Have you ever been out for a meal and couldn’t choose between the cheese board or a sweet dessert? If the answer is yes, you’ll love cheese filled kunafa!

Kunafa is a textbook example of Middle Eastern cooking, and a dessert I used to love helping my Grandmother make in her kitchen! Rich and creamy mozzarella is wrapped in crunchy shredded filo pastry, baked until melted and gooey, and covered in sweet syrup. My mouth’s watering just thinking about it!

This dessert is best eaten when it’s hot and fresh out of the oven. Enjoy!

Classic Middle Eastern cooking: Cheese-filled kunafa

Gooey cheese wrapped in sweet and crispy pastry; kunafa is a classic example of Middle Eastern cooking! Find out how to make this decadent dessert.

Author: Iman Osman

Ingredients

Units Scale

Here’s what you need to make ooey, gooey kunafa for 8 to 10 people

500g of kunafa dough (often called kataifi)
200g melted ghee
300g shredded mozzarella

For the syrup:

480ml water
625g white granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp orange blossom or rose water (optional)

Instructions

My sweet and rich cheese-filled kunafa recipe

Preheat the oven to 200°C and prepare a 24 cm (9 inch) round baking tray by greasing it with some of the ghee
Make the syrup by boiling the water, sugar and vanilla sugar in a medium-deep saucepan, stirring occasionally. Add the lemon juice and orange blossom/rose water and lower the heat. Simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally until the liquid thickens and reduces. Take off the heat and leave to cool
Pull the kunafa dough apart strand-by-strand and finely shred until the strands are 2 cm (1 inch) long. Place in a bowl
Pour the melted ghee over the strands and mix until they are completely covered in ghee
Place two-thirds of the shredded dough on the prepared baking tray, completely covering the base and 1 cm (0.5 inches) up the sides. Use the palms of your hands to make sure the dough is tightly compressed in the tray
Spread the mozzarella evenly on top of the base, keeping the cheese 1 cm (0.5 inches) away from the edges
Gently cover with the rest of the kunafa dough. Make sure the kunafa is sealed tight – you don’t want the cheese oozing out!
Place in the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes until it’s deep golden brown
Take the kunafa out of the oven and pour the syrup all over

Serve right away! I recommend eating the kunafa as soon as possible; it doesn’t taste quite the same if you reheat it or store it in the fridge for another time.

Making cheese-filled kunafa: my top tips

While this kunafa tastes best eaten the same day, you can prepare it in advance, freeze it, and bake it when you’re ready to serve
Ghee is best for this recipe as the nutty richness complements the sweetness of the dish. If you don’t have ghee, substitute it with the same amount of unsalted butter
This dessert is super decadent, but if you want to take it to the next level, top it with crushed pistachios and rose petals after baking – a dessert fit for a queen!

Notes

Check out more Middle Eastern cooking in my dessert cookbook

Kunafa is one of my favourite treats in the world, and it’s surprisingly easy to put together!

Pulling the kunafa dough into shreds can take a little time; however I find the process soothing – it’s good stress relief at the end of a busy day!

I’d love to know if you try this recipe; let me know what you think in the comments or on social media. And if you want more delicious Middle Eastern recipes, you can find them on my blog or in my new dessert cookbook, Sweet Love.