Ramadan Honeycomb Bread (Beehive Sweet Bread) – Ramadan Recipe for I (2024)

Last Updated on May 9, 2021 by

Khaliat Nahal is an Arabic Sweet Bread traditionally stuffed with cheese, although in modern times they can be stuffed with a variety of sweet or savory fillings.

There is a bit of a battle, whether this traditional bread often made for the Ramadan Iftar meal, is Yemeni or Saudi in origin. But when a bread is this delicious – does it really matter?

Khaliat Nahal means Bee’s Hive due to the appearance of the bread.

Super soft bread rolls individually stuffed with cheese – and nutella in my version here – are then coated on top with a fragrant saffron infused syrup. If you are looking for Iftar food ideas, Khaliat Nahal should definitely be on the menu.

Is there anything more decadent and delicious! Whether you celebrate Ramadan or not, this honeycomb bread is an intoxicating and irresistible bread you can add to your weekend brunch or tea time menu any time.

Ramadan Recipes

I am always a little bit confused when people ask me for traditional Ramadan dishes or iftar ideas for Ramadan because this is very different things in different countries. With 1.8 billion Muslims in the world in countries with varying cultures and cuisines, there really is not one set of foods that people eat for Ramadan.

I don’t have to look much further than my own family. Suriname has a large Indonesian Muslim population and some of my cousins are part of this community.

I remember one year celebrating Eid with this part of my family, after the month of Ramadan fasting. My aunt made things like Pindakaas Soep (Peanut Butter Soup), Bakabana (Plantain Fritters) and Bojo (Cassava Cake). I’m sure in Yemen and Saudi Arabia or Muslims in Nigeria and Sudan are eating very different foods to celebrate the end of Ramadan.

Suhoor, the morning meal before the sun rises is usually quite a simple meal. However, iftar, the meal to break the fast after the sun sets in the evenings during Ramadan, is usually a more substantial meal and that is when Khaliat Nahal might be served.

Recipe Variations

Cheese – Traditionally , labneh (labne), a Middle Eastern soft yogurt cheese would be used. As it’s a bit easier to handle, most people now use cream cheese to stuff these beehive buns with. Since this is a sweet bread, the cheese creates a great balance in the flavor profile.

In modern times, the variety of stuffings used in Khaliat Nahal are various.

Although this bread is generally always stuffed with cheese as it is also sometimes called Arabic Cheese Bread, other both sweet or savory ingredients can also be added to the stuffing. Check out my savory Khaliat Nahal with Roasted Pepper Pesto here.

So are you ready to make the most delicious Beehive Bread?

Although it is traditionally made with a cream cheese filling, since nutella makes everything tastes better, what can beat a filling with nutella and marscapone, the velvety Italian cream cheese.

Now you can follow these step by step instructions to make this delicious honeycomb dessert bread.

How to make Honeycomb Bread

• First, we make the dough.

• While the dough is rising for the first time, we make the filling by mixing together the Nutella and the marscapone.

Nutella Creme

• Make the syrup by simmering the water, sugar, honey and saffron in a saucepan for 5 minutes. The syrup should be on the thinner side.

Saffron Syrup

• Now we divide the dough into 18 equal sized pieces and roll each into a bun.
• Stuff each bun with the filling, being sure to make sure the buns are well sealed so that the stuffing does not seep out.
• Now you let it rise again for another 30-40 minutes.
• Bake your buns.

• Pour syrup over the warm buns and wait for at least 15 minutes for the syrup to be absorbed.

You won’t be able to resist this irresistible bread!

I didn’t seal my buns as well as I should have, but is there ever anything really wrong with oozing nutella?

I don’t know if the photos do it justice but these are so incredibly soft…perfect with a cup of tea as that late night snack when working late and the sugar craving comes on.