Middle Eastern · dessert

Keto Kunafa (Knafeh) with Sugar-Free Syrup

Video by Magic in my Food on YouTube · Open on YouTube

50 minMakes 8 × 1 piece (1/8 kunafa)185 kcal a portion
  • Keto (2 g net carbs a serve)
  • Vegetarian
  • Gluten-free ingredients

Contains: Milk, Tree nuts. Check labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes.

Butter-rich coconut layers around melting paneer and mozzarella, soaked in an erythritol syrup instead of sugar: about 2 g net carbs and 2 g fibre a piece.

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Ingredients 9

Method

Tap a time to watch that step in the video.

  1. Rub the 40 g soft butter into the desiccated coconut with your fingers until evenly mixed. 1:27
  2. Grease a small (about 4-inch/10 cm) baking dish with butter and press half the coconut mixture into it as an even base. 1:56
  3. Spread the crumbled paneer over the base and press it flat. 2:24
  4. Scatter the mozzarella over the paneer and press it down. 2:55
  5. Heat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Spread the rest of the coconut mixture on top, press it level and bake for 25 minutes until golden. 3:14
  6. Meanwhile boil the erythritol, water and lemon juice for 5–7 minutes, stirring now and then, to make the syrup. 3:50
  7. Pour half the syrup over the hot kunafa and leave 15 minutes. Loosen the sides, turn it out onto a plate and spoon over the rest of the syrup. 5:00
  8. Sprinkle with the chopped pistachios and serve warm or chilled, cut into 8. 5:56

Tip. Coconut flour can replace the desiccated coconut, and cottage cheese or ricotta the paneer, as the cook notes.

The method is a summary in our words — the video shows every step.

One portion, 1 piece (1/8 kunafa), gives you 1 of 8

Energy185 kcal770 kJ
Protein4.9 g10% of a day
Fibre2.3 g8% of a day
Carbohydrate4.3 g2 g net · 1.7 g sugars2% of a day
Fat17 g12 g saturated22% of a day
Sodium40 mg2% of a day

Where the energy comes from one serve

  • Net carbs 4%
  • Protein 11%
  • Fat 85%

Fits keto: 2 g net carbs a serve, with 85% of the energy from fat.

Vitamins & minerals % of a day, one serve · tap for more

No vitamin or mineral reaches 10% of a day in one serve.

Show the other 15
Selenium9%

4.8 µg a serve, mostly from desiccated coconut (48%). Part of the body's antioxidant enzymes and needed for thyroid hormones. Seafood, eggs, meat and Brazil nuts are rich sources.

Calcium8%

106 mg a serve, mostly from paneer (56%). Builds bones and teeth and helps muscles and nerves work. Dairy, calcium-set tofu, sardines with their bones and some greens supply it.

Vitamin A8%

69 µg a serve, mostly from soft butter (50%). Keeps eyes, skin and the immune system healthy. Orange vegetables and dark greens give beta-carotene, which the body turns into vitamin A.

Vitamin B127%

0.2 µg a serve, mostly from paneer (71%). Keeps nerves and blood cells healthy. Found almost only in animal foods and fortified foods (some plant milks, nutritional yeast), so vegans need a reliable source.

Zinc6%

0.7 mg a serve, mostly from paneer (36%). Needed for immunity, wound healing, taste and growth. Meat, seafood, legumes, seeds and whole grains supply it.

Vitamin B65%

0.1 mg a serve, mostly from pistachios (47%). Helps turn food into energy and make brain messengers. Chickpeas, fish, poultry, potatoes and bananas are good sources.

Magnesium4%

18 mg a serve, mostly from desiccated coconut (62%). Takes part in hundreds of reactions — energy, muscles, nerves, blood sugar and bones. Nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains are good sources.

Iron3%

0.6 mg a serve, mostly from desiccated coconut (72%). Carries oxygen in your blood. Iron from plants absorbs better with vitamin C in the same meal — lemon, tomato or capsicum.

Omega-33%

0 g a serve, mostly from soft butter (37%). Omega-3 fats support the heart and brain. Oily fish give EPA and DHA; walnuts, flax, chia and canola give ALA, which the body converts only a little.

Potassium2%

110 mg a serve, mostly from desiccated coconut (61%). Balances sodium to help control blood pressure and keeps muscles and nerves working. Beans, potatoes, leafy greens and fruit are rich sources.

Vitamin E2%

0.3 mg a serve, mostly from soft butter (38%). An antioxidant that protects cell membranes. Nuts, seeds and plant oils such as olive oil are the main sources.

Vitamin C1%

0.9 mg a serve, mostly from lemon juice (62%). An antioxidant needed for collagen, immunity and iron absorption. Long cooking destroys some, so raw herbs, citrus and capsicum help.

Vitamin D1%

0.1 µg a serve, mostly from soft butter (68%). Helps you absorb calcium for bones and supports muscles. Few foods have much — oily fish, eggs, UV-exposed mushrooms, fortified milks. Sunlight is the main source.

Vitamin K1%

1.1 µg a serve, mostly from soft butter (32%). Needed for blood clotting and bones. Leafy greens and herbs are very rich in it. If you take warfarin, keep your intake steady and talk to your doctor.

Folate1%

4.5 µg a serve, mostly from pistachios (28%). Needed to make DNA and new cells — especially important before and in early pregnancy. Legumes and leafy greens are rich sources.

Estimated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central values; % of a day uses the food-label daily values. How this works

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Recipe and video by Magic in my Food; the method summary, nutrition estimate and diet notes are Notbroken’s. General information about food, not dietary advice.