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25 Of The Most Delicious Middle Eastern Desserts
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Who doesnβt love dessert? Iβve always had a sweet tooth myself, no matter the origin, and living in Lebanon, thereβs unquestionably no shortage of traditional Middle Eastern sweets β theyβre readily available for you to indulge in around every corner!
I wonβt name each and every one, because I donβt want to be the cause of your pants not buttoning next week, so hereβs a list of 25 of the most loved Middle Eastern desserts β which is a pretty big number for you to start your binge-fest. #noregrets
1. Knefe
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The ultimate Sunday breakfast cheat meal. Who doesnβt love this cheesy deliciousness?
2. Ashta Ice Cream with Crushed Pistachios
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The typical Sunday treat after a long lazy day at the beach.
3. Osmalieh
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Sweet cream cheese sandwiched between crunchy osmalieh, and then drizzled with sweet syrup. Yum!
4. Baklava
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Layers and layers of phyllo pastry that are oh-so-bad for your waistline but taste oh-so-delicious! Itβs also a popular Middle Eastern sweet to distribute when a couple is celebrating their newborn baby. 3a2belkon!
5. Shaabiyat
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Would you like a bigger Baklava perhaps? Donβt mind if I do!
6. Aysh El Saraya
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A classic dessert that looks like a cake with layers of toast bread and cream, and then topped with nuts and sugar syrup.
7. Namoura
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A dense semolina and sticky syrup cake; one of my all-time favourites!
8. Sfouf
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A fluffy yellow turmeric cake; also one of my favourites, especially when made using molasses syrup instead of white sugar. I can eat the whole tray (and then hibernate for a month).
9. Atayef
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Sweet dumplings filled with ashta cream or nuts, usually served during the month of Ramadan β donβt forget the sticky sugar syrup!
10. Ghazel Banet
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This oneβs for the child inside every one of us! Itβs sometimes used to top some of that yummy ashta ice cream we all know and love.
11. Karabeej Hallab
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Shortbread “fingers” filled with pistachios and served with “Natef”, a sweet and fluffy egg white cream. I usually stayed away from these when I was younger, now I canβt get enough!
12. Halawat Al Jibn
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Another thing I didnβt seem to appreciate as a child; there was something about that creamy cheese filling. Now, I have to force myself to pull my hand away when reaching for a second of these sweet delicious pillow-y babies.
13. Znoud el Sit
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Looks like its sidekick, Halawat Al Jib, but itβs actually a fried crunchy sticky pastry enclosing a sweet cream cheese filling. If it doesnβt have enough sugar syrup, just add more!
14. Maakaroun
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Another βfinger-shapedβ sweet; semolina sweets which have been deep-fried and then soaked in sugar syrup! Scrumptious! My favourite at Biscuit, since they taste homemade and are each individually molded by the owners themselves! Extra points for getting syrup all over your clothes.
15. Mafroukeh
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A Lebanese dessert made of semolina, pistachios, sugar, and butter infused with sugary syrup β oh, and then it’s topped with clotted cream (ashta).
16. Ashta w Asal
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An oh-so-perfect combination after an epic Lebanese lunch!
17. Maamoul
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Usually made and sold around Easter and Eid in Lebanon, these semolina shortbread pastries are stuffed with fillings such as dates, pistachio, and my personal favourite, walnut. There are also some βmodernβ nutella-stuffed versions popping up in some shops. #SimplyNo
18. Kellaj
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Not to be confused with the savoury kind, these square-shaped phyllo pastry are stuffed with ashta, fried, and then sprinkled with sugar! Itβs a very popular choice during Ramadan season. If you havenβt had your blood sugar rise yet, this one will do the trick!
19. Um Ali
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This is a personal favourite of mine because itβs kind of like a Middle Eastern version of βPain Perduβ except it has rose water and orange blossom essence instead of caramel. This bread pudding is soaked in milk, heavily infused with sweet aromatic essence, and topped with a variety of nuts.
20. Mhallabiye or Mouhalabieh
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Another personal favourite is this deliciously silky milk pudding infused with rose water and orange blossom essence, topped with crushed pistachios β delicious!
21. Sahlab
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A creamy hot drink from the Middle East; the world has hot cocoa, we have sahlab. Excuse me while I silence the jealous and vengeful chocolate-loving monster in meβ¦
22. Meghli
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A cinnamon, caraway, and anise flavoured pudding, topped with pre-soaked nuts and shredded coconut; this oneβs another popular offering at newborn baby showers. Again, 3a2belkon, in case you didnβt feel the pressure the first time.
23. Bala7 (Dates)
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Dates are a very popular Middle Eastern treat before and after meals; theyβre usually eaten as is, or stuffed with different kinds of nuts.
24. Turkish Delight with Ghandour 555 Biscuits
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The typical dessert after a huge Lebanese lunch, even though you can no longer breathe. But donβt worry, itβs served with ahwΓ© (Turkish coffee) so you can digest your feast.
25. Fruit
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Yes, fruit is considered dessert by some people! Well itβs not of Middle Eastern descent since itβs found all over the world, but a Lebanese lunch is never complete with that basket of seasonal fruit offered with your coffee for dessert!
Of course, the list doesnβt end here; there are so many more! What are your favourites?
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