Greek Desserts
Pastelli Recipe (Greek Sesame and Honey Bar)
Παστέλι pah-STEH-lee · Pastelli
In short
Pastelli is a Greek confection of toasted sesame seeds bound together in a thin, brittle honey caramel, cooled and cut into bars. It is one of the oldest snacks in the Greek culinary tradition, referenced since antiquity, made from nothing more than sesame, honey, and often a little lemon to keep the caramel from crystallising.
Pastelli is a genuinely ancient snack, referenced in Greek writing since antiquity, and it has stayed essentially unchanged in that whole time: toasted sesame seeds, honey, and little else, cooked together until the honey turns into a thin, brittle caramel that binds everything into a bar.
The technique is simple but has one real point of failure, the honey caramel, which needs to reach the right temperature to set properly brittle rather than staying chewy or turning too hard and impossible to bite through cleanly.
A little lemon juice added towards the end helps keep the honey from crystallising as it cools, a small but genuinely useful trick that makes the difference between a smooth, snappable bar and a grainy, sugary one.
Key preparation steps
- Toast the sesame seeds until fragrant.
- Cook honey to a proper caramel stage.
- Stir in the toasted sesame and a little lemon juice.
- Spread thin, cool, and cut into bars.
Toasting the sesame
Toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan over a medium heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and lightly golden, watching closely since sesame can go from perfectly toasted to burnt within moments. Set aside while the honey cooks.
Cooking the honey caramel
Heat the honey in a heavy pot until it reaches a proper caramel stage, around 150C on a sugar thermometer, or until a small amount dropped into cold water forms a firm, brittle thread rather than staying soft. This is the one genuinely technical stage, and going by colour alone is less reliable than checking the temperature.
Combining and setting
Stir the toasted sesame and a little lemon juice into the hot caramel quickly, then pour out onto an oiled sheet of baking paper and spread thin with an oiled rolling pin or spatula before it sets. Cut into bars while still slightly warm and pliable, since it becomes too brittle to cut cleanly once fully cooled.
Tips from my kitchen
Use a sugar thermometer if you have one
Judging the honey's caramel stage by colour alone is less reliable. A genuine 150C gives the right brittle set.
Cut the bars while still warm
Pastelli becomes too brittle and shatters unevenly if you wait until it has fully cooled to cut it.
Do not skip the lemon juice
It genuinely helps prevent the honey from crystallising as it cools, keeping the finished bars smooth rather than grainy.
Pastelli Recipe (Greek Sesame and Honey Bar)
Παστέλι · by Kalliopi Andreou · updated 2026-07-31
- Prep
- 10m
- Cook
- 15m
- Total
- 25m
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
Ingredients
Method
- Toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan over a medium heat, stirring constantly, for 3 to 4 minutes, until fragrant and lightly golden. Set aside.
- Heat the honey in a heavy pot over a medium heat until it reaches about 150C on a sugar thermometer, or forms a firm, brittle thread when dropped into cold water.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the toasted sesame and lemon juice quickly.
- Pour out onto an oiled sheet of baking paper and spread thin with an oiled rolling pin or spatula.
- While still slightly warm, cut into bars with a sharp knife.
- Leave to cool completely before separating and storing in an airtight container.
Nutrition, per 1 bar
- Calories
- 142
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 18 g
- Fat
- 7 g
- Sat fat
- 1 g
- Fibre
- 2 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 Pastelli
How old is pastelli as a recipe?
Genuinely ancient. It is referenced in Greek writing since antiquity and has stayed essentially unchanged since then, made from toasted sesame and honey.
Why add lemon juice to a sesame and honey bar?
It helps prevent the honey from crystallising as the caramel cools, keeping the finished pastelli smooth and snappable rather than grainy and sugary.
How do you know the honey has cooked long enough?
A sugar thermometer reading of about 150C, or a small amount dropped into cold water forming a firm, brittle thread rather than staying soft, both indicate it is ready.
