Qatayef, katayef, atayef or qata'if ( ) is an Arabic dessert. It is a type of sweet dumpling filled with cream or nuts, or a filled folded pancake with a thickness similar to a Scottish crumpet.
In many Middle Eastern countries such as Jordan and Egypt, qatayef is regarded as a seasonal specialty tied closely to Ramadan, appearing in markets and bakeries almost exclusively for the duration of the holy month. It is eaten daily after iftar and sometimes at suhoor, making it one of the most anticipated festive sweets of the Ramadan season.
The Arabic word qaá¹ÂaÃÂyif () is derived from the Arabic root q-á¹Â-f, meaning to pick up or to pluck. In Ottoman Turkish, the name () came into use to differentiate between tel kadayñf (, known as knafeh in Arabic) and the pancake known in Arabic as qatayef.
Qatayef is believed to be of Fatimid origin. Some believe that qatayef are the creation of the Fatimid Dynasty, however, their history dates back to the Abbasid Caliphate, 750âÂÂ1258 CE. Qatayef was mentioned in a tenth century Arabic cookbook dating back to the Abbasid Caliphate by Ibn Sayyar al-Warraq called Kitab al-Ṭabëḫ (, The Book of Dishes). The book was later translated by Nawal Nasrallah under the name Annals of the Caliphs' Kitchens. The traditional stuffing of Qatayef, as evident in a number of Medieval Arabic cookbooks, is crushed almond and sugar. In these recipes, once the pancake was stuffed, it would sometimes be fried in walnut oil or baked in the oven.
During the 9th century, thin qatayef, then regarded as high quality, where used to wrap a type of marzipan to create lauzinaj.
Literary mentions of qatayef are plentiful in medieval Arabic literature, like the works of the poets Ibn al-Rumi and . 15th century Egyptian author Al-Suyuti wrote a letter titled , with qatayef mentioned in the title, during a time in which the price of qatayef surged, which was protested by Egyptians.
Qatayef was traditionally prepared by street vendors as well as households in Egypt and the Levant. It is usually filled with akkawi cheese, crushed walnuts, as well as crushed pistachios. Modern variations, with fillings such as Nutella, are also consumed.
Arab Muslims commonly serve it during the month of Ramadan. Arab Christians, particularly in the Levant, also eat it during some celebrations, like Eid il-Burbara. Due to its ubiquity in Muslim communities during Ramadan, some Christians also consume qatayif during the Muslim holy month alongside Muslims. The ubiquity of qatayef is attributed to its ease of preparation and the affordability of its ingredients.
Outside the Arab world, qatayef are a Ramadan staple among Turkish Muslims, they are typically fried and eaten for iftar. Yassi kadayif ("Flat qatayef") are patented by the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office and have a geographic indication for the region of Malatya, the patent specifies that yassi kadayif is made from 3 different types of flour.
Qatayef is the general name of the dessert as a whole and, more specifically, the batter. It is usually made out of wheat or semolina flour, baking powder, water, yeast, and sometimes sugar. The result of the batter being poured onto a round hot plate appears similar to pancakes, except only one side is cooked, then stuffed and folded.
Qatayef satati is deep fried (or baked) pastry filled with either unsalted sweet cheese a mixture of any of hazelnuts, walnuts, almonds, pistachios, raisins, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, rose extract, and cinnamon. It is served with a hot sweet syrup or sometimes honey. Assafiri qatayef () is filled with whipped cream or qishta (), folded halfway, and served it with scented syrup without frying or baking.
A 2025 Egyptian TV series by was named Qatayef, in reference to the sweet.
The Guinness world record for largest piece of qatayef was set in Bethlehem, Palestine, in 2010, and had a mass of .