This healthier Knafeh recipe is my take on one of the most popular desserts in the Middle East. It’s much lighter than the traditional recipe with less sugar and fat. It’s also easier to make and happens to be vegan & dairy-free!
Knafeh, also spelled knafe or kunafa, is a traditional Middle Eastern dessert that is popular in various countries across the region, including Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan, Syria, and Iraq, where I grew up. It’s a sweet pastry made from shredded phyllo dough (or semolina dough) that is layered with cheese, typically a white cheese like Akkawi or mozzarella. The pastry is baked until golden and crispy, then soaked in a sugar syrup flavoured with rose water or orange blossom water, and sometimes sprinkled with crushed pistachios or other nuts.
Knafeh can be served warm or at room temperature, and it’s known for its contrasting textures of crunchy exterior and soft, gooey cheese inside, all soaked in fragrant syrup. It’s often enjoyed during festive occasions and special celebrations, and variations of knafeh can be found with different types of cheese or fillings, making it a beloved dessert across the Middle East.
Although typically made with cheese, there are different variations of Knafeh, some have a cream filling made with a milk-based custard that’s thickened with cornflour. That’s the variation I’m basing this healthier Knafeh recipe on. You can also get nut filled knafeh made with nuts like pistachios, walnuts, or almonds, sweetened with sugar and flavoured with spices like cinnamon or cardamom.
Why I love making this healthier Knafeh recipe:
Like many other desserts, Knafeh isn’t considered a healthy food due to its high sugar, fat, and calorie content. Made with pastry and drenched in a sweet sugary syrup. If you’ve ever had knafeh you’ll know how heavy it is even after taking a couple of bites. The butter in the pastry and the cheese filling adds to that and makes it rich in saturated fats.
My version is lighter in many ways. I only use 1 tbsp of sugar in the whole recipe to make the syrup. You have the option to add another 1/2 tbsp of sugar in the filling, but I opted not to as I don’t like my desserts overly sweet. Instead of hearty cheese, I’m using a plant-based milk (or you can use semi-skimmed milk) to make it lighter. I thickened it with cornflour to create a custard like mixture.
What you need to make this healthier Knafeh recipe:
Kataifi pastry – a unique type of pastry made from shredded filo dough. It’s popular in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines. The dough is made from flour, water, and a small amount of oil or butter. It’s heavily used to make Middle Eastern desserts and you can find it in your local ethnic/Asian/Middle Eastern food shop. It’s usually frozen, so you’ll need to cut off the amount you need and allow it to defrost at room temperature before use. It has a crispy and crunchy texture when toasted or baked.
Butter – I only used 1 tbsp to brown the pastry and add a bit of richness since I’m not using much fat in the cream.
Milk – You can use any milk you like, the creamier the milk the creamier the end result. I used oat milk because I didn’t want the cream to be too rich and heavy.
Cornflour – this will help thicken the milk to create a custard/cream filling to go in between the pastry layers.
Flavours – I used rose water, orange zest and cardamom, all 3 are commonly used in Knafeh. Since we’re not using much sugar, you need these strong flavours.
Pistachios – Traditionally Knafeh is almost always topped with pistachios. Not that I need an excuse to add pistachios to my recipes – they’re my favourite nut!
A simple syrup – this is an essential part of making Knafeh. Without it, the Kataifi pastry will be too dry. Besides, we need a bit of sweetness since we’re not adding any form of sweetener to the rest of the recipe.
How to make this healthier Knafeh recipe:
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Start off by making the simple syrup – pour the syrup ingredients into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and allow to simmer for a few minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool down completely.
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Cut the Kataifi pastry into fine pieces. Melt 1 tbsp of butter in a frying pan, then add the pastry. Cook on a medium heat stirring continuously until it becomes golden brown in colour.
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To make the cream filling, pour the milk into a pan and add the cornflour. Mix until the cornflour has dissolved (off the heat). Turn the heat on medium and add the rose water, orange zest and cardamom. You can also add an optional 1/2 tbsp of sugar for a sweeter knafeh.
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Continue cooking while stirring until the mixture starts to thicken. Remove from the heat.
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Cover the bottom of a ramekin with 1/2 the pastry mixture, then pour the cream mixture on top. Top with the remaining pastry and sprinkle on the pistachios.
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Bake in a 180C/160C fan/350F oven for 10 minutes. Or you can use an air-fryer.
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Pour over the cooled syrup before serving and enjoy! You can decorate with a few edible rose petals if desired.
How to store your healthier Knafeh recipe:
This healthier Knafeh recipe is best served straight away while still warm. If you have any leftover, cover and store in the fridge, then reheat in the oven before serving.
This healthier Knafeh recipe is:
- Vegan
- Healthier
- Lower in sugar
- Lower in Fat
- Lighter than regular Knafeh
- Tasty while being better for you
- Easy to make
- Made for only 2, so there’s no leftovers or waste
Healthier Knafeh Recipe
Ingredients
For the pastry
- 40g Kataifi pastry*
- 1 tbsp butter
For the cream filling
- 235ml milk of choice I used oat milk
- 2 tbsp cornflour
- 1/4 tsp cardamom powder
- Zest of 1/2 orange
- 1 tsp rose water
- 1 tbsp pistachios
- 1/2 tbsp caster sugar optional
For the syrup
- 60ml water
- 1 tbsp caster sugar
- 1/2 tsp rose water
Instructions
- Start off by making the simple syrup - pour the syrup ingredients into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and allow to simmer for a few minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool down completely.
- Cut the Kataifi pastry into fine pieces. Melt 1 tbsp of butter in a frying pan, then add the pastry. Cook on a medium heat stirring continuously until it becomes golden brown in colour.
- To make the cream filling, pour the milk into a pan and add the cornflour. Mix until the cornflour has dissolved (off the heat). Turn the heat on medium and add the rose water, orange zest and cardamom. You can also add an optional 1/2 tbsp of sugar for a sweeter knafeh.
- Continue cooking while stirring until the mixture starts to thicken. Remove from the heat.
- Cover the bottom of a ramekin with 1/2 the pastry mixture, then pour the cream mixture on top. Top with the remaining pastry and sprinkle on the pistachios.
- Bake in a 180C/160C fan/350F oven for 10 minutes. Or you can use an air-fryer.
- Pour over the cooled syrup before serving and enjoy! You can decorate with a few edible rose petals if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
A but skeptical, but will give a try ….
Kunafa is one of my all time favourite desserts. I haven’t had it in years because of the high sugar content. This was such a delicious alternative. No where as sweet, but in a good way. Thank you for sharing your beautiful creations for all of us to enjoy 🙂 🙂 🙂
So quick and easy to make. love that it’s a small portion. I live on my own and the last thing i need is a big tray of knafeh! This was just right and tastes really good too.