One of my favorite Greek desserts of all time is baklava. Layers upon layers of buttery, crispy filo, chopped nuts flavored with cinnamon and cloves, all held together by an aromatic honey and orange simple syrup. What is it not to like? Of course, there are many versions of this delicious dessert, depending on the specific characteristics of each Mediterranean or Middle Eastern cuisine.
Today I am sharing with you a slightly lighter and much easier version of this exquisite dessert: pistachio baklava rolls with step-by-step photos so you can follow along and perhaps even make it for the holidays. In this version, layers of buttered filo are topped with chopped pistachios and walnuts and then rolled up to form little rolls. Once they are baked, all they need is a generous drizzle of the honey and orange infused syrup and a sprinkle of chopped pistachios. For a more indulgent version, melt some good dark chocolate and drizzle it all over the cooled baklava rolls. Dessert is done!
How to Make Pistachio Baklava Rolls
Step 1: Layer buttered filo and top with chopped nuts
Step 2: Roll up the filo, enclosing the nuts inside
Step 3: Cut the rolls and lay them in the pan
Step 4: Fill the pan with the rolls and bake
Step 5: When golden brown, remove baklava rolls from the oven and drizzle with the syrup
Step 6: Once cooled, top with chopped pistachio nuts and serve. You can also drizzle the rolls with some melted chocolate!
Like every year, I will be making these baklava rolls for the Holidays, along with two other traditional Greek desserts: honey drenched orange and spice cookies (melomakarona) and almond shortbread cookies (kourabiedes).
I hope that you will give this recipe a try. If you have never worked with filo dough before, there is no reason to feel intimidated–filo is very forgiving. This dessert might look complicated, but I promise that, if you have one hour to spare, it is super easy to make!
This recipe is a collaboration with Fillo Factory, a brand that I highly recommend for any recipe that involves filo.
Here is the recipe for the pistachio baklava rolls
- For the filling:
- 8 oz. pistachio nuts and/or walnuts
- 2 TBSP. sugar
- 2 TBSP. plain bread crumbs
- ½ tsp. cinnamon
- ¼ tsp. ground cloves
- For the filo:
- ½ lb. thin filo dough at room temperature (I used Fillo Factory)
- ½ cup butter, melted
- For the honey-orange simple syrup:
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
- ½ --- cinnamon stick
- 3 strips orange peel, cut into 1” pieces
- For the topping:
- 3 TBSP. pistachio nuts, finely minced
- 3 oz. dark chocolate (optional)
- In a small saucepan, combine the honey, sugar, water, cinnamon and orange peel and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The syrup should thicken slightly. Remove from heat, set aside and let it cool.
- To prepare the filling, place the pistachio nuts and/or walnuts in a food processor and pulse several times until finely chopped but not pasty. Put the nuts in a bowl and combine with the sugar, breadcrumbs, cinnamon and cloves.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Prepare a 13”x 9”x 2” pan by brushing the sides and bottom with melted butter.
- Unroll the 14”x18” package of filo and, with a sharp knife, cut it in half length-wise, leaving you with two stacks of 14”x9” sheets of filo. You will only need one of the stacks, so roll up the other, wrap it tightly with plastic wrap, and return to the refrigerator.
- Place one sheet of filo on a clean surface with the longest side in front of you. Brush with some of the melted butter to coat. Place a second sheet of filo on top of the first and butter it again (keep the rest of the filo covered while you work so it won’t dry out).
- Sprinkle some of the nut mixture along the side closest to you. Start rolling the filo as tight as possible without breaking. It should look like a long cylinder. If you get any holes, do not worry about it. With a serrated knife, cut the roll into 2-inch pieces and place on the prepared pan, seam side-down. Repeat with more filo, until all the nuts are used. Brush generously the top of the pistachio rolls with melted butter. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the oven.
- Pour the cooled syrup slowly and evenly over the top of the baklava. It might look like a lot of syrup initially, but it will all be absorbed as it cools down. Sprinkle with some finely minced pistachio nuts.
- Let the pistachio baklava rolls sit uncovered for at least 4 hours before serving.
- Over a double boiler (or in a microwave), gently melt the dark chocolate. Drizzle lightly over the cooled baklava and let it set for an hour before serving. (This step is optional)
-- For this recipe, I used two smaller size pans. I cooked one, and placed the unbaked second one in the freezer to bake at an other time.
-- Storage: The pan can be covered loosely and stored for up to five days at room temperature.
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Thank you!
Thanks For Sharing this amazing recipe. My family loved it. I will be sharing this recipe with my friends. Hope the will like it.
So glad to know that you tried my recipe for baklava rolls and that you loved it so much!