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Kunafa, Dessert

Kunafa

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Kunafa is made bymixing shredded kunafa dough with melted butter, pressing half into a pan,adding cream filling or mozzarella, and covering it with the remaining dough.It is baked until golden and crispy, then soaked with sugar syrup and toppedwith pistachios before serving warm.
Course Dessert
Cuisine Middle Eastern
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings 6
Author sumisculinarynotes

Ingredients

For the Kunafa:

  • 250  g kunafa dough kataifi pastry
  • 100  g unsalted butter or ghee melted
  • 4 tbsp powdered sugar

For the Cream Filling:

  • 1 cup 250 ml full-fat milk
  • 3 tbsp cornstarch
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • ½ cup 120 ml heavy cream (optional, for extra richness)
  • 1 tsp rose water or orange blossom water optional
  • Mozzarella cheese optional

For the Sugar Syrup (Attar):

  • ¾ cup 180 g sugar
  • ¾ cup 180 ml of water
  • ½ tsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp rose water or orange blossom water optional

For the Garnish:

  • Crushed pistachios or rose petals

Instructions

Prepare the Sugar Syrup (Attar)

  • In a small pot, combine the sugar and water. Bring to a gentle boil.
    3/4 cup 180 g sugar, 3/4 cup 180 ml of water
  • Add the lemon juice and let it simmer for 8–10 minutes, until slightly thickened.
    ½ tsp lemon juice
  • Stir in rose water or orange blossom water if using. Remove from the heat and let it cool completely.
    1 tsp rose water or orange blossom water
  • Let the syrup cool completely. Kunafa needs cold syrup on hot pastry.

Prepare the Cream Filling

  • In a saucepan, whisk together the milk, heavy cream (if using), cornstarch, and sugar until smooth.
    1 cup 250 ml full-fat milk, 2 tbsp sugar, ½ cup 120 ml heavy cream (optional, for extra richness), 3 tbsp cornstarch
  • Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens into a pudding-like cream.
  • Add 1 tsp rose water or orange blossom water if desired.
    1 tsp rose water or orange blossom water
  • Remove from heat and let it cool slightly.

Prepare the Kunafa Dough:

  • If using frozen kunafa dough, thaw it fully, then fluff it with your fingers to separate the strands.
    250  g kunafa dough
  • If your kunafa (kataifi) dough is long and tangled, you can use a food processor to make it easier to work with.
  • Alternatively, cut it into small stands with scissors.
  • Place the kunafa dough in a food processor in batches.
  • Pulse a few times until the strands are cut into small, short pieces. Don’t over-process — you want small strands, not a paste!
  • Transfer to a large bowl and fluff it up with your fingers. Add the powdered sugar and combine.
    4 tbsp powdered sugar
  • Pour the melted butter in parts — don’t dump it all at once. Pour a bit, mix well, then add more and repeat. Mix well so every strand is coated.
    100  g unsalted butter or ghee
  • Tip: If you prefer, you can also divide the kunafa into 2–3 bowls to coat smaller batches, then combine them back together.

Assemble the Kunafa:

  • Preheat your oven to 180°C.
  • Grease a round baking pan (8 inches in diameter) with butter or ghee.
  • Place half of the buttered kunafa dough into the pan. Press it down firmly with your hands or a flat cup.
  • Pour the warm cream filling over the base and spread evenly.
  • Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on the top. However this step is optional.
    Mozzarella cheese
  • Cover with the remaining kunafa dough and press gently to seal.

Bake:

  • Bake for about 30–40 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy.
  • If the bottom isn’t golden enough, place it on the stove over low heat for a few minutes to crisp it up.

Add the Syrup:

  • Once baked, immediately flip the kunafa onto a serving plate.
  • Pour the cooled sugar syrup evenly over the hot kunafa.

Garnish & Serve

  • Sprinkle with crushed pistachios or dried rose petals.
    Crushed pistachios or rose petals
  • Let it sit 5–10 minutes so the syrup absorbs.
  • Slice and serve warm.
  • Kunafa tastes best fresh and warm, when the top is crispy and the filling is creamy.

Notes

Detangling the kataifi pastry strands is important. Covering all the strands with the melted butter ensures their crispiness.
Kunafa tastes best fresh and warm — enjoy it with extra syrup if you like it sweeter! If reheating, warm it gently in the oven so it stays crispy instead of microwaving it.
Flip kunafa onto a serving plate right after taking it out of the oven, while it’s still hot.
This keeps the crispy side on top and prevents sticking.
Once flipped, pour the cooled syrup evenly over the hot kunafa so it absorbs properly.
Don’t overdo the syrup — too much can make it soggy.
Decorate with crushed pistachios, rose petals, or a drizzle of extra syrup for a classic look.
Make the sugar syrup (attar) ahead of time and let it cool completely.
Pouring cold syrup over hot kunafa helps keep it crisp while adding sweetness.