# Saudi Masoub with Banana and Dates

> Masoub is built on **day-old bread**, never fresh. Fresh bread is too moist and turns into a sticky paste, while stale bread absorbs the banana and honey and keeps a pleasantly grainy texture. The name itself comes from *asab* — to squeeze and mix by hand.

**Saudi Cuisine · 15 min · 4 servings · 380 kcal per serving**

Masoub is a Hejazi breakfast staple from western Saudi Arabia, eaten in the morning and served as a dessert in restaurants. It turns yesterday's bread into something rich and comforting.

## Ingredients


### Base
- 4 loaves — day-old bread (tamees or white flatbread)
- 5 pieces — very ripe bananas
- 10 pieces — pitted dates
- ¼ cup — warm milk

### To serve
- 1 tin — clotted cream (qishta)
- 3 tbsp — honey
- 2 tbsp — melted ghee
- ¼ cup — crushed nuts
- 2 tbsp — cream cheese (optional)

## Method

1. **The bread** — Tear the day-old bread into small pieces. If you only have fresh bread, toast it in the oven for 5 minutes and let it cool.
2. **Moisten** — Sprinkle the warm milk over the bread and toss — use very little, the point is to soften it, not soak it.
3. **The kneading** — Add the bananas and dates and **work it with your hands**, mashing and kneading until uniform. A masher or food processor gives a gummy texture — hands are better.
4. **The ghee** — Pour over the melted ghee and mix — it adds shine and a rich flavour.
5. **Serving** — Spread it in a dish and top with clotted cream, honey and crushed nuts. Some people add cream cheese as well.

## Tips

- Day-old bread is essential. Fresh bread turns into a sticky paste.
- Use bananas that are heavily speckled — sweeter and far easier to mash.
- Work it by hand rather than in a processor; the processor makes it gummy.
- Eat it straight away. After an hour it stiffens and darkens.

## FAQ

### What is the difference between masoub and sweet fatteh?
Masoub is kneaded by hand until it becomes one uniform mixture. Fatteh keeps its layers distinct.

### Can I make it without banana?
Banana is the source of both the sweetness and the texture. Without it you need more dates and honey, and the result is noticeably heavier.

### Is it breakfast or dessert?
Both — in the Hejaz it is a staple breakfast, and restaurants serve it as a dessert after a meal.

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Source: https://hanakoleah.com/en/saudi-cuisine/saudi-masoub-banana-date-bread
Edited by: Marwa Mohamed
Last updated: 2026-09-13