Knafeh
A Middle Eastern dessert of melted sweet cheese or cream under a crisp layer of shredded or fine semolina dough, soaked in sugar syrup.
- Cakes, cookies, pastries and baked goods
- Middle East
Also called: kanafeh
Knafeh is made with kataifi, the shredded pastry also called kadayif, or with a fine semolina dough. The dough is tossed with butter or ghee and pressed into a round pan around a layer of soft, mild white cheese. It is baked or cooked over heat until golden, then flipped and soaked with syrup flavored with rose water or orange blossom.
It is served hot, so the cheese is stretchy, and topped with crushed pistachios. The city of Nablus is famous for its version, often tinted bright orange.
Bake it at VanillaGoods
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Written by VanillaGoods in our own words from these sources. Last reviewed October 15, 2026.