These Baklava Cheesecake rolls give you the best of both worlds. Crispy, crunchy phyllo pastry with classic Baklava flavors filled with a creamy, delicious cream cheese filling. It’s a match made in heaven! These can be prepped weeks in advance and stored in the freezer, making them the perfect party snack!
Baklava is one of the best desserts in the world. It’s simple yet absolutely delicious. Crispy crunchy filo pastry and a delicious nutty and cinnamony filling tied together perfectly with sweet sugar syrup. What’s not to love?
Growing up in the Middle East, I have had endless baklava. While nothing can beat a classic Baklava from a local bakery, I wanted to give it my own twist. And you know what goes well with crispy, crunchy, sweet Baklava? Creamy, tangy cheesecake. The salty-sweet flavor of cream cheese perfectly complements the sweetness of the Baklava and results in a fun and delicious dessert that you can enjoy over a cup of tea or coffee.
The best part? it’s super simple to make and can be frozen for a few weeks. This means you can pop them out of the freezer and bake them whenever you feel like it! Surprise guests? No worrying anymore.
Let’s go into the details of these Baklava rolls so that I can convince you that they are actually easy.
Love fusion desserts? You might like these!
The Cheesecake Filling
The Baklava rolls are filled with a simple and easy one-bowl baked cheesecake recipe made with only five ingredients – cream cheese, sugar, sour cream, vanilla, and eggs.
Here is how to make the cheesecake filling.
- Whisk together room-temperature cream cheese and sugar until the sugar is fully incorporated, and the cream cheese is smooth. Test it between your fingers to see if you can feel any sugar granules. If yes, mix it further.
- Add the sour cream and vanilla and mix until combined.
- Add the egg and mix until smooth. Your cheesecake batter is ready. Now transfer it into a piping or ziplock bag to fill the rolls.
The egg in this batter is necessary as it helps the cheesecake filling thicken and set while baking. Without the egg, the filling will spill out during baking (trust me, I am speaking from multiple experiences).
The Baklava Rolls
The Baklava rolls are the star of the show, and they are super simple to make. All you need is phyllo pastry sheets, chopped pistachios (or any nut of your choice), cinnamon, and a LOT of butter.
Before you start layering, create a chopped pistachio and cinnamon mixture in a food blender.
The Baklava Roll has two stages – layering and folding. Let me take you through both
Layering the Baklava sheets.
- Place one phyllo sheet on baking paper, brush it generously with melted butter, and sprinkle 1 tbsp of chopped pistachios with cinnamon.
- Place another phyllo sheet on top and press down to seal it, then repeat the same butter and pistachio layer.
PS: If your phyllo pastry sheets are very big, cut them into smaller rectangles or square sheets. There is no exact size you need to follow; you can make them as big or small as you like.
PPS: Make sure to keep the phyllo sheets covered at all times as they dry out very quickly.
Folding the Baklava Rolls
This is the “most technical” step of this dessert, but it’s quite simple if you follow the steps. If you have ever made a spring roll in your life before, you’re in luck because these rolls follow the same process.
- Turn the layered phyllo sheet so that one of the tip is facing towards you. Now pipe a thick line of the cheesecake filling 2-3 inches away from the tip facing you.
- Pick up the phyllo layers from the top and place them on top of the filling, sealing the edge at the end. Your cheesecake filling should now be sealed in a cigar-like shape.
- Once sealed, gently roll the phyllo along the cigar shape until you reach halfway through, and brush the rolled part with melted butter.
- Now seal both sides horizontally like an envelope, sealing the cream from the sides.
- Brush the remaining open phyllo sheet with melted butter and roll the cigar shape all the way until completely sealed.
PS: Be careful not to tear any part of the phyllo sheet while rolling, or the cheesecake filling might spill out while baking.
PPS: Make sure all the corners are properly sealed.
Now brush the tops of the rolls with more butter and bake until golden brown. Top the rolls with sugar syrup and chopped nuts while they are still warm, and enjoy.
Now that you know that this dessert is actually easy, let’s get started.
PS: I always measure ingredients in grams, never in cups. Using a measuring scale is the only way to bake accurately. Cups are unreliable and can give different measurements, so I suggest you buy a measuring scale before you start baking! If you can’t get your hands on one, you can use the online tools for converting grams into cups; however, I do not guarantee their accuracy.
PPS: if you notice a * after any word, it means that there are additional tips about it after the recipe
Baklava Cheesecake Rolls
Equipment
- Hand whisk
- Pastry brush
- Piping or ziplock bag
Ingredients
Cheesecake Filling
- 200 gs cream cheese, softened
- 55 gs white granulated sugar
- 30 gs sour cream
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 1/2 egg
Baklava Rolls
- 12 sheets Phyllo pastry, cut in rectangle or square shape
- 300 gs melted butter
- 200 gs pistachios
- 2 tsp cinnamon powder
Sugar Syrup
- 200 gs white granulated sugar
- 150 gs water
Instructions
Cheesecake Filling
- Add the cream cheese and sugar and whisk until it’s well combined. You can check if it’s done by rubbing the cream cheese between your fingers to check for graininess.
- Add the sour cream and vanilla essence and mix until well combined.
- Add the egg and give the batter a final mix until everything is well incorporated into the cream cheese mixture. Transfer it into a piping or ziplock bag and chill until ready to use.
Baklava Rolls
- Blend the pistachios and cinnamon powder until they turn into a rough powder
- Layer the Baklava: Place a sheet of phyllo pastry on baking paper, brush melted butter all over the sheet, and sprinkle with the pistachio powder. Place another phyllo sheet on top and press it down to seal, then repeat the same butter and pistachio layers.
- Fold the Baklava rolls: Turn the phyllo pastry so that one of the tips is facing you. Pipe a thick line of the cheesecake filling 2-3 inches away from the tip, then pick the phyllo layers from the tip and roll them over the cheesecake filling and seal at the edge. Roll along the cigar-like shape a few times until you reach halfway through the sheet, then brush the roll with melted butter and fold each side horizontally like an envelope. Brush the remaining open phyllo sheet with butter and roll till the end until completely sealed. At this step, you can place the rolls in a sealed ziplock back and pop them in the freezer to make ahead
- Preheat the oven to 180℃, place the rolls on a baking sheet, brush the tops with melted butter, and bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown.
- Make the sugar syrup: Add the sugar and water in a saucepan, bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat and cook for 10 minutes or until the syrup thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
- Top the rolls with the sugar syrup and chopped pistachios, and enjoy while warm.
Notes
- Keep the phyllo sheets covered when not using them, as they dry out very quickly.
- If your phyllo sheets are very big, cut them into smaller rectangles or squares. You don’t need to have a specific size and can make them as big or small as you like.
- Don’t overfill the rolls with cheesecake filling, or it will spill out. About 1-2 tbsp of filling per roll is enough.
- Pour the sugar syrup on the rolls while they are still hot so that they can absorb it well.
And that’s it! These Baklava Rolls are the perfect accompaniment for your evening coffee, your morning breakfast, or your after-meal sweet snack!
If you give this recipe a try, let me know how you liked it in the comments. And, of course, share it with me on Instagram.
Until next time!
