Puff Pastry Baklava – Barefeet in the Kitchen

Puff pastry baklava bites are delightful, bite-sized treats that offer a modern twist on the traditional Greek dessert, baklava. These miniature pastries are made by filling buttery, flaky puff pastry cups with a sweet honey and nut filling.

About 20 years ago, my brother-in-law introduced me to baklava by way of a Christmas gift. It was his favorite food at the time, so we picked up an enormous tray of baklava and carefully gift-wrapped it for him.

On Christmas Eve, he opened his gift and the joy was palpable. He shared it with us and I loved it from the first bite. Since then, I’ve happily enjoyed baklava at every opportunity.

Baklava with Puff Pastry

My friend Lynne made this baklava while visiting me once upon a time (and I happily devoured the delicious results) but I’ve never so much as tried my hand at making it at home. As you already know, I rarely spend that kind of time on a single recipe. (Not that it never happens, but it’s a rarity for sure.)

The moment I saw Baklava Bites in the Brilliant Bites cookbook, I knew I’d be making them as soon as possible. It’s such a smart idea! Flaky, buttery, puff pastry forms the shell for an irresistible filling of roasted nuts, honey, and warm spices.

Baklava Bites

My friend Maegan has a brand new cookbook out and just flipping through it is enough to make my mouth water. You likely know her as TheBakerMama on Instagram, where she has been creating spectacular boards for years now.

Her latest cookbook is Brilliant Bites: 75 Amazing Small Bites for Any Occasion. The recipes for Baklava Bites and the Chocolate Hazelnut Babka Bites caught my eye right away. They’re terrific shortcuts to the flavors we love. And yes, I’ve made both recipes already.

The baklava bites are easily made with puff pastry instead of phyllo dough for a near-effortless way to enjoy baklava. Filled with crunchy nuts, cinnamon, and honey, this is an amazing dessert that tastes so much fancier than it actually is.

Every time I open one of Maegan’s books I immediately want to call and friend and plan a get-together. There’s something extra fun about sharing small bites and boards with friends on a night at home, isn’t there?

Puff Pastry Baklava

You’ll need the following ingredients to make this recipe:

• roasted mixed nuts
• puff pastry
• butter
• honey
• lemon juice
• cinnamon

Easy Baklava Recipe

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly spray a 24-cup mini muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Using a rolling pin, roll out the puff pastry into a 10 x 15-inch rectangle. Cut the rectangle into twenty-four equally sized squares.

Place a square of puff pastry into each prepared muffin cup, pressing gently on the bottoms and up the sides so that the corners point up.

In a medium bowl, stir together the chopped nuts, melted butter, ⅓ cup of honey, lemon juice, and cinnamon until evenly combined.

Divide the nut mixture into the puff pastry cups, about ½ tablespoon of the nuts for each cup.

Bake for 15 minutes, or until the nuts are lightly toasted but not burned, and the pastry is golden brown.

Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring the bites from the pan to the parchment-lined baking sheet.

Drizzle the tops of the bites with the remaining honey. Let the honey soak in while the bites cool completely, about 1 hour, before serving.

These bites can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature or up to 1 week in the refrigerator. Serve at room temperature.

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