🥮 Umm Ali
Umm Ali is an Egyptian baked dessert of torn, crisp puff pastry soaked in sweetened hot milk and cream, mixed with nuts and raisins, then baked until the top is golden and bubbling. It is warm, creamy and soft like a bread pudding, with crunch from the nuts. It is served hot, especially in winter and during Ramadan.
Diets
Allergens
Contains (in a typical recipe):
What it is made of
Recipe
Ingredients
- 300 g puff pastry
- 750 ml milk
- 200 ml cream
- 100 g mixed nuts, chopped
- 50 g raisins
- 80 g sugar
Method
- Bake the puff pastry at 200 °C until puffed and golden, then break it into pieces.
- Spread the pastry in a baking dish and scatter over the nuts and raisins.
- Heat the milk with the sugar until dissolved and pour it over the pastry.
- Spread the cream over the top.
- Bake at 220 °C for 15–20 minutes until golden and bubbling; serve hot.
How to make it lighter
- Use all milk and skip the cream layer on top for a noticeably lighter dish.
- Reduce the sugar — the raisins already add sweetness.
- Bake in small individual dishes to keep portions in check.
History
Umm Ali means “Ali's mother”, and the dish is the subject of popular legends, most often linking it to the Mamluk era; these stories are not historically documented. Today it is one of the best-known desserts in Egypt and is popular across the Arab world.
Count it in one photo
Point your camera at the table — Me Nutrition recognises Umm Ali and every other dish, with calories and macros for each. Ate only half? Slide it.
Download on the App StoreSimilar dishes
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 →