Egyptian konafa — delicate shredded wheat pastry filled with clotted cream or cheese, baked golden, and soaked in fragrant orange blossom sugar syrup.
Konafa (كنافة بالجبنة) is Egypt's most beloved pastry, a dish of extraordinary delicacy: shredded wheat pastry threads (known as kataifi or kaddaif) are layered with a filling of either qishta (clotted cream) or sweet white cheese, baked until the pastry turns golden and crisp, then immediately drenched in fragrant sugar syrup flavored with orange blossom water. The name 'konafa' is Egypt's version of the Levantine 'knafeh' — related dishes with shared ancient roots but distinct national personalities. The Egyptian version characteristically uses qishta (thick clotted cream made from buffalo milk) as its filling more often than cheese, and is often thinner and more delicate than the Nablus-style knafeh of Palestine. Cairo's konafa shops — particularly in the historic neighborhoods of Islamic Cairo — serve it hot from the oven around the clock, cut into squares from enormous round trays. During Ramadan, konafa consumption in Egypt reaches extraordinary heights, and it is one of the defining foods of the holy month, sold at temporary street stalls across every Egyptian city. Serve it hot — the contrast between the crispy pastry, warm filling, and fragrant cold syrup is the whole point.
Serves 8
Combine sugar, water, and lemon juice in a saucepan. Boil for 8 minutes until slightly thickened. Add orange blossom water and rose water, stir, and allow to cool completely.
The syrup must be cold when it hits the hot konafa — cold syrup on hot pastry creates the right absorption. If the syrup is warm, the pastry becomes soggy.
Mix qishta (or cream cheese-heavy cream mixture) with sugar and orange blossom water until smooth and sweetened. Refrigerate until needed.
Pull thawed kataifi apart into loose, separated strands. Pour melted butter over and toss until every strand is coated.
Press half the buttered kataifi into a buttered 28 cm round baking pan or oven-proof skillet, pressing firmly. Spread the cream filling evenly over the base. Cover with remaining kataifi.
Bake at 190°C (375°F) for 25–30 minutes until the pastry is golden-brown all over. Check the bottom by lifting with a spatula — it should be as golden as the top.
Run a knife around the edge. Invert onto a serving platter. Immediately pour 2/3 of the cold syrup all over the hot konafa, letting it absorb for 1–2 minutes.
Scatter crushed pistachios over the surface. Serve immediately in slices with extra syrup on the side for those who like it sweeter.
Qishta is Egyptian clotted cream made from buffalo milk and is sold in Middle Eastern shops in cans or tubs. If unavailable, mix 200 g full-fat cream cheese with 200 g double cream and a pinch of sugar — the texture is different but the flavor is similar.
Egyptian konafa is typically thinner than Levantine knafeh — aim for the kataifi layers to be about 1.5 cm thick each rather than the thicker Palestinian-style construction.
The pastry continues to absorb syrup for 5 minutes after soaking — pour conservatively at first and add more at the table as needed.
Konafa with cheese (jibna): replace the cream filling with desalted akkawi or mozzarella cheese for the classic cheese version common across Egypt.
Konafa mahshi: a layer of crushed biscuits or semolina is sometimes added beneath the cream filling for extra texture and density.
Konafa is best eaten hot from the oven. Leftovers keep for 2 days refrigerated. Reheat in a 190°C oven for 10 minutes to re-crisp the pastry; warm extra syrup to pour over when serving.
Konafa appears in Egyptian and Levantine sources from at least the Fatimid period (10th–12th century CE). An early version is described in the medieval Egyptian cookbook Kitab Wasf al-Atima al-Mutada. Over centuries it evolved from simple fried pastry with honey to the elaborate layered creation made with kataifi that is now standard. Egyptian konafa became one of the region's most important Ramadan foods, with Egypt's significant dairy industry providing the qishta that distinguishes its version from others.
Use a light-colored metal pan (not dark non-stick) so you can monitor the bottom color. If the top browns faster than the bottom, cover loosely with foil and continue baking. A glass or enamel baking dish lets you see the base color without lifting.
Bake it the day before and store unsoaked and unflipped in the refrigerator. Reheat in the oven at 190°C for 15 minutes until hot, then flip, soak, and garnish at serving time.
They are the same dish with regional name variations and subtle differences in tradition. The Egyptian konafa typically uses clotted cream (qishta) as its filling; Palestinian knafeh Nabulsieh uses white stretchy cheese; Lebanese knafeh uses akkawi and mozzarella. All share the kataifi pastry and sugar syrup.
Per serving (170g / 6.0 oz) · 8 servings total
Ask our AI cooking assistant anything about this recipe — substitutions, techniques, scaling.
Chat with AI Chef →Join the conversation
Sign in to leave a comment and save your favourite recipes
Have feedback or need help?
We read every email and reply within 1–2 business days.
© 2026 MyCookingCalendar. All rights reserved.