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Kunāfah | Traditional Sweet Pastry From Egypt | TasteAtlas
Kunāfah | Traditional Sweet Pastry From Egypt | TasteAtlas
Kunāfah | Traditional Sweet Pastry From Egypt | TasteAtlas
Kunāfah | Traditional Sweet Pastry From Egypt | TasteAtlas
Kunāfah | Traditional Sweet Pastry From Egypt | TasteAtlas

Kunāfah

(Kanafeh Nabulsieh, Künefe, Konafah, Knafeh, Konafa, Künefe hatay, Kunafeh)

Kunāfah consists of two crunchy layers of shredded and buttered kataifi or knefe dough, filled with a luscious cheese cream that's often flavored with orange zest and cardamom, then drenched in a sugar syrup infused with lemon juice and orange blossom water.


Turkish künefe is traditionally made with Hatay, Urfa, or Antep cheese. It is usually topped with pistachios and is best served warm. Elegant and amazingly simple to make, this dessert is nothing short of what cheese-filled pastry dreams are made of.


Some authors speculate that it originated from the pre-Islamic Syria, while others claim that the Palestinian city of Nablus is its birthplace - hence the name kanafeh nabulsieh. Nevertheless, this decadent dessert has been a part of a long culinary tradition in Türkiye and Egypt, and it is listed as one of Egypt's national dishes.

and  6 more countries

Types of Kunāfah

Serve with

Dairy Product

Kaymak

This traditional Turkish dairy product is thought to have origins among the Turkic people of Central Asia. A bit later, it has spread across the Middle East, the Balkans,... Read more

Recipe variations

  • 4.9

    Cream Kunāfah

    READY IN 1h 40min

    Written by the famous, Egyptian-born cookbook author Claudia Roden, this recipe was adapted from her The New Book of Middle Eastern Food, one of the many she wrote on the subject. In this variant, the filling is made with heavy cream, milk, sugar, and rice flour. Claudia Roden suggests using only half of the prepared sugar syrup for drizzling the kunāfah and serving the other half to the guests who like their kunāfah extra juicy.

  • 4.9

    Ricotta Kunāfah

    READY IN 1h

    The following recipe shows how to make the kunāfah with ricotta cheese. Also, this recipe calls for more cheese than usual, and the sweetness can be adjusted to taste by using the amount of syrup to your liking. If you cannot find special kunāfah dough, substitute it with kataifi pastry, available in most oriental food stores.

  • 4.9

    Kunāfah with Mixed Nuts

    READY IN 2h 25min

    In this variant, the filling is made from a combination of pistachios, walnuts or almonds, which can be combined to taste. We advise not to keep the kunāfah in the fridge because the pastry will go from juicy to soggy.

Kunāfah Authentic recipe

PREP 40min
COOK 1h
READY IN 1h 40min

Written by the famous, Egyptian-born cookbook author Claudia Roden, this recipe was adapted from her The New Book of Middle Eastern Food, one of the many she wrote on the subject. In this variant, the filling is made with heavy cream, milk, sugar, and rice flour. Claudia Roden suggests using only half of the prepared sugar syrup for drizzling the kunāfah and serving the other half to the guests who like their kunāfah extra juicy.

WHERE TO EAT The best Kunāfah in the world (according to food experts)

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