Many people attribute weight gain in Ramadan to the abundance of traditional sweet treats which are unfortunately characteristically not the healthiest (think lots of deep fried batters, cakes and tarts doused in an unnatural amount of syrup).
That said, I can’t deny that I still and probably always will have a soft spot for some traditional Arabic sweets, sweets that carved their way into my heart and (and tummy) way back when in my childhood.
At the top of that list, Basbousa (followed narrowly by Qatayef – but more on those another day). Also sometimes called Hareesa (not to be confused with Harees ), Basbousa is a simple semolina cake, soaked in syrup and gracefully adorned with blanched almonds. It’s exceedingly simple to make, and is only a few standard dairy substitutions away from being vegan. As for healthy – at the end of the day dessert is dessert. It’s not exactly low calorie, but with my amendments you can rest assured this version of Basbousa is definitely healtheir than the average, rich with healthy fats, protein and fibre.
- 1 tbsp tahini, for greasing pan
- 2 cups of semolina flour
- 1 cup of sucanat, unrefined cane sugar or coconut sugar
- 1 a teaspooon of vanilla
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- Pinch of sea salt
- ¾ cup coconut oil or vegetable ghee ( I used half and half)
- ¼ cup soft tofu (silken is best)
- 1 cup unsweetened soymilk
- Blanched halved almonds for garnish
- ¾-1 cup agave syrup as needed
- For the syrup:
- 1 cup of agave syrup
- 1 cup of water
- ½ tsp arrowroot or cornstarch
- a squeeze of lemon juice
- optional: 1 tbsp stevia for a sweeter syrup
- Pre-heat oven to 180 C (350 F) and grease a cake pan with tahini.
- In a large bowl combine semolina, sugar, vanilla, baking powder. Stir in the melted coconut oil or vegetable ghee.
- In a blender or food processor mix the tofu, soy milk and vanilla till blended and smooth. Pour into the rest of the mixture and mix well.
- Pour batter into prepared cake pan and smooth surface using a spatula.
- Bake for 15 mins then arrange almonds on top in rows so that when the cake is cut an almond is centered on each piece. Gently press almonds into the cake top then return cake pan to oven and bake for 20 mins or until the top is golden.
- Remove cake pan from oven, turn off the oven, pour warm syrup over cake and return to oven then close the door half-way and let the cake/oven cool.
- Cut into diamond shapes or squares before serving.
And there you have it, healthier, vegan, and naturally sweetened Basbousa. Of course, I think its delicious, but don’t take my word for it. This was friend, mother and basbousa-loving older brother approved.
Hi Nada!
Do you know if there are any Arabic desserts that are already vegan by nature?
Thanks!
Hi Tayla, Turkish Delights are naturally vegan, as are luqaimat (which are like crunchy sweet deep-fried dumplings).
What can I replace with soft tofu? i don’t have any on hand and wants to do try this recipe
Hello Marie, you can use soy yoghurt which would also work!
No orange blossom or rose water in the syrup? I think it would make a good addition flavor wise.
Hi Nada
Is semolina flour, just semolina ground up?
Thank you.
Hi Kerrie, what we refer to as semolina floor is just semolina is it is very fine naturally.
Hi again Nada,
Sorry for being a bother, but I really want this cake to turn out well. What size cake pan do you recommend, is it square? Do you turn the cake out of tin before slicing? Can I make it the day before serving?
Hi Kerrie, the last time I made this I used a shallow pie tin that was about 6 inches or so, but you can use whatever you have on hand! Square works as well. I always slice it in the tin. You definitely could but I would reserve some extra syrup to pour over before serving and ensure you don’t overbake as you want it to remain moist. Let me know how it turns out!
Just realized, I hadn’t let you know how wonderful this cake turned out. I served it as dessert after a vegan Middle Eastern inspired lunch. I was worried about making the day before, so did it first thing in the morning. It was loved by all. Thank you for the recipe.
It’s in the oven and the batter tastes deklicious. Thanks for sharing. If it turns out well I’d like to share it on my blog if that’s OK?
Good recipe, but not as moist as the original. Good with rose water and even a raw version.
Can I have some clarification? Vanilla is mentioned twice in the recipe but only once in the list of ingredients. Also, agave is listed twice in the ingredients but only once in the recipe.
Thanks!~
Salaam! Do you know of an non-soy alternative to use in place of tofu and soy yogurt? Thank you for posting this recipe!
Coconut or almond milk yoghurt!
Hi Nada, thank you for this recipe, it looks great! Is it possible to make ahead a day before? And if so would you recommend baking the cake, refrigerating and then allowing to come to room temperature (when serving) and then pouring over the warm syrup? I am hosting a big dinner party and would love to serve this but am nervous about timing! Many thanks. Jessica