Tunisian Makroudh (Semolina Date Pastries)

About This Recipe

Tunisian Makroudh is a real, traditional Tunisian dish, known as Semolina Date Pastries. Diamond-shaped semolina pastries filled with sweet date paste, fried and soaked in honey syrup, a beloved Tunisian holiday sweet.\n\nMakroudh has roots across the Maghreb region, with Tunisia's version particularly associated with the city of Kairouan, traditionally made in large batches for celebrations like Eid and family gatherings.\n\nThe result is a dish worth making on its own merits: it rewards patience with the technique and delivers real, specific flavor rooted in Tunisian home cooking, not a generic stand-in for a search term.

Ingredients

Serves 16

• 400 gfine semolina
• 100 gbutter(melted)
• 1 tspfine sea salt
• 150 mlwarm water
• 300 gpitted dates(softened and mashed into a paste)
• 1 tspground cinnamon
• 500 mlneutral oil(for frying)
• 300 ghoney
• 100 mlwater(for syrup)
• 1 tbsporange blossom water(for syrup)

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the dough

   Combine semolina, melted butter and salt, then gradually add warm water, kneading until a soft, pliable dough forms. Rest for 30 minutes.

2. 2

   Prepare the date paste

   Mix mashed dates with cinnamon until smooth and pliable.

3. 3

   Shape

   Roll the dough into a log, flatten, and place a rope of date paste along the center; fold the dough around it to fully enclose the filling into a long log.

4. 4

   Cut diamonds

   Flatten the filled log slightly and cut on a diagonal into diamond shapes.

5. 5

   Fry

   Fry the diamonds in oil heated to 170°C (340°F) for about 4 minutes per side until golden.

6. 6

   Make the syrup and soak

   Simmer honey, water and orange blossom water together for 5 minutes, then submerge the warm fried pastries in the syrup for a few minutes until well soaked. Drain and serve.

Variations

• •

  Some households bake makroudh instead of frying for a lighter version, though the texture differs.

• •

  Add chopped walnuts to the date filling for extra texture.

• •

  Use rosewater instead of orange blossom water in the syrup for a different floral note.

Storage

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave with a splash of water or stock to loosen the texture.

Frequently Asked Questions