A creamy luscious Lebanese dessert turned vegan – Znoud el Sit. They are phyllo rolls made with an Ashta filling, then drenched in simple syrup, and garnished with crushed pistachios for an irresistible treat! It’s flaky and sweet, perfect for an afternoon dessert!

About The Recipe

• Vegan | Dairy-free
• Made with a few ingredients
• Fun & simple to prepare
• Perfect for Ramadan/Eid celebrations
• Freezer-friendly

How To Make Them

It’s a simple 5-step process:

1. Making the simple syrup (Atr)
2. Making the vegan ashta (cream filling)
3. Rolling in phyllo
4. Frying in oil
5. Finishing off to garnish

Ingredients You Need

These Znoud El Sit are made with only a few ingredients that make up 3 components to the recipe. The simple syrup, ashta (cream) filling, and rolling the phyllo.

About The Vegan Ashta

To veganize the ashta (cream), I used a silken/soft block of tofu, whisked with whole plant milk, sugar, and rose water. It’ll be runny at first, but the longer it sits in the fridge to thicken, the creamier it’ll be! It’s important not to blend it up, as that will affect the consistency. The key is to continuously whisk it over the heat until thickened. You’d be surprised with the texture!

Refrigerate any leftover ashta in an air-tight container for up to a week. You can use it for other Arabic dessert recipes, like Atayef and Kunafeh.

Ashta How-To Video

Here’s a short step-by-step video for how we make the vegan Ashta at home:

How To Roll Znoud El Sit

Take out 2 smaller sheets of the phyllo, and cover the rest with a slightly damp cloth to avoid drying. Place one horizontally towards the bottom of the other. Add 1 tbsp of the Ashta to the centre. Fold over the sides, and roll it up. Brush some water towards the end to seal off. 

Only fry the rolls you want the same day, and freeze the rest for later. Place on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper, and freeze for 1 to 2 hours. Then transfer to freezer bags to store for up to a month.

Step-by-Step Video

Watch this quick video to see how to make our vegan Znoud El Sit:

FAQs

How to freeze Znoud El Sit?
Place them on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper, and freeze for 1 to 2 hours. Then transfer to freezer bags to store for up to a month. You can fry from frozen (no need to thaw). Add an additional minute per side.

How to make vegan ashta?
It’s important not to blend up the tofu, as that will affect the consistency. The key is to continuously whisk the tofu with the rest of the ingredients over the heat. It’ll be runny at first, but the longer it sits in the fridge to thicken, the creamier it’ll be.

How to store leftover ashta?
Make a big batch of the ashta ahead of time, and cool down completely. Refrigerate in an air-tight container for up to a week. This helps make it creamier, and ready to use for your next dessert. Use it for Znoud El Sit, Atayef, Kunafeh, and more.

How to store leftover atr (simple syrup)?
Atr is commonly used in many Arabic/Middle Eastern sweets. Make a big batch of it ahead of time, and save it for other recipes. Simply prepare the simple syrup and let it cool down completely. Store it in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to a month. Use it to drench Baklawa, Awameh, Atayef, and more!

Znoud El Sit Recipe

If you have any questions about this recipe, or gave it a try, I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below. Remember to rate the recipe with ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. This will help us sustain Plant Based Arab.

Snap a photo of your dish, and tag us on Instagram @PlantBasedArab, so we can see and share your remake!

Znoud El Sit

Recipe by Waseem HijaziCourse: Dessert, SweetsCuisine: Lebanese, Middle Eastern, VeganDifficulty: Easy

Servings

30

rolls

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Total time

1

hour 

A creamy luscious Lebanese dessert turned vegan – Znoud el Sit. They are phyllo rolls made with an Ashta filling, then drenched in simple syrup, and garnished with crushed pistachios for an irresistible treat! It’s flaky and sweet, perfect for an afternoon dessert!

Ingredients

• For The Simple Syrup

• 2 cups sugar

• 1 cup water

• 1 tsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed

• 1/2 tsp rose water

• For The Ashta Cream

• 2 cups milk

• 4 tbsp cornstarch

• 300g soft tofu

• 5 tbsp sugar

• 3 tbsp rose water

• The Rest

• 16 sheets phyllo pastry

• 1/4 cup neutral oil to fry

• 1/4 cup crushed pistachios for garnish

Directions

• For The Simple Syrup
• In a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the sugar and water until dissolved. 
• Bring it to a boil while whisking continuously. Turn the heat to low. Continue cooking for 20 minutes, as you continue whisking frequently. 
• Remove from heat. Add the lemon juice and rose water. Whisk again, then empty into a large bowl to cool down completely before using – at room temperature. 
• For The Ashta
• Make the milk & cornstarch slurry in a bowl. Gradually add the cornstarch while whisking to avoid clumping. 
• In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the milk slurry, tofu, and sugar.
• Break down the tofu using a whisk. Continue whisking and breaking until it starts boiling – 5 to 7 minutes. Do not use a blender*.
• Once it starts bubbling, turn the heat down to medium-low, and continue whisking until thickened – 20 to 30 minutes.
• During the last 5 minutes, add in the rose water and whisk again to combine.
• Empty the mixture into a large bowl. Allow to cool down completely. 
• For The Rolls
• Defrost the phyllo sheets in the fridge the night before. 
• Cut the phyllo into 4 equal rectangles, 4×12 inches.
• Take out 2 smaller sheets, and cover the rest with a slightly damp cloth to avoid drying.
• Place one of the sheets horizontally towards the bottom of the other one.
• Add 1 tbsp of the ashta to the centre. Fold over the sides, and roll it up. Brush some water towards the end to seal off. 
• Fry in batches in a pan with hot oil over medium heat: about 3 minutes. Flip and continue cooking for another 3 minutes until golden.
• Remove from heat and strain the oil. Immediately drop into the cooled simple syrup to soak. Remove and garnish with crush pistachios on both ends, and the centre.
  
  Best served chilled, or at room temperature.

Notes

• (1) Only fry the rolls you want the same day, and freeze the rest for later. Place on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper, and freeze for 1 to 2 hours. Then transfer to freezer bags to store for up to a month. You can fry from frozen (no need to thaw).
• (2) Prepare the simple syrup and ashta the night before. This way everything is at the right temperature when ready to roll.
• (3) It’s important not to blend up the tofu, as that will affect the consistency. The key is to continuously whisk it over the heat. It’ll be runny at first, but the longer it sits in the fridge to thicken, the creamier it’ll be! You’d be surprised with the texture!