Servings
Font
Back
Kunefe (Kunafa) - Turkish Cheese Dessert
5 from 10 votes

Kunefe (Kunafa) - Turkish Cheese Dessert

Kunefe is a warm Turkish dessert featuring shredded kataifi pastry layered with soft cheese, baked until crisp and golden, then soaked with lemon-infused simple syrup. The contrast of the crispy pastry and melted cheese creates a unique texture, often garnished with pistachios and served with ice cream or clotted cream.

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
30 mins
Servings: 6 portions
Calories: 678 kcal
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Turkish

Ingredients

For the Syrup
  • 350 ml water
  • 300 g caster sugar or granulated sugar
  • 3 lemon juice, drops of
For the Kunefe
  • 350 g kataifi pastry
  • 100 g butter unsalted, melted
  • 150 g kunefe cheese (or mozarella)
  • 10 g butter unsalted, soft
  • 1 teaspoon grape molasses optional, aka pekmez
To Serve and Garnish
  • 2 tablespoon pistachio nuts (chopped)
  • 2 coops Ice cream optional, or clotted cream

Instructions

Preparing the Syrup
    Cup of Yum
  1. For making the simple syrup, add the sugar and water to a pan.
  2. Bring it to a boil and gently simmer it on low heat for 10 to 12 minutes, until the sugar has completely dissolved.
  3. Add a few drops of lemon juice and simmer for another 5 minutes.
  4. Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool down to room temperature while cooking the kadaif pastry.
Cooking the Kunefe
  1. Roughly chop the kadaif pastry into small pieces and mix well with the melted butter.
  2. If using molasses, mix it with 10 grams of soft butter and generously butter the bottom of the sahan pan with half of the mixture.
  3. Scatter half of the kadaif pastry over butter and press it down with your palms until solid and firm.
  4. Shred the cheese and spread it over the kadaif pastry evenly, leaving one cm around the edges.
  5. Cover the cheese with the rest of the kadaif pastry and press it down until firm and even.
  6. Place the sahan pan over medium heat and 30 seconds later, turn it down to the lowest.
  7. Cook it until golden brown while pressing firmly with something flat. This would take 10 to 12 minutes.
  8. Turn over the künefe on a flat plate. To do that, put the plate face down over the sahan pan and then flip it over the plate cooked side up.
  9. Generously butter the sahan pan with the remaining soft butter and then slip the Künefe back into the pan.
  10. Cook for another 8 to 10 minutes, until nicely browned, pressing firmly to keep the kunefe evenly flat.
  11. Remove the sahan pan from the heat and add the syrup (at room temperature).
  12. Garnish with chopped Pistachio nuts and serve immediately.

Notes

  • Always serve Kunefe hot for the best texture—cheese should be soft and stringy, with crispy pastry.
  • Pour syrup onto hot Kunefe, using room temperature syrup to keep the pastry crisp.
  • Use traditional Kunefe cheese from Hatay when possible for authentic flavor; mozzarella is an acceptable substitute.
  • Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to three days or frozen for up to three months.
  • You can prepare the pastry with cheese up to five days ahead and refrigerate before cooking.
  • Syrup can be made up to a month in advance and stored at room temperature until needed.

Nutrition Information

Calories 678kcal (34%) Carbohydrates 107g (36%) Protein 9g (18%) Fat 25g (38%) Saturated Fat 14g (70%) Polyunsaturated Fat 1g (6%) Monounsaturated Fat 7g (35%) Trans Fat 1g (50%) Cholesterol 69mg (23%) Sodium 402mg (17%) Potassium 144mg (3%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 56g (112%) Vitamin A 731IU (15%) Vitamin C 6mg (7%) Calcium 177mg (18%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6 portions

Amount Per Serving

Calories 678

% Daily Value*

Calories 678kcal 34%
Carbohydrates 107g 36%
Protein 9g 18%
Fat 25g 38%
Saturated Fat 14g 70%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g 6%
Monounsaturated Fat 7g 35%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 69mg 23%
Sodium 402mg 17%
Potassium 144mg 3%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 56g 112%
Vitamin A 731IU 15%
Vitamin C 6mg 7%
Calcium 177mg 18%
Iron 1mg 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.