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Knafeh Khishneh served with cheese and rose water syrup
Warm knafeh khishneh with stretchy cheese filling and pistachio garnish

Knafeh khishneh

Author: Flavelo
Recipes Cakes and Desserts
Knafeh (or Künefe) is the iconic dessert of the Levant, a passionate meeting of cheese and sugar syrup. The 'Khishneh' version is known for the crispy baked vermicelli-like pastry (kadaif), unlike the softer version. The contrast of stretchy, melted cheese and crunchy, buttery pastry, doused in rose water syrup, is every sweet tooth's dream.
🕒 Prep Time 20 mins
🍳 Cook Time 30 mins
⌛ Total Time 50 mins
🍽️ Servings 6 servings
🔥 Calories 520 kcal
🌍 Cuisine Middle Eastern

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

  • Round baking tin or frying pan
  • Small saucepan for syrup
  • Sharp knife or scissors for cutting pastry

Allergen Information

⚠️ Milk
⚠️ Cereals containing gluten
⚠️ Nuts

Instructions

1 ✓

Start with the syrup: boil the water and sugar in a small saucepan for 5-7 minutes until slightly thickened. Turn off heat, add rose water, and let cool.

Tip: Important rule: pour cold syrup over hot pastry (or vice versa) so the pastry stays crispy and doesn't get soggy.
2 ✓

Put the kadaif pastry in a bowl and tear or cut with scissors into shorter strands. Pour over the melted butter/ghee and rub thoroughly with your hands to coat every strand with fat.

Tip: Ghee (clarified butter) is good because it has a higher smoke point and doesn't burn during baking like plain butter, but butter gives the delicious flavour.
3 ✓

Press half (or two-thirds) of the pastry firmly into the bottom of a buttered tin. This will be the crispy base.

Tip: Use the bottom of a glass to compress it. The more compact, the crispier.
4 ✓

Spread the grated/torn cheese over it, leaving a 1 cm border at the edge so the cheese doesn't leak out and burn on the side of the tin.

Tip: If using mozzarella, pat it dry with kitchen paper, otherwise the pastry will get soggy.
5 ✓

Sprinkle the remaining pastry loosely over the cheese. Bake at 180°C for approx. 25-30 minutes until the top is deep golden brown.

Tip: The golden brown colour indicates caramelisation and crispiness.
6 ✓

Remove from the oven and immediately drizzle with the cooled syrup. You should hear it sizzle!

Tip: The pastry absorbs the sweetness this way while retaining its crispy structure.
7 ✓

Sprinkle with pistachios and rose petals. Serve warm while the cheese is still stretchy.

Recipe FAQ

What cheese should I use?
The original is unsalted Nabulsi or Akkawi cheese. At home, the best substitute is a mix of mozzarella (soaked in water beforehand to remove salt) and ricotta.
Why did the cheese go hard?
Knafeh must be eaten fresh and warm. If it cools down, the cheese hardens. Reheat in a pan or oven; the microwave makes the pastry soft.

Ingredients

  • 250 g Kadaif pastry (Kataifi)
  • 150 g Granulated sugar (for syrup)
  • 150 ml Water (for syrup)
  • 1 tbsp Rose water (or orange blossom water)
  • 100 g Butter and Ghee mixture (melted)
  • 250 g Unsalted cheese (e.g. mozzarella ball, grated)
  • 30 g Pistachios (ground)
  • 1 tsp Dried rose petals (optional)