Baklava Rolls Recipe: Crispy Phyllo Fingers with Nuts and Syrup

This baklava rolls recipe makes crispy, golden phyllo fingers filled with walnuts or pistachios and soaked in fragrant syrup. In Arabic sweet shops they are called asabe, meaning “fingers,” and they are easier to make than a full tray of baklava because each sheet becomes one roll.

The trick is a gentle scrunch that gives the rolls their wrinkled, crunchy layers. After the recipe, you will also find fixes for soggy, pale or cracked baklava rolls.

Baklava Rolls Recipe at a Glance

• Prep time: 45 minutes
• Bake time: 40–45 minutes
• Resting time: 1 hour
• Makes: about 40 small rolls

Ingredients

For the rolls

• 450 g (1 lb) phyllo dough, thawed
• 250 g (1 cup + 2 tablespoons) clarified butter or ghee, melted
• 300 g (2½ cups) walnuts or pistachios, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (for walnuts)
• 2 tablespoons ground pistachios, to garnish

For the syrup

• 400 g (2 cups) sugar
• 250 ml (1 cup) water
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon orange blossom water

How to Make This Baklava Rolls Recipe

1. Make the syrup. First, boil the sugar and water for 10 minutes, add the lemon juice, and stir in the orange blossom water. Then let it cool completely.
2. Mix the filling. Next, combine the nuts, sugar and cinnamon.
3. Prepare the phyllo. Then heat the oven to 170°C (340°F). Keep the phyllo under a damp towel so it does not dry out.
4. Fill each sheet. After that, brush one phyllo sheet with butter, fold it in half, and brush again. Then sprinkle 2 tablespoons of filling along the short edge.
5. Roll and scrunch. Next, roll the sheet around a thin wooden dowel or skewer. Push both ends gently toward the center to create wrinkles, then slide out the dowel.
6. Cut and arrange. After that, cut each roll into 3 pieces and pack them tightly in a buttered pan. Then brush the tops with the remaining butter.
7. Bake. Bake for 40–45 minutes, until deep golden and crisp.
8. Add the syrup. Finally, pour the cold syrup over the hot rolls, sprinkle with ground pistachios, and let them rest for 1 hour before serving.

Baklava Rolls Recipe: Common Problems and How to Fix Them

Why are my baklava rolls soggy?

Cause: Typically, it is because the syrup was hot, or the rolls were underbaked.

Fix: Use cold syrup on hot rolls, and bake until deep golden. For more tips, read our guide to keeping baklava crispy.

Why does the phyllo crack when I roll it?

Cause: This usually happens because the sheets dried out.

Fix: Keep the stack covered with a damp towel, and work with one sheet at a time. Also, brush each sheet with butter right away, since butter keeps it flexible.

Why are my rolls pale?

Cause: The oven was too cool, or there was too little butter on top.

Fix: First, brush the tops well, then bake on the middle rack. If they are still pale after 40 minutes, raise the heat to 190°C (375°F) for the last 5 minutes.

Why did the syrup turn grainy?

Cause: The sugar crystallized while boiling.

Fix: Do not stir the syrup once it boils, and add the lemon juice. Our guide explains how to prevent syrup crystallization.

Tips for Success With This Baklava Rolls Recipe

• Use clarified butter. In contrast, regular butter contains water that makes the phyllo less crisp.
• Pack the rolls tightly in the pan, so they hold their shape while baking.
• Let the rolls rest after adding syrup; as a result, the syrup soaks in evenly.

Baklava Rolls Recipe Variations

• Classic tray baklava: layer the same ingredients in a tray. See our crispy baklava recipe.
• Bird’s nests (esh el bulbul): twist the scrunched rolls into small circles and fill the center with pistachios.
• With cashews: use cashews for a sweeter, milder filling.

Storage Tips

Keep baklava rolls loosely covered at room temperature for up to 1 week, so they stay crisp. Do not refrigerate them, because the fridge makes phyllo soft. Read our full guide to baklava storage.

Then and Now

Layered pastries filled with nuts and syrup developed in the kitchens of the Ottoman Empire, and today every country from Turkey to the Gulf has its own style. Gaziantep in Turkey is so famous for it that the European Union protects Antep baklava as a regional product.

Baklava Rolls Recipe FAQ

Can I make baklava rolls without a dowel?

Yes. Roll the phyllo loosely by hand and scrunch it gently; however, the wrinkles will be less even.

Which nuts are best?

Pistachios give the most traditional look and flavor, while walnuts are cheaper and slightly softer.

How far ahead can I make them?

Up to 3 days ahead. In fact, many people think baklava tastes better the next day.

One more thing: If you enjoyed this baklava rolls recipe, our digital cookbook has 31 more recipes like this one, ready to print or read on your phone.