26 Delicious Ways to Use Phyllo Dough Beyond Baklava

14 6 minutes read

Whether you spell it phyllo, filo, or fillo, the word means “leaf” in Greek. This unleavened pastry dough is one of the flakiest, crispiest, most dramatic ingredients you can keep in your freezer — and one of the most versatile. And while it can, with effort, be made from scratch, we often reach for a box of frozen premade dough, which is available in a variety of thicknesses.

Whether it’s layered into golden pies, crumpled into savory shells, or spun into the fine, delicate strands of kataifi, this paper-thin pastry brings texture and richness to both sweet and savory dishes.

Here, we’ve gathered our favorite phyllo-forward recipes, from syrup-soaked baklava and creamy custard pies to cheesy stuffed pumpkins and perfectly crispy shrimp. Some are classics with variations, others are brand-new showstoppers. All of them make the most of phyllo’s irresistible crunch.

Be gentle: Even premade, this delicate dough can still tear. Keep it covered it with a clean, damp kitchen towel to maintain moisture and pliability as you cook.

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Beef Wellington

Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Melissa Gray / Prop Styling by Heather Chadduck Hillegas

A celebration dish if there ever was one, this classic of English cuisine wraps beef tenderloin in mushroom duxelles, pâté, phyllo dough, and golden puff pastry. Substituting phyllo for the traditional crêpe lining (a trick from J. Kenji Lopez-Alt) helps streamline the process, but this recipe remains a multi-hour commitment. The effort is worth it.

Chocolate-Hazelnut Baklava

Food & Wine / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

Bittersweet chocolate and toasted hazelnuts give this baklava from pastry chef Maura Kilpatrick a Nutella-adjacent flavor. Soaked in warm honey syrup, its flaky, buttery layers deliver sweetness and crunch with every bite.

Spanakopita Pie

Food & Wine / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Lydia Purcell

Earthy greens and tangy feta serve as the filling for this spanakopita-inspired pie. Use store-bought phyllo dough for the crust and substitute as needed with any cheese or aromatics on hand.

Coconut-Mango Kataifi Sundae

Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christina Daley

Shredded phyllo pastry, kataifi, is baked in ghee and and tossed in a spiced honey sauce before its sprinkled on top of this over-the-top tropical sundae, made with coconut, mango, and pistachio ice cream and topped with sliced mango, mango-coconut caramel, coconut-candied cashews, and coconut flakes.

Walnut Baklava

Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christina Daley

Unlike its honey-soaked cousins, this Iraqi-style baklava from Doris Zilkha gets its sweetness from rosewater and lemon syrup. A traditional diamond cut and festive pistachio topping make it as beautiful as it is buttery.

Dubai Chocolate Tiramisu

Food & Wine / Photography by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Josh Hoggle

Inspired by the viral Dubai chocolate bar, this riff on tiramisu layers espresso-soaked ladyfingers with pistachio cream, mascarpone, and buttery kataifi. A cocoa-dusted top and crunchy pistachios make it pop.

Baklava Cheesecake

Robby Lozano / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling by Christina Daley

This striking dessert sets rich, cardamom-scented cheesecake beneath a crisp crown of honeyed kataifi and pistachios. A garnish of curled orange peels brings a sunny citrus note to this celebratory recipe.

Knafeh (Shredded Phyllo-and-Cheese Pie)

Greg DuPree

Sweet, stretchy cheese meets buttery kataifi in this quick-cooking classic from Reem Kassis, author of The Palestinian Table. Drenched in orange blossom–rose syrup and crowned with pistachios, it’s on the table in just 30 minutes.

Lamb and Beef Burek

Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Audrey Taylor

In Bosnia, burek is coiled rolls of lamb and beef wrapped in flaky phyllo. Samra Morris, winemaker at Alma Rosa, reaches for the store-bought pastry.

Strawberry Ekmek Kataifi

Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell

2021 F&W Best New Chef Paola Velez gives the classic Greek dessert a summery glow-up with strawberry pudding and honey whipped cream atop lemon syrup–soaked kataifi, or shredded phyllo dough.

Bougatsa

Ellen Silverman

Nasim Alikhani, chef and owner of Sofreh in New York City, celebrates Nowruz, the Persian New Year, with this Iranian take on a traditional Greek pastry. She wraps cinnamon with saffron and rosewater, and tops the finished dessert with crunchy salted pistachios and cardamom.

Greens-and-Cheese-Stuffed Cinderella Pumpkin

Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christina Daley

Spanakopita meets showstopper in this phyllo-topped pumpkin, stuffed with ribbons of lacinato kale, finely chopped fennel, sharp feta, and nutty Gruyère. Inspired by a dish at Sarma, chef Cassie Piuma’s restaurant in Somerville, Massachusetts,it’s a fall feast in one gourd.

Auntie Roberta’s Bourma (Armenian Phyllo Pastry with Walnuts)

Gerard + Belevender

Armenian-American journalist Liana Aghajanian learned this recipe from Roberta Kochakian, a descendant of Armenian genocide survivors and a devoted chronicler of traditional Armenian recipes and cooking techniques. Use a wooden dowel (or chopstick) to wrinkle the phyllo pastry.

Coulibiac of Salmon with Pickled Beets and Kale

Caitlin Bensel / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Heather Chadduck Hillegas

This storied dish started on the feasting tables of Russian czars and called kulebyaka before it was adopted by the French and became coulibiac. Kelsey Jane Youngman’s modern take wraps mustard-glazed salmon, lemony rice, and bright vegetables in a crisp phyllo crust. Each slice reveals striking layers and bold flavor.

Giant Summer Tomato Tart

Christopher Testani

This simple tart is summer on a sheet pan: a phyllo crust layered with mayo and cream cheese, then topped with vibrant tomatoes, flaky salt, and fresh basil.

Hazelnut Baklava

Lisa Linder

Turkish hazelnuts steal the show in this Ottoman-inspired baklava from Istanbul-based chef Eveline Zoutendijk. Sweet and nutty, it pairs beautifully with Greek dessert wines like Muscat or Vinsanto.

Tuna Briks

Alanna Taylor-Tobin

These crispy Tunisian triangles are stuffed with capers, herbs, and tuna, then fried to golden perfection. Serve this party-ready hors d’oeuvre from Kay Chun with a glass of bubbly.

Crispy Shrimp in Kataifi Crust

Tina Rupp

Joël Robuchon’s take on a Vietnamese recipe for shrimp coated with soft vermicelli swaps in crackly kataifi. The sweetness of the shrimp shines against the crunch of the golden crust.

Mushroom and Goat Cheese Phyllo Triangles

Reed Davis

Tangy goat cheese and earthy mushrooms are tucked into tidy phyllo triangles and baked until crisp in this recipe from chef Victor Scargle. Pair with Pinot Noir and serve warm.

Middle Eastern Phyllo Rice Torte

Fran Gealer

Chef Toni Robertson’s vegetarian take on a Moroccan bisteeya, or pigeon pie, layers spiced rice, dried fruit, and almonds inside a flaky phyllo shell. She recommends using the wild rice blend from Lundberg Family Farms.

Sigara Borek (Turkish Cheese Cigars)

Quentin Bacon

This recipe for Turkish borek is from Egyptian cookbook author Claudia Roden via her daughter Nadia Roden. Filled with feta and herbs, these crisp and ever-popular rolls of phyllo are eaten for breakfast, dinner, or a snack.

Custard Phyllo Pie with Almonds and Pistachios

Christina Holmes

Buttery phyllo, toasted nuts, sticky syrup, and a creamy custard come together in this rich open-face pie from former executive pastry chef Ghaya Oliveira of the New York City restaurant Daniel. It’s even served with extra custard on the side.

Mixed-Mushroom Strudel

Andrew Purcell

Mycology expert, nature journalist, and food writer Eugenia Bone shares a recipe for strudel that’s rich with umami from mushrooms and broth, wrapped in shattering golden phyllo. It’s a vegetarian treat that’s earthy, flaky, and make-ahead friendly.

Supper Spanakopita

Guy Ambrosino

Kate Winslow rolls traditional spanakopita into crispy logs instead of the traditional triangle. (The shape change gives them extra crunch.) Serve with a green salad to make this an especially delicious vegetarian meal.

Banana-Split Strudel

Anna Williams

Chicago-based pastry chef Gale Gand takes a favorite soda fountain dessert and wraps it in phyllo. Whole bananas, walnuts, and sugar are swathed inside crisp layers of phyllo, then topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It’s surprisingly easy and unsurprisingly unforgettable.

Eggplant Börek

Petrina Tinslay

Meltem Conant’s recipe for Turkish börek layers sautéed eggplant, peppers, and tomatoes between buttery sheets of phyllo for a savory, satisfying vegetarian bake. Serve warm with a fruity, low-tannin red like Gamay.

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