Greek Desserts
Kataifi Recipe (Greek Shredded Pastry and Walnut Rolls)
Κανταΐφι kan-dah-EE-fee · Kataifi
Photo: Kataifi by Helga's Lobster Stew, CC BY 2.0. Placeholder until original photography is shot.
In short
Kataifi is chopped walnuts wrapped tightly in kataifi pastry, fine, shredded strands that look closer to vermicelli than standard sheet phyllo, baked until golden and genuinely crisp, then soaked in a light syrup while still hot. It shares baklava's basic logic, nuts and syrup, but its shredded pastry gives it a completely different texture, crisp and threadlike rather than flaky and layered.
Kataifi pastry looks nothing like the sheet phyllo used across most of this site's pies, fine, shredded strands that resemble vermicelli or shredded wheat far more than a stack of thin sheets, and it is this specific pastry that gives kataifi the dessert its name and its completely distinct texture.
The basic logic mirrors baklava closely, chopped nuts encased in pastry and soaked in syrup once baked, but where baklava is flaky and distinctly layered, kataifi comes out crisp and delicately threadlike, almost like a nest, and this textural difference is really the whole reason both desserts exist side by side rather than one replacing the other.
Working with kataifi pastry takes a slightly different touch than sheet phyllo, since it needs to be teased apart and handled more like a loose nest of strands than folded sheets, but once you have the knack it comes together quickly.
Key preparation steps
- Tease the kataifi pastry apart into loose strands.
- Roll chopped walnuts inside small bundles of the pastry.
- Bake until deeply golden and crisp.
- Soak in hot syrup while the rolls are still warm.
Working with kataifi pastry
Let the pastry come fully to room temperature before unwrapping, then gently tease the strands apart into loose sections rather than trying to keep it in tight coils, which makes it easier to portion evenly and roll around the nut filling.
Filling and rolling
Take a small handful of the loosened pastry, lay a spoonful of the walnut and cinnamon filling along one edge, and roll up fairly snugly into a short log, tucking in loose strands as you go. Arrange the rolls closely together in a buttered dish, seam side down.
Baking and syruping
Bake until deeply golden and properly crisp all over, then pour a hot syrup evenly over the rolls the moment they come out of the oven, the classic hot-into-cold or cold-into-hot rule that keeps pastries crisp rather than soggy. Leave to absorb for several hours before serving.
Tips from my kitchen
Let the pastry reach room temperature first
Cold kataifi pastry is brittle and harder to tease apart evenly. A short rest at room temperature makes it far more workable.
Pour hot syrup over hot pastry
This combination keeps the rolls crisp rather than soggy. Cold syrup over hot pastry, or the reverse, gives a soggier result.
Give it real time to absorb
Kataifi tastes better once the syrup has had several hours, or overnight, to work all the way through the rolls.
Kataifi Recipe (Greek Shredded Pastry and Walnut Rolls)
Κανταΐφι · by Kalliopi Andreou · updated 2026-07-31
- Prep
- 40m
- Cook
- 35m
- Total
- 1h 15m
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
For the rolls
For the syrup
Method
- Heat the oven to 170C fan 150C and butter a baking dish.
- Mix the chopped walnuts with the cinnamon.
- Gently tease the kataifi pastry into loose sections. Take a small handful, lay a spoonful of the walnut mixture along one edge, and roll up snugly into a short log.
- Arrange the rolls closely together in the prepared dish, seam side down, and brush generously with the melted butter.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until deeply golden and crisp all over.
- Meanwhile, simmer the sugar, water, lemon juice and cinnamon stick together for 8 to 10 minutes, until slightly thickened. Remove the cinnamon stick.
- Pour the hot syrup evenly over the rolls as soon as they come out of the oven.
- Leave to absorb for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight, before serving.
Nutrition, per 1 roll
- Calories
- 268
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 32 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Sat fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
These figures are calculated estimates based on the ingredients listed, not laboratory analysis. Actual values vary with brands, cuts and portion size.
Frequently asked questions about Kataifi
What is the difference between kataifi and baklava?
Both are nut-filled, syrup-soaked pastries, but baklava uses layered sheet phyllo for a flaky texture, while kataifi uses fine, shredded pastry strands for a crisp, threadlike texture, a genuinely different eating experience despite the similar concept.
Can you buy kataifi pastry ready-made?
Yes, it is sold frozen in the same section as phyllo pastry at Greek and Middle Eastern grocers, and needs only thawing before use.
How long does kataifi keep?
Three to four days at room temperature, covered, since the syrup helps preserve it. It does not refrigerate well, as this can dull the pastry's crispness.
