Knafeh Na’ameh is the most famous Palestinian dessert. The crust is made with semolina dough, stuffed with a sweet cheese filling, and topped with simple syrup and pistachios. Almost every region in the Middle East has its variation of it. Kunafa has become so ubiquitous now that you can find it in frozen supermarkets, but nothing compares to homemade. The quality is unmatched. How can I describe this dessert to you? This Knafeh is delicately crunchy yet smooth with a layer of gooey sweet cheese and a drizzle of simple syrup.
What is Kunafa?
Knafeh, also spelled Kunafa or knafa, is a Middle Eastern sweet cheese pastry originating in Nablus, Palestine, most known for its Knafeh Na’meh. Some of the best in the world can be found in the streets of Nablus. I am not even kidding. It is incredible. It is a must-try if you ever have the chance. Now, there are two kinds of kunafa. Knafeh Na’ameh (fine kunafa) and Knafeh Khishneh (coarse kunafa). Knafeh Na’meh is made with semolina flour, and Khishneh is made with Kataifi dough, also known as kunafa pastry. Both are tasty and similar, yet have slight differences. The dessert is topped with a simple syrup delicately scented with rose or orange blossom water.
My mom is known for her Knafeh Na’meh among our family and friends. It’s the dessert that is most requested whenever she hosts, kunafa Nabulsi! I’ve learned a lot by just watching her, and I am excited to share this recipe with you to make your knafa at home.
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What is knafeh made of?
Knafeh is ultimately a layer of some dough or pastry, whether kataifi or, in this cake, semolina flour with Ap flour that is finely pulsed and a layer of gooey cheese topped with simple syrup and pistachios.
Knafeh Cheese Filling:
- Sweet Cheese- This is the famous original filling for knafeh. To some, sweet cheese isn’t a common ingredient, but in Middle Eastern cuisine, it’s also often used in desserts like qatayef. You can find this in the fridge or freezer section of the Arab grocery store or international supermarkets. Often it is found next to frozen kataifi or phyllo.
- Mozzarella cheese—We use fresh mozzarella, which is subtle in flavor but adds that stretch-pull factor to this nostalgic dessert. Be sure to pat the moisture out of the cheeses you use for this dessert.
- Kunafa Coloring– This is technically optional but when you think of knafeh-you think of an orange tinted dessert. This pastry coloring is what gives it the known look- a little goes a long way. The ghee in the recipe is mixed with this coloring to coat the pan before laying the dough.
Knafeh Dough:
- Fine Semolina– This is another common ingredient in our cuisine-there is coarse and fine semolina. Coarse semolina is used in desserts like basbousa, while fine semolina is vital for this knafeh dough. The all-purpose flour is the main component of the dough, but the semolina is necessary to tie it together and give it an authentic texture.
- All Purpose Flour– This is the main ingredient for the kunafa na’ameh dough-think of it as the base for the dessert.
- Butter and water—These liquid components bind the dough together, making it cohesive and spreadable in the pan.
- Corn Starch– Allows for the knafeh result to be crisp and slightly crunch on the outside.
- Dry Milk Powder– Often this ingredient is used in baked goods for better results. I use it in my easy multi-purpose dough recipe, too.
- Baking Powder– Leavning agent used to give the dough a bit of rise and a slightly cakey like texture.
How to make Knafeh?
Knafeh overall is a straight forward dessert to make. However, there are some steps to be mindful of when assembling the knafeh to ensure complete success. I’ve put together a small collage demonstrating how to prepare the homemade knafeh naameh dough and construct the knafeh layers for a fantastic result.
Chef Tips for Knafeh Success:
- Make sure to finely pulse the knafeh dough for the best result. I typically pulse it for 2 minutes on medium-high until it resembles fine crumbs, as seen above.
- It is very important to grease the pan you use very well on all sides to ensure the knafeh doesn’t stick when flipped over to serve.
- Kunafa coloring is optional and unnecessary, but it gives the nostalgic look of an authentic knafeh.
- Make sure to shake the pan a bit to loosen the knafeh from all edges after baking to ensure it will come out without sticking. When you go to flip the pan onto the serving plate; don’t hesitate-just do it quickly!
- This dessert is best served fresh with simple syrup and pistachios on top.
Can I make Nabulsi Knafeh in advance?
Yes, you can prepare bough the dough and filling and freeze or prepare the entire dish and freeze. Often, i will freeze leftover knafeh dough and sweet cheese filling to make knafeh in the near future.
Here are some other popular Middle Eastern desserts on my blog you should try:
Basbouseh (Semolina Cake, Ghraybeh, Ma’amoul, Aish El Saraya, Layali Lubnan
Please Leave a Review & Rating
I’m excited for you to try this authentic Palestinian Knafeh recipe! If you try my recipes, please leave a star rating and/ or review in the comment section below. I love hearing from you. Feel free to leave any questions or comments below as well. You can share your remakes with me on Instagram!
Knafeh Na’ameh
Ingredients
- 1 package Zdan Sweet Cheese crumbled, completely drained of any moisture
- 1/4 cup Ghee melted
- 1 tsp Kunafa Coloring optional
- 8 ounces Fresh Mozarella crumbled, completely drained of any moisture, make sure to use fresh as it will melt better
Dough Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour
- 1/2 cup Fine Semolina
- 1/2 cup Corn Starch
- 1/2 cup Dried Milk Powder
- 1/8 tsp Turmeric
- 1/2 cup Crisco butter or room temperature/semi soft unsalted butter melt for 25 seconds until semi melted.
- 1/2 tbsp Baking Powder
- 1.5 cups Room temperature water mix the turmeric with this water
Garnish
- 1/3 cup Crushed Pistachio
- Simple Syrup See below to learn how to make it
Instructions
- First, combine the dough ingredients in a kitchenaid with a paddle adjustment or by hand or with a kitchen utensil.
- Spread the dough mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Let it be about an inch thick. Don't worry if the dough seems not as smooth. It will eventually get crumbled.
- Bake in a 300 F oven for 25 minutes until it has dried. It shouldn't be browned but rather just baked to get dry. Then set it room temperature to cool. Once cooled, crumble in a food processor until very fine.
- To the bottom of a 14 inch round baking pan (I used Wilton cake pan)(you want a little barrier to your pan), add the ghee with the kanafeh coloring and spread very well on the bottom and edges of the pan so the knafeh won't stick. The ghee will add great flavor too. Make sure there is enough ghee to coat your pan very well.
- Spread out 3/4 of the dough mixture or all of it if you have an even bigger tray. Just make sure the entire bottom is covered with the knafeh dough about 1.5 inches deep. Most importantly, make sure you pat down the dough very well into the ghee and have an even layer. Press down hard. You can do so by putting parchment paper on top of the dough and using a plate to press the dough into the bottom of the pan. This is very important so the knafeh does not crumble upon flipping.
- Then, add the crumbled Arabic sweet cheese all over leaving just the edges without any cheese. Make sure the cheese has no moisture before using and be sure to pat down the cheese very well into the dough. Then, do the same with the fresh mozzarella.
- Cover with aluminum foil and bake in a 450 F oven for 20-25 minutes on the bottom rack. After 20-25 minutes, check to see if cheese is melted and edges appear browned. If not, give it a few more minutes but keep an eye on it. The knafeh is ready when you are able to move the pan and if you feel the bottom is loosened and moves a bit.
- Once ready, remove the foil. Loosen the edges with a spatula or butter knife. Slightly jiggle the pan and see if it completely loosened. Then, using a slightly bigger plate/baking sheet than the one you baked in; you will flip over the knafeh onto it.
- Do this by placing the larger plate on top of the knafeh. Using oven mits hold the pan and quickly flip and gently place. This is why it is very important to loosen the knafeh before flipping. Also why it is very important to grease the pan with ghee.
- Drizzle all over with homemade simple syrup and sprinkle with the crushed pistachios. To make the syrup, just combine 2 cups of white sugar with 2 cups of water. Stir together and bring to a boil then allow to simmer for 7 minutes until just slightly thickened. Make sure it is warm when pouring on the hot knafeh. Add more syrup on the side for those who prefer a sweeter knafeh.
- Cut and enjoy this amazing dessert!
My husband is originally from Nablus and always craves knafeh from the blad. I’ve tried knafeh in Palestine and Jordan and let me tell you, this recipe is the closest you’ll get!! It is so easy to make and absolutely DELICIOUS!!! My only advice is to use a good baking pan and follow the directions on this blog step by step. You won’t regret making it!
WOW this recipe was amazing made it for my family and everyone said it was delicious and it reminded them of back home. Amazing recipe thanks Heifa!
I made this knafeh recipe and it was beyond amazing! My husband loved it and said it tasted better then knafeh shop knafeh! The flip was great too and Heifa’s steps were perfect!
Thank you for this recipe!
That is so amazing to hear, Sahar! Thank you for leaving such a kind review!
Hi there- is there a substitute for dried milk powder in this recipe? Thank you
Hi Sameera,
There is no substitute for the dry milk powder for this recipe, sorry!
Hi,
What do you mean by when assembling, the knafeh dough can be 3 inches deep? That sounds really high?
And also, does your knafeh only have one layer of dough and one layer of cheese? I don’t see you mentioning a 2nd layer of dough so I’m a bit confused.
Thanks!
Hi Si,
It will be one layer of knafeh dough at the bottom of the pan and should be about 2 inches thick then the cheese on top of that (I will edit this), when it is flipped onto a platter then that will be the top of the knafeh.
Can you make this 2 days in advance and just bake the day of?
I have made it a day in advance and kept it in the fridge then brought it to room temperature before baking but never for 2 days so I am not positive.
Thank you for sharing this with us Heifa! I have a question about serving this. Even if I serve completely hot, the knafeh and cheese tends to get cold very fast making it hard for someone to cut through with only a fork. Is this something I’m doing incorrectly or is there something I can do to make eating it easier?
Hi Susan!
Np, I would try making the cheese layer not as thick if that is the case. That is all I can really think of. I have never had this issue if the knafeh is served immediately while hot. Much of the cheese pull also comes from the fresh mozzarella so make sure that is used!
I’m not sure what I did wrong but the dough seemed too sandy after baking the knafeh. It wasn’t tender but more crumbly. Can you maybe let me know what it could be. I may have left the dough in the oven longer than 20 minutes before cooling and blending, but that’s all I can think of.
Hi Zina,
My only guess is that the dough was too finely ground for it to have such a sandy texture. If you have an Instagram and would like to send me a photo so I can better see then that would be great. I am sorry it wasn’t the outcome you expected. It can be tricky to nail this dessert on the first try. I will do my best to help.
Hi there – what temperature do you usually use to reheat in the oven and for how long? thank you!
Hi,
Typically, I microwave a piece for a few seconds. If you were to use an oven. try 350 F for 5-10 min until the cheese is semi-melted and the slice is warm.
This recipe does not disappoint! The knafeh comes out nice and toasted with a great crunch. The cheese is the perfect combination of stretch and chew. Everything about this recipe is great. Thank you!
Can we substitute all purpose flour with whole wheat flour?
I have not tried this before so I cannot say, sorry!
Farida, you sound like me! I make my own pita and sourdough with whole wheat.
There is nothing healthy about knafah however. Okay to splurge every once and a while. I would definitely skip the whole wheat flour. The increased fiber in whole wheat will surely mess with this recipe.
Can’t wait to try this! Thanks for posting.
hi there haifa!
is there a substitute for zdan sweet cheese?
Hi Taskeen,
Yes, akkawai cheese or nabulsi cheese (you can mix it with shredded mozzarella) but you would have to soak it in water to remove its saltiness. Also, any sweet cheese works-not necessarily this brand.
Hi,
What is the weight of 1 package of Zdan? I don’t have this in my area and I’m trying to use like items but not sure how much to get.
Hi Kaitlyn,
About 8 oz!
My daughter LOVED this recipe after trying kanafeh at ther friend’s house. I’m not really into desserts much so I dont typically make them and had no idea how to make this……you’d never know because it came out amazing and just like from a pastry shop! Thanks again Fufu!
Our family’s fav middle eastern dessert and Heifa’s recipe turned out delicious and it’s so easy to make. Thanks for sharing this Heifa.
Hi, I was wondering if I could make this in advance and whats best way to reheat it.. also should wait until ready to serve to put the symple syrup ?
Thanks,
Melinda
Hi Melinda,
You can prepare the knafeh ahead of time in the tray but you must bake it fresh and dress it with the syrup fresh as well.
Best and easiest Knafeh recipe to follow, it was my first time making and it turned out perfect! Love Heifa and all her recipes!
What can I substitute for the Zdan sweet cheese?
I’ve seen some people use a mixture of mozzarella and ricotta and sweeten it lightly with sugar but I have never personally tried.
This was by far the best homemade kanafa recipe I’ve ever made or tasted. It reminded me the kanafah in Jordan. My husband is born in Jordan he said don’t lose this recipe. It’s definitely a winner!! Thank you so much for sharing this authentic recipe. ♥️
You are extremely professional and you put a lot of efforts into this!
Do you have a restaurant?
Amazing recipe! Right on point. Followed it exactly and the knafah came out Just perfect! Thank you.