What Are Phyllo (filo) pastry sheets and How Can I Use Them?

Phyllo (filo) pastry sheets rewards a little know-how: how to choose them, cook them, store them, and substitute in a pinch. Browse 187 recipes to cook with them.

What are phyllo (filo) pastry sheets?

Phyllo dough is made with flour, water, and a small amount of oil and raki or white vinegar, though some dessert recipes also call for egg yolks. Homemade phyllo takes time and skill, requiring progressive rolling and stretching to a single thin and very large sheet. A very big table and a long roller are used, with continual flouring between layers to prevent tearing.

Machines for producing filo pastry were perfected in the 1970s, which have come to dominate the market. Phyllo for domestic use is widely available from supermarkets, fresh or frozen.

Phyllo should not be confused with puff pastry, which like phyllo has multiple layers, but is made with butter or oil between layers. When the layered phyllo preparation is baked or deep-fried it becomes crispy and resembles puff pastry, though their preparation is very different and they are generally not substituted for one another.

Phyllo can be used in many ways: layered, folded, rolled, or ruffled, with various fillings.

Nutrition

Where found

Phyllo (filo) pastry sheets are usually found in the frozen foods section or aisle of the grocery store or supermarket.

Food group

Phyllo (filo) pastry sheets are a member of the Baked Products US Department of Agriculture nutritional food group.

How much do phyllo (filo) pastry sheets weigh?

Related

Baked Products

Recipes using phyllo (filo) pastry sheets

There are 187 recipes that contain this ingredient.

Rolled Baklava with Honey Syrup

Rolled baklava swaps the usual diamonds for crisp phyllo logs filled with spiced walnuts, baked golden then dipped in honey-lemon syrup. The cold-syrup dip keeps every flaky roll crisp, not soggy.

Mom's Baklava

Mom's baklava layers buttery phyllo with a blend of ground almonds and walnuts, soaked in cinnamon-lemon honey syrup. The cool-syrup-over-hot-pastry trick keeps every flaky layer crisp.

Glace' Baklava

Glace baklava rolls candied fruit, ground almonds, and egg-bound sugar inside buttered phyllo, bakes until golden, then soaks in lemon-cinnamon syrup. A festive twist on classic Greek baklava.

Simple Baklava Bites

Simple baklava bites: buttery phyllo cups twisted into little sachets around a honey-sweetened almond, walnut, and apricot filling. All the baklava flavor, none of the fuss.

Baklava 2

Three-nut baklava layers buttered phyllo with walnuts, pistachios, and toasted almonds, then drinks in a citrus-clove honey syrup overnight. The Greek dessert pulled out for big celebrations and bigger family gatherings.

Baklava with Cooky Filling

Greek baklava with buttery cookie dough rolled around spiced nuts and phyllo, soaked in honey-lemon syrup for layers of crisp pastry and rich almond filling.

Baklava (Papadakis Taverna)

Baklava layers buttered phyllo with cinnamon-spiced walnuts, bakes until golden, then drinks in a citrus-honey syrup steeped with cloves. Greek taverna classic finished with whole cloves studded into each diamond.

Zesty Apple Strudel

Apple strudel wraps sliced apples, raisins, ground almonds, lemon zest, and cinnamon in buttery layers of crisp phyllo pastry. Old-world Austrian dessert that makes two strudels from one batch.

Baklava

Baklava with shatter-crisp phyllo, ground walnuts and almonds, and honey syrup steeped with lemon and orange slices. The classic Greek pastry done properly, in shimmering diamond-cut squares.

Eugenie's Baklava

Eugenie's baklava layers crisp, buttery phyllo with a spiced walnut filling and soaks it in a honey-lemon syrup, complete with a cook's secret for shatteringly crisp, never-soggy layers. A Mediterranean classic.

Savory Filo Cheese Cups

Savory filo cheese cups, crisp phyllo shells brushed with hazelnut oil and filled with a herbed goat cheese and fromage blanc custard, then baked until golden and puffed. An elegant vegetarian party bite.

Spanakopita 2

I make triangles and leave out the mizithra or cottage cheese (too wet for these). Great appetizers if you make them small.

Butter Pecan Pumpkin Pie- Frozen

"This pie definitely rates 5 stars. It's easy to assemble and a fantastic addition to your Thanksgiving dinner."

Baklava (Rolled Variety)

Rolled baklava: walnut, sugar, and cinnamon spiraled inside crisp phyllo, sliced into bite-size pinwheels, baked, and soaked in honey syrup. An easier take on classic baklava, finished with sesame and an apricot glaze.

Easy Apple Strudel

Easy apple strudel with golden raisins, lemon zest, and cinnamon layered into flaky phyllo. Toasted bread crumbs lock in the juice so the bottom stays crisp. Lighter strudel.

Awesome Spinach Pie

Awesome spinach pie is a lighter take on spanakopita: spinach and mushrooms sauteed in broth, bound with egg whites and melty cheddar and mozzarella, layered in crisp phyllo misted with cooking spray instead of butter. Big flavor, less fat.

Sun Dried Tomato & Herb Cheese Strudels

Savoury two-cheese and sun-dried tomatoes, herbed and stuffed inside crispy phyllo pastry.

Baklava Rolls

Baklava rolls turn the classic Greek pastry into individual cigar-shaped pieces filled with cinnamon-spiced walnuts, dipped in honey-lemon syrup. Easier to portion, easier to serve, and the texture is impossibly crisp.

Favourite Apple Strudel

A variation of German Apple Strudel with walnuts and raisins using phyllo pastry to speed up the preparation.

Phyllo (Filo) Mushroom Pies

Juicy mushroom filling spiced with coriander and cumin wrapped inside light and crispy phyllo pastry.

Apple Walnut Strudel

Apple walnut strudel wrapped in flaky phyllo with chopped fresh apples, toasted walnuts, and lemon juice. A six-ingredient dessert that bakes up shatteringly crisp with a tender fruit center.

Baklava No. 5

I had this Greek pastry for the first time in a restaurant and I was not overly thrilled with it. So when I ran across this recipe and saw how easy is was to make I decided to try it. I liked my version much better, which will no doubt cause an uproar. So to anyone who has tried this dessert I want you to make this one and let me know if you like it, maybe it tastes nothing like it is suppose to.

Strawberry Ricotta Phyllo Purses with Chocolate Syrup

These phyllo purses look so lovely, filled with fresh strawberries and creamy ricotta cheese, drizzling some chocolate syrup and dust powdered sugar on top. These are crispy and chocolaty outside, juicy, fruity and smooth inside. And they look so pretty!

Citrus & Spiced Walnuts-Phyllo Rolls

These delicious rolls are made from phyllo pastry, and they are so elegant and pretty to be gifts too.

Caramelized Onion & Fennel Phyllo Tart with Goat Cheese

Give a traditional tart a modern twist by using phyllo pastry that is lower in fat and calories. Caramelized onion and fennel are loaded with yumminess, a bit dijon mustard is brushed on the bottom, and some creamy goat cheese are sprinkled on top. Delicious! What more can I say?!

All 187 recipes