🍯 Khabeesa
Khabeesa is a traditional Gulf sweet made by slowly toasting flour until golden and nutty, then working in ghee and sugar syrup scented with cardamom, saffron and rosewater. The result is a fragrant, crumbly mixture that holds together when pressed. It is served warm in small portions, often at breakfast or with Arabic coffee for guests.
Diets
Allergens
Contains (in a typical recipe):
What it is made of
Recipe
Ingredients
- 200 g flour
- 80 g ghee
- 120 g sugar
- 120 ml water
- 1 tsp ground cardamom
- A pinch of saffron
- 1 tbsp rosewater
Method
- Toast the flour in a dry heavy pan over low heat, stirring constantly, for 10–15 minutes until golden and fragrant.
- Meanwhile boil the water, sugar, saffron and cardamom for 3 minutes; add the rosewater.
- Stir the ghee into the toasted flour until it looks like moist sand.
- Slowly pour in the syrup, stirring, and cook for 2–3 minutes until crumbly. Serve warm.
How to make it lighter
- Serve a small portion of 50–60 g with coffee.
- Reduce the ghee by a quarter — 1 tbsp of ghee is about 110 kcal.
- Use less sugar in the syrup and rely on cardamom and saffron for flavour.
History
Khabeesa is part of the traditional home cooking of the UAE and neighbouring Gulf countries, made from pantry staples of flour, ghee, sugar and imported spices. Today it is still served at family breakfasts, during Ramadan and to guests with Arabic coffee.
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Values are estimates per 100 g for a typical recipe; home and restaurant versions vary. Diets and allergens are worked out from the ingredients of a typical recipe — always check with whoever cooked the dish. Not medical advice. Nutrition data: Me Nutrition dish database v13. How we count →