An elegant Levantine dessert — a stretchy dough of melted cheese and semolina spread thin, rolled around clotted cream, drizzled with sugar syrup and topped with pistachios. A festive sweet with relatively low glycemic load, contains gluten, dairy, and tree nuts.
Halawet el-Jibn is a refined Levantine dessert originating from Damascus and Hama, distinguished by its uniquely elastic dough of cheese and semolina rolled around clotted cream (ashta).
The combination of sweet, stretchy cheese dough, cold creamy filling, fragrant syrup, and pistachios makes it one of the most luxurious sweets in Levantine hospitality. Served at weddings, special occasions, and Damascene pastry shops, making it is an art that requires mastering the melting of the cheese and stretching the dough while it is still hot before it sets.
Boil the sugar and water together, add lemon juice, and simmer until slightly thickened, then stir in the orange-blossom water. Set aside to cool. The syrup is used both in the dough and for drizzling, and its coolness balances the heat of the warm dough.
In a non-stick pot over low heat, combine the shredded cheese with the water, sugar, and a little syrup, stirring constantly until the cheese melts and becomes stringy. Add the semolina gradually, stirring until a glossy, elastic, cohesive dough forms that pulls away from the pot. The semolina binds the dough while the cheese gives it its signature stretch.
Pour the hot dough onto a surface greased with syrup (or parchment paper), and spread it with the back of a spoon moistened with syrup into a thin rectangular sheet (about half a centimetre). Work quickly while it is hot and pliable — the dough firms up as it cools.
Spoon the clotted cream (ashta) in a line along one edge of the dough, then roll the dough firmly around it into a tight cylinder. The cold, thick cream rolls neatly inside the warm, pliable cheese dough without leaking out.
Cut the cylinder into pieces about two fingers long, using a knife moistened with syrup to prevent sticking. Arrange the pieces on a serving plate with the open end facing up to show the cream. Slice immediately after rolling while the dough is still pliable.
Drizzle or lightly spoon syrup over the pieces, scatter crushed pistachios over the exposed cream, and add a sprinkle of rose water. Serve chilled. Halawet el-Jibn is a refined Damascene dessert combining the stretch of cheese dough with the smoothness of cold cream and the crunch of pistachios — a classic for occasions and celebrations.
The glycemic index (GI) measures how quickly a food raises blood sugar, while the glycemic load (GL) measures how much a full serving raises it. Together they give the complete picture.
A low value (≤55) means a gradual rise in blood sugar — the most suitable range for diabetes and insulin resistance.
Glycemic load reflects the impact of the full serving. To lower it: take half a serving, or pair the recipe with a source of protein and fiber.
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet per FDA food-label reference values — your daily needs may be higher or lower. Values are derived from the recipe's ingredients via the USDA database.
The most common problems when preparing Halawet al-Jibn (Cheese Rolls in Syrup), and how to fix them:
The cheese is unsuitable or did not melt properly. Use a cheese that melts and stretches (unsalted mozzarella or soaked Akkawi), and melt it well with the water and sugar before adding the semolina. Un-melted cheese will not produce the right stretch.
It cooled too quickly. Work fast while it is hot and pliable — halawet el-jibn dough firms up as it cools. If it has set, return it to a low flame with a drizzle of syrup to soften.
The cream was too runny or too much was used. Use cold, thick clotted cream (ashta) and add a moderate line of it, then roll the dough firmly. Cold, thick cream rolls without running.
The cheese was salty and not soaked. Unsalted mozzarella, or Akkawi soaked in water changed several times, will give a sweet, balanced flavour. Salty cheese ruins the sweet.
This is normal since it is elastic and hot. Keep the surface, spoon, and knife moistened with syrup throughout — the syrup prevents sticking and makes spreading and slicing easier.
Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to two days (contains cream and cheese). Serve chilled. The dough may firm up slightly in the cold, so take it out a few minutes before serving.
Not recommended for freezing — the texture of both the cream and cheese dough changes on thawing. Prepare and serve within two days.
Prepare the syrup and cream in advance. Make the cheese dough and roll it close to serving time (it must be spread while hot). Add the pistachios at the moment of serving to keep them crunchy.
Halawet el-Jibn is best fresh on the day it is made, when the cheese dough is at its most elastic and tender. The cold cream contrasts beautifully with the soft dough.
| Original Ingredient | Tested Substitute | Ratio | Flavor Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unsalted mozzarella | Akkawi cheese soaked to remove salt | Same quantity | Both melt and stretch; Akkawi is traditional but needs soaking, mozzarella is more convenient |
| Clotted cream (ashta) | Homemade cream (milk and starch) or store-bought clotted cream | Same quantity | Homemade is more economical; make sure it is cold and thick so it does not leak during rolling |
| Full amount of syrup | Drizzle syrup instead of dipping | To taste | Reduces sugar while keeping the sweetness; halawet el-jibn does not need heavy syrup |
| Number of servings | Cheese | Semolina | Cream |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 (half recipe) | 125 g | 0.25 cup | 0.5 cup |
| 10 (base) | 250 g | 0.5 cup | 1 cup |
| 20 (gathering) | 500 g | 1 cup | 2 cups |
Halawet el-Jibn is lighter than many Levantine celebration sweets: the cheese and cream add protein and calcium, there is no frying, and its glycemic load is relatively low compared to knafeh and baklava dripping with syrup. It remains a special-occasion sweet. To lighten it: drizzle rather than dip in syrup, and use reduced-fat cream. A moderate portion of two pieces is enough.
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