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Home » Vegan Lebanese Recipes

Namoura (Basbousa Recipe)

Published: Nov 18, 2020 · Modified: Feb 21, 2022· By: Janelle Hama

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Namoura (basbousa) is a sweet semolina cake from the Middle East soaked in fragrant sugar syrup. It is made with semolina, tahini and yogurt. This basbousa recipe explains both vegan and original versions.

Namoura in a glass tray
Freshly bakes namoura

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Jump to:
  • What is Namoura?
  • 😋Why You'll Love This Recipe
  • 🍰Ingredients
  • 🔪Cooking Instructions
  • 📝Recipe Notes
  • ⭐Recipe Tips
  • 🥄Serving Suggestions
  • 🥥Basbousa Variation
  • ❓FAQ
  • 🍰Related Recipes
  • 📖 Recipe
  • 💬 Community

A decadent semolina cake, this namoura recipe hails from Lebanon and has been adapted to suit a vegan diet. 

Mom makes this semolina cake all the time, back when I was a kid I just thought it was always there and thought nothing of it.

It’s not until the last couple of years that I’ve really appreciated this recipe.

What I love about basbousa is that I can put out a platter of it in front of guests and watch the pieces disappear. 

My favorite parts are the edges, they are extra caramelized and crunchy. 

What is Namoura?

Namoura is a cake made of semolina rather than flour and is drizzled in simple syrup. It is enjoyed across the Middle East and some parts of Europe.

It is also referred to as Harissa or Basbousa. My family calls it either harissa or namoura.

Namoura is pronounced as ‘Nam-moo-ra’ in Arabic and is written as نمورة

😋Why You'll Love This Recipe

  • It's dairy free (vegan)
  • Super delicious and decadent
  • Easy to make

🍰Ingredients

White sugar - this yields the best results (brown will not turn out the same)

Rosewater - for flavoring, you can substitute this with orange blossom water. I always use a good-quality brand such as Cortas (affiliate link).

Water - room temperature and filtered preferred

Vegan butter - traditionally full-fat butter is used.

Coarse semolina - this is preferred as it makes namoura less dense, however, you can opt to use fine semolina too or perhaps even mix both evenly. 

Semolina is known as ‘smeed’ in Arabic.

Bicarbonate soda - this helps to leaven this semolina cake

Baking powder - works hand in hand with the bicarb as a leavening agent

Salt - I prefer to use pink salt. Salt enhances the flavor.

Coconut yogurt - this is to replace full-fat yogurt, you can use any dairy-free yogurt.

Almonds - 1 per piece is used as decoration, this can be swapped for pine nuts if preferred.

Tahini - is the paste of sesame seeds and has been widely adopted across the globe. 

Only a small amount of tahini is needed to coat the baking tray which helps the semolina cake to not stick to it

simple syrup with butter through it in a pot
Atter with vegan butter through it will be poured onto the basbousa

🔪Cooking Instructions

Atter - Sugar Syrup

Step 1 - In a saucepan, add water, sugar, vegan butter and rose water, stir through and bring to a boil for about 6 minutes. Set aside to cool down to room temp.

Namoura Cake

Step 2 - In a large mixing bowl add semolina (affiliate link) and vegan butter, combine well using hands until a dough forms. Cover with cling wrap and set aside for a minimum of 30 minutes.

Step 3 - Once the dough has rested, crumble it using your fingers and then add, sugar, rose water, bicarb soda, baking powder, salt, coconut yogurt and combine using your fingers. 

Step 4 - Coat baking tray with tahini (affiliate link) and flatten the dough as evenly as possible

Step 5 - Use a knife to push the edges down and off the tray and then cut into squares or diamond pieces and place one almond in the middle of each piece

Step 6 - Bake in a preheated oven of 180C (356F), place in the middle of the oven for the first 15 minutes, and then move it to the top for the last 15 minutes. Baking time is approximately 30min or until lightly golden

Step 7 - Evenly pour a generous amount of sugar syrup over baked namoura

Step 8 - Allow to cool down to room temp before taking the pieces out

semolina dough with baking soda
Adding baking soda and powder
crumbled semolina dough in a bowl
Crumbled semolina dough
semolina dough in a stainless bowl
Namoora dough after resting
flattening namoura dough by hand into a tray
Flattening dough into a tray by hand

📝Recipe Notes

Using your fingers to combine all the ingredients to the dough is important as it helps to keep the dough light rather than compacted.

Slightly wet the knife when cutting the dough into squares, this helps the dough not stick to the knife

Use enough sugar syrup to completely cover every part of the namoura in the tray. 

Alternatively to the previous point, you could soak it just enough and then offer extra sugar syrup with each piece, leaving it up to individual discretion

Namoura should not be dry and will soak in a lot of the sugar syrup 

The top layer of namoura is golden and crunchy whilst the inside is pale yellow, soft, and fluffy. The semolina gives a wonderful crunchy grainy texture.

⭐Recipe Tips

My mother’s hot tip is to make the dough the night before, she explains it produces a less dense cake. So the more resting time the better.

Naturally, tahini will have a layer of oil at the top of the jar, use the top layer of tahini with the oil to brush the baking tray with, this is will help the cake not stick. This also adds a hint of a nuttier flavor

If you wish to opt-out of using the vegan butter in the simple syrup, you can do so. However, this step really helps give namoura a beautiful sheen.

You may need to recut the cut semolina cake once it cools down to take out the pieces.

namoura in a tray and plate

🥄Serving Suggestions

Namoura pairs perfectly with tea or coffee - try this deliciously easy to make foam coffee.

🥥Basbousa Variation

Add ½ a cup of desiccated coconut when adding all other ingredients to the dough.

❓FAQ

What is semolina?

Semolina is a ground durum wheat product used in baking, porridges, bread, and pasta. Semolina is available in fine or coarse varieties. Semolina contains gluten and contains many health benefits. 

How to store namoura?

Namoura can be stored in a snap-lock container in a cool pantry for several days. Or covered in the fridge.

Is namoura supposed to be soft like cake or hard (almost crunchy)?

This is dependent on your preference, both are equally delicious. Placing the batter into a smaller tray will yield a softer cake-like result, as the batter isn't spread out and will stay moist. For a crunchier namoura, place your batter into a larger tray to allow it to spread thinner (about an inch, 2.5cm).

What is namoura made of?

Namoura is made from semolina, butter, rose water, yogurt, baking powder and baking soda, tahini, sugar and salt. It is then drizzled with simple sugar syrup called atter.

a stack of basbousa in a white plate

🍰Related Recipes

  • Haytaliyeh Vegan Lebanese Milk Pudding - A light and fragrant pudding best served cold
  • Sfouf Lebanese semolina turmeric cake - A gorgeous golden semolina cake
  • Lebanese rice pudding riz bi haleeb - another fragrant pudding but with rice which can be served warm or cold
  • Atayef - delicious nut stuffed pancakes from the Middle East
  • Healthy Vegan Mango Sorbet (5 Minutes Dairy Free)
  • Sahlab Middle Eastern Sweetened Milk Drink (سحلب)
  • Vegan Black Sesame Cookies Without Sugar
  • Raw Chocolate Date Balls (Healthy Vegan Truffles)

Did you enjoy making this namoura recipe? 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 of your basbousa? Tag me @plantbasedfolk on Instagram to be featured via stories. If you love sharing your vegan food pics, join the PBF community group. If you’re into fast cooking vids, join me on Tiktok.

📖 Recipe

Namoura in a tray

Namoura (Basbousa)

Namoura (basbousa) is a sweet semolina cake from the Middle East soaked in a fragrant sugar syrup. It is made with semolina, tahini and yogurt. This is a vegan basbousa recipe.
Print Pin Rate Save Recipe Saved Recipe
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Lebanese, Middle Eastern
Diet: Vegan
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 30 servings
Author: Janelle Hama

Ingredients

Sugar Syrup (Atter)

  • 2 cups White sugar
  • 1 cup Water
  • 2 tablespoon Rose water substitute with orange water
  • ½ tbsp Vegan butter

Namoura

  • 3 cups Coarse semolina
  • 1 cup Vegan butter room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon Rose water substitute with orange water
  • 1 teaspoon Bicarbonate soda
  • 1 pinch Salt
  • 1½ teaspoon Baking powder
  • 1 cup Coconut yogurt
  • ½ cup White sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Tahini
  • 30 Almonds
Metric - US Customary
Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Sugar Syrup (Atter)

  • In a saucepan, add water, sugar and rose water, stir through and bring to the boil for about 6 minutes. Set aside to cool down to room temp.

Namoura

  • In a large mixing bowl add semolina and plant based butter, combine well using hands until a dough forms. Cover with cling wrap and set aside for a minimum of 30 minutes.
  • Once dough has rested, crumble dough using your fingers and add sugar, rose water, bicarb soda, baking powder, salt, coconut yoghurt and combine using your fingers. 
  • Coat baking tray with tahini and flatten dough as evenly as possible.
  • Use a knife to push the edges down and off the tray and then cut into squares or diamond pieces and place one almond in the middle of each piece
  • Bake in a preheated oven of 180C (356F), place in the middle of the oven for the first 15 minutes and then move it to the top for the last 15 minutes. Baking time is approximately 30min or until lightly golden
  • Evenly pour a generous amount of sugar syrup over baked namoura.
  • Allow to cool down to room temp before taking the pieces out

Video

Notes

  • Using your fingers to combine all the ingredients to the dough is important as it helps to keep the dough light.
  • Slightly wet knife when cutting dough into squares, helps the dough not stick to the knife
  • Use enough sugar syrup to completely cover every part of the namoura in the tray.
  • Alternatively to the previous point, you could soak it just enough and then offer extra sugar syrup with each piece, leaving it up to individual discretion
  • Namoura should not be dry and will soak in a lot of the sugar syrup
  • The top layer of namoura is golden and crunchy whilst the inside is a pale yellow, soft and fluffy. The semolina gives a wonderful crunchy grainy texture.
The baking tray used for this vegan namoura is 22cm (8.6") x 33cm (13").
Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml

Nutrition

Calories: 213kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 69mg | Potassium: 38mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 17g | Calcium: 19mg | 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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43 Vegan Roast Recipes (Lunch & Dinner Ideas) »
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Toni

    February 22, 2022 at 10:57 pm

    5 stars
    This is such a nice dessert!! I love it!

    Reply
  2. Nora

    February 22, 2022 at 5:08 am

    5 stars
    This Namoura is really tasty! A must try!

    Reply
  3. Jerika

    February 21, 2022 at 9:28 pm

    5 stars
    Wow! Super moist and unique cake. Thanks!:)

    Reply
  4. Agnieszka

    February 09, 2022 at 7:47 am

    5 stars
    Such a great recipe! Will make it again.

    Reply
  5. Amy Liu Dong

    February 08, 2022 at 9:44 pm

    5 stars
    Wow! So delicious. The color it gives plus the almond on top makes this so enticing and tempting.

    Reply
  6. Maya

    February 08, 2022 at 4:27 am

    5 stars
    Love that this is vegan friendly!

    Reply
    • Louise

      May 12, 2022 at 11:29 am

      Yogurt is not vegan.

      Reply
      • Janelle Hama

        May 13, 2022 at 7:51 am

        In this case it is. We only use coconut yoghurt

        Reply
  7. Maggie

    February 02, 2022 at 9:48 am

    5 stars
    This is insanely, incredibly good. Yummy!

    Reply
  8. Jacqui

    August 15, 2021 at 12:31 pm

    Hi there,

    Am loving the look of this vegan basbousa recipe. Would you please tell me what size baking pan you would recommend?

    Reply
    • Janelle

      August 16, 2021 at 1:13 pm

      Hi Jacqui,

      The baking tray used for this vegan namoura is 22cm (8.6") x 33cm (13").

      Enjoy!

      Reply
  9. Fay

    December 10, 2020 at 1:51 pm

    5 stars
    I love the taste of this semolina cake. I didn't add too much sugar syrup which made it lighter.

    Reply

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Heya, I'm Janelle! I've been a messy but delicious cook for a couple of decades now.

In the last few years, I've converted to a vegan diet and have fallen in love with the flavors that can be created from plants.

I specialize in vegan Lebanese food and I'm excited to share these amazing recipes with you.

Let's cook together!

More about me →

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