Crispy Cheese Rolls (Rakakat)

Name: Crispy Cheese Rolls
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 2 cups shredded akawi cheese; 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese; ¼ cup chopped parsley; ½ teaspoon black pepper; 1 cup warm water; 1 tablespoon all purpose flour; 25 spring roll pastry wrappers (square 8-inch)

Yumna Jawad

Updated Mar 24, 2025

5 from 68 votes

Crispy cheese rolls (Rakakat) is the perfect crunchy, ooey-gooey appetizer to make with just a few ingredients. This Lebanese recipe is perfect for Ramadan!

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Prep Time 20

Servings 12 servings

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Tray of crispy cheese rolls baked in the oven

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Cheese Rolls Ingredients
How to Make Cheese Rolls
Make the Cheese Filling
Wrap the Cheese Rolls
Three Ways to Cook Cheese Rolls
My Best Cheese Rolls Tips
Serving Ideas
Recipe Help & FAQs
More Lebanese Appetizers:
Crispy Cheese Rolls Recipe

Lebanese STyle CHeese Rolls!

If you’ve ever been to a Lebanese restaurant and ordered a round of warm mezzes, chances are you’ve seen these crispy, rakakat cheese rolls! They are made with phyllo or spring rolls, sweet Middle Eastern cheese like akawi, along with herbs, rolled, and then baked until crispy, golden, and delicious! Crispy on the outside, totally cheese on the inside and always a crowd fave when I make them.

These cheese rolls, called Rakakat bi Jebneh in Arabic, is a favorite of ours, especially during Ramadan to enjoy with a warm bowl of crushed lentil soup. They’re easy to make and you can bake them, deep fry the, or air fry them (grab all three instructions below. And if you love these crispy cheese rolls, be sure to check out my zaatar spring rolls, which are very similar to this recipe but with zaatar spice added to the cheese and sprinkled on the outside.

Cheese Rolls Ingredients

Cheese: The authentic recipe is made with some Akawi cheese, which is a salty white cheese. It’s also common to make them with a type of white sweet cheese like Chicago cheese or Syrian cheese. I’ve used a combination of Akawi and mozzarella cheese, but feel free to use mozzarella, halloumi, and feta cheese for a combination of flavors and textures.
Spring roll pastry wrappers: Unlike regular spring rolls, these are very thin and get that perfect crispy texture when baked or fried, making this Spring Home brand ideal for these crispy rolls. You can swap for any spring roll wrappers or egg roll wrappers, wonton wrappers or even phyllo dough. Just be sure to adjust the cooking time accordingly.
Herbs: Parsley is very popular in this cheese roll recipe because it’s mild and slightly fragrant. But you can also swap for fresh mint, basil, or cilantro or dried herbs too.

How to Make Cheese Rolls

There are two parts to making this popular Middle Eastern cheese appetizer – making the filling and then rolling the filling. You can then freeze them or bake them immediately.

Make the Cheese Filling

Cheeses, herbs, and spices in a bowl before mixing. — **Step 1:** In a bowl, add the akawi cheese, mozzarella cheese, parsley, and black pepper.

After combining mixture. — **Step 2:** Mix the filling until everything is well combined.

Wrap the Cheese Rolls

Open spring roll wrapper filled with mixed cheese blend. — **Step 3:** Place a spring roll wrapper on a flat surface, and place the cheese mixture in the lower third of each spring roll wrapper.

After folding up the bottom half to cover filling. — **Step 4:** Beginning at the angle closest to you, start the folding process bottom over the filling first.

Sides of wrapped folded upwards after bottom fold. — **Step 5:** Fold the sides inward over the bottom fold.

Rolling filled wrapper upwards. — **Step 6:** Start to roll the bottom up towards the last open triangle folding the edges inward along the way.

Spring roll wrapper filled with cheese after rolling. — **Step 7:** Press lightly to seal the edges together.

Recipe on a sheet pan before baking. — **Step 8:** Place the stuffed cheese rolls seam side down on the prepared baking dish.

Three Ways to Cook Cheese Rolls

Bake: This recipe has baking instructions in the oven. I recommend 425°F for 15-20 minutes.
Deep fry: If you prefer to fry them, heat neutral oil to 350°F and fry about 4 rolls at a time until golden and crispy, about 2-3 minutes total.
Air fry: Air frying also works great. Preheat the air fryer to 400°F and air fry about 4-6 rolls at a time, depending on how large your air fryer is, until golden and crispy, about 15 minutes total.

My Best Cheese Rolls Tips

Freeze the rolls before baking. This is a great tip when making something like mozzarella sticks which applies to these crispy cheese rolls as well. When the cheese is frozen, it allows the rolls to get crispy on the outside in the oven faster than the cheese can melt. This is what keeps them intact without oozing out.
Use 8 inch spring roll wrappers. This size is great for wrapping around the cheese without being too big or too small. If you want to make a mini rakakat, you can get the smaller 6in size. Make sure to adjust the cooking time down if you’re using the mini wrappers.
Bake the cheese rolls seam side down. Even though you’ll apply a paste the seal the edges, these rolls can unwrap in the oven if not rolled tightly or if the seam is facing up.
Serve immediately. For the best crunch and gooiest cheese, serve these right away. But you can reheat them in a 350°F oven for 5-10 minutes until warmed through if necessary.

Plate of Lebanese cheese rolls - rakakat

Serving Ideas

With a Middle Eastern salad: Fattoush Salad, Tabbouleh Salad, Bulgur Chickpea Salad,
Dunked in a warm blended soup: Crushed Lentil Soup, Roasted Tomato Soup, Carrot Ginger Soup, Sweet Potato Cauliflower Soup

Recipe Help & FAQs

How do I store and reheat cheese rolls?

Baked cheese rolls are best served immediately, but you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. Reheat them in a 350°F oven until warmed through, about 15 minutes. You can also reheat them in a toaster oven or microwave for 30-60 seconds.

Can I freeze cheese rolls?

Absolutely! And I highly recommend it, especially before baking. It’s a great make-ahead appetizer that you can have on hand for when company comes over or to bring to a party. To freeze, place the unbaked rolls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and freeze until solid. Once frozen, you can transfer them to a freezer bag. When ready to bake, bake them straight from frozen, adding a few minutes to the baking time.

Why did my rakakat not crisp up?

If your rakakat didn’t crisp up, it’s likely because your oven wasn’t hot enough or you didn’t spray them with . A good oven thermometer is a great kitchen tool to have to ensure your oven is calibrated correctly.

Why did the cheese ooze out of the cheese rolls while baking?

This is common and will definitely happen. Two ways to avoid it is to freeze the cheese rolls before baking and make sure to wrap them tightly.

Plate of crispy cheese rolls with bite taken out of one to show cheese inside

More Lebanese Appetizers:

If you try this Cheese Rolls recipe or any other recipe on Feel Good Foodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below! It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe. I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots, share it on Instagram so we can repost on Stories!

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