Easy Kashta/Ashta (Lebanese Clotted Cream)

How to make homemade kashta/ashta cream (Lebanese clotted cream) with just a handful of ingredients and a simple curd process – perfect for all your favorite Middle Eastern desserts! Plus, this method is gluten-free and can be prepared sugar-free (or naturally sweetened)!

Ashta cream is a popular “staple” ingredient when it comes to Middle Eastern desserts, meaning it’s very widely accessible in those countries. However, unfortunately, that isn’t the case in much of the rest of the world. And while there are some close substitutes (like British clotted cream), learning how to make homemade ashta cream (aka Middle Eastern clotted cream) is simple, quick, and delicious. It’s perfect for use in all your favorite desserts (like Kunafa, qatayef, and various phyllo/filo-based desserts).

What is Ashta Cream?

This popular Arabic ingredient comes under several names, including qishta, kashta, ghista, and ashta. All of which refers to a type of Middle Eastern clotted cream (similar to British clotted cream) made from coagulated milk, regularly sweetened, and often delicately scented with orange blossom or rose water.

In terms of method, there are several that I’ve found. The traditional approach was a lengthy process that involved slowly simmering large amounts of milk and scooping off the thin skin that forms on the top repeatedly over an extended period.

However, these days some methods combine heated milk with an acid to encourage curdling, to create a ricotta cheese, which is then combined with a creamy base. Other methods I’ve seen use white bread or semolina as a thickener. There are even “cheat” methods that simply mix several ingredients over heat until thickened, then allow it to cool and set.

For this homemade clotted cream ashta, I’ve used the curding method that begins by creating a homemade ricotta cheese – by curdling the milk and saving the curds. These are then combined with a creamy, delicately sweetened milk and cream “base” mixture for a creamy, slightly textured Lebanese clotted cream. Of course, I can’t guarantee its authenticity (thanks to the plethora of methods used to create ashta). However, it tastes close to what I remember from my childhood treats and takes only a fraction of the time of the skimming method!

Kashta Ingredients

• Milk: I recommend using full-fat milk (whole milk) for the best results. However, I’ve tried it with 2% milk with impressive results, too.
• Vinegar: I like to use regular white vinegar, though lemon juice would also work.
• Cornstarch: I prefer to use cornstarch as it’s naturally gluten-free, though all-purpose flour could work (1:1 ratio).
• Cream: use full-fat whipping cream for this recipe. Heavy cream would also work (which contains slightly more fat).
• Sugar: (optional) you can use regular sugar, honey/maple, or even a sugar-free sweetener like erythritol/xylitol, etc.

Optional Add-ins & Recipe Variations

• Traditional flavoring: it’s popular to add rose water and/or orange blossom water to the kashta cream recipe. For this version, I used both to flavor this for atayef filling.
• Vanilla: around 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract is delicious when added to this creamy ashta cream. But feel free to increase the amount to taste.
• Cocoa powder: you’d add this right at the beginning with the corn starch. I recommend 1-2 tablespoon – but you can adjust it to taste.
• Butter: unsalted butter (2-3 tablespoon melted) can help to make an even richer Lebanese clotted cream recipe but is 100% optional. If adding, mix into the cream mixture.

How to Make Ashta Cream (Lebanese Clotted Cream)?

Step 1: Curd the milk

• In a large saucepan, bring the milk (4.5 cups) to just below a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally (to stop scolding at the bottom of the pan).
• Then remove the pan from the heat. Add the vinegar, and stir very gently but continuously with a spatula as the milk clots and forms curds.
• Scoop the curds from the milk and transfer them to a sieve to strain any excess liquid. Then set aside to cool.

Alternatively, you can leave the milk for 10 minutes to form curds, as I do for homemade ricotta cheese. Then pour it into a separate strainer lined with cheesecloth to drain. All the curds will remain in the strainer.

 Step 2: Prepare the creamy mixture

• In a small saucepan (pot), add ½ cup of milk with the corn starch and mix until lump-free. Then, add the remainder of the milk as well as the sugar and cream.
• Heat over medium, constantly stirring (with a whisk or spatula), until the mixture begins to thicken.
• Then set the mixture aside to cool for several minutes before gently mixing in the curds, rose water, and orange blossom.
• Finally, transfer the mixture to an airtight container (or bowl covered in plastic wrap/beeswax wrap) and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours (I prefer overnight) before using.

Press a layer of plastic wrap directly over the surface of the “clotted cream” to prevent skin from forming while it chills.

Make sure to mix the ashta cream before serving. You can enjoy this within other Middle East recipes or serve it in a dish on a table topped with some pistachios and served alongside some rose jam.

How to Make Ahead & Store

Make ahead: I like to leave the kashta/ashta cream to chill in the fridge overnight (which doubles as extra time for the flavors to meld more). For that reason, I recommend making it a night before.

Store: once prepared, store the ashta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I don’t recommend freezing it, so aim to use it all within that time.

How to Use Ashta Cream?

As I’ve already said above, this homemade Lebanese clotted cream (kashta) is an incredibly popular addition to Middle Eastern desserts, whether as a filling or topping. This includes:

• Qatayef/katayef;
• Kunafa;
• Maamoul;
• Mafroukeh;
• Znoud El Sit;
• As a general pastry cream (it doesn’t even lose its texture in the oven!);
• Use as a filling for tartlets topped with fruit;
• As an ice-cream base;
• As a topping – swap out regular whipping cream for ashta with all sorts of desserts (like to top pumpkin pie or French toast). You won’t regret it!

You can also enjoy ashta cream with breakfast as a topping for bread/toast (or simit) with some honey and optionally crushed pistachios. Or serve alongside some fresh fruits and honey (or vegan dandelion honey).

Recipe Notes and Top Tips

• For a cheat version: you could use store-bought ricotta cheese and skip that step of the recipe entirely. Just make sure to use a high-quality option, and all ricotta is not equal!
• If it becomes too thick when chilled/you want a creamier ashta: you can use an immersion blender/blender to get it back to a creamy consistency. Though the curds will be broken up, so the homemade clotted cream texture will become smoother.
• Make sure to whisk constantly: otherwise, the ashta can thicken unevenly, and it’ll end up chunky and/or grainy (yuck).
• For keto ashta: you can use arrowroot powder in place of the cornstarch and use a sugar-free keto sweetener like xylitol/erythritol. Otherwise, I think the remaining ingredients are keto-friendly.
• Adjust the sweetness: commercial versions of kashta/ashta are usually unsweetened, so feel free to adjust the sweetness based on how you intend to use the ashta. I usually leave it unsweetened when using for desserts that are served with syrup.

More Simple Dairy DIYs

• How to make labneh (and labneh balls)
• Homemade cream cheese
• How to make natural and Greek yogurt
• Homemade condensed milk
• Mozzarella cheese
• Goat cheese
• Homemade powdered milk
• Stovetop Lebanese Rice Pudding (Riz bi Haleeb)

You might also enjoy browsing through my complete collection of Lebanese recipes!

If you try this Lebanese ashta recipe (Kashta/Middle Eastern clotted cream), I’d love to hear your thoughts/questions below. Also, I’d appreciate a recipe card rating below, and feel free to tag me in your recipe recreations on Instagram @Alphafoodie!