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    Home » Cuisine » Middle Eastern » Muhalabieh (Middle Eastern Milk Pudding Dessert)

    Muhalabieh (Middle Eastern Milk Pudding Dessert)

    Published on August 11, 2017 | updated on April 14, 2020 by Diana

    Jump to Recipe

    Muhalabieh is a creamy Middle Eastern milk pudding infused with rosewater and topped with crushed pistachios.

    An incredible and creamy Middle Eastern milk pudding infused with rose water, and topped with crushed pistachios.

    MIDDLE EASTERN DESSERTS

    In the Middle East people like to add roses to desserts. Rose petals, rose syrup, rose water and even rose jam are used. Pistachios are also very commonly used, they are either sprinkled over desserts or added to make cookies, baklava, yogurts, and ice cream.

    This recipe is my Mum’s recipe. Although my Mum is Russian but she lived in Jordan for a while now. She loves Middle Eastern cuisine and in Jordan, she learned how to cook delicious Levantine dishes. I remember when I was a child my mum used to make this Middle Eastern milk pudding recipe infused with rose water, and always generously topped it with pistachios. This dessert is called Muhalabieh.

    MUHALABIEH

    The recipe is very frugal and simple. It’s made from ingredients that you probably already have in your cupboards. It’s basically made with milk, sugar, rose water and corn starch. Cooking these 4 ingredients together will result in this exotic dessert with a hint of rose water and the most beautiful garnishes. I adore the color of the crushed pistachios with the rose petals, but the garnishes can, of course, be altered. You can add almonds, desiccated coconut, pomegranate seeds or even cocoa nibs!

    In this post I’m sharing the traditional recipe with you, it’s the recipe that we usually make at home and very similar to what you would get if you order it at a restaurant or a cafe or buy it from a store. However, if you are trying to cut down on calories and make a lighter version, reduce the amount of sugar to 2 tbsp instead of 100 grams and use fresh semi-skimmed milk.

    An incredible and creamy Middle Eastern milk pudding infused with rose water, and topped with crushed pistachios.

    I personally like to eat Muhalabieh when it’s chilled, but some people like to have it warm right after it’s cooked. I also created this video to show you step by step how I make Muhalabieh.

    Muhalabieh is a creamy Middle Eastern milk pudding infused with rose water, and topped with crushed pistachios...

    Muhalabieh (Middle Eastern Milk Pudding Dessert)

    Creamy Middle Eastern milk pudding infused with rose water, and topped with crushed pistachios.
    4.91 from 10 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: Middle Eastern
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes
    Total Time: 10 minutes
    Servings: 4 servings
    Calories: 162kcal
    Author: Diana

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups (500 ml) milk
    • ½ cup (100 grams) sugar
    • 3 tablespoons cornflour
    • 1 tablespoon rose water
    • pistachios and rose petals for garnish

    Instructions

    • Heat milk in a saucepan over medium heat.
    • Add the sugar, cornflour and rose water.
    • Whisk continuously until the milk starts thickening. Do not leave the stove as the milk can get burnt easily.
    • Once the milk starts to thicken and get a cream-like consistency, remove from heat. The cream won't be super thick at this point but don't worry it will thicken when it's chilled.
    • Prepare 4 (completely dry) glass bowls, and divide the mixture between them.
    • Let the mixture cool down at room temperature for about half an hour, then transfer to the fridge and chill for at least 2 hours.
    • When the pudding is completely chilled, flip over on a plate and garnish with chopped pistachios and rose petals if desired.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 162kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 4g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 53mg | Potassium: 195mg | Sugar: 31g | Vitamin A: 255IU | Calcium: 153mg
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    1. NoMi

      March 18, 2021 at 11:31 am

      This looks great! Can I use double cream to replace half the milk for a richer and creamier pudding? I also wanted to reduce the sugar by half- do you think that will affect the thickness and result in a thinner pudding?

      Reply
      • Diana

        March 18, 2021 at 11:38 am

        I haven’t tried this with double cream so I’m not sure how it will turn out, I would probably use single cream for a richer pudding. You can use less sugar, that shouldn’t affect the thickness, just the taste.

        Reply
    2. Yasmin

      August 23, 2020 at 11:45 pm

      do you mean cornflour or corn starch? thank you. I am really looking forward trying your version of a childhood memory.

      Reply
      • Diana

        August 24, 2020 at 5:24 am

        Hi Yasmin, in the UK it’s called cornflour, in the US it’s cornstarch. So it depends on where you live. In Arabic, it’s called “Nasha”. Enjoy!

        Reply
        • Yasmin

          August 29, 2020 at 6:46 pm

          Thank you. I tried the recipe but sadly, I think my homemade rosewater was too weak. Even after 4 tbsp of rosewater, there was no flavor. So I just added several tbsp of cocoa. It’s still chilling so fingers crossed it works out. I look forward to trying your other recipes. I am looking for a good recipe for Pad Thai, especially the peanut sauce if you have one. Shukron Be well.

          Reply
          • Matthew

            September 27, 2020 at 6:31 pm

            4 stars
            Perfect proportions for the dessert – thank you! I toasted the crushed pistachios with melted butter and sugar – sublime combination!

            Reply
    3. Sarah

      April 10, 2020 at 2:09 pm

      I tried this but increaseing the amount so I did it with 2L of milk and the measurements to go along with that amount.. unfortunately it didn’t set what did i do wrong? 🙁 please help

      Reply
      • Diana

        April 11, 2020 at 2:26 am

        Hi Sarah, I’m sorry to hear it didn’t set. Were you able to get it to a thick cream consistency as you cooked it?

        Reply
    4. Rachel

      May 19, 2019 at 10:31 am

      5 stars
      I recently tried this at a Middle Eastern food festival in Sydney and absolutely fell in love! Thank you for the recipe!

      Reply
    5. Kim Styles

      June 24, 2018 at 9:43 am

      this looks amazing and yet looks quite simple to make – I must try it as we all love milk puddings

      Reply
    6. Tracy Nixon

      May 16, 2018 at 10:59 am

      5 stars
      This one of my favourite desserts. I often make it!

      Reply
    7. Leila Benhamida

      December 14, 2017 at 12:03 pm

      This one of my favourite dessert. Well done looks fabulous

      Reply
    8. Catherine Brown

      August 15, 2017 at 4:48 pm

      I love the presentation of this dish! and the video! 😉

      Reply
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    Hello and welcome to Little Sunny Kitchen! I'm Diana and I love cooking with fresh, and seasonal ingredients. I'm a trained chef, food blogger, and photographer. More about me!

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