Sweet Cheese Rolls (Halawet el Jibn)
A soft, chewy semolina-cheese dough rolled around cool, delicate clotted cream, finished with a shower of chopped pistachio and a drizzle of rose-scented syrup. One of Tripoli's great sweets, and a stunning finish to any Lebanese meal.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Make the rose syrup
Combine the sugar, water and lemon juice in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer gently for 8–10 minutes until slightly syrupy, then take off the heat and stir in the rose water and orange blossom water. Let it cool completely before using — a hot syrup will melt the cheese dough.
- 200 g sugar
- 150 ml water
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp rose water
- 1 tbsp orange blossom water
✅ Done when: the syrup coats the back of a spoon lightly and has cooled to room temperature
Make the cream filling
Whisk the milk, cream, cornstarch and sugar together in a saucepan until smooth. Set over medium-low heat and whisk constantly until it thickens into a thick, smooth pudding that holds its shape on the whisk, about 8–10 minutes — don't stop stirring or it will catch at the bottom. Off the heat, stir in the rose water, pour into a shallow dish, cover and chill until firm, at least 2 hours (it can be made a day ahead).
- 500 ml whole milk
- 250 ml heavy cream
- 30 g cornstarch
- 40 g sugar
- 1 tsp rose water
✅ Done when: the cream is thick like a soft pudding and holds a ribbon shape when drizzled from the whisk
Cook the semolina base
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Melt in the cheese
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Shape the dough
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Fill and roll
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Drizzle and serve
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Make the rose syrup
Combine the sugar, water and lemon juice in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer gently for 8–10 minutes until slightly syrupy, then take off the heat and stir in the rose water and orange blossom water. Let it cool completely before using — a hot syrup will melt the cheese dough.
- 200 g sugar
- 150 ml water
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp rose water
- 1 tbsp orange blossom water
✅ Done when: the syrup coats the back of a spoon lightly and has cooled to room temperature
Make the cream filling
Whisk the milk, cream, cornstarch and sugar together in a saucepan until smooth. Set over medium-low heat and whisk constantly until it thickens into a thick, smooth pudding that holds its shape on the whisk, about 8–10 minutes — don't stop stirring or it will catch at the bottom. Off the heat, stir in the rose water, pour into a shallow dish, cover and chill until firm, at least 2 hours (it can be made a day ahead).
- 500 ml whole milk
- 250 ml heavy cream
- 30 g cornstarch
- 40 g sugar
- 1 tsp rose water
✅ Done when: the cream is thick like a soft pudding and holds a ribbon shape when drizzled from the whisk
Cook the semolina base
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Melt in the cheese
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Shape the dough
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Fill and roll
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Drizzle and serve
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The Story Behind the Dish
Halawet el jibn, literally 'sweetness of cheese', comes from Tripoli, long considered Lebanon's capital of sweets. It uses the same cheese-and-semolina technique found in knafeh, stretched instead into a soft dough and rolled around clotted cream rather than baked, a clever variation born from the same craft.
It travelled with Levantine sweet-makers across the region and is now found throughout Lebanon and the wider Middle East, especially during Ramadan, Eid and family gatherings, always kept simple and unbaked so the cheese stays soft and milky.
⭐ Why It's Famous
It is loved for its contrast of textures and flavors: chewy, mild cheese dough against cool, delicate cream, all tied together with the perfume of rose water and the crunch of pistachio.
💡 Fun Fact
Tripoli is sometimes nicknamed the 'city of soap and sweets', thanks to its historic soap khan in the old souks and its unmatched reputation for sweets like this one.
Tripoli, Lebanon
34.44°N, 35.85°E
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