Knafeh

Knafeh is a delicious Middle Eastern dessert made with shredded phyllo dough, sweet cheese, and a fragrant orange blossom syrup.

Vegetarian Dessert Middle Eastern Easy Traditional Crowd Pleaser
Knafeh

Ingredients

  • 1 package (16 oz) shredded phyllo dough
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
  • 1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup orange blossom water
  • 1/2 cup pistachios, chopped
  • Orange food coloring (optional)
  • Simple syrup (1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup water, 1 tbsp lemon juice)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
  2. In a large bowl, mix the shredded phyllo dough with the melted butter until well combined.
  3. Press half of the phyllo mixture into the bottom of a greased 9x13 inch baking dish to form the bottom crust.
  4. In another bowl, mix the mozzarella cheese, ricotta cheese, sugar, and orange blossom water.
  5. Spread the cheese mixture over the phyllo crust in the baking dish.
  6. Top the cheese mixture with the remaining phyllo mixture, pressing it down gently.
  7. If desired, add a few drops of orange food coloring to the top layer of phyllo.
  8. Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, or until the knafeh is golden brown and crispy.
  9. While the knafeh is baking, prepare the simple syrup by boiling the sugar, water, and lemon juice until the sugar is dissolved.
  10. Once the knafeh is done, remove it from the oven and immediately pour the simple syrup over the hot knafeh.
  11. Sprinkle the chopped pistachios on top of the knafeh.
  12. Allow the knafeh to cool for 10 minutes before cutting it into squares and serving.

Cooking & Preparation

Preparation time:
20 minutes
Cooking time:
40 minutes
Total time:
1 hour
Cooking method
Oven

Nutritional facts per 1 serving

Calories
300 per serving
Carbohydrates
35g
Protein
8g
Fat
15g

Supplies

9x13 inch baking dish Bowl Whisk Saucepan

Tools

Oven Mixing spoon Knife Cutting board

Serving suggestions

Serve knafeh warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a drizzle of extra orange blossom syrup.

Tips & tricks

For a shortcut, use pre-made simple syrup instead of making it from scratch.

Cost

$15