Phyllo cups, flavored whipped cream, and honey-glazed pecans make these Baklava Dessert Bites for a fun twist on a classic dessert.
You guys…. just look at these little cuties!!! I am so excited to share these Baklava Dessert Bites with you today – delicious, easy, and oh so irresistible for your taste buds.
They are one of our favorite hand held treats with rich flavor that we love to bake and bring to all the special occasions. I love baklava alone, but I wanted to switch it up a little.
And let me tell you, not only is this easier than your typical traditional recipe baklava they might taste even better…might, baklava is amazing so it’s hard to top the real deal.
Now, obviously, this is not a traditional homemade baklava recipe. It is far from it, there is nothing creamy about traditional baklava but the flavors in this treat just work.
I love honey when it is mixed into recipes but on its own, I’m not that crazy about it.
But, Jeremy can’t eat a biscuit without it. You want to make sure the pecans are hot but still a touch warm so they are easily spoonable onto the flaky pastry.
I just love it when a recipe I have concocted in my head comes out even better than I expected. That’s exactly what happened with these Baklava Dessert Bites, a must try delicious dessert.
Some of my other favorite pecan desserts on my site include: Pecan Pie Brownie Bombs, Pecan Pie Cheesecake, and Cinnamon Sugar Roasted Pecans.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
- With only 6 ingredients this recipe is easy to whip up.
- It makes a large batch that you can easily halve if you want to.
- The flavors together work well and create a creamy and crunchy texture.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED (SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST FOR THE FULL RECIPE CARD):
- Phyllo cups – found in the frozen section at the grocery store
- Heavy whipping cream
- Instant vanilla pudding powder
- Chopped pecans
- Honey
- Water
HOW TO MAKE BAKLAVA DESSERT BITES:
- Place phyllo cups on a sheet tray, set aside.
- Using a whisk or hand mixer, whisk heavy cream and the pudding powder together to form stiff peaks.
- Pipe into the fillo cups evenly. Place in fridge for one hour.
- While the cups are in the fridge, make the pecan mixture.
- Place remaining ingredients into a small sauce pot and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer about 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Lower heat to medium low and simmer for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly until half of the liquid is absorbed.
- Take off the heat, allow to cool.
- Evenly distribute the pecan mixture on top of the fillo cups. Serve and enjoy!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS RECIPE:
DOES THIS TASTE LIKE BAKLAVA?
Can you see how super easy this is compared to regular baklava with the layering and brushing? I mean it’s a no brainer, if I can have something that tastes similar, I’m making it.
And this tastes oh so similar, and we are completely hooked. I could eat probably 10 of these in one sitting if I let myself, and that’s not even a stretch. No shame.
They are not a dead on dupe, but with the flavors from the traditional sweet dessert, it is fun to make for your first time.
The best baklava is baked with layers of phyllo dough brushed with melted butter and sweet syrup (made from honey), and nut layers between the sheets of phyllo dough with ground nuts then baked to golden brown.
It is also cut into diamond shapes, baklava syrup is drizzled over the hot baklava right out of the oven! It has a flaky texture while being sweet and irresistible!
You can normally purchase it already made at Greek restaurants.
While these little bites should not be made ahead, baked baklava is a perfect make-ahead dessert as it lasts for days.
Try our Easy Baklava Recipe to taste the difference.
WHAT ARE PHYLLO CUPS?
Phyllo cups are store-bought little cups in the freezer section by the other phyllo dough sheets..
They are made from phyllo pastry sheets and baked into little cups.
CAN I ADD ANYTHING?
Feel free to add a touch of cinnamon or pumpkin spice into the whipped cream mixture if you’d like.
That would also be super yummy, but I really wanted the natural honey flavor to shine through. A light, crispy, creamy little sweet treat. And so cute I must add.
Here are some other options to add:
- Lemon juice, rose water, or maple syrup can be added to the pecan, honey, and water mixture
- Add additional nuts with the pecans, just make sure the ratio stays the same: almonds, walnuts, or pistachio nuts work as well or your nut of choice
- Fold in a little orange peel or zest into the pudding mixture
ANY SUBSTITUTIONS?
Here are a couple ideas:
- Use 1 cup cool whip or whipped topping in place of whipping the heavy cream
- Other pudding flavors: cheesecake, French vanilla, white chocolate, or lemon will work nicely, make sure they are instant
- Use almonds, pistachios, or walnuts in place of pecans or use your own mix of nuts
HOW TO STORE:
For best results, this easy baklava recipe needs to be stored in the refrigerator as they contain milk-based products which will help ensure that they will not go bad.
You can place these in a single layer in an airtight container and then place in the refrigerator which they will keep up to 2-3 days.
I don’t recommend freezing these unfortunately, will all the different components especially the topping you may end up with a mess of soggy baklava when defrosted.
DANA’S TIPS AND TRICKS:
- No worries if you cant find phyllo cups you can use phyllo sheets and cut into about 3″ circles and layer them 5-6 sheets deep so it is thicker.
- Custom options, see above for more info.
- Walnuts, almonds, or pistachios will work in place of pecans in this recipe as well. Or, make your own nut mixture!
- We have tried it with French vanilla pudding and cheesecake pudding and both taste great.
- These need to be refrigerated.
Trust me when I say that you’ll want to make these Baklava Dessert Bites for your next gathering, you won’t regret it!
If you like this recipe, you might also like:
If you’ve tried this BAKLAVA DESSERT BITES let me know in the comments how it turned out! You can follow me over on PINTEREST, INSTAGRAM OR FACEBOOK to find some more of our mouthwatering recipes!
Baklava Dessert Bites
Ingredients
- 45 phyllo cups found in the frozen section at the grocery store
- 1/2 Cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 Tablespoons instant vanilla pudding powder
- 1 Cup chopped pecans
- 1/2 Cups Honey
- 1 Tablespoon water
Instructions
- Place phyllo cups on a sheet tray, set aside.
- Using a whisk or hand mixer, whisk heavy cream and the pudding powder together to form stiff peaks.
- Pipe into the fillo cups evenly. Place in fridge for one hour.
- While the cups are in the fridge, make the pecan mixture.
- Place remaining ingredients into a small sauce pot and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer about 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Lower heat to medium low and simmer for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly until half of the liquid is absorbed.
- Take off the heat, allow to cool.
- Evenly distribute the pecan mixture on top of the fillo cups. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- No worries if you cant find phyllo cups you can use phyllo sheets and cut into about 3″ circles and layer them 5-6 sheets deep so it is thicker.
- Custom options, see above for more info.
- Walnuts, almonds, or pistachios will work in place of pecans in this recipe as well. Or, make your own nut mixture!
- We have tried it with French vanilla pudding and cheesecake pudding and both taste great.
- These need to be refrigerated.
Comments & Reviews
Cathy says
Can’t believe how crazy easy these are! Not to mention delicious! Thank you!
Liz says
I love, love baklava—and I need build in portion control! These are perfect.
Nancy Buchanan says
Seems I always have a box of phyllo cups in the freezer – so versatile! And this recipe – brilliant!!! Definitely bookmarking for some parties coming up!!!
Marlene says
Do you bake the cups?
Dana DeVolk says
No
BrenJ says
Pre-cook phyllo?
Dana DeVolk says
No
April Driggers says
This looks delicious, easy to prepare and a definite substitution for something I wouldn’t bother making at home…. this, however, I most certainly would! And can I just say your photos are AWESOME!!!
Dana DeVolk says
Thank you!