Baked Feta Bites in Phyllo Pastry

Baked feta bites in phyllo pastry are fun little appetizers, perfect for any occasion. A drizzle of honey balances the saltiness of the cheese and brings these bites into a whole new level!

This easy bite-size appetizer has a simple prep and it’s ready in no time.

If you ever visited Greece, whether it was Athens, Santorini, Paros or any other of the numerous Greek islands, you more likely came across many feta dishes.

One of those is also baked feta wrapped in phyllo pastry. It is a typical Greek appetizer, usually served as a whole and shared with others.

To make this tasty Greek recipe more party friendly, I cut feta into bite-size portions and wrapped each cube separately.

Tools you will need:

• Knife – a chef’s/carving or slicing knife would be perfect. Don’t use a serrated knife.
• Baking tray/sheet.
• Baking parchment paper/or a silicone mat – optional but recommended.
• Kitchen paper – or clean kitchen towel to pat dry the cheese.
• Pastry brush & small bowl – for brushing olive oil.

Ingredients:

• Feta
• Phyllo/filo pastry
• Olive oil
• Honey
• Sesame seeds

Quick overview:

To make these bite-size baked feta appetizers, cut the cheese into cubes. I usually get 12 pieces out of it but if you have a large block, perhaps you might get more pieces.

Next, cut a pastry sheet in 3 equally wide pieces, lengthwise. As the pastry is long enough, you can also cut each in half. You will end up with 6 pieces and you will use 1 per 1 cube of feta.

Now, you can also use more filo pastry to cover the cheese (you would use the long sheet without cutting it in half). This is entirely up to you.

Once a feta cube is wrapped in Filo, secure it with a toothpick and continue with the rest.

Baking is very quick and takes about 10-15 minutes. You will need to watch the oven when making them for the first time.

Place the ready feta bites onto a plate or serving tray, drizzle with honey and sprinkle with sesame seeds.  We like them while still warm, but they are also tasty cold.

Possible Variations

• Instead of tiny bites, you can simply wrap a whole block of cheese in one or two sheets of filo. This is the classic way, it is way faster and perfect for sharing. I personally prefer the bites as I get to enjoy more of the crispy pastry in each bite.
• You can pan-fry it instead of baking, but I would suggest doing so only with the large block, not with the bites. I also think the oven is more hassle-free version and by using less oil it is also lower in calories.

What does this baked feta recipe contain?

Dairy: Yes
Eggs: Some might contain
Meat: No
Nuts: No
Shellfish: No
Gluten: Yes

Frequently asked questions

What to do with leftover phyllo pastry?

There are many delicious recipes with phyllo dough: Baklava (typical Turkish sweet treat made with walnuts), Banitsa (a Bulgarian savory pie with feta – I highly recommend this one. It’s so good!) or Spanakopita (Greek savory spinach pie).

Apart from those, you can also make all sorts of mini sweet or savory bites.

How to store unused phyllo pastry?

This type of pastry sheets goes hard very quickly once opened. For this reason, it is always good to use it up right away.

If you can’t or don’t have time to use it, wrap it in the original paper it came with and then tightly wrap in plastic foil (aluminum foil will also work). You need to make sure it is airtight. Then, store in the fridge.

This way, it will last for 2-3 more days.

Can I substitute some of the ingredients?

This feta appetizer calls for literally 5 ingredients. For that reason, it is good to use the ones stated in the recipe. Now that being said, here are a few substitute options:

• Sesame seeds – if you don’t have these on hand, use poppy seeds or finely crushed pistachios instead
• Honey – agave syrup will also work.
• Extra virgin olive oil – a regular olive oil can be used as well. Avoid using a cooking oil.

More easy appetizers for your party:

• Baked Olives – Easy peasy party food that is also suitable for vegans.
• Stuffed Celery – This recipe has a quick prep and can be made ahead!
• Bacon Jalapeno Deviled Eggs – A must-try recipe that everyone loves!

Yield: 12 pieces

Baked Feta Bites in Phyllo Pastry

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Baked feta bites in phyllo pastry are fun little appetizers, perfect for any occasion. A drizzle of honey balances the saltiness of the cheese and brings these bites into a whole new level!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 block feta cheese (200 grams), see note 1
• phyllo pastry, see note 2
• extra virgin olive oil, see note 3
• honey, to drizzle over each bite, to taste
• sesame seeds, to sprinkle over each bite, see note 4

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 Fahrenheit (200 Celsius).
2. Pat dry feta cheese with paper kitchen towels. Cut it into 12 equally looking cubes.
3. Take a sheet of phyllo pastry. Lay it onto a chopping board (or any surface you can cut on) and cut it into 4-6 pieces. It does not really matter what length they are (a minimum is 10-inches/25-centimeters) but they have to be wide enough so that you can wrap a cheese cube in it (check photos for easy understanding). Cut as many sheets as you need (see note 5).
4. Take one small sheet and brush olive oil all over it. Place one feta cube in the center of the short end’s edge. Wrap one side of the filo pastry over (like if you wanted to wrap a parcel/gift). Brush this side with oil and cover with the other side of filo so it overlaps it. Again, brush with oil. Now, wrap the cube in the rest of the filo sheet by “rolling it”.
5. Secure with a toothpick and brush the top with little oil. Transfer onto a baking tray lined with baking paper (optional) and repeat with the rest (see photos for easy understanding).
6. Bake at 400 Fahrenheit (200 Celsius) for 10-15 minutes in the middle of the oven.
7. When ready, take them out, transfer onto a serving plate. Drizzle with honey (you can be generous) and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
8. Enjoy!

Notes

1. Blocks of feta can vary in weight. They are usually somewhere between 7-8.8 ounces (200-250 grams). I used a 7-ounce block (200 grams).
2. Use either fresh or frozen (thawed) pastry. You will need only a couple of sheets. Count with 4 max.
3. You will need only a little to brush it over each sheet of pastry. 1-2 tablespoons should be plenty.
4. I used a combination of white and black sesame seeds, but you can use what you have on hand. Also finely chopped pistachios or poppy seeds will work as substitutes.
5. You can use longer sheets of filo if you like. The more filo you use per 1 bite, the larger sheets you will need.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 104Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 9mgSodium: 70mgCarbohydrates: 8gFiber: 1gSugar: 4gProtein: 2g