Knafeh is a classic Middle Eastern crunchy, buttery dessert made from shredded phyllo pastry with a layer of delicious homemade pastry cream called Qeshta and also pronounced Ishtah. Drizzled with simple syrup and garnished with chopped nuts, usually pistachios.
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Authentic Knafeh recipe, sometimes pronounced Kunafa, is a traditional Middle Eastern dessert usually filled with pastry cream (ashta or qeshta) or sweet Arabic cheeses like Nabulsi or Akkawi. These cheeses are similar to Mozzarella cheese.
Bake it until golden brown, then soak it with a simple syrup scented with rose water or orange blossom water. It’s a popular dessert for special occasions such as Eid or weddings. I also made a low-calorie kunafa with cream. The low-calorie version tastes similar to the authentic, and you won't need a phyllo pastry but freshly prepared bread crumbs.
🥘 INGREDIENTS YOU'LL NEED
The ingredients to make a recipe of kunafa dessert is simple and minimal, you might find it a little difficult to get the shredded phyllo pastry, but you can order it online or find it in a Middle Eastern shop near you.
For the Knafeh Dough
Kunafa dough: This is probably the trickiest ingredient to get hold of; you can always find it in a Middle Eastern store.
Confectioner’s Sugar: You need confectioner’s sugar (also known as powder sugar) to toss the strands of Kunafa dough in.
Ghee: Ghee has a much stronger flavor than butter. Use it instead of substituting it with melted butter. However, if you can't get ghee, go for melted butter.
For the Syrup
Sugar: This, of course, makes the base of our simple syrup.
Water: The other essential ingredient to make our simple sugar syrup.
Lemon juice: It won't let the syrup crystallize.
Rose water: We will use some to perfume the syrup. However, many people don't like its smell or flavor, so you can omit it and still enjoy the Knafeh.
For the Egg-Free Pastry Cream
Whole milk is the foundation and basic ingredient for making pastry cream (Qeshta).
Heavy cream: To get you that exact flavor of authentic Qeshta without hours upon hours of work, I’ve used my secret ingredients – heavy cream!
Cornstarch: It will thicken the milk-cream mixture to get the right consistency.
For Garnishing
Pistachios: Crushed pistachios are what’s used traditionally. But feel free to use any other nuts if you’re allergic to pistachios.
🔪 MAKING KNAFEH STE-BY-STEP
Making Kunafa can look intimidating, but it's not. Watch my video or the step-by-step images below to see how simple and easy it is to make.
Prepare the Sugar Syrup
Step 1
In a small saucepan, combine sugar and water. Mix it well and use medium-high heat to boil the mixture.
Step 2
Let it boil for 9 minutes, but if you want the syrup to be thicker, boil it for 13 minutes.
Step 3
Turn off the heat, add the rose water and lemon juice, and mix it well. Allow the syrup to come to room temperature before drizzling it on the Knafeh.
Making the Pastry Cream
Step 1
Add all the pastry cream ingredients to a saucepan, i.e., the milk, heavy cream, and cornstarch, and mix them all well.
Step 2
Place the saucepan on medium heat and stir until it boils and the texture turns thick and creamy. Turn off the heat and keep aside.
Preparing the Kunafa Dough
Step 1
Chop the strands of the shredded phyllo dough into inch-long pieces (the video shows you exactly how I did it). Alternatively, you can place the dough in a food processor and pulse it thrice.
Step 2
Place all the chopped Knafeh dough strands into a large bowl and try to separate the shredded Knafeh with your hands to stop them from sticking to each other.
Step 3
Add the confectioner’s sugar and mix with your hands so it’s evenly dispersed.
Step 4
Pour half the ghee onto the dough strands and mix it well. Coat all the dough with ghee by rubbing it between your fingers. Add the remaining half and repeat the process.
Assembling and Baking the Knafeh
Step 1
Preheat your oven to 400F/200C. Generously butter or grease a 10-inch or 9-inch baking dish. Even if the pan is nonstick, proceed with this step since it will give the Kunafa that beautiful golden color.
Step 2
Place more than half of the prepped Kunafa dough into the greased pan and distribute it evenly. Watch the video and the image below to learn how.
Step 3
Pour the pastry cream (Qeshta) you made over the prepped Kunafa layer and use a spatula to spread it evenly.
Step 4
Distribute the remaining knafeh dough over the pastry cream and gently press down with your hands.
Step 5
Place the Knafeh in the oven and bake it for 30 to 50 minutes. The goal here is to make the bottom of the kunafa golden.
Step 6
Turn off the oven and turn on the broiler to give a golden color to the surface of the kunafa.
Step 7
Once the color of the knafeh crust is golden on the top as well, remove the Kunafa from the oven and let it cool in the baking pan for approximately 6 minutes.
Soak with Syrup and Garnish
Invert the Kunafa on a serving plate and pour the simple syrup evenly. Leave some syrup on the side. Some people love adding more syrup to their Kunafa. Garnish it with chopped or crushed pistachios.
💭 TIPS TO MAKE THE BEST KNAFEH
- Take the Kunafa dough out of the freezer 40 minutes before making the Kunafa. You can also place the frozen Knafeh dough in the fridge overnight to thaw.
- Do not use melted butter in this recipe; butter's flavor is not as strong as ghee, and with butter, the Kunafa might burn from the bottom instead of getting a golden color.
- Ensure to preheat the oven; it is essential to make crispy and delicious Authentic Knafeh.
- Instead of making homemade pastry cream, you can use the one sold in the Middle Eastern stores called Qeshta.
- Never pour hot syrup over hot Knafeh. The Kunafa will turn soggy. (I would still eat it, though!)
- Some add food coloring to make the Kunafa look more appetizing. Add a few drops from the food coloring in the ghee and mix well, then add it to the dough if you wish to use food coloring.
- If you are allergic to pistachios, use other nuts instead.
- You can make both the syrup and the pastry cream in advance. Refrigerate the syrup for up to a month, but the cream can only be refrigerated for 3 days.
📖 DELICIOUS VARIATIONS
Jibneh (Cheese-fillings): In some countries, like Lebanon, Palestine, and Syria, specific sweet cheese is used instead of ishtah. Popular ones include Akkawi or Nabulsi cheese. If you ever want to use these, soak them in water for at least 4 to 5 hours to draw out their saltiness since they’re naturally very salty. You can also use fresh mozzarella cheese.
Combination of cream and cheese: Some people prefer a combination and mix both the pastry cream (qeshta) with jibneh (cheese).
Contemporary versions: Nowadays, you’ll see people filling kunafah with chocolate, nuts, and even caramelized fruits such as apples.
Variations in Color: You’ll sometimes notice that the Kunafa you had was bright orange. This is because, in some countries, food coloring is added to it. If you prefer to add it, please read the notes in the recipe card below.
💬 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
All three spelling are accurate, and there are even other variations out there. Some variations of Kunafa include Knafeh, Kunefe (usually in Turkey), Kanafeh, Kanafa, Knefe, and Konafa.
Kataifi (or Kadaifi) is the Knafeh dough which is like strands and is a type of spun pastry. This string pastry dough itself is called Kataifi in Arabic.
To prep Kunafa ahead of time, make the syrup and pastry cream and let them cool down before putting them in the fridge. Cover the cream with plastic wrap by letting it directly touch the cream. Prep the Kunafa dough, cover it with plastic wrap, place it in a Ziplock bag, and refrigerate.
🍲 MORE MIDDLE EASTERN DESSERT
🌡️ STORING AND REHEATING
You can store leftover Knafeh in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. But just a fair warning, you’ll notice the pastry cream layer being absorbed by the Knafeh.
You can reheat refrigerated Kunafa in the oven at 350F/180C. Place it in an oven-friendly dish for 7 to 10 minutes, depending on how big the slice is.
I recommend reheating it in an oven to a microwave as it’ll give you a better crunchy texture. But if you want to use a microwave, place it in a microwave-friendly dish and heat it for 20 to 30 seconds.
📖 Recipe
Authentic Knafeh (Kunafa) Recipe
Ingredients
To Prep the Kunafa dough:
- 350 grams Kunafa dough
- 2 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar
- ¾ cup melted ghee
To Make the Egg-free Pastry Cream:
- 2 cup whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream do not whip it
- 4 tablespoon cornstarch
To Make the Simple Sugar Syrup:
- 2 cup sugar
- 1 ½ cup water
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice or rose water optional
For Garnishing:
- Crushed pistachios
Instructions
TO MAKE THE SYRUP:
- In a small pan, add the sugar and water, mix well, and bring to a boil. Let it boil for 9 minutes, but if you want the syrup to be thicker, boil for 13 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and add the rose water or the lemon juice; mix well. Some add lemon juice while the syrup is boiling, but it takes away the flavor of the lemon. Hence, I prefer adding it after turning off the heat.
- Allow the syrup to come to room temperature.
TO MAKE THE PASTRY CREAM:
- Add all the pastry cream ingredients, the milk, heavy cream, and cornstarch, in a saucepan and mix well.
- Place on medium heat and stir until it boils and becomes thick and creamy in texture. Turn off the heat.
MAKING THE KUNAFA
- Turn on the oven to 200C/400F.
- Cut the Kunafa dough into one inch long; you can also place the Kunafa dough in a food processor and pulse three to four times.
- Place the Kunafa dough in a large mixing bowl and try to separate the shredded Kunafa from sticking together with your hands.
- Add the confectioners’ sugar to the dough and mix with your hands.
- Pour half the ghee and mix well, making sure to coat all the dough by rubbing the dough between your fingers. Add the remaining half and mix well. The volume of the Kunafa dough will reduce a little after adding the ghee.
- Butter/grease a 10 or 9-inch baking pan generously. Even if the pan were nonstick, the grease or butter would give a golden color to the Kunafa when baking.
- Place a little more than half of the Kunafa dough into the greased pan and distribute evenly. Try to press the dough down and to the sides to create edges. To ensure that the Kunafa is pressed down properly, place parchment paper over the Kunafa, place a smaller pan (8 inches or 6 inches) over the parchment paper, and start pressing from the middle to the edges as shown in the video.
- Pour the pastry cream over the previously prepared Kunafa and, using a spatula, spread evenly.
- Distribute the remaining Kunafa dough over the pastry cream and gently press down with your hands.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 50 minutes, depending on how hot your oven gets. The goal here is to make the bottom of the Kunafa turn golden.
- Turn off the oven and turn on the broiler to give a golden color to the surface. In some ovens, you will not have to turn on the broiler since the heat is evenly distributed, but I have noticed that you need to turn on the broiler in most gas ovens.
- Remove the Kunafa from the oven, let it cool while in the baking pan for 6 minutes.
- Invert the Kunafa onto a serving plate and pour the syrup evenly on top of it. Leave some syrup on the side. Some people love adding more syrup to their Kunafa.
- Garnish with chopped or crushed pistachios.
- Serve hot or warm with coffee or tea.
Video
Notes
- Take the Kunafa dough out of the freezer 40 minutes before making the Kunafa.
- You can also place the frozen Kunafa dough in the fridge overnight to thaw.
- Do not use melted butter in this recipe, the flavor of butter is not as strong as ghee, and with butter, the Kunafa might burn from the bottom instead of getting a golden color.
- Make sure to preheat the oven; it is essential to make crispy and delicious Kunafa.
- Instead of making homemade pastry cream, you can use the one sold in the Middle Eastern stores called Qeshta.
- Never pour hot syrup over hot Kunafa. The Kunafa will turn soggy. (I would still eat it, though!)
- Some add food coloring to make the Kunafa look more appetizing. Add a few drops from the food coloring in the ghee and mix well, then add it to the dough if you wish to use food coloring.
- If you are allergic to pistachios, use other nuts instead.
- You can make both the syrup and the pastry cream in advance. More in the post above.
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