Who said old plain fluffy pancakes cannot be turned into a Middle Eastern masterpiece? In a world where all its diverse cultures intersect, cuisines find various ways to connect and blend, creating mind-blowing fusions and heavenly delights! Knafeh Pancakes, is a living testament to culinary magic.

This delight is a sweet fusion of cheese-stuffed pancakes topped with layers of fragrant Middle-Eastern qishta, and some crunchy Knafeh dough.  

Yes! This modernized Palestinian Knafeh, serves as an excellent dessert option or a sweet breakfast choice. Surely enough, it will satisfy your cravings for authentic dessert flavors! Stick around to unfold the whole process.

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Irresistible Layers of Fluffy Pancakes!

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What Is Knafeh?

When someone says Knafeh, my mind is immediately teleported to the delightful cheese pull, and my mouth begins to water once I recall its sweet aroma.

Knafeh, Knafeh, Knefeh, or Kunafa, is an infamous Middle Eastern delight, adored by the young and the old alike. People in the Levant region, including, Syria, Palestine, and Lebanon cherish this delightful sweet treat.

Initially, this flavorful dessert is typically made up of katayfi pastry resembling thin noodles, drizzled or soaked with aromatic simple syrup. But, the journey does not end here, you see, the sweet dough is then layered with qishta or cheese. I mean, no dessert in the world can beat this!

Besides, since Knafeh is a popular dessert in the whole Levant region, people there have altered the Authentic Palestinian Knafeh and presented many versions of it. For instance, there is the Knafeh Na’ameh (Nabulsi Knafeh), Easy No Bake Knafeh Cups, and Knafeh Cheesecake.

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Ingredients

For The Qishta:

Orange blossom

Heavy Cream

Cornstarch

Sugar

Ricotta cheese

Mozzarella (for the filling)

For the Crunchy Knafeh Topping:

Shredded katayfi dough

Red coloring

Butter

For the Pancakes:

Ready mix pancake batter, prepared according to instructions.

Scroll for the entire recipe details and instructions.

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A Western Dessert That Screams Middle-Eastern!

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Steps to Prep Knafeh Pancakes

To Make the Knafeh Dough:

First of all, add the Knafeh dough to a food processor and chop finely.

Next, add the butter to a skillet and melt over medium heat.

Then, add the food coloring and mix, and then add the shredded Knafeh dough.

After that, mix well until evenly colored and the dough starts to get crunchy, then set aside.

To Make the Qishta:

First, add the cream, orange blossom, sugar, and cornstarch to a pot with the heat turned off.

Now, whisk well to make sure the cornstarch is fully dissolved and no longer clumpy.

Then, turn the stove on to medium heat and whisk until thickened.

Next, once done, remove the skillet from the stovetop and fold in the ricotta cheese.

To Make the Pancakes:

First of all, prepare the pancake batter according to instructions on the package.

Then, add ¼ cup of the pancake batter to a sprayed pan on medium heat.

After that, top ⅓ cup mozzarella, and top with another 2 tablespoons of pancake batter.

Next, flip the pancake and cook through.

Assembling Knafeh Pancakes:

First, when your pancakes are done and they become ready to assemble, add a pancake and spread some qishta on top, alongside some Knafeh dough.

Then, layer as many times as you would like.

Finally, top the layers with crunchy Knafeh and drizzles of simple syrup. Enjoy!

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A Unique Fusion

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Everyone’s favorite Palestinian dessert modernized.

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Knafeh Pancakes Substitutions

If you really want to try this recipe but you do not have all the ingredients available, no need to worry, you can consider the following substitutions.

Shredded Phyllo dough: People can find katayfi dough in Middle Eastern supermarkets, especially in the frozen items section. However, if you do not seem to find it, no worries, since you can use shredded phyllo dough instead. This alteration will not affect the overall taste of the dessert.

Akkawi cheese: If you want to enhance the authentic Middle Eastern flavors in Knafeh Pancakes recipe, then you can absolutely substitute the mozzarella cheese with shredded Akkawi cheese. However, do not forget to soak it in water for at least 6 hours changing it periodically.

Rose water: To flavor the qishta it is crucial to use an authentic flavoring agent. If orange blossom water is not available, then rose water can do the trick. There is no need to stick to orange blossom; feel free to choose whatever you prefer, or you can use a bit of both. It is absolutely your call!

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Tips and Tricks

Make sure to add the qishta on the pancakes once they warm up, because hot pancakes can soften the qishta, and we must avoid this scenario.

If you want fluffy pancakes, do not over stir or over beat the batter. Over-beating the batter produces very stiff pancakes.

Avoid cooking your pancakes on an un-preheated surface. If you want them thoroughly cooked, grease the pan or skillet well and ensure it is fully preheated before pouring the batter.

Flip the pancakes when the edges become dry and bubbles start to appear on the surface of the pancake.

It is best to serve Knafeh Pancakes warm to enjoy its mouth-watering cheese pull!

You can enhance the final appearance of the pancakes by decorating them with some pistachios, dried edible rose petals, or even some shredded coconut. Your pancakes then will scream Middle-Eastern!

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Crunchy and Sweet

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Storage Tips

Refrigeration: You can absolutely refrigerate the qishta, pancakes, and Knafeh separately. The qishta and pancakes last for up to 3 days in the refrigerator if you can store them well in an air-tight container. For the crunchy Knafeh dough, make sure the dough has cooled completely before transferring it to an air-tight container. Once you properly store the latter in the fridge, it can stay for up to 3 days.

Reheating: You can simply reheat the pancakes in a microwave once you decide to have the dessert. Whereas for the Knafeh dough, it can be reheated in the oven at a low temperature.

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Cheesy, Sweet, and Fragrant

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

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Other Middle Eastern Desserts:

• Basbousa Bil Qishta (Semolina Cake With Cream)
• The Best Awameh (Luqaimat) Recipe
• Authentic Walnut Baklawa
• Namoura (Harissa)
• Mafroukeh Truffles
• Palestinian Makrouta
• Mushabak Halabi (Middle Eastern Churros)
• Qatayef Asafiri (Middle Eastern Cream-Filled Pancakes)
• Maamoul (Date Filled Cookies)
• Layali Lubnan (Lebanese Nights Dessert)

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If you’ve tried this recipe, don’t forget to rate it and leave a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience. You can follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

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