Easy Cheese Knafeh Recipe
Knafeh (also spelled Knaffeh and Knaffa) is a Middle Eastern cheese pastry whose popularity has spread beyond the region. This version of the Knafeh recipe is baked rather than fried and features ground nuts. Here’s how to prepare it.
Knafeh (Arabic: قنفح) is a Middle Eastern pastry typically made with cheese and special syrup. This classic Arab dessert is not only a tasty treat but also a great way to impress guests.
There are many ways to make and enjoy this dessert. However, we bring you a very simple and delicious baked version of Knafeh. Trust me, it’s easier than the fried version.
Why make this dessert?
- It is a sweet dessert made with sugar syrup, so what’s not to love about it!!
- It’s usually not easy to find this unless you go to a Middle Eastern restaurant.
- While the store-bought stale and cold version is still delicious, having this freshly made, warm out of the oven, is a treat you will never forget.
- Most of the ingredients are easy to find, except the kadaiff, which can be found in the frozen section of supermarkets or Middle Eastern shops.
- Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to a week. Or it can also be frozen for months!
- There are three components to this dessert. The ratio of each can be customized to your personal preference. These are standard measurements, great to use if you are making it for the first time.
- The kataifi – Is cooked vermicelli threads that are buttered and baked to make them toasty. Some like less vermicelli with more cheese and vice versa.
- Cheese – Is also a personal preference. Use more or less to your preference. Some like more or all mozzarella!
- Sugar syrup – Again, how sweet you want this is completely up to you!
Ingredients and substitutes
- Kataifi dough – It can be made from scratch with flour, cornstarch, oil, salt, and water. The batter is then cooked in a nonstick pan through a squeeze bottle to make thin threads. However, similar to filo or puff pastry, you can buy kataifi dough in the frozen section of most supermarkets. It looks like very fine vermicelli threads all stuck together.
- Nuts – I am using pistachios today, but walnuts or other crushed nuts work just as well.
- Cheese – A great combination is equal parts of Akawai, mozzarella, and panela, but you can use any ratio of these. Using more mozzarella will make it very stringy, which looks pretty but not authentic. Most importantly, make sure the cheese does not contain excess moisture, or it will make the pastry soggy.
- Syrup – Made with sugar, honey, and rose water, gives the dessert its authentic flavor. You can use more honey instead of sugar, of course.
- Flavoring – Like most Middle Eastern desserts, this one also had rose water and orange blossoms. You can find these in the Asian or Middle Eastern food aisle of the supermarket.
- Color – While you can make this without any added artificial color, adding orange or red powdered food colors makes these more authentic.
Step-by-step: Baked Knafeh Recipe
- Oven – Preheat the oven to 375F/190 C/ Gas Mark 5
- Pan – In a small bowl, combine the room temperature butter and powdered food color. Using a pastry brush, coat the inside of an 8-inch oven-safe skillet or 8-inch round cake pan with the colored butter. Set aside.
Pro tip – Be generous with the butter as it will make the pastry nice and crisp!
- Kataifi – Transfer the kataifi dough to the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times. Do not make it too fine. Transfer the kataifi to a large bowl and pour melted butter. Using your hands or two spoons, toss the crushed kataifi so every strand is coated in butter. Set aside.
Pro tip – I prefer to crush the pastry with my hands in a large bowl. This gives more volume and looks nicer. If you plan to dye the dough, you can add the powdered food color to the dough along with the butter. - Cheese – In a large bowl, combine all the cheeses and add the sugar. Set aside.
- Syrup – In a small saucepan, combine the syrup ingredients. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 3 to 5 minutes until thick. Set aside.
Pro tip – Do not make the syrup too thick, as it will just make parts of the pastry too sweet, leaving some parts unsweetened.
Assemble
- First layer – Divide the kataifi into two. Layer the first half at the bottom of the prepared, greased skillet/baking pan. Press down with the flat bottom of a glass or measuring cup.
- Cheese – Pour the prepared cheese mixture on top and make sure to leave an inch away from the edges.
Pro tip – The cheese must be in the center so it does not ooze out from the edges. - Second layer – Top with the remaining kataifi dough and press down with the back of a glass or measuring cup.
Pro tip – To make it crispy, brush the top with any remaining melted butter.
- Bake – Transfer the pan to the oven and bake on the center rack for 30 to 35 minutes or until lightly golden brown.
- Syrup – As soon as you take the baked pastry out of the oven, generously pour the room-temperature syrup over the hot pastry. Leave to soak for 10 minutes.
- Invert – To invert the pastry, place a plate over the pan and flip it over.
Pro tip – Make sure to use a plate larger than the circumference of the pan and wait for all the syrup to be fully soaked into the pastry. - Garnish – Garnish the top with crushed nuts. I like to serve this dessert warm with ice cream on top.
Tips for Success
- Kadaifi dough is already cooked pastry, but baking it makes it lovely and crisp.
- Coat the kadaifi dough in butter well so each and every piece is almost coated in it. This way, you will get a nice crisp crust.
- The cheese is the best part of the dessert, but make sure it does not have excess moisture. Excess moisture can give a very soggy pastry.
- Baking makes it easier, since you don’t need to flip the pastry on the stovetop.
- Make sure the sugar syrup is not too thick; otherwise, the pastry will be very sticky.
- You can reduce the syrup or even substitute it with honey syrup.
- This dessert is best served warm to keep the cheese soft and stringy.
- The texture of the cheese will depend on the variety of cheese you use. For example, Mozzarella gives long, cheesy strings as compared to some other varieties.
Variations
- Cheese – Try different types of cheese, from ricotta to goat cheese. So, you can make a ricotta knafeh or goat cheese knafeh.
- Honey knafeh – Use honey instead of sugar to make the syrup.
- Custard knafeh – Instead of cheese, use thickened pastry cream for the filling.
More Middle Eastern recipes
Frequently asked questions
What is knafeh dough?
The pastry used for knafeh is a dough called kadaif. Similar to filo or puff pastry, you can buy kataifi dough in the frozen section of most supermarkets. It looks like very fine vermicelli threads all stuck together.
Can you make homemade kadaif?
Yes. It can be made from scratch with flour, cornstarch, oil, salt, and water. The batter is then cooked in a nonstick pan through a squeeze bottle to make thin threads. I think this recipe for the homemade version looks promising!
Cheese for knafeh?
Ideally, you can use a combination of cheeses. Most authentic would be a combination of Akawi and mozzarella. Some versions also include Panela cheese. In fact, in the Middle East, we get a prepackaged bag of Knafeh cheese.
Cheese Knafeh Recipe
Knafeh (also spelled Knaffeh and Knaffa) is a Middle Eastern cheese pastry whose popularity has spread beyond the region. This version of Knafeh recipe is baked rather than fried and features ground nuts. Here's how to prepare it.
Video
Ingredients
Pastry
- 12 oz (340 g) Kataifi dough
- ½ cup (113 g) Melted butter
- ½ tsp Orange powdered food color Optional
Cheese filling
- 8 oz (226 g) Akawi cheese shredded or more mozzarella
- 4 oz (113 g) Mozzarella cheese drained and shredded
- 4 oz (113 g) Panella cheese shredded
- ¼ cup (50 g) Sugar
Sugar syrup
- ¾ cup (175 ml) Water
- 1 cup (200 g) Sugar
- 1 tbsp Rose water
- 2 tbsp Orange blossom water
- 2 tbsp Lemon juice
Pan
- 2 tbsp Soft butter
- ½ tsp Orange or red powdered food color
- ½ cup (70 g) Crushed nuts pistachio, walnuts, etc
Method
- Oven – Preheat the oven to 375F/190C/ Gas Mark 5
- Pan – In a small bowl, combine the room temperature butter and powdered food color. Using a pastry brush coat the inside of an 8-inch oven-safe skillet or 8-inch round cake pan with the colored butter. Set aside.Pro tip – Be generous with the butter as it will make the pastry nice and crisp!2 tbsp Soft butter, ½ tsp Orange or red powdered food color
- Kataifi – Transfer the kataifi dough to the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times. Do not make it too fine. Transfer the kataifi to a large bowl and pour melted butter. Using your hands or two spoons, toss the crushed kataifi so every strand is coated in butter. Set aside.Pro tip – I prefer to crush the pastry with my hands in a large bowl. This gives more volume and looks nicer. If you plan to dye the dough, you can add the powdered food color to the dough along with the butter.12 oz Kataifi dough, ½ cup Melted butter, ½ tsp Orange powdered food color
- Cheese – In a large bowl, combine all the cheeses and add the sugar. Set aside.8 oz Akawi cheese, 4 oz Mozzarella cheese , 4 oz Panella cheese, ¼ cup Sugar
- Syrup – In a small saucepan, combine the syrup ingredients. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 3 to 5 minutes until thick. Set aside. Pro tip – Do not make the syrup too thick as it will just make parts of the pastry too sweet leaving some parts unsweetened.¾ cup Water, 1 cup Sugar, 1 tbsp Rose water, 2 tbsp Orange blossom water, 2 tbsp Lemon juice
Assemble
- First layer – Divide the kataifi into two. Layer the first half in the bottom of the prepared greased skillet/baking pan. Press down with the flat bottom of a glass or measuring cup.
- Cheese – Pour the prepared cheese mixture on top and make sure to leave an inch away from the edges. Pro tip – The cheese must be in the center so it does not ooze out from the edges.
- Second layer – Top with the remaining kataifi dough and press down with the back of a glass or measuring cup. Pro tip – To make it crispy brush the top with any remaining melted butter.
- Bake – Transfer the pan to the oven and bake on the center rack for 30 to 35 minutes or until lightly golden brown.
- Syrup – As soon as you take the baked pastry out of the oven, generously pour the room-temperature syrup over the hot pastry. Leave to soak for 10 minutes.
- Invert – To invert the pastry, place a plate over the pan and flip it over. Pro tip – Make sure to use a plate larger than the circumference of the pan and wait for all the syrup to be fully soaked into the pastry.
- Garnish – Garnish the top with crushed nuts. I like to serve this dessert warm with ice cream on top.½ cup Crushed nuts
Notes
- Kadaifi dough is already cooked pastry but baking it makes it lovely and crisp.
- Coat the kadaifi dough in butter well so each and every pieces is almost coated in it. This way you will get a nice crisp crust
- The cheese is the best part of the dessert but make sure it does not have excess moisture. Excess moisture can give a very soggy pastry.
- Baking makes it easier without the need to flip the pastry when doing it on the stovetop.
- Make sure the sugar syrup is not too thick otherwise the pastry will be very sticky.
- You can reduce the syrup or even substitute it with honey syrup,
- This dessert is best served warm so it keep the cheese soft and stringy.
- The texture of the cheese will depend on the variety of cheese you use. For example, Mozzarella gives long cheesy strings as compared to some other varieties.
I probably wrote the same in another recipe of yours but must repeat it. I really enjoy your site. It has such great information. I love to visit because I always learn something new. This recipe is beautiful, and I will follow your instructions and make the Knafeh. How can I not? It looks so good! Thanks so much for your recipes!
Thank you for the lovely feedback, Jenny.
This is such an impressive dessert. Beautiful presentation too. I have never had this before but I’d love to make it myself…I know my family would also love this. As always, beautiful recipe, Veena!
This is perfect!! It was such a hit at my house. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe 🙂
Thank you Cathleen.
This looks amazing and tastes it too. Super impressive dish to serve to the inlaws! Thanks so much for the inspo Veena
This was so good, a total hit in the family. loved the recipe.
Thank you, Savita
I am a half Jordanian and knafeh is one of my favorite arab dessert. My Father made this recipe and the first time I tried it melted my mouth. One of the most try sweets in the world
I am a half Jordanian and knafeh is one of my favorite arab dessert. My Father made this recipe and the first time I tried it melted my mouth. One of the most try sweets in the world.
Thank you so much, Saif. I am so happy to hear your feedback.
I’ve never used kataifi dough before and I can’t wait to try this recipe. Definitely a new idea to try.
Its an outstanding unique recipe and we all loved it at my house. Well explained and flavorful 🙂
Thank you!
What an absolutely glorious dish!