Known as Qatayef, Katayef, or Atayef, these delicious Middle Eastern pastries are made with mini pancakes filled with ground nuts. The filled pastries are then fried until golden and drenched in syrup. Serve them with Turkish coffee or kirak tea.
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My sisters and I all love to cook, and we all have our own signature dishes. Beni is known for her easy chicken biryani, I'm known for my Iraqi Vegetable Dolma, and my sister Rosa's signature dishes include Bourak and Atayef (Qatayef).
During my last visit to Chicago, we planned to make these delicious Middle Eastern pastries together. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough time to make it happen. Lucky for me (and you), she shared her recipe!
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🌙 The Recipe's Origin
Qayayef (قطايف) are often served by Muslims during their Ramadan celebrations, along with Qamar Al-Din. Their crescent shape symbolizes a crescent moon, a symbol interwoven throughout the Muslim religion.
These delicious stuffed pancakes come with a variety of fillings, including ground nuts, fresh mozzarella, ricotta, or clotted cream (gemar), also known as ashta. In this recipe, we'll use a filling made with a mixture of ground walnuts, sugar, and cardamom.
If you're planning your Ramadan menu, check out this luqaimat recipe, or browse my full collection of Ramadan recipes for more traditional dishes and desserts.
🔖 Ingredients & Substitutions
Syrup Ingredients
Batter Ingredients
Filling Ingredients
- Flour: All-purpose flour & fine semolina flour.
- Milk: Although some recipes call for dried powdered milk and water or a mixture of water and milk, we will be using room-temperature whole milk instead. However, almond milk should also work!
- Nuts: A combination of nuts can be used to make the nut mixture. However, walnuts and pistachios are the most popular options.
- Spices: If you don't have cardamom, cinnamon can also be used; however, I recommend using half the amount called for in the recipe.
- Syrup: For the syrup, you'll need sugar, lemon juice, rose water, and orange blossom water. I recommend this 2-pack of orange blossom water and rosewater. You can also use vanilla extract.
- Oil for frying: Avocado oil is a great option for frying because it has a mild flavor and a high smoking point. You can also use vegetable oil or corn oil.
*A full list of ingredients can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
🥟 How To Make Atayef
Prepare Syrup
Add sugar and water to a saucepan. Stir to dissolve the sugar, then bring the mixture to a rolling boil. Cook for ten minutes, over medium heat, without stirring. Stir in lemon juice and rosewater during the last few minutes. The syrup will thicken as it cools.
Pro Tip: If you prefer a thinner syrup (1 to 1 ratio) give this easy homemade simple syrup recipe a try!
Prepare Pancake Batter
Whisk flour, semolina, sugar, yeast, baking powder, and salt to combine. Pour milk, rose water, and orange blossom water into the same bowl. Whisk to incorporate the ingredients until no lumps remain. Set aside for 30 minutes.
Pro Tip: The batter should have a thinner consistency than pancake batter. If the batter is too thick, add a little more milk or water; if it's too watery, add a spoonful of flour until you achieve the right consistency.
Prepare Nut Filling
While the batter is resting, grind walnuts using a food processor until finely ground. Add sugar and cardamom and stir to combine.
Cook the Pancakes
Heat a seasoned non-stick skillet or griddle over low-medium heat. Pour 2 tablespoons of batter in the center to make a small pancake. If your pan is large enough, you can make a few at a time.
Pro Tip: Once they spread out, the pancakes should be approximately 3 ½" to 4" in circumference. The batter can thicken upon standing. If they don't spread easily, you may need to add more liquid to thin the batter!
The surface will develop tiny bubbles. Cook the pancakes for a few minutes, or until the surface is no longer wet. Do not flip the pancakes! Remove pancakes with a spatula and set aside on a cookie sheet (bubble side up). Cover with a dishcloth while you cook the next pancake.
Pro Tip: Covering the pancakes for 30 seconds to a minute causes them to soften, which makes them easier to fill, crimp, and seal.
Assemble Atayef
While the next pancake is cooking, fill the previous pancake, bubble side up, with approximately 1 ½ teaspoons of nut filling. Fold the pancake over the filling, then press the edges together to seal. Place on the same or a different tray and cover with a dish towel.
Pro Tip: Do not overfill the Atayef. They won't seal and may even tear.
Fry Atayef
Pour oil into a small skillet and heat to 300℉ to 315℉. Fry Atayef for 2 ½ to 3 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Immediately dip the hot Atayef in the cooled syrup, then transfer to a colander to drain off excess syrup.
Pro Tip: Atayef don't need to be deep fried. I add enough oil to cook one side of the pastry then flip them to fry the other side.
Pro Tip: Don't use the same tongs to remove the pastries from the hot oil and dunk them into the syrup. If you do, you'll transfer syrup into the hot oil, causing it to pop and leave burnt residue in the oil.
🎛 Baked Atayef
If you prefer baking the Atayef, brush both sides generously with oil and arrange on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 375℉ oven for 20 minutes, or until crisp and browned on both sides.
🍽 Serving Suggestions
Sprinkle Atayef down the middle with ground pistachios. Drizzle with more syrup, if needed. This dessert is traditionally served with Turkish coffee or tea.
You may also want to try this delicious Middle Eastern vermicelli dessert recipe!
🔎 Troubleshooting Tips
Why does the Atayef keep ripping?
- Try adding less filling.
- The batter may be too thick; try thinning the batter.
- The pancakes might be too crisp; make sure you cover them with a dishcloth for at least 60 seconds. The steam will make them softer and more pliable.
Why are my Atayef soft instead of crispy?
- It could be that the batter is too thick, which can result in thicker pancakes and a doughier pastry that won't crisp up when fried.
- Another reason for a soft texture may be that the heat is too high. They need to fry longer. Unlike most fried food, 350℉ to 375℉ is too high. Instead, try somewhere between 300℉ -315℉.
- It could also be that you did not fry them long enough. You want the color to be a deep brown, which should take 2 ½ to 3 minutes of frying on each side. Setting a timer on your phone is helpful!
🤷🏻♀️ FAQs
Atayef are made with mini pancakes filled with either cheese or a nut filling. The sealed pastries are then fried until golden and drenched in simple syrup.
There are approximately 200 calories in a single Katayef, so moderation is key!
Atayef can be prepared in advance and frozen until you are ready to serve them. There is no need to thaw them first.
👩🏼🍳 Pro Tips
- You can blend the ingredients in a blender instead of whisking the batter by hand.
- Using a 2 Tablespoon scoop (the kind you find in most protein powders) dispenses the perfect amount of batter every time and helps your pasty to be uniform in size.
- You can assemble them ahead of time, and then fry them just before you plan to serve them.
- Atayef can be frozen on a tray and then stored in a ziplock bag in the freezer until you decide to fry them. You do not need to defrost them first!
- They are best served fresh, especially if you want them to be crunchy.
🍮 More Middle Eastern Recipes
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments section further down the page.
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📖 Recipe
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Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Add sugar and water to a saucepan. Stir to dissolve the sugar, then bring the mixture to a rolling boil. Cook for ten minutes, over medium heat, without stirring. Stir in lemon juice and rosewater during the last few minutes. The syrup will thicken as it cools.
- Whisk flour, semolina, sugar, yeast, baking powder, and salt to combine. Pour milk, rose water, and orange blossom water into the same bowl. Whisk to incorporate the ingredients until no lumps remain. Set aside for 30 minutes.
- While the batter is resting, grind walnuts using a food processor until finely ground. Add sugar and cardamom and stir to combine.
- Heat a seasoned non-stick skillet or griddle over low-medium heat. Pour 2 tablespoons of batter in the center to make a small pancake. If your pan is large enough, you can make a few at a time.
- The surface will develope tiny bubbles. Cook the pancakes for a few minutes, or until the surface is no longer wet. Do not flip the pancakes! Remove pancakes with a spatula and set aside on a cookie sheet (bubble side up). Cover with a dishcloth while you cook the next pancake.
- While the next pancake is cooking, fill the previous pancake, bubble side up, with approximately 1 ½ teaspoons of nut filling. Fold the pancake over the filling then press the edges together to seal. Place on the same or a different tray and cover with the dish towel.
- Pour oil into a small skillet and heat to 300℉ to 315℉. Fry Atayef for 2 ½ to 3 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Immediately dip the hot Atayef in the cooled syrup then transfer to a colander to drain off excess syrup.
- Sprinkle Atayef down the middle with ground pistachios. Drizzle with more syrup, if needed. This dessert is traditionally served with Turkish coffee or tea.
Nutrition
Video
Notes
- You can blend the ingredients in a blender, instead of whisking the batter by hand.
- The batter should have a thinner consistency than pancake batter. If the batter is too thick, add a little more milk or water, if it's too watery, add a spoonful of flour until you achieve the right consistency.
- Once they spread out, the pancakes should be approximately 3 ½" to 4" in circumference. The batter can thicken upon standing. If they don't spread easily, you may need to add more liquid to thin the batter!
- Covering the pancakes for 30 seconds to a minute causes them to soften, which makes them easier to fill and crimp/seal. If you skip this step, the cooked side will crack when you try to fill them.
- Do not overfill the Atayef. They'll be hard to seal and possibly tear.
- Atayef can be assembled ahead of time and fried just before serving.
- Atayef don't need to be deep fried. I add enough oil to cook one side of the pastry then flip them to fry the other side.
- Don't use the same tongs to remove the pastries from the hot oil and dunk them into the syrup. If you do, you'll transfer syrup into the hot oil, causing it to pop and leave burnt residue in the oil.
- Atayef are best served fresh, especially if you prefer them to be crunchy. By day two, they will begin to soften.
Lori Ross says
Posting this review for a friend…he said this was really good and not just for dessert but breakfast too!
Hilda Sterner says
I'm glad he enjoyed them!