13 Recipes With Phyllo Dough, Both Sweet and Savory
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Our recipes with phyllo (sometimes spelled filo) pastry go beyond that ever-so-famous traditional Greek spinach pie called spanakopita. They go beyond Balkan burek. They make up a short but diverse list of sweet and savory treats you can create with this freezer-aisle miracle.
Now, a warning: The total time it takes to make any dish involving phyllo is, well… It’s not a zippy process. You’ve got to refrigerate frozen phyllo for about 8 hours or overnight to allow it to thaw, then leave it at room temperature for another hour or two until all the sheets are pliable. (This will help you avoid cracks, and you really can’t rush the process.)
Once you’re working with the thin layers, you’ll need to brush or spritz each with butter or olive oil. This takes time, so you’ll want to keep the rest of the dough safe from the elements so that it doesn’t dry out. (Which it tends to do. Quickly.) Plastic wrap or a barely damp kitchen towel is best; parchment paper won’t do the trick.
Okay? Okay! Here are our best ideas for using phyllo.
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Photograph by Rana Duzyol, Food Styling by Jesse Szewczyk, Prop Styling by Marina Bevilacqua
Cinnamon Crunch Crinkle Pie
Drizzling the layers of phyllo with melted butter rather than brushing them is the secret to this airy pastry. And don’t worry if the sheets tear a bit: It’s hard to tell once this phyllo dough recipe is fully assembled.
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Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Michelle Gatton, Prop Styling by Gerri Williams
Ruffled Mushroom Pot Pie
So, you didn’t use the whole box of store-bought stuff and you’re looking for a dinner-friendly recipe to help you use up those last six sheets of phyllo dough. You’ve found it.
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Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by Pearl Jones, prop styling by Stephanie Yeh
Mini Knafeh With Rose and Pistachio
Shredded phyllo (you can buy it that way or slice up leftover sheets) turn into these delicate, crispy-crunchy, ghee-soaked pastry nests.
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Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott
Cheesy Sesame Phyllo Bites
What would a list of recipes for phyllo be without a savory, cheesy, bite-sized cocktail party appetizer? This is the kind of flaky phyllo treat that’s meant to nibble alongside an ice-cold martini.
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Photo by Elinor Carucci
Moroccan-Style Chicken Pie
Also known as bisteeya, this meat pie balances savory with sweet, pairing shredded chicken, onion, and herbs with ginger, golden raisins, almonds, cinnamon, and even a bit of powdered sugar.
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Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Pearl Jones, Prop Styling by Dayna Seman
Guava and Goat Cheese Phyllo Pie
Don’t call it a cheesecake. This showstopping cheese pie gets finished with a drizzling of glossy guava syrup, which we’ve discovered is also delicious on top of vanilla ice cream as well as on ricotta toast.
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Photograph by Isa Zapata. Food Styling by Kat Boytsova
Phyllo Crinkle Cake
This TikTok-famous “sheet cake” went viral for a reason: It’s dead simple, incredibly delicious, and wonderfully versatile. Go for rosewater and pistachios, dulce de leche and chocolate chips—or go your own way.
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Alex Lau
Spanakopita Pie
Unlike the more traditional triangle-shaped versions, this large-format spanakopita—spinach, garlic, herbs, and feta cheese—is crowned with a ruffly ring of golden-brown phyllo pastry.
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Photo by Richard Pierce
Crispy Braeburn Apple and Almond Sheet Tart
Baking queen Dorie Greenspan hides a base of almond cream made from almond flour, sugar, and eggs under the tidy row of apples in this comforting, elegant phyllo dessert.
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Photo by Brian Leatart
Autumn Apple Strudel
This may look like apple pie, but it is, in fact, a strudel. A strudel uses a very thin dough—in this case, phyllo—that’s rolled around the filling, while a pie recipe will call for a thicker bottom crust. Bonus: You only need a baking sheet to make a strudel.
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Marcus Nilsson
Curried Potato Tart With Cilantro Yogurt
Potatoes, spinach, peas, a host of spices (cardamom, coriander, mustard seeds, curry powder), a pour of heavy cream, and yogurt combine into this large samosa-like tart with a shell of frilly phyllo.