The Royal Areeka: When crumble and trifle have a baby

Name: The Royal Areeka: When crumble and trifle have a baby (Areeka Malakiya)
Cuisine: Saudi Arabian
Ingredients: 5 frozen parathas or 6 large all-butter croissants; 5 frozen parathas or 6 large all-butter croissants; 125 g (4½ oz) unsalted butter or ghee; 125 g (4½ oz) unsalted butter or ghee; 250 g (9 oz) medjool dates, pitted and chopped; 1 tsp ground green cardamom; 1 tsp coarsely ground fennel seeds; ½ tsp nigella seeds; 400 g (14 oz) clotted cream; 1 x 410 g (14½ oz) can evaporated milk; 1 x 397 g (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk; 4-6 large overly ripe bananas, sliced (more or less, as your preference); 100 g (3½ oz) yellow processed cheese or mature Cheddar cheese, grated; 100 g (3½ oz) yellow processed cheese or mature Cheddar cheese, grated; 100 g (3½ oz) roasted cashews; 100 g (3½ oz) caramelized pecans (or use any nut of your choice); 50 g (1¾ oz) milk chocolate chips (optional, but my lot love them); 100 g (3½ oz) cornflakes; Honey, to drizzle; Date molasses, to drizzle

Areeka Malakiya

Preparation info

Serves
6

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

The Red Sea Cookbook

By Madeeha Qureshi

Published 2026

About

If I had to describe the national dessert of Saudi Arabia, it has to be Areeka Malakiya (or Royal Areeka, aka ma’asoob). It has a crunchy and flaky pastry base, layered with mashed and sliced banana, topped with chocolate chips, clotted cream, ghee, honey, nuts and cornflakes: is there anything left!

There are so many variations of this delicacy, you can add pretty much anything and everything that can go in a dessert. Locally, it is made with a traditional bread that is ligh

Ingredients

Asia
Saudi Arabia
Dessert
Vegetarian

Ingredients

Method