Spanish Turrón – Your Ultimate Guide

Spanish turrón isn’t just a Christmas treat—it’s a national obsession.

In fact, over 35 million pounds of turrón are sold in Spain every holiday season.

What makes this humble Spanish almond nougat so special?

Centuries of history, simple but powerful ingredients, and regional pride baked into every bite.

From the silky smooth turrón de Jijona to the satisfyingly crunchy turrón de Alicante, Spanish turrón tells a story of Moorish influence, artisanal craftsmanship, and festive tradition.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through exactly what Spanish turrón is, where it comes from, the different types you’ll encounter, and how Spaniards actually enjoy it today—so you can appreciate it like a local.

 

What Is Turrón?

This is a revered Spanish almond nougat candy, to say the least. We are talking of a 5-century old delicacy that has been the mainstream for happiness and togetherness.

So what is nougat exactly? It is a dough obtained through the blending of honey, whole almonds, sugar, hazelnuts, and egg whites.

The traditional Spanish sweet is enjoyed throughout the year, but most popular during the festive Christmas season.

It comes with different types and flavors depending on the recipe and ingredients used in its timeless preparation and in the shape of a rectangular tablet.

Generally, turron can be soft and chewy or hard and brittle. All in all, it’s the real deal that will leave you wanting more.

The Origin of Turrón

Where did this special Spanish nougat come from? One may be tempted to ask.

Turron is among the most popular Christmas sweets ever witnessed in history, and how it gained popularity is impressive.

You cannot know about turron without understanding the Moorish Conquests in the early middle ages.

This meal was primarily influenced by the Moorish settlers who emigrated from the Middle East to Spain and North Africa.

The first Turron was made about 500 years ago in the Spanish town of Jijona.

However, although it’s more popular with the Spanish, it originated from the Arabic regions.

Thanks to the Moors, the world has a touch of one of the most pleasant dishes ever.

The Moors were very picky about what to eat and hence preferred their native dishes.

For this reason, they decided to bring with them a rich culinary heritage.

Traditionally, its production was done in small scale mostly domestically during the months preceding Christmas.

Food historian argues that the earliest form of turron was made in the Arabic peninsula.

This cuisine would later get popular in majority parts of Spain, Italy, and France, then spread to the rest of the world.

According to a 1582 documentary, the patrons would offer turron to their workers during Christmas. This is why, up to date, this food is more prevalent during Christmas than any other time.

And continues to be a customary gift during Christmas.

King Felipe II praised the turron so much that it increased popularity significantly. Demand for this product spread across Spain.

It later spread to Cuba, and other parts of the Caribbean and later to the rest of Latin America.

Types of Spanish Turrón

This traditional nougat candy is a mixture of high-quality natural ingredients: almonds, sugars, and honey.

They give the body energetic power and are rich in carbohydrates, vegetable fats, and proteins.

Turrón can be classified based on recipes and ingredients used in the preparation. There are many types of Spanish Turron;

• Alicante
• Jijona
• Yema
• Yema Tostada
• Coco
• Nata Nueces
• Chocolate con Almendras
• Fruta
• Mazapan
• and plenty more…

Alicante and Jijona are far and away the two most popular types of turrón. 

The process of preparing them is quite similar.

1. Turrón de Alicante

The Alicante turron is a rather hard and thick almond candy with the texture of Peanut brittle. Egg white is the most vital ingredient for hardening this turron.

Also known as turrón duro it is widely preferred in the province of Alicante, Spain.

Although it was highly popular during Christmas, it is becoming a timeless product with people eating it throughout the year.

Alicante turron is made using honey from the Valencia community. Roasted almonds create a retro-nasal hint. With a caramelized, crunchy structure, it’s breakable and chewable.

2. Turrón de Jijona

This a smooth and soft turrón version that incorporates similar ingredients but a different recipe.

Unlike in Alicante, the almonds are ground to form a sweet, aromatic meal.

Besides turron de Alicante, this is the most popular form of Turron that you will come across.

Turrón de jijona is easier to cut up and bite, unlike the hard Alicante. During its preparation, the almonds undergo a chopping process to reduce some essential oil before a softening process.

A soft texture and golden color characterize the Jijona turron. This type of turron is also be referred to as turrón blando.

As mentioned previously, these two types are the best selling turrones in the Spanish market.

Because of this most turron manufacturers produce sugarless Alicante and Jijona turron for diabetics and diet conscience turron lovers.

However, there are countless varieties of turrón to enjoy.

How to Make Turrón – The Spanish Turrón Recipe

How turron is made determines its texture, color, and taste.

Unlike many foods that you eat daily, turrones espanoles are something different.

There is a specific turron recipe that is regulated and followed all over the world.

It is perhaps the adoption of a specific recipe that turron has maintained popularity even in today’s world.

First, let’s start with the basic turron ingredients;

• Roasted or ground almonds
• Egg white
• Raw Valencian honey
• Sugar
• Extras (Salt, dried fruit)

These are the chief ingredients for the preparation of turron.

Although some people may use other nuts, almond is the widely accepted and recognized ingredient.

Alicante Turrón Recipe

This is a simple method on how to make the hard Spanish nougat.

It is simple and easy provided you follow the necessary procedure;

1. Toasting the Almonds

When making the Alicante Turron, this is the first step to undertake. Heat about 300g of whole almond nuts in an oven tray.

If you can get Marcona almonds even better. The best way to toast the almond is to allow them to warm up while increasing the heat up to 375F.

Occasionally turn the almonds until they turn to a golden brown. This is the right toasting capacity for turron almonds.

Heating further is likely to burn the almonds, making them inappropriate preparing turron.

2. Mix the Honey and Sugar

Mix honey and sugar in a separate pan. This should be done over low heat while stirring until all sugar dissolves into the honey. The heating temperature should not go above 250F.

Temperature helps in the dissolution of sugar into the honey. Also, it reduces the moisture content in honey, making the whole process a little bit faster.

3. Add the Egg White

When making a turron, only the egg white is the necessary part. The egg yolk is not required at this juncture. Smash the egg white until it gets frothy.

After the egg is frothy enough, drizzle it into the hot honey and sugar mixture. The solution will get more whitish, thick, and sticky. This is the base of the Alicante turron.

Heat the white mixture at a low to medium heat while stirring constantly. Ensure that the mixture doesn’t burn because if it burns, it automatically disqualifies for making turron.

Heating is all about reducing the moisture of the contents.

When the moisture content is low, it gets hard and brittle upon cooling. Ensure you have a candy thermometer to regulate the amount of heat on the mixture.

Allow the candy to cook and until the moisture is eliminated without temperature addition.

To determine whether the candy is ready, pour a small content into the cold water. It should get hard and hold its shape when cool.

4. Add the Almond Toasts

When the candy is ready, it’s time to add the almond nuts. Mix and stir until they are well incorporated into the mixture.

5. Taking Out the Turron

Once the mixture is ready, pour it into the silicon molds. You can use wafer sheets to keep the candy sticky. Keep the candies away from humidity to avoid softening.

This is the ultimate process of making the hard nougat Alicante turron- anything less than that is a travesty.

Recipe for Making Turron de Jijona

The process of making turron Jijona is a little bit different from that of making Alicante. Turron Jijona should be soft and easy to eat.

These ingredients will give you a unique meal;

• 300g of almond nuts
• 200g of honey
• 8 tablespoons of sugar
• A ½ tablespoonful of cinnamon
• 1 egg white
• ½ lemon zest

Get the right quantities of each equipment to get the right candy. Using more or less of any of these ingredients will give you a low-quality end product.

After you have assembled all ingredients, follow this procedure below;

1. Grind the Almond Nuts

Before anything else, make almond flour by grinding the nuts. Almond nuts are easy to grind and won’t give you a hard time. Grind till you get the right quantity of flour.

Grinding at home is always preferred to buying almond flow. The almond flour in the local stores can be impure or crushed in the wrong manner.

2. Heat the Honey and Add Sugar

Put your honey into a saucepan and heat under medium to low heat. The recommended heat should be somewhere around 140F.

Heat the honey until it gets somehow warm while mixing with confectioners’ sugar.

3. Mix With the Egg white, Cinnamon, and Lemon

Add lemon zest and cinnamon into the pan and remove from fire. Add the egg white into the mixture and stir continuously to ensure it’s well mixed.

The mixture will turn white after adding the egg white.

The lemon zest and cinnamon are just additives, and you can choose to include them or not.

4. Mix with Almonds

Return the mixture into the heat and add almonds while stirring. Mix thoroughly to form the ultimate blend. Divide the mixture into lined dishes.

Press it down well into the corners and flatten the top and cover.

Allow the mixture to compress and compact in 1- 2 days. It is best preserved into a refrigerator. After that period, your turron will be ready to eat.

Qualities of the Spanish Turrón

Turrón is ranked and priced according to its quality.

There are three qualities of Spanish turrón;

• Suprema turron
• Extra/Estandar turron
• Popular turron

The turron you make falls under one of these three categories.

1. The Suprema Turron

This is ranked as the best quality of turron available in the market.

To get the ‘Suprema’ label, the turron has to contain at least 60% of almonds for the Jijona and 64% for the Alicante.

The almond quantity has to meet the set threshold to attain the suprema status.

Marcona almonds are widely regarded as the finest type of almonds for making turron.

2. Estandar Turron

This turron has slightly lower quantities of almond but is made using Spanish almonds.

The quality of almonds also plays a big role in establishing the overall product quality.

This quality of turron is also referred to as “Fino.”

3. Popular Turron

This is an ordinary turron that has low quality and quantity almonds.

This is graded as low quality and not often sold in food stores.

This type of turron doesn’t have the seal from the regulating body.

Spanish Turrón Regulation

This delicacy is one of the most regulated meals in the world. Yes, thankfully there is a board that controls the strict quality of turron and its production.

The Denominacion de Origen is the body that checks and regulates qualities of turron.

It gives the final seal to manufacturers who use the original and traditional recipes and ingredients.

This regulation is vital for both quality assurance and culture preservation.

When buying turron make sure the the Consejo Regulador de Jijona y Turrón de Alicante seal of approval is clearly displayed on the package.

Genuine turron is the one made using Spanish almonds and the traditional recipe. Marcona almonds are quite expensive but make the best quality.

Was it not for the Denominacion de Origen, the quality would have been highly compromised.

How to Serve and Enjoy Turrón

Serving and enjoying turrón properly can elevate its experience, making it a memorable addition to your dessert spread.

Here’s a few tips on how to serve and enjoy this Spanish delicacy.

1. Prepare for Serving

• Room Temperature is Key: Always serve turrón at room temperature. This allows the flavors to shine and makes slicing easier, especially for softer varieties like Turrón de Jijona.
• Use a Sharp Knife: For harder varieties like Turrón de Alicante, use a sharp knife to cut clean slices. Warm the knife slightly by running it under hot water, then dry it before slicing for smooth cuts.
• Portion Sizes: Cut turrón into small, bite-sized pieces. A little goes a long way due to its rich, dense texture.

2. Presentation Tips

• Serve on a Wooden Board or Elegant Platter: Highlight the rustic charm of turrón by arranging it on a wooden serving board or a festive plate.
• Mix Varieties: Offer a selection of turrón types—soft, hard, chocolate, and modern variations—to cater to different preferences.
• Garnishes: Add a touch of elegance by garnishing the platter with fresh fruits like figs, dried fruits, or nuts that complement the flavors of turrón.

3. Pairing Turrón with Beverages

• Dessert Wines: Pair turrón with Spanish dessert wines like Moscatel or Pedro Ximénez. Their sweetness enhances the nutty and honeyed notes of turrón.
• Cava or Champagne: The crisp bubbles of cava cut through the richness of turrón, creating a balanced palate.
• Coffee or Hot Chocolate: A cup of freshly brewed coffee or thick Spanish hot chocolate pairs wonderfully with the almond flavors of turrón.
• Tea: Herbal teas like chamomile or mint provide a refreshing contrast to the sweetness of turrón.

4. Creative Ways to Enjoy Turrón

• With Ice Cream: Crumble soft or hard turrón over vanilla or almond ice cream for a delightful topping.
• In Desserts: Incorporate turrón into recipes like cakes, cheesecakes, or mousses to infuse them with its distinct flavor.
• Turrón Truffles: Roll small pieces of soft turrón into balls, dip them in melted chocolate, and let them set for a bite-sized indulgence.
• Turrón Milkshake: Blend turrón with milk and a scoop of ice cream for a decadent shake.

5. Special Occasions and Traditions

• Holiday Dessert Table: In Spain, turrón is a must-have on the Christmas dessert table, often served alongside polvorones, mantecados, and dried fruits.
• Gift Giving: Turrón makes for a thoughtful and traditional gift during the holidays. Wrap it in decorative paper or include it in a gourmet food basket.

6. Storing Leftovers

• Keep It Fresh: Store leftover turrón in an airtight container to maintain its freshness. Soft varieties should be kept in a cool place, while hard varieties can be stored at room temperature.
• Enjoy Within a Few Weeks: Turrón is best enjoyed fresh, but properly stored, it can last for weeks.
• To learn the best way to store your homemade turrón, read Storing Turrón The Five Do’s and Dont’s.

Whether you’re savoring it as a simple snack or incorporating it into an elaborate dessert, turrón is a versatile and delightful treat that embodies the flavors and traditions of Spain.

With these tips, you can serve and enjoy turrón like a true connoisseur.

Spanish Turrón Manufacturers

There are at least two dozen turron manufacturers in Spain.

From small boutique shops, to mid-size companies to large global exporters.

The one commonality is that they are all located in turron country, otherwise known as Jijona, Spain.

Here are a few of Spain’s best turron brands;

• 1880 Turron
• El Almendro Turron
• Sanchis Mira Turron
• Castillo de Jijona Turron
• El Lobo Turron
• El Artesano Turron

Where to Buy Turrón?

Fortunately, turron has become much easier to find in the United States over the last few years.

You should be able to find popular turron brands in specialty ethnic food stores, or perhaps even in your local supermarket depending on your location.

Online stores are also a great option.

If you are interested in any of the brands above you can find other traditional Spanish Christmas desserts like mantecados, polvorones, peladillas and more.

Other Types of Turrón Around the World

• Cuban Turron – traditionally made with peanuts, it is referred to as turron de mani. There is a hard or duro version. Consisting of ground peanuts pressed into bars and held together by brown sugar. And a soft or blando version of chopped roasted peanuts bound together with honey and caramelized sugar. However, Cubans commonly enjoy both the turron de mani and the Spanish turron version during the holiday season.
• Philippine Turron – two major differences from the Spanish turron, it is not associated with any holiday, so it is enjoyed year round and it is made with cashew nuts, and wrapped in a white wafer.

• 

  Peruvian Turron – It is an anise based turron that became popular because of the religious tradition of El Señor de los Milagros. While enjoyed all year round, Peruvian turron, also referred to as Turron de Doña Pepa is mostly enjoyed during the month of October, also known as El Mes Morado or “The Purple Month”.

• Puerto Rican Turron – Puerto Ricans refer to it as Turrón de Ajónjolí, or sesame turrón. This Christmas time confection is made with toasted black and white sesame seeds, ground cinnamon, lemon juice, bound together by caramelized brown sugar and honey.

• 

  Italian Turron – Italians refer to it as Torrone. Similar to the Spanish turron as it is enjoyed mostly during winter and the Christmas season, different in that a lower percentage of nuts are used in making the holiday confection.

Why Turrón is a Timeless Spanish Delight

Turrón is more than just a sweet; it’s a celebration of Spanish heritage, a symbol of togetherness, and a versatile treat that has stood the test of time.

Whether enjoyed in its traditional form during the holidays or reinvented in modern desserts, turrón offers a unique taste of Spain’s rich culinary history.

Its nutty, honey-sweet flavors and cultural significance make it a must-try for anyone seeking to experience authentic Spanish cuisine.

So, the next time you savor a piece of turrón, know that you’re indulging in centuries of tradition, craftsmanship, and love.

Pair it with your favorite drink, share it with loved ones, or experiment with creative recipes—there’s no wrong way to enjoy this iconic Spanish delight.

If you’d like to learn about other Spanish desserts, read 24 Spanish Desserts That Transcend Your Tastebuds.

Or to truly immerse yourself into Spanish culture, read about Spain’s iconic Jamón Ibérico.

If you love Spanish food, be sure to browse our Spanish foods section for more ideas and information.

You can also order them today and bring home the flavors of Spain.

FAQs About Turrón

1. What is turrón?

Turrón is a traditional Spanish nougat made primarily from almonds, honey, and egg whites. It is a staple dessert during the Christmas season and is available in a variety of textures and flavors.

2. What are the main types of turrón?

The two most famous types are:

• Turrón de Alicante: A hard, crunchy nougat made with whole almonds.
• Turrón de Jijona: A soft, chewy version where almonds are finely ground into a paste.

3. Where does turrón come from?

Turrón originates from Spain and has its roots in Moorish cuisine. Its production is centered in the town of Jijona (Xixona) in the Alicante region.

4. Is turrón gluten-free?

Traditional turrón made from almonds, honey, and egg whites is naturally gluten-free. However, modern varieties with added ingredients like wafers or chocolate may contain gluten, so check the label.

5. How should I store turrón?

• Hard turrón: Store at room temperature in an airtight container.
• Soft turrón: Keep in a cool, dry place, away from heat and moisture. Both types should be consumed within a few weeks for the best flavor.

6. Can I make turrón at home?

Yes! Homemade turrón is simple to make with ingredients like almonds, honey, sugar, and egg whites. Traditional recipes for Turrón de Alicante or Turrón de Jijona are readily available online.

7. How is turrón served?

Turrón is typically served in small, bite-sized pieces as a dessert or snack. It pairs wonderfully with coffee, hot chocolate, or dessert wines like Moscatel or Pedro Ximénez.

8. Is turrón only eaten during Christmas?

While turrón is most commonly associated with Christmas and the holiday season, it can be enjoyed year-round as a sweet treat.

9. What are some modern varieties of turrón?

Modern turrón varieties include:

• Chocolate turrón.
• Truffle-filled turrón.
• Fruit-flavored or liqueur-infused turrón. These options cater to diverse tastes while maintaining the essence of traditional turrón.

10. Where can I buy authentic turrón?

Authentic turrón can be purchased in Spanish markets, specialty food stores, and online. Renowned brands like El Almendro and Sanchis Mira offer a wide range of high-quality options.

11. What are the health benefits of turrón?

Turrón is a rich source of healthy fats and nutrients from almonds, including vitamin E, magnesium, and antioxidants. However, it is also high in sugar, so enjoy it in moderation.

12. Can I bring turrón back from Spain?

Yes, turrón is a popular souvenir. It is non-perishable and travels well, making it an excellent gift or personal treat to bring back from Spain.

More Spanish Foods

See all →

Spanish Desserts: 25 Traditional Sweets to DiscoverAuthentic Gambas al Ajillo Recipe (Spanish Garlic Shrimp)Seafood Paella: History, Recipe & Secret Tips To Make Paella de Mariscos!9 Best Spanish Tapas Recipes

Please Share & Spread the Love of Latin Foods!