This muhallabia recipe makes a silky, lightly sweet milk pudding scented with rose water and orange blossom water. Also, it needs only a few pantry ingredients and about 15 minutes at the stove. The pudding then sets in the fridge while you get on with your day.
Muhallabia (also written mahalabia or muhallebi) is a favorite across the Middle East, especially in Ramadan and at family gatherings. Below you will find the recipe, then simple fixes for lumps, a pudding that will not set, and a rubbery texture.
What Is Muhallabia?
Generally, muhallabia is a milk pudding thickened with cornstarch, sometimes with a little rice flour added. It is also usually flavored with rose water, orange blossom water, or mastic, and topped with crushed pistachios. Some families pour a thin layer of rose syrup or fruit jelly over the top once it has set.
Muhallabia Recipe at a Glance
- Prep time: 5 minutes
- Cook time: 15 minutes
- Chill time: at least 3 hours
- Serves: 6
Ingredients
- 1 liter (4 cups) whole milk, divided
- 50 g (⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon) cornstarch
- 100 g (½ cup) sugar
- 1 tablespoon rose water
- 1 tablespoon orange blossom water
- 2 small pieces of mastic, ground with 1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
- 2 tablespoons crushed pistachios, to garnish
How to Make This Muhallabia Recipe
- Make the slurry. First, whisk the cornstarch into 250 ml (1 cup) of the cold milk until no lumps remain.
- Warm the milk. Next, pour the remaining milk and the sugar into a heavy saucepan. Warm over medium heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves and the milk is steaming.
- Thicken. Whisk the slurry again, then pour it into the warm milk in a thin stream while whisking constantly.
- Cook it through. After that, keep stirring over medium-low heat, scraping the bottom and corners, until the pudding thickens and starts to bubble. Cook for 2 more minutes after the first bubbles so the cornstarch is fully cooked.
- Flavor. Take the pan off the heat. Then stir in the rose water, orange blossom water, and ground mastic if using.
- Pour and cover. Pour into serving cups or a shallow dish. Then press plastic wrap directly onto the surface to stop a skin forming.
- Chill and serve. Finally, cool for 20 minutes, then refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Sprinkle with crushed pistachios just before serving.
Muhallabia Recipe: Common Problems and How to Fix Them
Why is my muhallabia lumpy?
Cause: The cornstarch was added straight to hot milk, or the pudding was not stirred while it thickened.
Fix: Always dissolve cornstarch in cold milk first and stir constantly once it goes into the pan. If lumps form anyway, pour the hot pudding through a fine sieve or blend it for a few seconds with a stick blender.
Why didn’t my muhallabia set?
Cause: You did not cook the cornstarch long enough. Because of this, it needs to boil briefly to reach full thickening power.
Fix: Return the pudding to the pan and cook, stirring, until it bubbles, then cook for 2 more minutes. Also check your measurement: too little cornstarch for the amount of milk will never set firmly.
Why is it rubbery or too thick?
Cause: Too much cornstarch, or the pudding was cooked down for too long.
Fix: For a softer, spoonable pudding, reduce the cornstarch to 40 g. If it has already set too firm, whisk it with a few spoonfuls of cold milk until creamy.
Why does it taste burnt?
Cause: Milk catches on the bottom of a thin pan very quickly.
Fix: Use a heavy-bottomed pan, keep the heat at medium-low, and scrape the bottom as you stir. If it catches, pour the pudding into a clean pan without scraping the burnt layer.
Why does it taste soapy or bitter?
Cause: Too much rose water or mastic. Both are strong, and brands also vary a lot.
Fix: Start with 2 teaspoons of each flower water, taste, and add more. Use mastic sparingly and always grind it with sugar first.
Tips for Success With This Muhallabia Recipe
- First, use whole milk for a creamy texture. Moreover, for an even richer pudding, replace 250 ml of the milk with cream.
- Add the flower waters off the heat, since heat weakens their aroma.
- Rinse your serving cups with cold water before pouring. The pudding unmolds more cleanly.
Muhallabia Recipe Variations
- With rose syrup: once set, pour a thin layer of rose syrup thickened with a little cornstarch over the top.
- With ashta topping: spoon homemade ashta over the pudding for a richer dessert.
- Coconut muhallabia: replace half the milk with coconut milk and top with toasted coconut.
- Chocolate: whisk 2 tablespoons cocoa powder into the cornstarch slurry.
Storage Tips
Once set, keep muhallabia covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. Add the pistachio topping just before serving so it stays crunchy. It does not freeze well because the texture turns watery after thawing.
A Little Background
Milk puddings thickened with rice or starch have been made in the Middle East for centuries and appear in medieval Arabic cookbooks. Since then, muhallabia has spread from Egypt and the Levant to the Gulf and Turkey, where it is known as muhallebi. You can read more about its regional versions on TasteAtlas.
Muhallabia Recipe FAQ
Can I make muhallabia without cornstarch?
Yes. Use 60 g rice flour instead. It gives a slightly thicker, more traditional texture and needs a few extra minutes of cooking.
What is the difference between muhallabia and rice pudding?
Muhallabia is smooth because starch thickens it. Rice pudding, however, uses whole grains of rice cooked in milk. See our Middle Eastern rice pudding recipe to compare.
Can I use plant-based milk?
Yes. Unsweetened almond or oat milk work, but the pudding will be less creamy. However, reduce the sugar if your milk is sweetened.
Want more? If you enjoyed this muhallabia recipe, you might like our digital cookbook, which brings together 31 Eastern and Western sweets with precise measurements.
