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Home » Desserts

Muhallabi (Mahalabia - Vegan Milk Pudding)

Published: Apr 30, 2021 · Modified: May 13, 2021 by Janelle Hama

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Muhallabi (Muhalabia) is a simple silky milk pudding made with little ingredients that anyone can prepare. This famous Arabic dessert is loved by all and is a vegan-friendly recipe.

Muhallabi in three bowls with pistachio and rose petal garnish

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Jump to:
  • 😋Why you’ll love this recipe
  • ✔️What You’ll Need
  • 🥘Ingredient Notes
  • 🔪How to make Muhallabi
  • 🍳Variations
  • 💡What to serve with muhalebi?
  • 💭Pro Tips
  • 🥘Related recipes
  • Muhallabi (Muhallabia Lebanese Milk Pudding - Vegan)

Muhallabi, or Muhalabia, as we call it in Lebanese, is the go-to quick Arabic dessert. It is also known as muhalabi, muhalabiyeh, mahalabi, mahalebi.

Mostly made with full cream milk, this version is a creamy vegan milk pudding, akin to panna cotta or creme caramel in texture (if using cornstarch)

Usually muhalabia is enjoyed as a dessert after dinner in our family, however, you can enjoy this anytime you like. It is similar to Lebanese rice pudding.

😋Why you’ll love this recipe

  • Less fat than the traditional muhalabiyeh version
  • Ridiculously easy to make and quick - 10 minutes and you’re done
  • Caters for diets such as vegan and gluten-free
  • Family-friendly

✔️What You’ll Need

Muhalabi ingredients
muhalabi garnish ingredients

🥘Ingredient Notes

Plant milk - I prefer to use almond milk, you can use any plant milk you desire. Note that the colour of this vegan pudding is dependant on the type of plant milk you select.

Sugar - raw sugar is used in this recipe, this does slightly yellow the pudding. You can opt to use your preferred sweetener.  Adjust the sugar levels to suit your taste.

Mastic* is a plant resin that has a unique fresh flavour, this is a popular ancient ingredient used across the Middle East, Greece and Turkey. If you can’t get your hands on this ingredient, just leave it out.

Orange and rose blossom - these are sold separately and give a very fragrant floral flavour. I adore these ingredients and always buy the Cortas brand. A little of these go a long way. 

Garnish - typical Arabic garnishes include rose petals, crushed pistachio or a dusting of cinnamon. You could also opt for coconut shavings, mixed crushed nuts or your favourite fruit.

🔪How to make Muhallabi

Step 1 - Add almond milk and rice flour to a pot and combine whilst cold.

Step 2 - Over med-high heat bring milk and rice content to a simmer and add raw sugar, stir continuously until all the sugar has dissolved. Once thickened, turn off the heat and add mastic, stir for 30 seconds. Then add orange blossom and rose water, stir through for a minute.

Step 3 - Transfer to individual serving cups and cool to room temp. Refrigerate for an hour at least. Garnish with rose petals, crushed pistachio or cinnamon. Serve cold. 

lebanese vegan milk pudding muhalabia before garnish
Vegan Muhalabia before adding garnish

🍳Variations

Replace rice flour with cornflour (cornstarch) I generally leave this for when I am making haytaliyeh (which is pretty much the same dessert, yet thicker and served with ice cream)

Use vanilla rather than rose water, orange blossom or mastic

For a coconut flavour, use coconut milk and cream.

Layer muhallebi as part of a trifle with custards, chocolate and fruit

Add some cocoa powder for a chocolate version or matcha powder for an energy boost

💡What to serve with muhalebi?

Generally, muhallebi is served with a fresh cup of Arabic tea that’s been flavoured with mint or cardamon.

muhallabi in a bowl with pistachio and rose petal garnish

💭Pro Tips

Stirring the rice flour through cold milk helps to eliminate lumps

A continuous stir is required as this milk dessert starts to heat up. If there is no constant movement, the rice will clump into lumps at the bottom of the pot. Stirring also helps to avoid burning at the bottom.

Do not bring muhalebi to a hard boil, it should simmer only

Muhalabia can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, make sure it is well sealed.

A skin will form as it starts to cool down, this is generally hidden with a garnish.

🥘Related recipes

If you loved this recipe, you will also love this other Lebanese spiced pudding called meghli or this sahlab which is a sweetened milk drink.

Another amazing Arabic dessert are loaded atayef, which are baked pancakes stuffed with walnuts.

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Did you enjoy learning how to make Lebanese muhallabi (vegan milk pudding) I would love to hear from you, leave me a comment below and give me a rating. This will help me sustain Plant Based Folk. 

Alternatively, did you happen to take a photo? Tag me @plantbasedfolk on Instagram to be featured via stories.

Janelle x

Muhallabi in three bowls with pistachio and rose petal garnish

Muhallabi (Muhallabia Lebanese Milk Pudding - Vegan)

Muhallabi (Muhalabia) is a simple silky milk pudding made with little ingredients that anyone can prepare. This famous Arabic dessert is loved by all and is a vegan friendly recipe.
Print Pin Rate Save Recipe Saved Recipe
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Lebanese, Middle Eastern
Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Author: Janelle Hama

Ingredients

  • 1 litre Almond milk or your preferred plant milk
  • ½ cup Rice flour or cornflour (corn starch)
  • ½ cup Raw sugar up to ¾ cup
  • 1 pinch Mastic crushed and powdered (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon Orange blossom water or up to a tbsp
  • 1 teaspoon Rose water or up to a tbsp
  • 1 Pisacchio crushed - for garnish (optional)
  • 1 Rose Petals dried - for garnish (optional)
Metric - US Customary
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Instructions

  • Add almond milk and rice flour to a pot and combine whilst cold.
    stir through rice flour in almond milk
  • Over med-high heat bring milk and rice content to a simmer and add raw sugar, stir continuously until all the sugar has dissolved. Once thickened, turn off heat and add mastic, stir for 30 seconds. Then add orange blossom and rose water, stir through for a minute.
    muhllabi in a pot
  • Transfer to individual serving cups and cool to room temp. Refrigerate for an hour at least. Garnish with rose petals, crushed pistachio or cinnamon. Serve cold. 
    muhallabi with garnish in 3 bowls

Video


Notes

4-6 servings. Depending on your individual-sized portions.
 
💭Pro Tips
  • A continuous stir is required as this milk dessert starts to heat up. If there is no constant movement, the rice will clump into lumps at the bottom of the pot. Stirring also helps to avoid burning at the bottom.
  • Do not bring muhalebi to a hard boil, it should simmer only
  • Muhalabia can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, make sure it is well sealed.
  • Lebanese mahalabi will form a skin as it starts to cool down.
🥘Similar recipes
  • Lebanese rice pudding
  • Haytaliyeh
*Shop for your healthy organic groceries at Thrive Market*. 
 
N.B., nutrition info is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator. This will vary based on the specific ingredients you use.
 
 

Equipment

pot

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 174kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 25mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 2IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 1mg

N.B., nutrition info is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator. This will vary based on the specific ingredients you use.


Tried this recipe?Mention @Plantbasedfolk or tag #plantbasedfolk

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Jan

    July 15, 2021 at 12:04 pm

    5 stars
    Very creamy for a vegan muhalabia recipe. This is going on the regular list.

    Reply

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Hello, I'm Janelle, a culinary enthusiast with over two decades of cooking experience and a keen interest in creating delicious vegan Lebanese recipes.

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