Pastelaki, Mahlepi & Palouzes — 10 Cypriot Sweets Without Refined Sugar
Cyprus has a tradition of sweets older than sugar. For centuries, the island’s primary sweetener was honey, carob syrup (χαρούπι), concentrated grape must (petimezi), and fresh fruit. Sugar cane, although Cyprus had sugarcane plantations near Limassol from the 12th to the 16th centuries, was a luxury item for centuries. This spurred Cypriots to develop a culinary tradition of sweets without refined sugar, which has survived to this day.
1. Pastelaki — Sesame and Honey Bar
Pastelaki (παστελάκι) is a Greek and Cypriot classic: roasted sesame seeds thickened with hot honey and formed into thin sheets or bars, which harden into a crunchy nougat-like consistency as they cool. The local Cypriot version differs from the Greek pasteli — it’s thicker, often contains carob or almond nuts, and the honey is Cypriot thyme or eucalyptus.
Price: €0.50–1 EUR/piece in village shops. Homemade: sesame (4–5 EUR/500 g) + honey (6–10 EUR/250 g). Available in local produce shops year-round.
2. Mahlepi — Cherry Seed Cake
Mahlepi (μαχλέπι) is not a sweet, but a spice — powdered cherry seeds from Prunus Mahaleb (Mediterranean wild cherry). But in Cyprus, mahlepi is a key ingredient in Easter cakes and sweet breads. Aromatic, slightly bitter, with notes of almonds and cherries — there’s no chemical equivalent.
Cypriot tsoureki (Easter sweet bread) obligatorily contains mahlepi and mastic (resin). You buy mahlepi in spice shops: €2–3 for 50 g (enough for many baked goods). At the Limassol or Nicosia farmers' market from €1.50 for a packet.
3. Palouzes — Grape Must Jelly
Palouzes (παλουζές) is a jelly or marmalade produced from unfiltered grape juice (must) thickened with wheat or corn starch. It has a dark pink or purple color (from Mavro or Maratheftiko varieties) and an intensely grape flavor, sweet without refined sugar.
Season: October–November (grape harvest time). Fresh palouzes are sold in small bowls or blocks. Dried palouzes (called soutzoukos in a cylindrical version with nuts) — year-round.
Price of fresh palouzes: €1.50–2 EUR for a 200 g bowl. Soutzoukos (cylinder with nuts in grape must jelly): €3–5 for 300 g.
4. Soutzoukos — Grape "Sausage" with Nuts
Soutzoukos (σουτζούκος) is one of the most famous Cypriot sweets exported. Walnuts or almonds strung on a thread are dipped several times in hot palouzes (grape must jelly), then dried on a string for several weeks.
Result: a dark brown cylinder 20–30 cm long, soft inside (nuts) and slightly rubbery on the outside (layer of dried must). Intensely grape flavor, without added sugar. Shelf life of several months.
Price: €4–7 for a 200–300 g piece. In souvenir shops, €8–12 for a nicely packaged packet for tourists.
5. Glyko tou koutaliou — Candied Fruit in Syrup
Glyko tou koutaliou (γλυκό του κουταλιού — literally: sweet of the spoon) is a separate item, but it’s worth mentioning: traditional Cypriot versions are made with petimezi (grape syrup) as a sweetener, not sugar. Apricots, figs, cherries, service tree, green walnuts — soaked in grape syrup for 2–3 days is a different flavor category than versions with white sugar.
Homemade jar: €3–6 at a village market. Store-bought version (always with sugar): €2–4.
6. Carob Dates
Carob (χαρούπι, carob) grows wild throughout Cyprus — after harvesting in August–September, the pods are dried and processed into flour, syrup, and "chocolate without cocoa." Carob flour has a cocoa-like flavor without caffeine or bitterness.
Cypriot sweets with carob:
- Carob dates — pod pulp with nuts formed into balls. Date flavor with chocolate. Price: €5–8/200 g
- Carob syrup (χαρουπόμελο) — thick, dark, topping for loukoumades, ice cream, cheeses. 500 ml bottle: €4–6
- Carob "chocolate" bar — without cocoa, naturally sweetened. €2–4/100 g
7. Flaouna — Halloumi Cheese with Dried Fruits in Yeast Dough
Flaouna (φλαούνα) is an Easter cake with a filling of halloumi cheese or a halloumi/anari cheese mixture with raisins, mastic, and mahlepi. Yeast dough, sprinkled with sesame seeds. It’s not a sweet in the classic sense — the cheese provides saltiness, the raisins sweetness, and the mastic aroma. Result: something between salty and sweet, unique.
Produced exclusively in the week before Easter. You buy from bakers or order in advance. Price: €3–5 per piece.
8. Loukoumades with Carob Syrup
Loukoumades (λουκουμάδες — small fried yeast dumplings) are known in Greece with honey. The Cypriot version uses carob syrup — darker, more intense, with a cocoa note.
Price in cafes: €4–6 for a portion of 8–10 pieces. Homemade version very simple (flour, yeast, water, oil + carob syrup from a bottle).
9. Amygdalota — Almond Marzipan
Amygdalota (αμυγδαλωτά) is ground almonds with rose water (not sugar) and formed into small fruits or balls, dried in an oven. The sweetness comes from the natural sweetness of the almonds.
The Cypriot version of amygdalota is moist and aromatic — thanks to rose water (distilled rose water from Cyprus or Kaffy Paphos). Price: €8–15 for 250 g at the market.
10. Cypriot Halvas with Sesame
Halvas (χαλβάς) is known throughout the Mediterranean basin, but the Cypriot sesame variant is produced with tahini (sesame paste), honey, and rose water without refined sugar or with a very small amount.
Flavor: intensely sesame, honey, slightly floral from rose water. Consistency: crumbly, breaks into pieces. Shelf life of several weeks at room temperature. Price: €3–5 for 200 g.
Where to Buy — Best Places
Markets and agricultural shops are a priority:
- Municipal Market Limassol — Saturdays, Agiou Andreou Street
- "Kypriakon" shop in Limassol — Spyros Araouzos Street 68, local products all week
- Nicosia Laiki Geitonia Market — city center, village products
- Villages of Omodos and Lefkara — roadside shops, lower prices than in cities
Looking for accommodation with access to local food markets? Hotels in the center of Limassol and Nicosia with parking and access to the Municipal Market — use the CyprusBooker filter "city center" and "parking".