By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 14, 2026
Serves 6
647 cal · 45 min
Zalabia
Recipe GLPR395538760baa4f
Zalabia is a traditional Jewish pastry dessert consisting of golden, crispy fried dough that is generously coated in a fragrant floral sugar syrup. The delicate pastries are drizzled or dunked in a sweet blend of rose or orange-blossom water, creating an elegant, aromatic treat that melts in your mouth. This cherished recipe brings together simplicity and sophistication in every bite.
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Ingredients
5 cups sugar
2 1/4 cups water
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 tablespoon rose or orange-blossom water
Directions
In a large saucepan, combine the sugar and water. Place the pan over medium heat and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally until all the sugar has dissolved completely. This will take approximately 5–8 minutes.
Once the sugar is fully dissolved, add the fresh lemon juice and stir well. Continue simmering for another 2–3 minutes to incorporate the citrus flavor throughout the syrup.
Remove the syrup from the heat and stir in the rose water or orange-blossom water, mixing thoroughly to blend the floral notes evenly. Allow the syrup to cool completely at room temperature before using.
Prepare your zalabia dough according to your preferred traditional recipe (this typically involves a yeast-based dough that is piped or shaped into spirals and fried until golden brown).
Once the zalabia pastries are fried and still warm, immediately dip or drizzle them generously with the cooled floral syrup, allowing the pastries to absorb the sweet liquid. Serve while the pastries are still slightly warm for the best texture and flavor.
Comments
Zalabia is a North African fritter, and this ingredient list is suspiciously short—the recipe must include flour, eggs, baking powder, and oil that aren't listed here. Rose water and orange-blossom water are specialty items requiring a trip to a Middle Eastern market or an online order; neither Harris Teeter, Food Lion, Publix, Walmart, ALDI, nor Kroger stock them reliably in Charlotte. The syrup itself (sugar, water, lemon) costs almost nothing, but the real expense and time sink is the hunt for floral waters and the frying technique, which takes longer than 45 minutes once you account for dough resting and the actual frying in batches. Budget this for a weekend when you can source the ingredients ahead and accept that you'll need a special stop.
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