🍮 For years and years, Ramadan desserts were something you could count on to stay the same. You had your basbousas, kunafas, and Sawabea’ Zainab — sizes and syrups varied from one patisserie to another while the core concept remained the same.

Sometime around the late 2000s, that began to change. “It happened around 2010, and then it just kept getting bigger and bigger ever since,” Salé Sucré General Manager Ziad El Ramlawy (LinkedIn) tells EnterpriseAM. “[Ramadan] desserts have gotten crazier, but people have definitely adapted — I think people had been wanting to try different things,” he adds.

Since then, the conversation surrounding desserts became a pivotal aspect of Ramadan. We’ve borne witness to the Nutella craze, which then made way for the Lotus revolution, ultimately leading to 2025’s Dubai chocolate-pistachio uprising. “Our Kunafa Mango is what really changed the way we crafted products. It was the first time we mixed traditional Oriental flavors with ingredients we’re not used to seeing in them,” El Ramlawy says. When Ramadan moved out of the mango season, experiments alchemizing Oriental and Western desserts ensued.

While we’d expect Cairo’s patisseries to take it easy on the Hulk-green sauce this year, we’re still looking forward to a slew of creative “eftekasat” — as we Egyptians like to call them — that will undoubtedly be making the rounds. What obscure pistachio-adjacent ingredient will be the star of Ramadan 2026? It remains unclear — but what’s clear is this: the classics are in for a makeover.

The Ramadan concoctions on our radar thus far

Some patisseries have begun flaunting their seasonal creations, with others choosing to hold off on their grand reveals. Of the more creative desserts that we’ve come across thus far, these have caught our attention:

#1- Salé Sucré: This year, the beloved Cairene patisserie is making the most out of Ramadan winters, debuting three new desserts alongside their annual crowd favorite: the Dulce de Leche Rice Pudding. On the Ramadan menu this year are:

  • The Banoffee Crumble: The patisserie’s first banana-based dessert, this one offers a crunchy biscuit base layered with fresh cream, bananas, and dulce de leche sauce;
  • Dubai Chocolate Crunch: What’s a Ramadan winter without a hot chocolate cake? Rich, fudgy, and dark, this is a dessert you’ll want to pop in the microwave before digging into;
  • Kinder Crème Brûlée: Basbousa and… Kinder? Yup, and we can’t wait to try it. Essentially layers of classic crème brûlée, Basbousa, and Kinder spread, this is the kind of dessert you’ll want to leave plenty of room for, so go easy on the sambousak.

WHERE TO GET IT- Salé Sucré’s newest dessert selections will be available across their branches and through online delivery partners like Talabat on the first day of Ramadan. You can also order through their website.

#2- Simonds: Love Basbousa? Feeling adventurous? You might want to give Simonds’ Crème Bôussa a shot. Essentially what it says on the proverbial tin, the Crème Bôussa is the sweet love child of a Basbousa and a crème brûlée. The dessert has been making the rounds for quite a few years now, and demand has never been higher, according to Simonds CEO Mostafa El Sakka.

WHERE TO GET IT-You can find the Crème Bôussa at Simonds branches throughout Ramadan, and pre-order through their hotline.

#3- Les Dames: This year, the Heliopolis-born patisserie is going all out on Ramadan desserts. Here’s some of what they have in store:

  • Kunafa Banoffee: An amalgamation of kunafa, caramel, bananas, and mille-feuille, Les Dames’ Kunafa Banoffee is not one for the faint of heart;
  • Kunafa Tiramisu: Tiramisu is pretty much a perfect dessert on its own — add Kunafa to the mix and you’ve got yourself a dessert for the ages;
  • Salted Caramel Panda: A sponge cake with layers of kunafa drizzled with salted caramel, this is a sweet treat we can’t wait to try.

WHERE TO GET IT-You can find the desserts at any of Les Dames’ branches, or place an order on their website.

#4- Canelé Pâtisserie: If it’s not broken, don’t fix it — that’s exactly what Canelé’s motto is for this Ramadan. The Cairene patisserie is bringing back all its beloved sweet treats from Ramadan 2025, including their signature date tarts, pistachio kunafas, baklavas, tres leches bowls, and more.

WHERE TO GET IT-You can find the Ramadan desserts across Canelé’s branches throughout Ramadan, or get them delivered through Botit.

#5- Nutcracker: New Ramadan, new menu. This year, Nutcracker is taking their famous baklavas to new heights, with “less cream, more crunch.” The New Cairo dessert shop is introducing two new flavors this year: mistika pistachio and hazelnut caramel baklava.

WHERE TO GET IT- You can find both baklavas at U Venues’ Nutcracker branch, and place an online order through the number in their Instagram bio.

#6- Lazy Lads: You wouldn’t necessarily expect a New Cairene specialty café to join in on the Ramadan desserts race, but that’s exactly what District 5’s Lazy Lads is doing this year, dropping a “Ya Halawa” cake — a rich chocolate cake topped with their “specialty Halawa melt” and actual halawa.

WHERE TO GET IT-You can find Lazy Lads at New Cairo’s District 5, and order the Ya Halawa cake through their Instagram account throughout Ramadan.

#7- Tortina: So the thing about Ramadan in winter is this: you get to have Tortina’s pumpkin gratin and sweet potato tart. While not the flagship 2026 Ramadan desserts — those remain under wraps for now — these tried-and-tested Tortina winter staples are ones we’ll be revisiting over and over again throughout the month.

WHERE TO GET IT-You can find both at Tortina’s branches across Cairo. You can also order through Talabat.

#8- Grand Kunafa: If you’re looking for a post-iftar quick bite to satiate your wandering sweet tooth, we’d say give Grand Kunafa’s kunafa cups a shot — available in tiramisu, pistachio, and mango.

WHERE TO GET IT-You can find the kunafa cups at any of Grand Kunafa’s branches, or get it delivered to your doorstep by calling their hotline.

Despite keeping their Ramadan 2026 creations hush-hush for now, we’re certain these Cairene patisseries have some magic in the works — and they’ve teased as much:

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