Quick Pistachio & Ras El Hanout Bastila
A crispy pastry puff filled with pistachio, lemon zest, and Ras El Hanout spices. Quick to make, impressive to serve.
Dish type
Pastry recipes
Browse 17 authentic Moroccan pastry recipes. Each dish includes scaled ingredients, step-by-step instructions, and prep times so you can cook with confidence.
Chebakia \"Rose des Sables\"
Traditional Moroccan pastry swirls flavored with aniseed and coated in crispy sesame seeds. A beloved holiday treat and special occasion dessert.
Classic Kefta Briouat
Crispy, golden fried pastry parcels filled with spiced ground meat, pine nuts, and fresh herbs. A beloved Moroccan appetizer that's crunchy on the outside, flavorful on the inside.
Almond Mhencha
A stunning spiral pastry filled with fragrant almond paste, honey, and warm spices. Crispy, sweet, and utterly indulgent—perfect for special occasions or celebrations.
Bakoula, Feta & Pine Nut Hand Pies
Flaky hand pies filled with bakoula — Morocco's beloved braised leafy greens seasoned with garlic and cumin — combined with creamy feta and toasted pine nuts. A savory pastry that's equally good warm from the oven or packed for a picnic.
Brown Butter & Orange Blossom Apple Galette
A rustic free-form apple tart made with a flaky, buttery crust, layered with thinly sliced apples tossed in nutty brown butter and floral orange blossom water, then finished with a crumbly streusel top. An elegant dessert that brings a Moroccan accent to a classic French galette.
Sesame Gazelle Horns with Rainbow Sprinkles
A playful, festive twist on the classic Kaab el Ghazal: delicate almond-filled crescents rolled in toasted sesame seeds and finished with a scatter of rainbow sprinkles. Fun for birthdays and Eid celebrations while keeping the traditional orange-blossom-scented almond filling at their heart.
Sweet Almond Briouat
Sweet almond briouats are bite-sized triangular pastries made from crisp, flaky warqa wrapped around a fragrant almond paste filling, fried until golden, and dipped in warm honey. A festive Ramadan and Eid favorite, these little triangles pack a satisfying crunch followed by a soft, nutty, honey-soaked center.
M'hanncha (Snake Pastry)
M'hanncha, or "the snake," is a stunning coiled Moroccan pastry made from delicate sheets of pastry wrapped around a fragrant almond paste filling, then baked until golden and finished with a drizzle of honey and a scatter of toasted almonds. Its dramatic spiral shape makes it a centerpiece dessert for celebrations and Eid gatherings.
Kaab el Ghazal (Gazelle Horns)
Kaab el Ghazal, meaning "gazelle horns," are Morocco's most iconic cookies — delicate, crescent-shaped pastries with a thin, tender shell wrapped around a fragrant almond paste filling scented with orange blossom water. A staple at weddings and celebrations, these elegant sweets are dusted lightly with powdered sugar and served with mint tea.
Moroccan Almond Croissants
A Moroccan patisserie favorite: buttery, flaky croissants filled with a fragrant almond paste scented with orange blossom water, then topped with sliced almonds. Found in bakeries across Casablanca and Rabat, these are a beloved breakfast pastry served alongside mint tea.
Moroccan Meat Cigars (Briouats)
Crispy Moroccan pastry rolls filled with savory, spiced ground beef or lamb, aromatic herbs, and warm spices. These delicious appetizers are tightly rolled and fried or baked to golden perfection.
Rghaif (Oven-Baked Stuffed Msemen)
Rghaif elevates laminated msemen dough into a savory showpiece: the same butter-brushed, semolina-sprinkled layers are wrapped around spiced ground beef, sweet onions, and roasted peppers—or a classic suet-and-herb filling—then baked until the pastry shatters and the filling steams inside. Unlike pan-fried msemen, the oven dries the edges into a crackling shell perfect for cutting into squares at gatherings.
Fekkas (Moroccan Biscotti)
Twice-baked almond biscotti packed with toasted nuts, sesame, and plump raisins—fekkas are built for dunking in mint tea or coffee. Logs are baked until firm, sliced on a bias, then returned to a low oven until completely dry and shatteringly crisp. Every Moroccan grandmother has her ratio of almonds to raisins; this version balances sweetness and crunch.
Ghriba (Cracked Almond Cookies)
Ghriba are Morocco’s “smiling cookies”—chewy-centered, crackled-top rounds made from ground almonds, sugar, and egg whites with almost no flour in the classic version. As they bake, the tops split open like smiles. Variations use walnuts or coconut; orange blossom and a dusting of powdered sugar make them irresistible with tea.
Krachel (Sweet Anise Rolls)
Krachel are brioche-like sweet rolls perfumed with anise, sesame, and orange blossom—Fez and northern Morocco’s answer to the French brioche, with a North African spice cabinet. A long, cool proof develops an open, cotton-soft crumb; an egg wash and sesame crust glisten from the bakery window. Tear one open for breakfast with jam and café au lait or mint tea.
Kaab el Ghazal (Gazelle Horns)
The crown jewel of Moroccan patisserie—delicate crescent cookies with a paper-thin warqa-style dough wrapped around a lush almond paste scented with cinnamon and orange blossom water. Named “gazelle horns” for their curved shape, they melt on the tongue and appear at weddings, Eid tables, and afternoon tea alongside sellou and chebakia.