Morocco | Dessert

Chebakia

Moroccan sesame, almond, honey, and orange blossom pastries folded into flowers and fried for Ramadan.

Country
Morocco
Region
North Africa
Time
135 min
Serves
20
Level
hard
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Recipe overview

What to know before you cook

Chebakia is Morocco's Ramadan pastry jewel. Toasted sesame, almonds, spices, orange blossom water, and honey become folded flower pastries that are fried, soaked, and sprinkled with sesame.

What the dish tastes like

Moroccan sesame, almond, honey, and orange blossom pastries folded into flowers and fried for Ramadan.

When to cook it

Best for Ramadan iftar, Eid trays, and tea tables.. Plan on a hard cook and about 135 minutes total.

What to serve alongside it

Harira, mint tea, dates, or sellou.

Regional lane

Soups, salads, and dips. Harira, fava bean soup, cooked salads, and vegetable sides for bread-led meals.

Chef watch-outs
  • Rushing the base before the raw edge has cooked out.
  • Adding all seasoning early and forgetting to adjust at the end.
  • Cooking on heat that is too high once the dish should be steaming or simmering.
How you know it is ready
  • The aroma should smell rounded rather than raw or sharp.
  • Oil, sauce, broth, or steam should look settled and deliberate.
  • The final texture should match the dish style before you plate it.
Pantry lane

preserved lemon, green olives, saffron, ras el hanout, semolina

Recipe photos

See the dish before you cook

Each recipe supports one main image and up to four extra prep, serving, or step photos when they are available.

Chebakia recipe from Morocco
Chebakia finished dish
Chef board

Build the table around Chebakia

Harira, mint tea, dates, or sellou.

Best route from here

Soups, salads, and dips

Collections to keep cooking
Moroccan Salads, Soups, and Breads
Servings 20

Scale the dish before you shop, then use the checklist while you cook.

How to cook it

Step-by-step method

Keep the rhythm calm, watch the texture, and adjust seasoning at the end.

Back to Morocco
4 steps 90 min prep 45 min cook 135 min total hard
1
Make the dough
Mix flour, ground sesame, almonds, spices, butter, egg, and orange blossom water into a firm dough.
dough 18:00
2
Rest and roll
Rest the dough, then roll thin and cut into rectangles for folding.
rest 30:00
3
Shape flowers
Slit and fold each rectangle into a chebakia flower shape.
shape 35:00
4
Fry and honey
Fry until deep golden, soak in warm honey, and sprinkle with sesame.
fry 25:00

Shapes and spice blends vary, but sesame, honey, orange blossom water, cinnamon, anise, and mastic are common markers.

Keep exploring

Cook around Chebakia

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