Quick Knafeh
Cheese pastry soaked in fragrant syrup.
Ingredients
- 300 g Phyllo pastry
- 300 g Mozzarella
- 150 g Butter
- 200 g Sugar
- 1 tbsp Rose water
- 40 g Pistachios
Method
- Heat the oven to 190C (375F).
- Crush the phyllo into shreds and toss thoroughly with the melted butter.
- Press half the buttered pastry into a tray, layer the cheese over, then cover with the rest of the pastry.
- Bake until deep golden and the cheese is molten, about 25 minutes.
- While the knafeh bakes, simmer the sugar with a splash of water and the rose water in a small pan over medium heat into a light syrup.
- Pour the syrup over the hot knafeh and scatter the pistachios on top.
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About Quick Knafeh
Knafeh is a beloved Middle Eastern dessert of melting cheese layered with crisp pastry and drenched in fragrant sugar syrup, served warm across the Levant and beyond. Traditional versions use fine kataifi (shredded pastry) and stretchy Nabulsi cheese, and often a bright orange tint; this quick knafeh streamlines the idea by crushing phyllo into shreds and using mozzarella for the molten, pull-apart center. The result keeps the essential magic of the original — the contrast of shatter-crisp crust against soft, stretchy cheese — while cutting the time and specialty ingredients down to something a home cook can manage in under an hour.
What makes knafeh distinctive is the interplay of hot and cold, crunchy and gooey, savory-sweet cheese and floral syrup. The phyllo is tossed thoroughly with melted butter so it bakes to a deep golden crunch, sandwiching the cheese that turns molten in the oven. The finishing pour of rose-scented sugar syrup over the hot pastry is the defining move: it seeps in, softening the edges and perfuming the whole thing, while crushed pistachios add color and a nutty snap. It's cut into squares and eaten warm so the cheese still stretches, ideal for celebrations, holidays, or an after-dinner sweet with strong coffee or tea.
Quick Knafeh: frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Quick Knafeh?
A serving has about 484 calories — 12.2g protein, 47.1g carbs, 28g fat, 1.2g fiber. Figures are estimated from the ingredient amounts and will shift with your portions and brands.
Is Quick Knafeh gluten-free?
As written, no — it contains Phyllo pastry. You'd need a certified gluten-free swap for that ingredient to make it gluten-free.
Is Quick Knafeh dairy-free?
Not as written — it uses Mozzarella, Butter. Swapping those for a plant-based alternative makes it dairy-free.
How long does Quick Knafeh take to make?
About 45 minutes start to finish, but only around 20 of those are hands-on — the rest is largely unattended cooking time you can step away from. In the Homecooked app the timers and parallel steps are sequenced for you so the hands-on part feels even shorter.
How many servings does Quick Knafeh make?
This recipe makes 8 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.