Name: Kadayif / Knafeh - Walnut Filled Crispy Pastry with Syrup
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 55 min
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: 1 package 16oz (1lb) Kataifi Dough (Knafeh); 1 1/2 lbs of Melted Butter; 2 1/2 cups chopped Walnuts; 1 1/2 tablespoons Sugar; 2 tablespoons Brown Sugar; 2 tablespoons Cinnamon; 3 cups Water; 3 cups Sugar; 3 teaspoons Lemon Juice; 6 tablespoons Rose Water; 2 tablespoons Orange Blossom Water

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This Kadayif / Knafeh – Walnut Filled Crispy Pastry with Syrup is so uniquely perfect in so many ways! This dessert is made with shredded dough filled with sweet sugar, nuts, and layers of perfection! It is known for its distinctive taste and aroma of rose🌹and orange 🍊 water blossoms. Usually, Kadayif is filled with walnuts or pistachios, sugar, and baked in the oven until it reaches its golden look. It is then soaked in a sweetened syrup which makes it super moist and soft and yet crispy, too! This Middle Eastern dessert is called Kadayif (Kataifi-Kadaif) also known as Knafeh. Also, this dessert is popular in a few different countries. This dessert is one of a kind because it is extremely special to me! I can’t wait to share this one with you, especially the one I was brought up with!

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Kadaif Kunafa dessert in a glass baking tray with crushed walnuts and pastacios with a silver accented decor of a camel, silver candle sticks and a white with black and gold patterned pitcher pourer with a white plate and green plant in a grey vase in background.

Kadayif / Knafeh is usually made with simple white sugar filling, nut-filled, and drizzled with syrup, but I made this recipe based on my preference and what I was brought up with. This recipe includes Sugar, Brown Sugar, Cinnamon, and cloves! You make it the way you like it, but I promise you’ll love this one too! 😋

Kadayif has a great combination of buttery, crispy, and nutty flavors and gets drizzled with a delicious sugar syrup! You think it’s overwhelming with sweetness, but it’s not. This recipe is just right! Oh So Yummy! Kadayif is very similar to the Baklava, Tulumba, or Atayef recipe. The dough is different but the filling and syrup are all the same. If you love those recipes, you’ll love this one too.

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IN THIS POST: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW TO MAKE THE PERFECT KADAYIF / KNAFEH

OTHER FILLING OPTIONS 🧀
SHREDDED DOUGH TIPS
HOW TO CLARIFY BUTTER
🍴INGREDIENTS
STEPS TO MAKE THIS KADAYIF / KNAFEH RECIPE
JUMP TO RECIPE CARD

OTHER FILLING OPTIONS 🧀

Kadayif also is known to be filled with a sweet cheese 🧀 filling or cream custard filling in replace of the nuts and comes in different shapes such as rolls or cones. The filling stays the same but the shape is the only thing different. But traditionally the shape of the Kadayif comes in a flat tray like we have displayed. This dessert can also be served hot or cold.

SHREDDED DOUGH TIPS:

You can find this shredded Kadayif dough in your local international markets in the freezer section.
Allow dough to defrost overnight and handle when it has completely defrosted. Do not uncover plastic wrap until you’re ready to use it.
You can crush them with a food processor, but I prefer my strands to be at least 1″ in size. I hear spreading them will make the dough crispier, especially if you plan to turn the Kadayif / Knafeh upside down and present the bottom part as the top.
Some, color the Kadayif / Knafeh dough with a red color for that vibrant look (this step is optional). If you do use food coloring, add color as you mix the butter in at the same time.

HOW TO CLARIFY BUTTER

It’s best to clarify your butter. Start by placing butter in a saucepan on medium-low heat and melt it down completely. Once melted, you will notice a white film start to form from the top. Do not stir, because you want the fat and milk substance to separate and form at the top. Gently remove the white film by skimming the top layer of foamy substance from your butter with a spoon strainer. This process is best to do before you start preparing your dough to allow your butter to slightly cool down before pouring it into the dough.

Skimming white film from butter clarifying butter in a glass round bowl on wooden chopping board with accent decor or a silver camel and 2 candle sticks with a grey plant pot in background with a white gold and black pitcher on a white marble countertop.

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🍴INGREDIENTS YOU’LL NEED TO MAKE THIS KADAYIF / KNAFEH

Here is a preview of the ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe! You can find these at your local grocery store or you can shop online (detailed Ingredients in Recipe Card down below).

Dough

Kataifi Dough (Knafeh) Shredded
Melted Butter

Filling Mixture

Walnuts
Sugar
Brown Sugar
Cinnamon (optional)
Cloves (optional)

Syrup

Water
Sugar
Lemon Juice
Rose Water
Orange Blossom Water

(This recipe contains Nuts.)

STEPS TO MAKE THIS KADAYIF / KNAFEH RECIPE

Step 1: PREPPING KADAYIF DOUGH

Chop the Kadayif dough into small pieces. I prefer my Kadayif to be about 1″ cuts. Place Kadayif in a bowl, pour clarified butter over Kadayif and mix and massage butter into your dough. Try combining butter and coat Kadayif dough completely with the palms of your hands.

Cutting Kadaif 1" apart on a wooden chopping board with accent decor or a silver camel and 2 candle sticks with a grey plant pot in background with a white gold and black pitcher on a white marble countertop.

Pouring clarified butter over kadayif shredded dough in a silver pan with accent decor or a silver camel and 2 candle sticks with a grey plant pot in background with a white gold and black pitcher on a white marble countertop.

Step 2: FILLING MIXTURE

Combine the filling mixture together in a separate bowl.

mixing walnut mixutre together in a large glass bowl with accent decor or a silver camel and 2 candle sticks with a grey plant pot in background with a white gold and black pitcher on a white marble countertop.

mixing walnut mixutre together in a large glass bowl displaying a wooden spoon filled with mixture with accent decor or a silver camel and 2 candle sticks with a grey plant pot in background with a white gold and black pitcher on a white marble countertop.

Step 3: LAYERS

Coat the baking dish evenly with melted butter. Start with your first layer. Spread your dough in a baking dish. I used an 8″ x 13.5″ glass baking dish (see note below). Firmly, press down the dough into the baking dish. I used another smaller baking dish for a flat surface. Add your second layer by adding the walnut mixture and proceed as step one by placing a flat surface and applying a firm press to flatten walnuts out. Add your third layer of dough on top and again, apply pressure firmly with a flat surface and push down to flatten the dough. Bake at 400° for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Place your dish on the center shelf of the oven. Make sure to turn an alternate dish while baking every 10 minutes, this helps it bake evenly.

Note: You can use any type of baking dish, but I like using a glass dish. Using a glass baking pan helps you visibly see if your dough has cooked thoroughly from the bottom.

spreading kadayif shredded dough bottom layer of a glass baking dish with accent decor or a silver camel and 2 candle sticks with a grey plant pot in background with a white gold and black pitcher on a white marble countertop.

pressing down with a glass flat tray over kadayif shredded dough bottom layer of a glass baking dish with accent decor or a silver camel and 2 candle sticks with a grey plant pot in background with a white gold and black pitcher on a white marble countertop.

spreading walnut mixture for middle layer in a glass baking dish with accent decor or a silver camel and 2 candle sticks with a grey plant pot in background with a white gold and black pitcher on a white marble countertop.

pressing down with a glass flat tray over walnut mixture middle layer of a glass baking dish with accent decor or a silver camel and 2 candle sticks with a grey plant pot in background with a white gold and black pitcher on a white marble countertop.

pressing down with a glass flat tray over kadayif shredded dough top layer of a glass baking dish with accent decor or a silver camel and 2 candle sticks with a grey plant pot in background with a white gold and black pitcher on a white marble countertop.

Step 4: SYRUP

In a small saucepan add water and sugar on a medium-high fire. Stir vigorously until the sugar has dissolved. Once your sugar has dissolved bring fire back to medium-low and pour in the rest of your ingredients. Allow this to simmer for 5-10 minutes on low fire. Remove from fire and allow this to cool off to warm to room temperature.

stainless steal pot filled with water pouring rose water with a small glass bowl with accent decor or a silver camel and 2 candle sticks with a grey plant pot in background with a white gold and black pitcher on a white marble countertop.

Step 5: POUR SYRUP / CUT KADAYIF / NUT CRUMBLE

SYRUP

Once Kadayif has baked, remove it from the oven and immediately pour syrup over the baked Kadayif. The amount of syrup you’ll need to pour over your Kadayif all depends on how sweet, moist, crunchy, or dry you would like your pastry to be. So, I only poured half of the syrup over the entire tray and kept the other half to pour over each piece. But to be honest, It’s up to you how much syrup you’d like on your serving because the less syrup you pour over your pastry the crunchier and dryer it will be. Usually, this recipe is served with a lot of syrup or serves with syrup on the side.

CUT KADAYIF

Cut your Kadayif from the center down and across. Depending on the size you like your serving pieces to be. I cut them about 2″x3″. This serves about 10 pieces in total.

NUT CRUMBLE

Decorate your Kadayif with crushed walnuts / Pastacios or both, whichever you decide this pastry is so tasty anything will go. You can serve this either warm or cold.

pouring syrup over done kadayif in a glass baking pan with accent decor or a silver camel and 2 candle sticks with a grey plant pot in background with a white gold and black pitcher on a white marble countertop.

Cutting kadayif with a dough cutter scrapper in a glass baking pan with accent decor or a silver camel and 2 candle sticks with a grey plant pot in background with a white gold and black pitcher on a white marble countertop.

Decorating Katayif with nuts with a silver golden decorative spoon glass baking pan with accent decor or a silver camel and 2 candle sticks with a grey plant pot in background with a white gold and black pitcher on a white marble countertop.

Enjoy! 😋

Kadaif Kunafa dessert in a white black and gold strip dessert plate with a white pour with greenery in background

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