These Mini Baklava Cups are a cute, bite sized dessert with all the flavors of baklava – but without all the work! Only a few ingredients and 20 minutes will give you these perfect mini desserts!
Have you ever made baklava? Baklava is a beautiful, crispy, sweet dessert made with phyllo dough, nuts (usually walnuts or pistachios), butter and sugar syrup. It is a beloved treat that my husband grew up with, and so one day a few years ago we decided to make it at home. He remembered watching his grandmother making it from scratch, but when we attempted it we went with store-bought phyllo dough.
It was definitely a two person job for us, carefully laying out each sheet of phyllo and then brushing it with melted butter. The end result was fantastic, but we haven’t revisited the recipe since then. The main reason is because it was such a time-consuming dessert! I am all for putting in the time and effort for great results, but sometimes you want a treat without spending forever making it. Enter these Easy Mini Baklava Cups.
The major shortcut here is buying the premade mini phyllo shells – you can find them in the freezer section of the grocery store. I tried to incorporate all the flavors of baklava into each little cup, so I added some butter to the nut mixture – can’t miss out on the crispy buttery flavor that you normally get from the layers of phyllo! We used walnuts here, but pistachios are another nut that is often used in baklava, so feel free to use those if you prefer!
Easy Mini Baklava Cups
Ingredients
- 15 frozen phyllo mini cups
- 1 cup walnuts
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons melted butter unsalted
For the Syrup:
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- Make the syrup. Combine 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water in a medium sauce pan. Bring to a simmer, stir until sugar is dissolved . Reduce heat to low and simmer 10-15 minutes, until syrup is a light golden color. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, prepare the baklava cups. Add the walnuts to a food processor and pulse until coarsely ground. Add the cinnamon, nutmeg and 1 tablespoon of sugar, pulse a few times to combine. Pour in the butter, pulse 2-3 more times to mix. The walnuts should be about the same texture as breadcrumbs - not too finely ground.
- Place the phyllo cups in a mini muffin tin (you can also just put them on a cookie sheet if you don't have a mini muffin tin). Evenly divide the walnut filling between the phyllo cups.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes, until golden. Remove from oven, and while they are still hot, spoon 1-2 teaspoons of the lemon syrup over each cup.
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Meg | The Many Little Joys says
I SOOO want to make these. I love baklava, but it always seemed like so much effort. This would be a perfect compromise. Thanks!
Meghan says
Thanks Meg! Yes, these are MUCH easier!
Ruby & Cake says
I used to make baklava with my nanny from scratch such a process! It was always a heartbreak when I’d tear the phyllo.I can never have enough baklava!! I love them in the little phyllo cups especially because it looks a lot less laborious haha (and super delicious!)
Meghan says
Yes, exactly! The traditional way is so delicious, but this one is much less work! Thanks Ruby!
Julia @ HappyFoods Tube says
Baklava has been on my To do list since tasting it in Turkey. I didn’t know it was so easy to make 🙂 I am definitely trying it now!
Meghan says
This version is much easier than the traditional method! Thanks Julia, I hope you enjoy it!
Julie Keenan says
Hi Meghan!
Just came across your blog and love it! I subscribed to your email list! You take the most beautiful photographs, wow! Not sure if you’ve answered this somewhere else on your blog but what camera did you use for these baklava pictures?
The recipe sounds delicious! I’m half Lebanese and love baklava, will make it once I’m done doing Whole30!
Meghan says
Hi Julie! Thank you so much for your sweet comment, and thank you for subscribing! I used a Canon Rebel 4ti with a 50mm lens for these photos (and I think all of the photos on the blog!). I hope yo love the baklava cups, let me know if you make them!
Annie says
This. Is. Genius. I haven’t had baklava in forever, but man, I could eat and eat that stuff and never get my fill.
Meghan says
Haha, thank you Annie!