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    Home » Recipes » Dessert

    Meghli Lebanese Caraway Pudding

    By Mariam・Published: Dec 12, 2021・Updated: Dec 12, 2021・Post may have affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Meghli, or Lebanese caraway pudding, is a traditional celebratory dessert in Lebanon. It's made with rice flour, sugar, and warm spices, then topped with nuts and shredded coconut.

    maghli lebanese dessert in a bowl

    Meghli is made and served to guests when a baby is born and at several other celebrations and holidays including Christmas. In my household, we don't wait for special occasions to make this scrumptious dessert. My grandma makes it every few weeks so it's practically a monthly treat.

    What I Love About This Recipe

    For me, meghli is all about happy memories. Welcoming cousins into the family, graduations, and even birthdays. It brings me so much joy whenever we make it because it takes me right back to those special moments.

    I also love its aromas and how fragrant it is. There's something about the smell of Caraway that's just super comforting.

    Ingredient Notes

    meghli caraway pudding ingredients on a table
    • Rice flour (or rice powder): This ingredient forms the base of the caraway pudding and gives it a thick consistency.
    • Sugar: Sweetens it up and blends incredibly well with the spices used in this recipe.
    • Ground cinnamon: One of my favorite spices for this dessert. It gives it a sweet kick and balances the flavor of caraway and anise.
    • Powdered caraway: The star of every meghli pot, without it this dessert wouldn't be the same.
    • Ground anise: Not everyone adds this to the pudding recipe, but I feel like it adds a light, fragrant taste.
    • Water: Added this here because we need a lot of it in this recipe.
    • Mixed raw nuts: To decorate and top the meghli cups.
    • Shredded coconut: To drizzle on top of your serving cups.
    spices for megli

    See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for quantities.

    How To Make Meghli

    Put all the dry ingredients in a pan and whisk them together until they're all blended together.

    mixing the spices, sugar, and rice flour together

    Before you turn on the stovetop, add in the water and whisk until the dry ingredients are all dissolved. Next, turn the heat on medium-high and keep whisking until the pudding comes to a boil.

    adding water to the pot

    Reduce the heat to low and keep stirring until you get a thick consistency.

    making the megli powdered rice pudding on the stovetop

    Spoon the caraway pudding into serving cups.

    coconut flakes next to a bowl of meghli

    Let it cool a bit, then top each cup with some shredded coconut. Decorate each cup with the nuts of your choice and store them in the fridge until you're ready to serve!

    making a bowl of Lebanese caraway pudding

    Tips and Tricks

    • Whisk and stir: Whisk the dry ingredients well before adding water to them. Once the mixture is on the stove, don't stop stirring until the pudding thickens. Both these steps are very important because they stop the mixture from curdling.
    • Soak the raw nuts in water: This is key. Make sure you soak the nuts you're going to be using to top the meghli with for at least 2 hours.
    • Avoid over cooking: Once the caraway pudding is thickened and no longer has a watery consistency remove from the heat. Don't over-boil it.
    megli coconut dessert

    Variations and Substitutions

    • Lightened up version: You can substitute the sugar in the recipe for a low calorie sweetener or use less sugar in the recipe as a whole.
    • Sugar substitution: White granulated sugar is often used to make meghli but cane sugar or coconut sugar work well too.
    bowl of nuts with sugar syrup

    Equipment

    • Whisk to get the proper consistency and mix the ingredients together.
    • Stovetop pot to bring that pudding to life.
    • Serving bowls
    • Olive spoon or slotted spoon to strain the soaked nuts before topping the mehgli.

    Storage

    Cover the meghli serving cups in cling film and store them in the fridge for up to 3 days. This dessert does not freeze well.

    FAQs

    What are the origins of meghli?


    This dessert originates in the Levant region. It is most popular in Lebanon but is also made in Syria and Jordan, where it is named karawiya, after caraway - its star ingredient.

    Where does meghli get its name from?


    Two answers, one for Arabic and one for English. In Arabic, the dessert derives its name from the process through which it's made as meghli means boiled. In English, the dish is called caraway pudding after its star ingredient.

    Can meghli be served warm?

    Yes. In fact, in Jordan and Syria meghli is only served warm. The opposite is true in Lebanon where it's considered a cold dessert and rarely served warm. We recommend you try both and pick your favorite. I prefer it cold.

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    📋 Recipe

    meghli lebanese dessert with coconut

    Meghli Lebanese Caraway Pudding

    Author: Mariam
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: Lebanese
    Prep: 10 minutes mins
    Cook: 15 minutes mins
    Total: 25 minutes mins
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate Email
    Servings 8
    Meghli is a Lebanese caraway pudding that is Lebanon's favorite celebratory dessert. Made with rice flour and ground caraway, it's delicious!

    Ingredients
     
    US Customary - Metric

    • 1 cup rice flour
    • 1¼ cup granulated sugar
    • 2 tablespoons ground caraway
    • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
    • 1 tablespoon ground anise
    • 8 cups water plus 1 cup to soak nuts
    • Mixed nuts pistachios, almonds, walnuts, pecans
    • Shredded coconut

    Instructions

    • Soak nuts for at least 2 hours. Set aside in their water.
    • Place the rice flour, sugar, and spices in a pot, whisk really well.
    • Add in the water and keep whisking until everything is well combined.
    • Put the pot on a stovetop and bring to a boil on high heat while stirring consistently.
    • Keep stirring until bubbles start to form on top of the mixture.
    • Bring the heat down, stir until the mixture thickens and gets a pudding-like consistency (about 10 to 15 minutes).
    • Turn the heat off, pour the hot meghli into cups (makes around 8 cups).
    • Wait for the meghli to cool down a bit the decorate with the coconut and nuts.
    • Place in the fridge and serve cold. 

    Notes

    1. This recipe is best served cold. 
    2. Use any type of preferred nut combination.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1 cup | Calories: 169 kcal | Carbohydrates: 41 g | Protein: 1 g | Fat: 0 g | Saturated Fat: 0 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0 g | Trans Fat: 0 g | Cholesterol: 0 mg | Sodium: 0 mg | Fiber: 0 g | Sugar: 25 g

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    About Mariam

    I am Mariam Nabbout, a writer and content creator. I’ve spent years dedicating research, digital, and filmmaking skills to come up with content that's just as meaningful as it is inspiring. A few of my obsessions include good branding, films, photography, design, art, and of course, food.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      5 from 2 votes (1 rating without comment)

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Ahlam

      March 08, 2023 at 2:51 am

      Hello! I first tasted Meghli from my Lebanese neighbor. I'm from Bahrain and I will make Meghli for my Jordanian friend who will deliver soon! I'll do this recipe with crushed rice! hope it turns out good! Thank you for the recipe.

      Reply
      • Lily

        March 08, 2023 at 2:11 pm

        Wonderful Ahlam- let us know how it turns out!

        Reply
      • Saryn Parsons

        May 12, 2025 at 4:10 pm

        Hoping to make this for a friend how much mixed nuts do I soak in the 1c of water?

        Reply
        • Lily

          May 12, 2025 at 5:13 pm

          Hi Saryn,
          It depends on how much you’d like to add as a topping, but about 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup of nuts is good if making 8 servings.

    2. Sarah

      April 03, 2022 at 3:45 pm

      5 stars
      I followed this just as the recipe listed and it was just like I remember as a kid. Thanks for this recipe.

      Reply
      • Lily

        April 03, 2022 at 3:49 pm

        Appreciate the comment!

        Reply
        • Z

          November 27, 2023 at 1:37 pm

          Great recipe but this uses wayyyy too much sugar. I would reccomend halving it

        • Lily

          November 27, 2023 at 3:17 pm

          Thanks for the comment! I’ll add a note in the recipe card about adjusting the sugar

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    I'm an American Lebanese living in Texas. My kitchen, or matbakh, is a hodgepodge of recipes from the U.S. and Mediterranean region.

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