Baklava Rolls with Walnut and Honey Syrup
This weekend I found some phyllo dough sheets larger than I expected. I didn’t want to leave them as they were, so I trimmed the edges and made some baklava rolls, inspired by a recipe I saw from Andreea Dianu. The filling is classic, with walnuts, cinnamon, and syrup with plenty of honey. They turned out to be the kind of dessert you can make without much hassle, yet it never gets boring.
Quick Info
Total time: approximately 1 hour 10 minutes
Preparation time: 35-40 minutes
Baking time: 25-30 minutes
Servings: approximately 14 rolls
Difficulty: easy to medium
Recipe type: dessert, homemade, suitable for occasions
Ingredients
For the rolls:
14 sheets of phyllo dough
400 g ground walnuts
100 g sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 teaspoons vanilla sugar
150 g melted butter
For the syrup:
200 ml water
250 g sugar
200 g honey
Preparation method
1. Prepare the phyllo dough sheets. If the sheets are very large (as I had), cut about 3 cm from the edges. Then cut each sheet in half widthwise. This way, you have suitable pieces for rolls.
2. In a large bowl, mix: ground walnuts, sugar, lemon zest, vanilla sugar, and cinnamon.
3. Prepare the melted butter. For working with the sheets, it’s good to use a brush.
4. Take a piece of sheet, brush it with melted butter over the entire surface. Place another piece of phyllo on top, so you have two overlapping sheets.
5. Sprinkle about two full tablespoons of the walnut mixture over the sheets, covering the entire surface.
6. Roll tightly, without pressing too hard, so the filling doesn’t come out the sides.
7. Repeat steps 4 to 6 until you finish all the sheets and filling. From the quantities above, you should get about 14 rolls, but it depends on how wide the sheets are after cutting.
8. Place the rolls in a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
9. Brush the rolls with the remaining melted butter over the entire surface.
10. Put the tray in the preheated oven on low heat (150-160°C) and let it bake for 25-30 minutes, until the rolls start to brown slightly at the edges.
11. While the rolls are baking, prepare the syrup: put the sugar and water in a small pot. Boil over medium heat for about 5-6 minutes, until it thickens slightly. Remove from heat, add the honey, and stir until completely dissolved.
12. When the rolls are baked, take the tray out and immediately pour the hot syrup over them while they are still warm.
13. Let the rolls absorb all the syrup directly in the tray. Occasionally, turn them gently from side to side to ensure they are well soaked.
14. After the syrup is absorbed, let the rolls cool in the tray.
15. After cooling, you can carefully take them out and serve.
Why I make this recipe often
Because it is made from simple ingredients, doesn’t require complicated techniques, and I can use store-bought phyllo dough. The result is substantial, keeps well, and is easy to adapt depending on what I have in the pantry.
Tips and Variations
Tips
- If the sheets dry out quickly, cover them with a slightly damp towel while you work.
- Don’t put too much filling in one roll, so it doesn’t fall apart while baking.
- The syrup should be hot when you pour it over the freshly baked rolls.
- When turning the rolls in the syrup, use a wide spatula or palette to avoid breaking them.
Substitutions
- Walnuts can be mixed with hazelnuts or almonds if you want a slightly different flavor.
- Butter can be replaced with margarine if needed, but the final taste will be somewhat more neutral.
- For the syrup, honey can be replaced with agave syrup, but it will change the flavor quite a bit.
Variations
- You can add a bit of cardamom to the filling for a more complex taste.
- Instead of lemon zest, you can use orange zest.
- If you want to make them smaller, cut the sheets into thirds instead of halves; this will yield thinner rolls.
Serving Ideas
- They are good plain, cold, but also go well with a spoonful of Greek yogurt on the side if you want something to cut the sweetness.
- For a festive platter, cut the rolls diagonally after they cool completely.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can I use frozen phyllo dough?
Yes, but it needs to be completely thawed and kept covered so it doesn’t dry out while you work with it.
2. If I don’t have honey, can I just put sugar in the syrup?
You can, but the syrup will be less flavorful and have a “clearer” texture. You can also add a teaspoon of lemon juice in this case.
3. Can they be stored in the fridge?
Yes, they keep well in the fridge for a few days, but they can absorb odors. It’s good to cover them well with plastic wrap or keep them in a container with a lid.
4. The phyllo sheets break easily, what can I do?
Brush them immediately with butter and work quickly; if they dry out, they become brittle and hard to roll.
5. How sweet is the dessert?
It is quite sweet due to the honey syrup, like any classic baklava. If you prefer less sweet desserts, reduce the sugar in the filling or use less syrup.
Nutritional Values
Approximately, one roll has about 300-340 kcal, with over 15 g of fat (mostly from walnuts and butter), 35-38 g of carbohydrates (sugar, honey, dough), 3-4 g of protein. These are indicative values; the exact calculation varies depending on the size of the rolls and how much syrup remains absorbed.
Storage and Reheating
The rolls store well at room temperature, covered, for 2-3 days. In the fridge, they can last 4-5 days but become a bit firmer. To reheat, put them in the microwave for a few seconds or leave them at room temperature before serving. If they sit too long, the sheets tend to soften, but the taste does not suffer.
This weekend I found some phyllo dough sheets larger than I expected. I didn’t want to leave them as they were, so I trimmed the edges and made some baklava rolls, inspired by a recipe I saw from Andreea Dianu. The filling is classic, with walnuts, cinnamon, and syrup with plenty of honey. They turned out to be the kind of dessert you can make without much hassle, yet it never gets boring.
Quick Info
Total time: approximately 1 hour 10 minutes
Preparation time: 35-40 minutes
Baking time: 25-30 minutes
Servings: approximately 14 rolls
Difficulty: easy to medium
Recipe type: dessert, homemade, suitable for occasions
Ingredients
For the rolls:
14 sheets of phyllo dough
400 g ground walnuts
100 g sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 teaspoons vanilla sugar
150 g melted butter
For the syrup:
200 ml water
250 g sugar
200 g honey
Preparation method
1. Prepare the phyllo dough sheets. If the sheets are very large (as I had), cut about 3 cm from the edges. Then cut each sheet in half widthwise. This way, you have suitable pieces for rolls.
2. In a large bowl, mix: ground walnuts, sugar, lemon zest, vanilla sugar, and cinnamon.
3. Prepare the melted butter. For working with the sheets, it’s good to use a brush.
4. Take a piece of sheet, brush it with melted butter over the entire surface. Place another piece of phyllo on top, so you have two overlapping sheets.
5. Sprinkle about two full tablespoons of the walnut mixture over the sheets, covering the entire surface.
6. Roll tightly, without pressing too hard, so the filling doesn’t come out the sides.
7. Repeat steps 4 to 6 until you finish all the sheets and filling. From the quantities above, you should get about 14 rolls, but it depends on how wide the sheets are after cutting.
8. Place the rolls in a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
9. Brush the rolls with the remaining melted butter over the entire surface.
10. Put the tray in the preheated oven on low heat (150-160°C) and let it bake for 25-30 minutes, until the rolls start to brown slightly at the edges.
11. While the rolls are baking, prepare the syrup: put the sugar and water in a small pot. Boil over medium heat for about 5-6 minutes, until it thickens slightly. Remove from heat, add the honey, and stir until completely dissolved.
12. When the rolls are baked, take the tray out and immediately pour the hot syrup over them while they are still warm.
13. Let the rolls absorb all the syrup directly in the tray. Occasionally, turn them gently from side to side to ensure they are well soaked.
14. After the syrup is absorbed, let the rolls cool in the tray.
15. After cooling, you can carefully take them out and serve.
Why I make this recipe often
Because it is made from simple ingredients, doesn’t require complicated techniques, and I can use store-bought phyllo dough. The result is substantial, keeps well, and is easy to adapt depending on what I have in the pantry.
Tips and Variations
Tips
- If the sheets dry out quickly, cover them with a slightly damp towel while you work.
- Don’t put too much filling in one roll, so it doesn’t fall apart while baking.
- The syrup should be hot when you pour it over the freshly baked rolls.
- When turning the rolls in the syrup, use a wide spatula or palette to avoid breaking them.
Substitutions
- Walnuts can be mixed with hazelnuts or almonds if you want a slightly different flavor.
- Butter can be replaced with margarine if needed, but the final taste will be somewhat more neutral.
- For the syrup, honey can be replaced with agave syrup, but it will change the flavor quite a bit.
Variations
- You can add a bit of cardamom to the filling for a more complex taste.
- Instead of lemon zest, you can use orange zest.
- If you want to make them smaller, cut the sheets into thirds instead of halves; this will yield thinner rolls.
Serving Ideas
- They are good plain, cold, but also go well with a spoonful of Greek yogurt on the side if you want something to cut the sweetness.
- For a festive platter, cut the rolls diagonally after they cool completely.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can I use frozen phyllo dough?
Yes, but it needs to be completely thawed and kept covered so it doesn’t dry out while you work with it.
2. If I don’t have honey, can I just put sugar in the syrup?
You can, but the syrup will be less flavorful and have a “clearer” texture. You can also add a teaspoon of lemon juice in this case.
3. Can they be stored in the fridge?
Yes, they keep well in the fridge for a few days, but they can absorb odors. It’s good to cover them well with plastic wrap or keep them in a container with a lid.
4. The phyllo sheets break easily, what can I do?
Brush them immediately with butter and work quickly; if they dry out, they become brittle and hard to roll.
5. How sweet is the dessert?
It is quite sweet due to the honey syrup, like any classic baklava. If you prefer less sweet desserts, reduce the sugar in the filling or use less syrup.
Nutritional Values
Approximately, one roll has about 300-340 kcal, with over 15 g of fat (mostly from walnuts and butter), 35-38 g of carbohydrates (sugar, honey, dough), 3-4 g of protein. These are indicative values; the exact calculation varies depending on the size of the rolls and how much syrup remains absorbed.
Storage and Reheating
The rolls store well at room temperature, covered, for 2-3 days. In the fridge, they can last 4-5 days but become a bit firmer. To reheat, put them in the microwave for a few seconds or leave them at room temperature before serving. If they sit too long, the sheets tend to soften, but the taste does not suffer.