• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Med Diet
  • Subscribe
The Matbakh
menu icon
go to homepage
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Med Diet
  • Subscribe
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • About
    • Recipes
    • Med Diet
    • Subscribe
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Dessert

    Syrian Semolina Porridge (Mamouniyeh)

    By Samara・Published: Aug 30, 2023・Updated: Aug 30, 2023・Post may have affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Mamouniyeh is a traditional Syrian semolina porridge that is mostly served on special occasions like weddings and birthdays but is also a very popular breakfast porridge.

    Semolina Pudding Syrian Mamouniyeh

    Made of roasted semolina, garnished with nuts, cheese, or fresh cream and served warm, mamouniyeh makes the perfect comfort breakfast or sweet dessert. I know you're thinking cheese and pudding don't sound too great, but trust me, it perfectly balances out the sweetness of the pudding and makes it an amazing start for the day.

    Another sweet treat made with orange blossom water is this delicious rice pudding.

    What's Great About This Recipe

    This semolina porridge recipe is a great option for a quick, easy, sweet breakfast that the whole family will love. It has a creamy texture that's so satisfying and delicious.

    Ingredient Notes

    • Semolina: Both coarse semolina and fine semolina can be used, as they are both prepared the same. Semolina flour is not the same and will result in a different texture.
    • Ghee or Butter: Traditionally made with fresh ghee (samneh baladi), you could alternatively use butter.
    • Sugar: There's nothing like a perfectly sweet bowl of mamouniyeh that feels like a warm hug. I don't like mine too sweet though, so I usually cut the amount of sugar in half.
    • Nuts: The most common nuts to use for garnishing semolina pudding are freshly toasted pine nuts and almonds, but it's common to see people use pistachios, and sometimes even cashews.
    • Milk: I like to make my semolina pudding with equal parts of milk and water. Milk gives it a richer and creamier texture, but as long as you have the right amount of liquid, either one will do.
    • Orange Blossom Water: A tablespoon goes a long way, but this ingredient could probably be named the signature flavor for Syrian desserts. If it's not in the dessert itself, it's usually in the sugar syrup that's drizzled on top.
    • Cinnamon: This part is optional, but a sprinkle of ground cinnamon on top makes it a hundred times better!
    variety of nuts on a plate

    How To Make Semolina Porridge

    Melt one tablespoon of ghee/butter in a pan and toast the nuts until golden brown. Set aside for later use (for the topping).

    In a medium-sized pot, add the sugar, water, and orange blossom water and dissolve the sugar on medium-high heat. Once the sugar dissolves and starts bubbling, immediately lower the heat. Let it sit while you toast the semolina.

    Mamouniyah Milk On Stove

    In the same pan you used to toast the nuts, melt the remaining ¼ cup of ghee or butter. Once it's melted, add the semolina and stir continuously until golden brown. It should take on a caramel color. 

    Semolina Pudding Ghee
    Toast Semolina

    Once your semolina takes on a nice color, add it to the pot where your sugar-water mixture is sitting. Turn the heat back up to medium-high. You'll want to stir constantly so as not to get any lumps. This should take around 7-8 minutes.

    Semolina texture up Close

    Once you have a porridge-like consistency, pour the thick semolina porridge immediately into a big bowl or smaller individual bowls. Garnish with nuts, ground cinnamon, cream, or cheese.

    mamouniyeh dessert with toasted almonds, pistachios, and pine nuts

    Tips and Tricks

    • Make sure to dissolve the sugar in the water or milk. Be careful not to over-boil it before you add the semolina. As soon as the sugar completely dissolves, add the toasted semolina.
    • Toast the semolina in ghee while the sugar dissolves in order to save time.
    • Toast the semolina on medium heat. Use a spatula to constantly stir it to get an even golden color. This step should take around 10-15 minutes, depending on how high the heat is on, or until it's golden brown.
    • Once you add the semolina to the boiling water, it'll only take a couple of minutes to absorb the liquid. Continuously stir to avoid any lumps.
    semolina pudding

    Substitutions and Variations

    • Use coconut milk instead of cow's milk.
    • Substitute maple syrup, brown sugar, or honey for the homemade sugar syrup to sweeten this thick porridge.

    How to Garnish

    Mamouniyeh is usually served in a big bowl, but I've seen it getting popular being served in smaller personal bowls. Play around with how you sprinkle your toppings. You can create fun designs with nuts on this creamy semolina porridge. I like to put the pistachios in the middle, then sliced almonds and pine nuts on the edges.

    Syrian semolina pudding in a bowl

    Equipment

    • A medium sized stovetop pot
    • A small stovetop pan
    • A spatula or wooden spoon

    Storage

    Mamouniyeh is best eaten fresh, but it can be refrigerated. Store this semolina pudding recipe in the fridge for up to 2 days, and reheat it in the microwave.

    FAQs

    What is semolina?

    Made from a hard type of wheat called durum wheat, semolina is basically just a coarser flour. It's usually used in pasta, bread, as well as baked goods, but it's super well known for being used in semolina porridge. This is because it absorbs liquid really well.

    What are some Syrian desserts that use semolina?

    In Syria, Semolina is very commonly used in numerous desserts and baked goods like ma'amoul bars and harisse and gives them their signature crumbly texture. Additionally, it's commonly served in savory dishes as couscous in the place of rice.

    What is the perfect texture for mamouniyeh?

    Mamouniyeh has a smooth, heavy, and velvety texture. As it cools, it will usually take the shape of whatever you put it in. Some people prefer it more liquid, but I like it to be more thick and creamy.

    Is farina and cream of wheat the same thing?

    Cream of wheat is a type of pre-cooked farina. Both farina and cream of wheat have a similar texture.

    Join The Tribe

    Subscribe to The Matbakh Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, or Pinterest pages. We also have a saucy newsletter.

    📋 Recipe

    Semolina Pudding Syrian Mamouniyeh

    Syrian Semolina Porridge (Mamouniyeh)

    Author: Samara
    Course: Breakfast
    Cuisine: Middle Eastern
    Prep: 15 minutes mins
    Cook: 20 minutes mins
    Total: 35 minutes mins
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate Email
    Servings 6
    Mamouniyeh is a delicious, sweet semolina pudding that's warm and velvety. This Syrian dish makes the perfect comfort breakfast or traditional dessert. 

    Ingredients
     
    US Customary - Metric

    Semolina Pudding

    • 1 cup semolina
    • 4 tablespoon ghee or butter
    • 4½ cups water and/or milk
    • 1 cup sugar
    • 1 tablespoon orange blossom water

    For the Topping (Your Choice Of):

    • ½ cup nuts of choice pistachio, almonds, and/or pine nuts
    • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
    • string cheese

    Instructions

    • Melt 1 tablespoon of ghee/butter in a pan and toast the nuts until golden brown. Transfer to a bowl or plate and set aside for the topping.
    • In a medium-sized pot, add the sugar, water, and orange blossom water and dissolve the sugar in medium-high heat. Once the sugar dissolves and starts bubbling, immediately lower the heat. Let it sit while you toast the semolina.
    • In the same pan you used to toast the nuts, melt the remaining ghee/butter. Once it's melted, add the semolina and stir continuously until golden brown. It should take on a caramel color. 
    • Once your semolina takes on a nice color, add it to the pot where your sugar-water mixture is sitting and turn the heat back up to medium-high. You'll want to stir constantly as to not get any lumps. This should take around 7-8 minutes.
    • As soon as your pudding thickens, pour immediately into a big bowl or into smaller individual bowls.
    • Garnish with nuts, cream, or cheese.

    Notes

    1. Serve warm.
    2. As it cools, the pudding will thicken and take the shape of anything you put it in.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1 bowl | Calories: 368 kcal | Carbohydrates: 56.5 g | Protein: 5.5 g | Fat: 14.7 g | Saturated Fat: 6.1 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8.6 g | Trans Fat: 0 g | Cholesterol: 22 mg | Sodium: 77 mg | Fiber: 2.1 g | Sugar: 33.9 g

    More Delicious Desserts For Everyone

    • homemade pizza dough cinnamon rolls.
      Pizza Dough Cinnamon Rolls
    • pumpkin cake with cream cheese icing.
      Pumpkin Olive Oil Cake with Cream Cheese Icing
    • a side view of the dark chocolate almond covered dates.
      Chocolate Almond Dates with Coconut
    • biscoff lotus cheesecake slice.
      Biscoff Cookie Butter Cheesecake

    About Samara

    Hi! My name is Samara Alkhammach. I’m half Syrian, half Palestinian, with a few other nationalities in the mix. I was born and raised in Kuwait, and currently live in Cairo, Egypt. I have a deep love for yoga, art, the kitchen, and bringing people together through them all.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      5 from 2 votes

      Leave A Comment Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




    1. Wateen

      March 05, 2025 at 10:24 pm

      5 stars
      What if I make this an hour in advance? How can I store it for that hour? Do i put it in the fridge or let it sit at room temperature? and if i put it in the fridge, do i wait for it to cool down first?

      Reply
      • Lily

        March 06, 2025 at 8:48 am

        You can leave it at room temp for an hour. Just reheat in the microwave or stovetop. I’d put the topping on right before eating. You can also eat it cooled down at room temp.

        Reply
    2. Sarah

      July 10, 2021 at 7:16 pm

      5 stars
      This dessert transports me back in time. Really loved it, thanks for sharing.

      Reply
      • Lily

        July 10, 2021 at 7:26 pm

        So glad you liked it!

        Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    lily at the matbakh

    I'm Lily

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

    ABOUT ME

    Mediterranean Desserts

    • basbousa semolina cake with honey and yogurt
      Basbousa Semolina Cake
    • baklava rolls
      Walnut Baklava Rolls
    • mafroukeh close up
      Mafroukeh Pistachio Dessert With Cream
    • pumpkin cake with cream cheese icing.
      Pumpkin Olive Oil Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

    Footer

    Stay Connected

    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
    • X

    ↑ back to top

    Legal

    Privacy

    Terms

    Accessibility

    About

    The Matbakh

    About Me

    Med Diet

    Resources

    Shop

    Recipes

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2020 - 2025 Amooni Media LLC

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.