This is a Middle Eastern delight, crispy kunafa pastry stuffed with an easy homemade cream with the most delightful sugar syrup drizzled on top. This is one of my favorite desserts!
Kunafa is especially popular during Ramadan, when we break our fast with lots of delicious desserts, but I could eat this literally any day.
This was inspired by my easy mozzarella cheese kunafa. An age old question is if you prefer kunafa with cream or cheese- from my end, both are delicious, so definitely try out both recipes! This kunafa pairs amazingly well with a cup of chai karak.
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Ingredients
- Sugar: both for the sugar syrup and to slightly sweeten the cream filling
- Rose water and Orange blossom syrup: two very commonly used ingredients in Middle Eastern desserts, you’ll find them in any Middle Eastern supermarket or online. You’ll use this in the sugar syrup and the cream filling.
- Lemon juice: Just a squeeze for the sugar syrup
- Milk: Use whole milk (full fat)
- Heavy cream (also known as whipping cream): to enrichen the cream
- Cornstarch (cornflour): to thicken the cream into a pudding
- Semolina: this is optional, I like the texture it brings to the cream, but instead, you can just add more cornstarch.
- Kunafa dough: you’ll find this in the freezer section, but thaw before using. This is also known as kataifi dough.
- Ghee: clarified butter, for mixing with the kunafa dough. You can also just substitute melted butter.
- Pistachios: I like using roughly chopped pistachios for garnish, you can also use pistachio powder or slivers or leave this out entirely.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to make kunafa with cream:
- Step 1: Add the sugar, milk, cream, cornstarch, and semolina to a saucepan and whisk to combine.
- Step 2: Place this saucepan on a stove burner over medium high heat and whisk until mixture comes to a boil.
- Step 3: Remove from the heat to cool slightly and mix in rose and orange blossom water.
- Step 4: Drizzle the melted ghee onto the kunafa dough.
- Step 5: Mix until thoroughly coated.
- Step 6: Lightly grease a 12 inch pan with ghee or melted butter.
- Step 7: Tightly press in 2/3 of the kunafa dough.
- Step 8: Spread the cream filling evenly over the top of this dough.
- Step 9: Press the remaining kunafa dough gently on top.
- Step 10: Bake until golden brown, 45 minutes on the bottom rack and another 15 minutes on the upper rack.
Hint: I like using kitchen scissors to really cut my kunafa into little strands, it’ll make it easier to bite into once it’s ready to eat!
How do I know when my kunafa is done?
This is quite a deep dish kunafa, so it may take a while in the oven. Don’t take it out until it’s golden brown on top, and if you lift a piece away from the edge and check, it’s also golden brown on the bottom.
How to serve:
Kunafa is best served warm, with extra sugar syrup on the side. I like mine drenched in sugar syrup!
- For the sugar syrup – You can make it a couple of weeks in advance and store in the fridge, bring to room temperature before serving.
- Chopped pistachios – I like topping with plenty of chopped roasted pistachios, but you can also use pistachio slivers or pistachio powder.
Storing Leftovers:
Kunafa is best enjoyed fresh, although you can reheat 2-3 day old slices in a hot oven. You can freeze unbaked kunafa for up to 2 months, tightly wrapped. When ready to bake, thaw on the counter while you heat the oven, then bake as directed.
Variations:
- Cheese and cream kunafa – You can make this kunafa ultra decadent by adding 2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese on top of the cream layer and having a cheesy creamy kunafa.
- Tweaking the cream filling – You can omit the mastic gum entirely, and add more or less rose and orange blossom water according to your preference.
See the cheese only version on my website! I also love using muffin pans to make mini kunafas.
Expert tips and tricks:
- I really like using kitchen scissors to shred the kunafa dough, otherwise it takes forever with a chopping knife and board.
- Take care to coat the kunafa evenly with the melted ghee or butter, so that the dough turns an even golden color in the oven.
- This is quite a deep dish kunafa, so it’ll take a while for the dough to brown all over, don’t rush it, and check the bottom of the kunafa to make sure it’s golden.
- Pour the cooled syrup over the hot kunafa to get the perfect texture, where the kunafa doesn’t get soggy.
Top Tip
Keep stirring the cream filling as it cooks, so you don’t get lumps and it doesn’t burn on the bottom. It shouldn’t take long to thicken at all, and it’ll thicken further as it cools.
Recipe FAQs:
You can prepare the kunafa and tightly wrap and store it in the fridge for a few hours before baking.
The dough isn’t sweetened at all, and the cream filling is barely sweetened, so you definitely need the sugar syrup. You can add less of it though if you want a less sweet kunafa.
I have a great recipe for a cheese filled kunafa here.
You can divide the ingredients between two 8 inch or 9 inch pans and make two smaller sized kunafas, or bake one kunafa and freeze the other.
If you liked this recipe, you might like:
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with [this recipe]:
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Kunafa with Cream
Ingredients
For the sugar syrup:
- 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar 500g
- 1 1/4 cups water 300ml
- squeeze fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon orange blossom water
- 1 tablespoon rose water
For the cream filling:
- 3 tablespoon granulated sugar
- pinch of mastic gum, optional (mistika) see notes
- 2 cups whole milk 500ml
- 1 cup heavy cream (whipping cream) 250ml
- 4 tablespoon cornstarch (cornflour)
- 2 tablespoon fine semolina- or add an extra 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 3 teaspoon rose water
- 3 teaspoon orange blossom water
For the kunafa crust:
- 500 g kunafa (kataifi) pastry, thawed 1 lb
- 1 cup ghee, melted or melted butter, plus a little more for greasing the pan. 226g
For garnishing:
- 1/4 cup chopped pistachios
- 2 tablespoon drieed rose petals, optional
Instructions
Make the sugar syrup (up to 1 week in advance)
- In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, water and lemon juice. Set on a stovetop over medium high heat. Stir just to combine then let it be. If the sugar isn’t dissolving you can stir a couple times but as soon as it starts to boil stop stirring.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and let it simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from stove immediately once 10 minutes is over. It should have thickened to the consistency of maple syrup.
- Once off the heat, stir in the rosewater and orange blossom water, and transfer to a container to cool.
For the cream filling:
- If using the mastic gum, add it to a small ziploc bag with the sugar and roll with a rolling pin to crush into a fine powder. If not using mastic gum, ignore this step.
- Add the sugar (and mastic gum), the milk, cream, cornstarch and semolina if using to a medium saucepan and whisk until combine. Place this saucepan on a stove burner over medium high heat and whisk until mixture comes to a boil.
- Boil for one minute, whisking constantly, then remove from the heat and mix in the orange blossom and rose water. Cool while you prepare the kunafa dough.
To assemble and bake:
- Preheat the oven to 390F (200C). Place the oven rack near the lower third of the oven.
- Use kitchen scissors to cut the kunafa dough into 1/2 inch strands, placing these in a large bowl.
- Pour the melted ghee or butter over the kunafa dough, and toss thoroughly to combine. Set aside.
- Generously grease a deep 12 inch pan with additional ghee (or you can make two 9 inch kunafas, bake one and freeze one). Tightly press in 2/3 of the kunafa dough.
- Spread the cream filling evenly over the top of this dough, then top with the remaining kunafa dough.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes on the bottom rack of the oven, then transfer to the upper rack and bake for another 10-15 minutes until deep golden brown. Use a spoon to lift the kunafa up to check that the bottom has browned before removing from the oven.
- Immediately after baking, pour half of the sugar syrup on top evenly in a circular motion. Let the kunafa sit and soak in the syrup for 10 minutes, then garnish with chopped pistachios and dried rose petals. Serve with extra syrup on the side.
Video
Notes
- I really like using kitchen scissors to shred the kunafa dough, otherwise it takes forever with a chopping knife and board.
- Take care to coat the kunafa evenly with the melted ghee or butter, so that the dough turns an even golden color in the oven.
- This is quite a deep dish kunafa, so it’ll take a while for the dough to brown all over, don’t rush it, and check the bottom of the kunafa to make sure it’s golden.
- Pour the cooled syrup over the hot kunafa to get the perfect texture, where the kunafa doesn’t get soggy.
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