-SA 4.0. Placeholder until original photography is shot.
In short
Melitzanaki glyko is a Greek spoon sweet of whole baby aubergines, boiled until tender, studded with a blanched almond, and slowly candied in a clove-scented sugar syrup until dark and glossy. It is one of the more genuinely surprising Greek preserves, turning a savoury vegetable into a fully sweet, fragrant dessert.
Melitzanaki glyko surprises almost everyone encountering it for the first time, since it takes aubergine, a vegetable firmly associated with savoury cooking across this entire site, and turns it into something fully sweet: whole baby aubergines, boiled tender, each one pierced and fitted with a single blanched almond, then slowly candied in a clove-scented syrup until dark, glossy and genuinely delicious.
This works because very young, small aubergines have a mild, almost neutral flesh before they develop the vegetable's more assertive bitter notes, giving the sugar syrup something genuinely receptive to work with rather than fighting against a strong existing flavour.
The almond tucked inside each little aubergine is both a practical touch, helping it hold its shape through the long candying process, and a lovely surprise once you bite through the soft, sweet flesh to find it.
Key preparation steps
- Peel small baby aubergines partially, leaving stripes.
- Boil in lime water or several changes of water until tender but intact.
- Pierce each one and insert a blanched almond.
- Candy slowly in clove-scented syrup.
Choosing and preparing the aubergines
Genuinely small, young baby aubergines are essential, no more than four to five centimetres long, since larger ones have already developed tougher flesh and more bitterness. Peel each one partially, leaving alternating stripes of skin, which helps them hold together through the long cooking ahead, and boil gently in water with a squeeze of lemon until just tender, taking care not to let them fall apart.
Studding with almonds
Once cooled slightly, make a small slit in each aubergine and insert a single blanched almond, pushing it in so it sits inside the flesh rather than poking out. This is both traditional and practical, since the almond helps the little aubergine hold its shape through the long candying simmer.
The long candying process
Simmer the prepared aubergines gently in a sugar syrup flavoured with whole cloves and a little lemon juice for a genuine hour to ninety minutes, until they have turned a deep, dark colour and absorbed the syrup fully, becoming properly candied rather than merely coated. This is not a quick process, and the aubergines need real time to take on both the sweetness and the syrup's dark, fragrant colour.
Tips from my kitchen
Use only genuinely small baby aubergines
Larger ones have tougher flesh and more bitterness already developed, working against the sweetness this preserve depends on.
Handle the boiled aubergines gently
They are delicate at this stage and can fall apart if handled roughly before the long candying simmer firms them up again.
Do not rush the candying stage
A genuine hour or more is what turns the aubergines properly dark, glossy and fully candied rather than simply cooked.
Melitzanaki Glyko Recipe (Greek Candied Baby Aubergine Spoon Sweet)
Μελιτζανάκι γλυκό · by Kalliopi Andreou · updated 2026-07-31
- Prep
- 45m
- Cook
- 1h 30m
- Total
- 2h 15m
- Serves
- 16
Ingredients
Ingredients
Method
- Boil the partially peeled aubergines in water with a squeeze of lemon for 8 to 10 minutes, until just tender but still holding their shape. Drain gently and cool.
- Make a small slit in each aubergine and insert a whole blanched almond.
- Put the sugar, water, cloves and lemon juice into a wide pot.
- Add the studded aubergines and bring to a gentle simmer.
- Cook gently for 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours, until the aubergines have turned deep and dark and absorbed the syrup fully.
- Remove the cloves. Spoon into clean, sterilised jars while hot and seal immediately.
- Cool completely before storing. Once opened, keep refrigerated.
Nutrition, per 1 to 2 aubergines with syrup
- Calories
- 132
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbs
- 32 g
- Fat
- 1 g
- Sat fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
These figures are calculated estimates based on the ingredients listed, not laboratory analysis. Actual values vary with brands, cuts and portion size.
Frequently asked questions about Melitzanaki glyko
Why does this spoon sweet use aubergine, a savoury vegetable?
Very young, small aubergines have mild, almost neutral flesh before the vegetable develops its more familiar bitter, savoury character, giving the sugar syrup something genuinely receptive to work with.
Why is there an almond inside each aubergine?
It helps the aubergine hold its shape through the long candying simmer, and it is also a pleasant surprise to find once you bite into the soft, sweet flesh.
How long does melitzanaki glyko keep?
Unopened and properly sealed, many months in a cool, dark place. Once opened, keep refrigerated and use within a few weeks.
