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    Home » Recipes » Mediterranean Recipes

    Qatayef (Atayef)

    Modified: Nov 8, 2024 · Published: Aug 30, 2024 by Radwa ·

    Jump to Recipe

    I love Middle Eastern desserts, especially Qatayef (Atayef), which I always make during Ramadan!

    Basically, it is a pancake stuffed with a mixture of nuts, fried until super crispy and golden brown, then soaked in a thick sugar syrup. I like to garnish them with some crushed pistachios.

    plate full of Qatayef

    Qatayef (Atayef) Recipe

    This dessert is super delicious, I like to fry them for a little longer to make them extra chrunchy! Yum.

    This dessert just has the perfect crunch, is not overly sweaty, and is so easy to put together. I actually modified this recipe a lot in the past until I reached this recipe, which all my family loves.

    Making the pancakes is so easy, exactly like making your breakfast pancakes, except this is a yeasted pancake, so we use yeast and allow the batter to rise.

    The consistency of the pancake should be not too thick nor too thin; it is thinner than the regular pancake batter, though.

    The fillings vary widely from sweet to savoury. In this recipe, I used nuts and raisins. However, you may use cheese, Nutella or spinach! I also stuffed them before with ground beef.

    Finally, I dunk the Qatayef in the thick syrup for just 1-2 minutes and then take them out of the syrup. I love to serve it drizzled with extra dripping sugar syrup.

    pouring the syrup over Atayef

    You'll Need

    Note: This is an overview of the ingredients. See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

    Flour. I used all-purpose flour you may also use gluten free flour.

    Dry powdered milk. I like to add just 1 tablespoon of dry powdered milk, It gives the pancakes a hint of sweetness and also adds a certain creaminess to their texture.

    Baking powder. It will help in lightening the texture and in increasing the volume of the pancakes.

    Dry yeast. Yeast will give the Qatayef its distinctive taste and bubbly texture.

    Oil. I used sunflower oil for deep frying the Qatayefs.

    For the filling: I used almond, pistachio, walnut and raisins.

    Thick simple syrup. This simple syrup is made of sugar and water.

    Let's jump into our recipe without further ado and learn how to make the classic nut-filled Qatayefs.

    How To Make Qatayef/Atayef?

    Make the syrup: Over medium heat, add all the syrup ingredients to a saucepan. Stir and bring them to a boil. After that, reduce the heat, and allow it to simmer for 5-10 minutes.

    Turn off the heat and let it cool down to room temperature.

    make the batter

    Make the batter: In a bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, yeast, salt, baking powder, powdered milk and add water until combined.

    Cover it and let it sit for 30-40 minutes.

    After that, stir the batter; it should be thinner than a pancake and free of lumps. If the batter is too thick, you can add 1-2 tablespoons of water.

    cooking the pancakes

    Cook the pancakes: Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and scoop about 2 tablespoons of the batter per pancake.

    Note: I cook on medium heat because if you cook on high, they will burn, and on low, it will take too long.

    Once the batter bubbles at the surface and the surface is no longer wet, it is done. DO NOT FLIP; Just remove from heat. Repeat until you finish all the batter.

    Tip: Do not stack up the cooked pancakes because that will cause them to stick.

    filling the pancakes

    Fill the pancakes: Hold one pancake bubble side up, and fill with a teaspoon of the nut mixture (do not overfill; otherwise, it will crack).

    Now, fold the pancake in half and pinch the sides to firmly close. Repeat.

    frying the pancakes

    Frying the pancakes: Heat the oil over medium heat in a deep frying pan.

    Fry for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown and crispy.

    Tip: The longer you fry the pancakes, the crispier they will get.

    Now, take them out of the oil and place them in the cooled syrup while they are still hot. Toss to cover with syrup for 1-2 miutes.

    Then put the Qatayef on a colander to drip, arrange it on a serving plate and sprinkle some pistachio on top.

    (Qatayef)Middle Eastern Pancakes in a big plate

    Top Tips!

    • Once the pancakes are cooked, place them bubbly side up on a plate under a clean towel.
    • Make sure that you cover the pancakes after cooking. Otherwise, they will dry out before you can fill and shape them. In case they do dry out, run a damp finger along the edges to seal them.
    • Make sure that the pan is hot before you pour in the pancake batter.

    Some Variations

    • Sprinkle the Qatayefs with coconut flakes instead of pistachio.
    • You can fill the Qatayef with akawi cheese, traditional ashta.
    • Qatayefs can also be eaten without frying.
    • You may try baking the Qatayef instead of deep-frying it. Brush the sealed pancakes with oil or butter, place them on a baking sheet and shove them in a pre-heated oven until they are golden and crisp.
    Middle Eastern Pancakes with sugar syrup

    FAQs

    How To freeze Qatayef?

    Once the pancakes are stuffed, I lay them in a single layer on a parchment paper, and cover them in a plastic wrap. Freeze them until they harden. Then, I transfer them to a Ziploc bag and store them in the freezer, they will last for 1-2 months.

    The pancakes are not bubbling. What to do?

    Your yeast has probably expired, which is why your pancakes aren’t bubbling. If that is not the case, another possibility is that you used water that was too hot, due to which the yeast died. Another possibility is that your batter is too thick. In that case, add a few tablespoons of water to it and try again.

    More Middle Eastern Recipes

    • Egyptian Basbousa Recipe (Semolina Cake)
    • Mini Kunafa With Ricotta Cheese
    • Om Ali – Egyptian Bread Pudding Recipe
    • Zalabya - Loukoumades Recipe
    • Kunafa With Mango And Cream (No-Bake)
    • Kunafa with Cream (Ashta) - Easy Arabic Dessert
    • Mahalabia (Milk Pudding)
    • Easy Kunafa Recipe
    • Baba Ganoush.
      Baba Ganoush Recipe (Lebanese)
    • Grilled Chicken Kofta
      Chicken Kofta Recipe
    • Lemon chicken orzo soup.
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    • Kahk Egyptian Eid cookies in a serving plate.
      Kahk El Eid Recipe (Egyptian Eid Cookies)

    Thanks for dropping in! Follow Healthy Life Trainer on Facebook and Pinterest to keep up-to-date with all new recipes.

    Qatayef (Atayef) in a serving plate.
    Print Pin
    5 from 4 votes

    Qatayef (Atayef)

    Super crunchy and delicious, Qatayef is Arabic pancakes stuffed with nuts and fried until crispy and then soaked in sugar syrup. SO delicious!
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine Middle Eastern
    Prep Time 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time 20 minutes minutes
    Total Time 30 minutes minutes
    Servings 25 servings
    Calories 140kcal
    Author Radwa

    Equipment

    • Frying pan
    • Measuring spoons
    • Measuring cups
    • Saucepan

    Ingredients

    Qatayef batter

    • 2 cups all purpose flour
    • ½ teaspoon baking powder
    • 1 tablespoon dry powdered milk
    • 1 teaspoon dry yeast
    • A pinch of salt
    • 1 tablespoon sugar
    • 1 ¾ cups warm water
    • Oil for deep frying

    Thick simple syrup

    • 2 cups sugar
    • 1 cup water
    • 3 tablespoon honey
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 teaspoon lemon juice

    Qatayef filling

    • 1 cup nut mixture

    Instructions

    Make the syrup

    • Over medium heat, add all the syrup ingredients to a saucepan, stir and bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and let it simmers for 5-10 minutes.
    • Turn off the heat and let it cool down to room temperature.

    Make the batter

    • In a bowl, mix together flour, yeast, salt, sugar, baking powder, powdered milk add water until combined.
    • Cover and let it sit for about 30-40 minutes.
    • After that, stir the batter; it should be thinner than a pancake and free of lumps. If the batter is too thick, add 1-2 tablespoons of water.

    Cook the pancakes

    • Heat a large skillet over medium heat, scoop about 2 Tablespoons of the batter per pancake.
    • Once The batter bubble at the surface and the surface is no longer wet, It is done. Do not flip; remove from heat. Repeat until you finish all the batter.

    Fill the pancakes

    • Hold one pancake bubble side up, fill with a teaspoon of the nut mixture (Do not overfill; otherwise, it will crack).
    • Now, fold the pancake in half and pinch the sides to firmly close. Repeat.

    Fry the pancakes

    • Heat the oil over medium heat in a deep frying pan.
    • Fry for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown and crispy.
    • Now, take them out of the oil and place in the cooled syrup while they are still hot. Toss to cover with syrup.
    • Put the Qatayef on a colander to drip, arrange on a serving plate and sprinkle some pistachio on top.

    Notes

    • The longer you fry the pancakes, the crispier they will get. I like to fry them for extra minute to be extra crispy.
    • Do not stack up the cooked pancakes because that will cause them to stick.
    • I recommend covering the pancakes after cooking. Otherwise, they will dry out before you can fill and shape them.
    • Make sure that the pan is hot before you pour in the pancake batter.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 140kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 10mg | Potassium: 38mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @HealthyLifeTrainer or tag #healthylifetrainer!

    About Radwa

    Hi, I am Radwa! I've always been fond of food—seriously, it's my love language. I share my tried-and-true recipes and provide easy, step-by-step recipes that anyone can follow.

    Comments

    1. Clair says

      April 18, 2022 at 11:33 pm

      5 stars
      I drizzled them with honey instead of soaking in syrup, and they were so delicious.

      Reply
    2. Camila says

      April 18, 2022 at 11:14 pm

      5 stars
      Is it possible to make savoury Qatayef?

      Reply
      • Radwa says

        April 18, 2022 at 11:17 pm

        Yes, you can use a savoury filling, such as cheese or minced beef.

        Reply
    3. Melissa says

      April 18, 2022 at 10:18 pm

      5 stars
      Can I eat these pancakes without frying them?

      Reply
      • Radwa says

        April 18, 2022 at 10:19 pm

        Yes, you can. Also, You can fill them with cream or Nutella and serve without frying.

        Reply
    5 from 4 votes (1 rating without comment)

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    Healthy Life Trainer

    Hello! I’m Radwa, A wife and mother. Also, I am the recipe maker and food photographer behind Healthy Life Trainer. I love making new, simple and quick recipes every day.

    More about me→

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