Znoud El Sit (Middle Eastern Phyllo Rolls)

Crispy rolls of phyllo dough stuffed with a sweet decadent cream (ashta) and fried or baked to perfection. Drizzle some simple syrup and top with nuts, and enjoy one of the most popular middle eastern desserts: Znoud El Sit! They look impressive, but they take less than an hour to make.

What is Znoud El Sit

Znoud El Sit are a popular Middle Eastern dessert that is commonly enjoyed during the month of Ramadan, much like Baklawa and mahalabia. They are named to refer to a lady's "upper arms" because of the similar shape. Leave it to the Arabs to associate desserts with women.... let's just awkwardly move on from this.

Growing up, my dad used to always grab one for each of us to enjoy after Iftar. We'd get one each because they would be really sweet and decadent from the sweet shop. You bite into the crispy roll and get a mouthful of smooth cream. So good! I used to always think that they were hard to make. But spoiler alert.... they're so darn easy.

And after experimenting a lot with this recipe, I prefer to bake them rather than fry them because they taste so good and so much lighter. That way, I can have two. I've left instructions for both methods though, so you do you!

Ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe

You need a few simple ingredients to make this at home:

• Phyllo dough. I recommend keeping your dough frozen and then thawing it in the fridge overnight before making them.
• Milk, liquid whipping cream, sugar and corn starch. These ingredients make up the ashta cream.
• Sugar, water, lemon juice to make the simple syrup. You can also flavour it with either rose water (the classic one) or my new favourite, orange zest and saffron
• Butter if you're baking, and oil if you're frying
• Lots of chopped vibrant green pistachios to top them with

How to make this recipe

Make the Simple Syrup

The first step is to make the simple syrup to allow enough time for it to cool down completely. Make it by mixing the water, sugar, and lemon juice and allowing it to simmer on medium heat for 10-12 minutes. If you want to flavour with rose water, add a tablespoon at the end. If you want the orange zest and saffron, add them in before it cooks.

Make the Ashta

Next you'll want to start making your ashta. Mix together the milk, cream, sugar and corn starch and whisk while everything is cold to dissolve the corn starch completely. Place on medium heat and whisk until it thickens.

Add your rose water at the end, then cover with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge to cool down for 1-2 hours. Ensure the plastic is in contact with the cream to avoid creating a film.

Roll the Znoud El Sit

Once your ashta is cool, you are ready to roll. Take out your phyllo dough and spread it on a clean surface. Cut the sheets (you'll need 15-20) while they are still stacked into 4 long strips along the short edge. You should end up with 4 equally sized strips.

Next, take one of the strips and cut it in half to form shorter strips. To assemble, lay down a long strip and then a short strip on top to form a cross. Place the ashta in the centre then fold over the short strip. This ensures the ashta won't seep out.

Next, start rolling the long strip tightly but gently until you form a roll. Seal it with a flour and water mixture to ensure it is secure (1 tablespoon of flour mixed with a few tablespoons of water to form a "glue").

How to bake the rolls

If you want to bake them, brush a sheet pan generously with butter and lay them on it side by side. Then, generously brush each of the rolls with butter from all sides. Bake until golden brown. If you are baking, it is common to have some of the ashta ooze out, but if you roll securely, this should be very minimal. Once they're out of the oven, drizzle with the room temperature syrup and top with nuts.

How to fry the rolls

Frying is the more traditional method. You can deep fry them in a pot, or you can shallow fry in a pan. If you shallow fry, ensure there is enough oil so that the rolls are half submerged. Make sure the oil is hot, then drop 2-3 rolls at a time. Fry for 30 seconds or so until golden, then flip and fry the other side. While still hot, drizzle them with the syrup and garnish with nuts.

FAQs and Expert Tips

Make ahead tips:

1. You can make the simple syrup days in advance and keep it stored in an airtight jar on the countertop. It keeps well for weeks
2. You can also make the ashta a few days ahead of time and keep it refrigerated, covered in plastic wrap in contact with the surface
3. If you're frying, you can fry a few hours ahead of serving and they will stay crispy. They don't need to be served hot, so this will make it easier if you're preparing them for guests. You can do the same if you're baking
4. You can also freeze them after rolling them on a lined sheet. Once frozen solid, you can transfer them to a freezer bag. You can then fry them from frozen. I do not recommend baking frozen znoud el sit

Other dessert recipes you will love

If you tried these recipes, please consider leaving a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page - I'd love to hear from you! You can also hop on over to Instagram and say hello!