10 must-try kunafa desserts in Singapore

These days, the uber-viral kunafa (or knafeh) dessert has most of us in a chokehold — a crispy, traditional pastry with origins from the Middle East. It’s made with shredded kataifi pastry dough, loaded with a cheese filling, soaked in attar (a sweet rose syrup) and sprinkled with crushed pistachios. 

Its overwhelming popularity has seen the kunafa dessert reimagined into enticing, more modern creations.

Take the world-famous “Dubai chocolate bar” with pistachio cream and kataifi by Fix Dessert Chocolatier in Dubai, for instance — it’s now a highly sought-after treat by fans from all over the globe. 

Similarly, various spots in Singapore have also decided to hop on the kunafa bandwagon and create their own kunafa iterations, some even taking things up a notch by embellishing them with a myriad of toppings and flavours.

If you’d like to try kunafa desserts in Singapore, but don’t quite know where to start, we’ve curated a list of places that have spun their own flair to them and are worth the visit:

1. Sicilian pistachio kunafa from Momolato

723 North Bridge Road
Open: Sunday, Tuesday to Thursday (11am to 11pm), Friday and Saturday (11am to 1am)

Gelato artisan Momolato is first on our list of places with kunafa desserts in Singapore. Not many know this, but the famed gelato and ice-cream supplier brand doles out kunafa-themed desserts at its newest and second outlet along North Bridge Road!

The impassioned founder behind Momolato, Sharon Tay, wanted to introduce an expanded and unique dessert menu beyond just gelato. She thought it’d be interesting to incorporate both gelato and kunafa in a sweet treat, and came up with the Sicilian pistachio kunafa (S$21) and hazelnut kunafa (S$19).

The Sicilian pistachio kunafa is a classic pairing, combining the rich fragrance and nuttiness of roasted sea-salt Sicilian pistachio gelato with a crispy kunafa waffle. On the other hand, there’s also the hazelnut kunafa, a chocolate lover’s dream. 

You can also read our review of Momolato the place here.

2. Pistachio kunafe chocolate bar from Nova Bakehouse

The OG viral bars by Fix Dessert Chocolatier aren’t that readily available here in Singapore, but if you’re hankering for similar products that draw inspiration from the OG, look no further than local online bakery Nova Bakehouse. A homegrown, Muslim-owned online store, it touts a range of chocolate bars stuffed with fillings — the iconic pistachio-kunafa combination included.

You can pre-order Nova Bakehouse’s chocolate bars online, all priced at S$25 each. Fastest fingers first, though, as they tend to sell out quickly — the signature pistachio kunafe chocolate bar, in particular. 

For more interesting flavours, you can order the strawberry cheesecake kunafa, which has rich notes of strawberry and cheese, or the chempedak kunafe bar that brims with the bold flavour of jackfruit. 

We tried Nova Bakehouse’s pistachio kunafe chocolate bar here.

3. Pistachio kunafa tiramisu from Sugar Mama Lah 

Curbside Crafters, Level 1, 730 North Bridge Road
Open: Tuesday to Sunday (11am to 10pm)

Sugar Mama Lah, a halal-certified patisserie, has set up shop in lifestyle marketplace Curbside Crafters at Bugis. Hopping on the kunafa trend, the brand has launched a pistachio kunafa tiramisu (S$13.90) that will turn heads with its eye-catching, pastel-green tones. 

A bestseller at the store, it’s a dainty square of happiness comprising decadent layers of fluffy tiramisu cake, luscious chocolate-and-pistachio cream, and crispy kunafa pastry on top. Each bite is an explosion of different textures and flavours in your mouth, and the crunchy kunafa balances the creaminess of it all. 

4. Nutella cheese kunafa from Shalaby Sweets 

54 Haji Lane
Open: Tuesday to Sunday (11.30am to 10pm)

For traditional kunafa desserts in Singapore elevated with an indulgent twist, you can try Shalaby Sweets located along the lively Haji Lane. The brand specialises in handmade Turkish pastries, such as baklava and kunafa. 

But among its plethora of drool-worthy desserts, the Nutella cheese kunafa (S$16) caught our eye from the get-go. Made fresh upon order, which takes about 10 minutes, the dessert sees a mound of crispy kunafa thoroughly coated in Nutella sauce.

When you split the pastry down the middle, there’s an ooey gooey cheese pull, too! The cheese, complemented by the rich, velvety Nutella, makes for a toothsome dessert — a treat worth the calories!

5. Patiswiss java knafeh pistachio cream chocolate bar from Shalaby Sweets

54 Haji Lane
Open: Tuesday to Sunday (11.30am to 10pm)

If you’re already at Shalaby Sweets trying its kunafa desserts, you might as well order its Dubai chocolate bar-inspired Patiswiss java knafeh pistachio cream (S$35) chocolate bar that’s specially imported from Turkey. (It may be quite the hefty sum for a chocolate bar, but trust us, it’s worth every penny.) 

It’s a pretty good dupe that tastes absolutely delicious. Although the bar isn’t as thick and chunky as we’d prefer it to be, silky, aromatic pistachio cream oozes with each bite, and you can taste the crunchy kunafa bits within!

6. Mao shan wang durian kunafa from Ms Durian 

11 Kelantan Road
Open: Sunday to Thursday (9am to 10pm), Friday and Saturday (9am to 11pm)

We bet you haven’t had durian in a kunafa dessert before. Ms Durian, a durian speciality bakery and cafe, challenges that norm with its bestselling mao shan wang durian kunafa (S$28), melding the richness of both ingredients in one delightful dessert. 

If you’re one for full-bodied flavours, you’ll surely enjoy this — fragrant mao shan wang durian and cheese are loaded in a crispy kunafa pastry, then finished with a dusting of pistachio nuts. It’s a very intriguing take on durian-based desserts that touts a medley of textures.

7. Kunafa ice cream from Honeybee

67 Haji Lane
Open: Sunday to Thursday (11.30am to 9.30am), Friday and Saturday (11.30am to 10pm)

Tampines 1, B1-K14, 10 Tampines Central 1
Open: Monday to Thursday (11.30am to 9.30pm), Friday (11.30am to 9.45pm), Saturday (11am to 1pm) and Sunday (11am to 9.30pm) 

Honeybee, a dessert chain hailing from Johor Bahru in Malaysia, is best known for its delectable ice-cream desserts topped with a slab of sticky honeycomb. It currently has two outlets in Singapore, one at Haji Lane and the other at Tampines 1. 

The brand has hopped onto the trend and rolled out a kunafa ice-cream series at S$9.50 each — it pairs creamy ice cream with bits of kunafa and, of course, an ooey gooey chunk of honeycomb. 

Choose between flavours such as the strawberry kunafa ice cream, Nutella kunafa ice cream and red velvet kunafa ice cream. Our ultimate pick, though, has to be the pistachio kunafa ice cream — a towering, green-tinged dessert garnished with crispy, shredded kunafa and drizzled with pistachio sauce.

8. Kunafa croissant ice cream from Honeybee

67 Haji Lane
Open: Sunday to Thursday (11.30am to 9.30am), Friday and Saturday (11.30am to 10pm)

Tampines 1, B1-K14, 10 Tampines Central 1
Open: Monday to Thursday (11.30am to 9.30pm), Friday (11.30am to 9.45pm), Saturday (11am to 1pm) and Sunday (11am to 9.30pm)

Besides its kunafa ice cream, you can also opt for Honeybee’s kunafa croissant ice-cream series, priced at S$11.80 each. The croissant, chock-full of crispy kunafa within, is drizzled with a dizzying amount of sauce and a scoop of ice cream on the side. 

There are four croissant flavours to tickle your fancy: Nutella kunafa, Kinder Bueno kunafa, pistachio kunafa and red velvet kunafa. Those who enjoy chocolate desserts should go for the Nutella or Kinder Bueno, but sticklers of tradition will make a beeline for the pistachio. 

9. Crispy kunafa chocolate bars from Chocoelf

232 South Bridge Road
Open: Sunday, Monday to Thursday (10am to 7.30pm), Friday and Saturday (10am to 9.30pm)

Yes, we’re adding another chocolate bar to our list of kunafa desserts in Singapore, but only because it’s by award-winning local chocolatier Chocoelf and worth all the praise! 

It released a trio of kunafa-themed chocolate bars of late, priced at S$25 each: Speculoos crispy kunafa chocolate, peanut butter crispy kunafa chocolate and pistachio crispy kunafa chocolate. 

If you’ve grown weary of the typical pistachio-kunafa pairing, you can go for the peanut butter, which is full of fragrant nutty notes. Or, even the Speculoos with its rich, caramel-like undertones — both are equally as delicious. 

10. Halal pistachio chocolate square cake by Two Bake Boys

Shaw Plaza, 03-09/K2, 360 Balestier Road
Open: Monday to Sunday (10am to 8.30pm) 

If you’re planning an upcoming event or looking to host a big group at home, you can pamper your guests with the halal pistachio chocolate square cake (S$68) by local bakery Two Bake Boys, which feeds up to eight diners. 

It’s a picture-perfect cake intricately layered with smooth pistachio kunafa filling and crunchy kunafa strands — each bite is as addictive as the last. You get a good, flavourful mouthful of chocolate too, which makes the treat all the more irresistible! 

You can pre-order the halal pistachio chocolate square cake online and opt for delivery or self-collection at its Shaw Plaza outlet.

Hungry for more eats? Read our guides on famous hawkers at Chinatown Complex Food Centre and Michelin Bib Gourmand KL spots to check out this year. Alternatively, read about the newest openings in Singapore here.  

All brands except for Nova Bakehouse, Shalaby Sweets and Two Bake Boys are on the GrabFood Delivery Service and offer free delivery (up to S$3 off) with GrabUnlimited. 

Enjoy up to 50% off when you dine with GrabFood Dine Out.

You can also book a ride to these places for kunafa desserts in Singapore.