Eid Feast Spiced Pear Knafeh with Crispy Shreds and Labneh
A modern take on knafeh that honors Eid celebration with crispy kataifi noodles, fragrant five-spice poached pears, and a cool dollop of tangy labneh. The golden shredded pastry crisps in clarified butter while spiced pears soften underneath, then everything is drizzled with simple sugar syrup infused with orange blossom water. Serve warm with labneh on the side or dolloped on top for contrast.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Wait
- 15 min
- Total
- 1 hr 20 min
- Makes
- 6 servings (one 9-inch cake)
Steps
Before you start
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C)
- Have labneh at room temperature if serving as a topping
- Thaw kataifi noodles at room temperature for 30 minutes if frozen
- Clarify the butter or use ghee
Poach the pears
- In a medium saucepan, combine water (0.75 cup), sugar (0.5 cup), lemon juice (2 tbsp), five-spice powder (1.5 tsp), and cinnamon (0.5 tsp).
- Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar.
- Add the pear halves, cut-side down, and simmer gently for 8–10 minutes until the pears are just tender when pierced with a fork but still hold their shape.
- Remove from heat and let pears cool in the syrup for 5 minutes.
- Drain pears, reserving 3 tbsp of the poaching liquid, and arrange them in the bottom of the baking dish in a single layer, cut-side up.
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Ready when: Pears are fork-tender but still hold their shape; they should not fall apart
Tip: Don't skip cooling the pears in the syrup—this infuses them with spice flavor and helps them stay intact during baking
Toss kataifi with butter
- Separate the kataifi noodles gently with your fingers so they are loosely distributed and not matted together.
- Pour warm melted clarified butter (5 tbsp) evenly over the noodles and toss with a fork until every strand is coated with butter.
- The mixture should look somewhat wet and fragrant.
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Ready when: All kataifi strands are coated and glisten with butter
Tip: Warm butter coats the noodles more evenly; cold butter will clump. Work gently so the strands don't break into tiny pieces
Layer kataifi over pears
- Spread the buttered kataifi evenly over the pears, pressing down gently with the back of a spoon to form a compact layer.
- The noodles should cover the pears completely but remain as a cohesive shredded layer, not crumbled.
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Ready when: Kataifi is evenly distributed in a single layer covering the pears
Tip: Press gently so the kataifi stays as recognizable shreds and doesn't compact into a dense dough
Bake until goldenOven 375°F / 190°C
- Place the baking dish in a preheated 375°F (190°C) oven and bake for 22–25 minutes, until the top is deep golden brown and the kataifi noodles are visibly crispy and making small crackling sounds.
- The edges may darken more than the center—this is desirable.
- Watch carefully in the final 5 minutes to prevent burning.
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Ready when: Top is deep golden brown and crackles when lightly tapped; a wooden skewer inserted into a pear comes out hot and tender
Tip: If the top browns too quickly, loosely tent with foil for the final 5–8 minutes, but remove it for the last 2 minutes to restore crispness
Make the sugar syrup
- While the knafeh bakes, prepare the syrup.
- In a small saucepan, combine sugar (0.75 cup) and water (0.75 cup).
- Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar.
- Once boiling, stop stirring and let it bubble gently for 3 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in orange blossom water (1 tbsp).
- Let the syrup cool for 2 minutes (it will be warm but not scalding when poured over the hot knafeh).
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Ready when: Syrup reaches a boil and is pale and thin (no longer cloudy)
Tip: Don't let the syrup cool completely—warm syrup will soak into the pastry better. A thermometer should read around 165–170°F (74–76°C) when poured
Soak the knafeh
- Remove the knafeh from the oven and immediately pour the warm sugar syrup evenly over the entire surface, allowing it to seep down through the crispy kataifi into the pears below.
- You can pour it in a thin stream across the top in a crosshatch pattern, or more freely.
- Some syrup will pool slightly; this is normal and helps keep the inside moist.
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Ready when: Syrup has been evenly distributed and is soaking in
Tip: Pour immediately while the knafeh is hot so the syrup absorbs fully. If you wait too long, the syrup will not penetrate as well and the knafeh may stay too crispy on top
Rest before serving
- Let the knafeh cool in the baking dish for 10–15 minutes at room temperature.
- This allows the syrup to fully absorb while the kataifi maintains a slight crispness.
- Do not refrigerate; serve warm or at room temperature.
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Ready when: Knafeh is warm to the touch but not piping hot; syrup has mostly absorbed
Tip: This resting period is crucial—it transforms the texture from harsh to tender-crispy and allows flavors to settle
Serve with labneh
- Transfer the knafeh to a serving platter or divide into portions on individual plates.
- Top each serving with a generous dollop of labneh (about 2–3 tbsp per portion).
- Garnish with chopped pistachios if desired.
- Drizzle any remaining syrup from the baking dish around the edges.
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Ready when: Knafeh is plated and topped with labneh
Tip: The cool, tangy labneh provides a stunning contrast to the warm, sweet, spiced knafeh—this balance is key to the dessert's appeal
Good to know
Tips
- The contrast between warm knafeh and cool labneh is essential—don't serve the labneh warm, and don't skip it; it's not just garnish but a crucial flavor and texture balance
- Kataifi is delicate once coated with butter; handle it with a fork when tossing rather than your fingers to keep strands intact and crispy
- If you can't find kataifi noodles, phyllo pastry cut into thin shreds and tossed with butter will work, though the texture won't be quite as delicate and thread-like
- For an extra-special presentation, warm 2 tbsp clarified butter in a small pan with 1 tbsp honey and a pinch of sea salt, then drizzle it over the plated knafeh just before serving for a glossy, salty-sweet finish
Make ahead
You can poach the pears up to 1 day ahead and store them in their syrup in an airtight container in the fridge. Bring them to room temperature before using. The sugar syrup can also be made up to 2 days ahead. Assemble and bake the knafeh the same day you plan to serve it for best texture.
Storage & reheating
Store leftover knafeh loosely covered at room temperature for up to 2 hours; do not refrigerate as this will harden the kataifi. Labneh should be served fresh. For longer storage, wrap cooled knafeh tightly and freeze for up to 2 weeks; thaw at room temperature and warm in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 8–10 minutes to restore crispness.
Substitutions
- orange blossom water → rose water (use the same amount) or 1 tsp vanilla extract. Rose water gives an equally elegant floral note. Vanilla is less traditional but adds warmth; use less as it's more assertive
- firm but ripe pears (about 4 medium) → apples (such as Granny Smith), peeled, cored, and halved, or a mix of the two. Apples work beautifully and offer more tartness. Adjust cooking time to 6–8 minutes as apples soften faster
- labneh (strained yogurt), at room temperature → Greek yogurt or heavy cream whipped with 1 tbsp powdered sugar. Labneh's tang is integral to the dessert, but Greek yogurt is a closer substitute than cream, which will be too sweet
- five-spice powder → 1 tsp ground ginger + ½ tsp ground cloves + ½ tsp ground anise seed. This approximates five-spice if you don't have it on hand. Alternatively, use 2 tsp ground cardamom for a more subtle Middle Eastern note
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- Meal
- Dessert
- Cuisine
- Middle Eastern
- Diet
- VegetarianHalal
- Method
- Oven
- Occasion
- Eid