Six Egyptian Desserts You Need To Try

In Egypt desserts and sweets are created to celebrate special days and religious times or simply because they are delicious. Here are six of Egypt's sweetest treats. 

Omm Ali is a staple of Egyptian desserts. It can be found throughout Egypt in both everyday and up-market restaurants as well as on the dining table of any Egyptian family dinner.

Omm Ali is a baked pudding made using bread or flaked pastry in a tagine (ceramic bowl), with milk, sugar, nuts, and cream poured on top before it is placed under the grill which creates its signature golden color.

If you are a rice pudding fan, the Egyptian version is a must-try, infused with different spices and topped with crushed pistachios. The green and white colors give it a serene feel. It is one of the most easy-to-make desserts and the  fastest to whip up for gatherings. 

In addition to it being served in the majority of Egyptian restaurants, there are special "Dairy" (Alban) shops that sell rice pudding amongst other fresh dairy products and milk-based desserts.

Don't miss eating rice pudding in an oriental restaurant in Egypt, such as Khan-El-Khalili, where an array of toppings are available to make your palette tingle, from traditional nuts, to honey, cream, ice-cream, and fresh fruits. Or how about Roz be Laban with all the toppings?

Qatayef is common in the Arab world, mainly associated with the holy month of Ramadan. However, it is so popular that you can easily find it on Egyptian tables throughout the year, either in its dessert or savoury form. 

Qatayef is like a sweet version of Spanish empanadas. Yeast, simple flour, and water batter is used to cook small, one sided, mini pancake circles. These are full of aerated holes at the top and sealed from the bottom as the dough touches the pan, just like an unflipped pancake.

The cooked mini pancakes are usually stuffed with a nut, raisin, and sugar mixture for the sweet versions, and cheese or mincemeat mixtures for savory versions.

Another oriental dessert associated with the holy month of Ramadan is Kunafa. You can still find it in dessert shops all year round, sold independently or as part of an oriental sweets mixed dish. 

The traditional Egyptian version of Kunafa can be filled with a nut mixture with sugar, cream, vanilla puddings or mangoes. Imported or modernized versions include mild-cheese fillings such as Ricotta, custard, or single layered Konafa with nutella or even half a red velvet cake on top. That's right, Konafa comes to Egyptians in a different popular fashion every ramadan!

However, because Konafa is specially crafted, creating very thin, hair-like, dried up dough, it is more available for home cooking during the month of Ramadan, where the raw dough is sold at grocery stores and local bakery stores (Al Forn).