African Sweet Pastries

Kunāfah consists of two crunchy layers of shredded and buttered kataifi or knefe dough, filled with a luscious cheese cream that's often flavored with orange zest and cardamom, then drenched in a sugar syrup infused with lemon ju... READ MORE

Chebakia is a chewy, crunchy, and fragrant Moroccan pastry made by arranging strips of dough into a flower shape. It is then fried, coated in honey, and sprinkled with sesame seeds. This sweet treat is traditionally prepared during the month of Ra... READ MORE

These crescent-shaped cookies are usually associated with Morocco, but they can be found throughout Algeria and Tunisia in slightly different forms and under various names. Their name translates as gazelle ankles, but they are better know... READ MORE

Makroudh is a famous North African dessert which usually consists of a sweet date filling that is placed inside semolina dough. It is fried or baked, and then doused in honey-based syrups which are often flavored with lemon or orange. The name der... READ MORE

Koeksister is a sweet South African snack with a sticky appearance. It is prepared by frying braided dough strips in oil, then dunking them into a cold sugary syrup. These sticky treats are sold on every major street in South Africa, and today the... READ MORE

Sfenj are popular Moroccan and Algerian doughnut-like fritters made from sticky unleavened batter, similar to Libyan sfinz and Tunisian bambalouni. The dough is traditionally shaped into rings and deep-fried until it develops a g... READ MORE

Fetir meshaltet is an Egyptian delicacy consisting of flaky layered pastry which can be plain or filled with various sweet or savory ingredients such as ground beef, cheese, halwa, chocolate, or raisins. The dish dates back to the time of the phar... READ MORE

This internationally known, decadent, and sugar-packed dessert is usually made with a mixture of flour, sugar, yeast, and salt, which is deep-fried and then bathed in syrup or honey. The origin of lokma fritters is ancient but often debated. It is... READ MORE

Every important celebration in Algeria is never complete without mkhabez, a traditional and delicate Algerian pastry. It is made with nuts (mostly almonds), sugar, eggs, and flavorings, then cut into small, elegant shapes. Essentially, it is easy ... READ MORE

This African snack is very popular in countries such as Tanzania, Uganda, and Kenya. The dough is made with sugar, flour, water, yeast, and milk or coconut milk. It can be additionally enriched with ingredients such as ground peanuts or almonds. A... READ MORE

M’hanncha or snake cake is a traditional dessert in which warqa pastry is filled with a delicious almond paste, then shaped into a snake-like form. Although there are numerous recipes for the almond paste, it is typically p... READ MORE

Kaak warka are traditional Tunisian pastries shaped into rings, making them visually similar to donuts. They're filled with marzipan that's flavored with rosewater. This sweet pastry is made with a combination of flour, butter, water, almonds, sug... READ MORE

Ktefa or jawhara is a layered Moroccan dessert that is assembled with paper-thin sheets of fried warqa pastry. The filling between the crispy layers is usually made with a combination of toasted ground or roughly chopped almonds and sugar... READ MORE

Yovo doko is typical Beninese street food that is considered a national dessert. These sweet fritters consist of flour, water, yeast, and sugar. The dough is deep-fried until a golden crust develops on the exterior, while the inside remains soft a... READ MORE

Kaimati are sweet Kenyan dumplings consisting of flour, water, yogurt, yeast, and ghee. The dough is fried in oil until golden brown, then coated in sugar syrup made with sugar, water, lemon rinds, and a pinch of vanilla sugar or cardamom powder. ... READ MORE

Bakalawa bil jibna is the Libyan variety of baklava made with rosewater-flavored muhallabia and cream cheese. The filling typically consists of cream cheese, sugar, cornflour, milk, qashta cream, and rosewater. This baklava variety is doused in a ... READ MORE

Bolinhos de mandioca com mel is a traditional dessert originating from Cape Verde. It's usually made with a combination of eggs, molasses, oil, water, aguardiente liquor, and manioc flour. In order to prepare the dessert, whole eggs are mixed with... READ MORE