Qatayef is a staple dessert in the Middle East especially during the holy month of Ramadan. These stuffed and fried pancakes are the darling on dessert table.
Qatayef / Atayef or Katayef is an iconic Middle Eastern treat, made from pancakes stuffed with nuts and golden fried then dunked is thick simple syrup. Crunchy sweet and oh boy so satisfying dessert.
Qatayef
Qatayef is the star dessert in Egypt during the month of Ramadan. It is also the easiest to make. You see, pastry shops make them ready for you to get, stuff and fry to your own liking so half of the work is done for you. or should I say most of the work. Katayef is easy to make and requires few ingredients that is most probably there in your pantry. The point is how to get the perfect batter every time.
I used to make really nice qatayef but after a lot of trying .. this is it for sure and I do not think I would modify this recipe any better. It is seriously very delicious and all my friends like it to the max and said it is the best.
My kids never like qatayef, I guess because they appreciated nuts before. This time when I made it they went crazy, especially the two older kids. My youngest still ate the dough and discarded the nuts!!!.
Qatayef is really very versatile. You can make them sweet or savory. My favorite savory stuffing is with feta cheese and mint, you can also stuff them with browned minced meat. Or may be stuff them with cream and left them as is without frying like this Qatayef Asafiri recipe
Qatayef Recipe FAQS
How to get the perfect Qatayef batter?
The most tricky part in making Qatayef is the batter itself. Too thick, and you'll have thick pancakes that will tear apart while folding. Too thin, and it will not bubble to perfection. Although this recipe is the best I have ever made and I have experimented with many flour types, your flour might be different. So make the batter, let it rest and bubble, then before cooking deflate with a whisk and check the consistency, it should be thinner than pancake batter. If you are not sure, try one or two before going for the whole thing, if you feel the batter is thick and moving slowly out of your ladle then add warm water by 1 tablespoon at a time, whisk and try again. It is a learning curve so you need to be patient.
What temperature to cook qatayef pancakes on?
Another crucial point in making qatayef. Too hot and it will burn. Not enough heat and it will be pale and you'll stay forever waiting for it to cook. This also needs experimenting, you can start with the temperature you usually cook your pancakes on. I find the best temperature is between 285F to 320F, mine was 295F.
Can I freeze Qatayef and for how long?
Many say you can freeze Qatayef before stuffing them, I haven't had luck doing that. I like to stuff then then lay them on a baking sheet in single layer, freeze for a couple of hours then put them in a zip lock in the freezer. They will stay for up to 6 weeks and I can even say longer but this is just for safety and freshness. Worth noting that, I freeze nuts stuffed qatayef and ground beef stuffed qatayef but haven't tried the ones with cream or feta cheese.
How to make Qatayef crunchy the longest?
Eventually qatayef gets soft as the syrup makes them soft, that's why I like freezing and frying them on the spot so we do not have many leftovers. Here are some points to consider:
1- Frying: I like frying mine to a darker shade of golden brown, the longer you fry then the crunchier they will become. If you want a soft one then do not fry for long.
2- Thick Syrup: you have to make thick syrup, I have tried many time to make them in thinner one but they turned soft quickly and never as crunchy.
3- 2 Minutes or less in the syrup: I've times mine, when I leave them for like 5-6 minutes in the syrup after they are out of the frying pan, they turn crunchy quicker than if I leave them for just 2 minutes.
Qatayef Recipe : step by step
- Qatayef Ingredients
Qatayef batter ingredients are basically flour, yeast, sugar, water, dry milk, baking powder and a dash of salt
- Qatayef Stuffing
The most common stuffing is a combination of nuts, whatever you like and whatever you have in your pantry. - Start the batter
Combine all the batter ingredients in a deep bowl, cover and let it rise and bubble for like 30 minutes. Please note, a recent tip from mom is to make this in your blender and this worked like a charm much better than a whisk.
- Cook the batter
Scoop the batter on a non-stick skillet or a hot griddle. You'll notice bubbles forming on the surface. Once the surface is no longer wet this means it id one. Do not flip them. Place on a flat surface, do not stack them up until they have cooled down to room temperature., and cover with a clean kitchen towel until you are done with the whole batch. - Stuff
When you are done and the pancakes have cooled down, stuff your pancakes with you filling and press ends to seal. - Freezing option
When you are done, you can lay them on a flat surface and freeze. Fry without thawing afterward when you are ready to consume. - Frying
Heat oil in a frying pan and fry the qatayef to your perfection. I like mine crunchy so I fry them to dark golden brown color. - Dunk in Syrup
Take the fried qatayef out of the oil, place on a paper towel for just 15 seconds then dunk them in the simple syrup. We want them to be placed in the syrup while they are still hot. Toss to cover then take them out leaving them to drip the excess syrup.
Related Recipes
- Tulumba is a popular street food throughout the Middle east. Tulumba pastries are fried to golden brown and dunked in cold syrup for an out-of-this-world crunchy yet so fluffy on-inside sweet fritters.
- Kunafa is another Arab dessert that is essential and sold in every pastry shop in the Middle East.
- From traditional sweets to modern treats, these Egyptian desserts recipes are sure to please ever.
- This Baklava Recipe promises you an easy show-stopper dessert with few ingredients. Golden layers of crispy phyllo with a nutty sweetness heart, all soaked in fragrant syrup. A delicious bliss in every bite.
- Need more ideas, checkout these 40+ Middle Eastern Desserts. There is something for everyone.
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Qatayef Recipe
Ingredients
Qatayef batter:
- 2 cups (240 g) all purpose flour.
- 1 teaspoon (3g) dry yeast.
- 1 Tablespoon (14g) sugar.
- ½ teaspoon (1g) baking powder.
- 1 Tablespoon (6g) dry powdered milk.
- A pinch of salt.
- 1 ¾ (420 mL) cups of warm water.
- Oil for deep frying.
Thick simple syrup:
- 2 cups (400 g) sugar.
- 1 (240 mL) cup water.
- ¼ cup (60 mL) honey
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice.
- A dash of vanilla powder or ½ teaspoon vanilla extract.
- Filling: nut mixture of your choice used about two cups mixed nuts and raisins.
Instructions
Make the syrup:
- In a sauce pan over medium heat, add syrup ingredients, stir a little then let it boil.
- When it boils, reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
- Turn heat off and let it cool down to room temperature, it will thicken as it cools down.
Make the batter:
- In a deep bowl, combine first 6 ingredients, add water and mix well. (Note1)
- Cover and let it set for 30 minutes.
- Stir the batter a bit to check consistency if it is too thick then add a tablespoon of water. Batter should be thinner than pancake and not lumpy. (Note2)
Cook the pancakes:
- Heat a griddle or a pan and scoop about 2 Tablespoons of the batter.
- The batter will bubble at the surface and cooks, do not flip
- When the surface is longer wet remove and it is golden brown, remove from heat. (Note3)
- Arrange qatayef bubble side up on a baking sheet and cover with a towel. Set aside until you are finished with the rest of the batter.
- Continue until you finish all the batter.
Fill the pancakes:
- Hold the pancakes bubble side up, fill with little over a teaspoon of the nut mixture. Do not overfill as it will not close or tear and crack.
- Fold pancakes in half and pinch the sides to firmly close. (Note4).
Frying the pancakes:
- Heat oil for deep frying over medium heat.
- For a crispy golden qatayef, fry for like 3 minutes on each side until they are dark golden brown. If you want a softer qatayef, fry them until they are just light golden brown.
- Take them out of oil place on a paper towel for 5-15 seconds then quickly dip them in the cooled syrup while they are still hot. Toss to cover with syrup.
- Take qatayef out and let them drip in a colander. The more you leave qatayef in the syrup, the more syrup it will soak and then it will become softer.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Taghreed
Can I air fry them?
Amira
I haven't tried that yet Taghreed but I do not see why not.
Jody
My pancakes always cracked open when folding to fill. I learned the flour used needs to have a high gluten content to make the pancake more elastic. So I have made these with a high gluten bread flour and NO CRACKING!. I also tried replacing some of the flour with Semolina , which is high gluten, and again NO CRACKING!. I hope this helps those who have gone through all the prep work only to have them crack when filling, or worse, crack when frying.
Sara
If you don’t have milk powder is that ok?
Amira
Leave it out Sara, it gives richness to the dough but if you do not have it then ok.
S. Hamdi
These were such a big hit with my family and friends! Love this recipe- definitely saving it!:)
Amira
So glad you liked it.
saf
really simple and lovely
Amira
Thank you so much Saf, happy you liked it.
Kym
Ramadan Kareem! This was an amazing recipe! My Palestinian husband loved them and this is one of his mother’s specialties...these are better! Thank you!
Amira
Thanks Kym for your feedback, happy you liked them.
Lina D.
Love Middle Eastern cuisine and these were so tasty. I had a couple left but they were not crunchy the next day. Loved them anyways :). Thank you.
Amira
Thank Linda for your feedback, I am happy you liked them. They tend to lose a bit of their crispiness when the second day. You might try to freshen them up in the oven.
nat
Oh Amira...You are my new hero. This will make London feel sunny. Even though it’s pissing. As always. Xx
Amira
Hehehehe, This is one of our favorite all year long. Thanks Nat.
Basmah
Hi! What level of heat does the pan need to be when I cook the pancakes?
Basmah
Amira
Hi Basmah, if you are using an electric skillet or griddle I would say start preheating it at about 375F then turn it down to 360F when putting the pancakes.
Soona
I'd love to make this during Ramadan for my family! Is there an alternative to powdered milk that I can use?
Amira
Soona, thank you for your interest in the recipe. Feel free to leave it out, I just tried that and it went ok.
Sabrina
Question: don’t most recipes use semolina? Why did you opt for just flour?
I love all your recipes that I’ve tried so far!
Amira
Thank you Sabrina for your sweet comment. I am happy you like the recipes here. I have another recipe for qatayef asafiri using semolina, in Egypt it is more common to use only flour but both recipes work great.
Nuha Abdullah
Thank you so much. I just made it. It’s very delicious
Amira
Nuha, that's awesome! Thank you so much for your feedback.
Karima
I made these for Iftar yesterday and they were absolutely delicious
Amira
Thank you Karima and happy Iftar, I am glad you liked it.
Amal Muhammad
Thank you, Amira. كل السنة وانت طيبة وعيد مبارك.
I made this during Ramadan with some slight modifications. I made half the recipe. I had a mix of dry raisins, blueberries, and cranberries that I plumped up in freshly squeezed orange juice overnight. I added to the berries, coursely ground pecans, a bit of sugar, clarified butter, cinnamon and rose water. They were well-received! Thank you, thank you, thank you, for the recipe and video! Wishing I were there in Egypt at this time!
Amira
Amal, Eid Mubarak my dear. Your stuffing sounds very tasty, in fact it makes me drool here. Love it. Thank you for sharing your modification that I am sure many will love to try. I know Egypt is like no other country during this time of the year.
Andy
These are for sure not your everyday run-of-the-mill pancakes! so creative.
Amira
Thanks Andy, they are so tasty.
Sahar
Made half a batch yesterday, they were very tasty.
Amira
Sahar, I am happy you liked it. Thanks for letting me know.
Cecy from California
I've made these in the international festival and these were a hit. Made the dough, stuffed and put them in the freezer almost a week before the day. On the ID I took them out and completed the process. I love the way you ensure that little details are all provided to make it easier and the step by step photos too they help a lot especially for people who do not know what to expect. Thanks you so much for such a wonderful recipe.
Amira
Cecy, this is very good planning.. thank you for trying this recipe and I am glad it was a hit.
Sara A.
Came out so good and crunchy as we like it. Thank you so much for such a perfect recipe.
Amira
That’s so fantastic to hear Sara! Thank you for letting me know!
Zana
If you add half a cup of fine semolina to your mixture, it yields crunchier atayef that wont get soggy in the syrup.
Amira
Zena, thank you so much for your suggestions. I did actually make another version with semolina in the katayef asafiri recipe but it was a higher ratio. I've heard that adding water instead of milk is better regarding crunchiness too. Thank you so much dear.
Mandy
I am an avid reader of your blog, I am so glad I have found it. This recipes turned out perfect for our taste. I've stuffed mine with cream as well then fried as this was what my mom did back then.
Amira
Thank Mandy, I am glad you liked them. My mom does the same as well :).
Malak
Honestly, I LOVE atayef. I am from Egypt and I had them since I was FIVE. IT IS AMAZING. But I didn't know you could change the recipe. I will try it at ONCE.
Rasha
Thanks Amira for the recipe. Can we store the Atyef in freezer before frying them for couple months??
Amira
Yes sure, actually I am stocking up on those for the month of Ramadan both sweet and savory.
Kate @ Diethood
I can see myself loving these...a lot!! They sound amazing!
easyfoodsmith
I wish I had seen your post a day earlier and I would have definitely made them for Holi.
Amira
This is nice for any and everyday 🙂 so why not try them today or wait until the Easter if you want a big celebration.
Coffee and Crumpets
My all time favourite Ramadan dessert and one of the most searched recipes on my site! It is incredibly popular and because of that I came up with variations last year! I have to have these every Ramadan, without fail. I adore them. Now, having seen yours, I am craving them 🙂
They are gorgeous and I know they taste awesome!
Amira
Yessss I love it year round too 🙂 I might make them tomorrow in a gathering.
Kathy
Oh do these look delicious, Amira! I would love to indulge in a few…I know I would love them!
John@Kitchen Riffs
This is a new dish for me! Looks lovely. The inclusion of the yeast is so interesting -- I'll bet it adds some nice flavor. Fun dish -- thanks.
Amira
Hi John.... I though you already knew about this dish!!! It is very common in the Middle east. Very satisfying and easy to make. Thanks for your comment
Liz
I have never heard of atayef before, but I know I'd be an instant fan! They sound amazing!!!
Amira
Liz, this really is simple and tasty I hope you will give it a try.
Henna
Salaam Sister Amira!
These look wonderful!
Amira
Hi Henna,How are you dear? aren't these nice? They have the spirit of Ramadan:) Thanks for the comment.
Denise Browning@From Brazil To You
These look amazing, Amira! I would devour them all by myself. They remind sweet empanadas.
Amira
Thank you Denise... I bet there are alot in common between Middle east cuisine and the Brazilian one.
Joanne T Ferguson
G'day! These look amazing and thank you for allowing me to learn something new!
Cheers! Joanne
Amira
Thanks Joanne I hope you try these.