Food & Drink
Can You Use Phyllo Dough Instead of Puff Pastry? Find Out Here!
Can I use phyllo dough instead of puff pastry? It all depends on the recipe. Here’s everything you need to know about these two pastry types.
April 7, 2022
For desserts and savory treats, few dough types are as well-regarded as the light, buttery puff pastry. Another well-regarded pastry mix is phyllo, sometimes spelled “filo.” You may recognize it from Greek and Middle Eastern recipes like baklava and spanakopita.
Because of their similar appearance, you may be wondering, “Can I use phyllo dough instead of puff pastry for my recipe?” We’ll answer that question and cover the basics.
What is puff pastry?
Puff pastry is a French baking method in which a chilled slab of butter is placed between layers of dough. The mix is rolled flat and repeatedly folded in a process called “laminating.” As the pastry bakes, the butter releases steam, making it rise. The dough turns golden brown and crispy.
Because of its complex preparation process, making puff pastry from scratch is ill-advised for beginners, but store-bought options are available. If you’re shopping for puff pastry in the grocery store, buy butter-based mixes, not shortening, as it will completely change the dough’s taste.
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What is phyllo dough?
Phyllo dough — or filo dough — is a Greek and Middle Eastern pastry-making method. Each layer of homemade phyllo is rolled flat, then brushed with melted butter, then stacked on top of the previous layer until you have a pile of thin sheets.
When you bake the filo pastry, the flaky layers turn golden brown and crispy, with its butter-brushed surface adding an extra crunch. Although it has some commonalities with puff pastry, it’s used in different recipes.
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Is phyllo dough the same as puff pastry?
No. It’s simple to identify filo vs. puff pastry, though. Here are some key differences between them:
Puff pastry is of French origin. The phyllo dough recipe is Greek and Middle Eastern.
Puff pastry uses a slab of chilled butter rolled flat and folded inside a dough sheet. Phyllo brushes melted butter over every layer to create a more flaky pastry.
Puff pastry is usually sold in a single “sheet,” while phyllo is stacked in thin sheets of 5–10.
Phyllo dough takes 24 hours to thaw. Puff pastry can be thawed in under an hour.
Phyllo dough is crispier, while puff pastry rises more.
The good news? You can find pre-made versions of both at the grocery store.
How do you use phyllo dough?
Some of the best recipes include:
1. Baklava
This traditional Turkish pastry is made from flaky filo, drizzled with honey, and sometimes topped with walnuts or pistachios. You’ll need 1 hour for prep time and 1 hour and 15 minutes for cooking.
To make this recipe, you’ll need:
Three-quarter cup of water
One-half cup of honey
1 package of phyllo dough
1 tablespoon of cinnamon
1 cup of granulated sugar
1 ¼ cup of unsalted butter
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
1 pound of walnuts, finely chopped
To complete this recipe:
Thaw your phyllo dough as per your package instructions.
Once thawed, trim it to the size of your baking dish. Butter the bottom of your pan and add your dough.
In a saucepan, combine honey, sugar, lemon juice, and water. Bring it to a boil to dissolve the sugar, then reduce heat to medium-low. Boil for 4 more minutes without stirring. Remove from heat and cool.
Chop your walnuts, and then mix them with cinnamon in a small bowl.
Place a phyllo sheet on the baking pan, and brush with butter. Place another sheet with butter on top. Repeat this process 10 times.
Spread one-fifth of the nuts over the top layer of phyllo.
Add 5 more layers of phyllo, repeating the brush-with-butter process. Add another layer of nuts on top.
Repeat steps 6–7 more times, using 10 layers of phyllo for the top. This process will give the baklava a flaky texture.
Cut the pastry into 1 ½” wide diamond shapes.
Bake at 325°F for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Remove and spoon cooled honey over the hot baklava, then let it cool to room temperature.
Recipe adapted from NatashasKitchen
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2. Spanakopita
This Greek spinach-filled pastry is an excellent appetizer with a savory and flaky crust. You’ll only need 20 minutes of prep time and 1 hour to cook.
For this spanakopita recipe, you’ll need:
1 package of phyllo pastry
1 cup of extra virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion
2 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
2 bunches of flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons of dill weed
4 eggs
10.5 ounces of feta cheese
16 ounces of chopped frozen spinach
Fresh ground pepper
To complete this recipe:
Preheat the oven to 325°F.
Take your spinach, thaw it, and drain it, squeezing out excess liquid.
To prepare your filling, grab a large bowl and mix your spinach, parsley, onion, garlic, olive oil, eggs, feta cheese, dill weed, and pepper together.
Unroll the phyllo sheets to prepare for baking.
Butter the bottoms and sides of your baking dish with olive oil. Line the baking dish with two phyllo sheets, covering all sides. Brush with olive oil, then add another two paper-thin sheets, repeating the process until you use two-thirds of your phyllo package.
Spread your spinach mix over the phyllo. Top it with two more oil-brushed phyllo sheets. Continue the process until your sheets are all used up.
Fold over the excess phyllo along the sides. Brush the sides with olive oil, and cut partway through the pastry to make squares.
Bake for 1 hour, then remove from the oven. Finish cutting the squares and serve.
Recipe adapted from The Mediterranean Dish
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3. Samosas
Samosas fall under the “savory dough recipes” category. For this particular recipe, you’ll need 40 minutes for prep and 20 minutes for cooking.
To prepare samosas, you’ll need:
1 onion
2 potatoes
8 phyllo sheets
One-half cup of green peas
One-half teaspoon of garam masala powder
One-quarter teaspoon of amchur
One-quarter teaspoon of red chili powder
One-quarter teaspoon of coriander powder
One-quarter teaspoon of cinnamon
Olive oil
Unsalted butter
Salt and pepper (to taste)
To complete this recipe:
Boil your potatoes and steam your green peas. Once your potatoes are cooked, peel and finely chop them.
Heat a frying pan, and add a teaspoon of oil.
Add and sauté your chopped onion.
Add your potatoes, peas, coriander, cinnamon, garam masala, salt, and red chili powder to the onion. Mix and cook for 3 minutes. Check salt and spice levels to taste.
Once cooked, turn off the heat and let the mixture cool.
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease your baking pan with butter.
On the counter, spread out one phyllo sheet. Brush with butter. Next, fold the sheet in half lengthwise, then fold the end into a triangle.
Spoon a small amount of filling onto the end of the phyllo sheet, with space around the edges of it. Take the right corner and fold the phyllo diagonally, trapping the filling in the pastry triangle. Fold diagonally again to the opposite side. Repeat this process until you reach the end of the phyllo strip. Brush butter over the finished triangle. Place onto your baking sheet and cover with a damp cloth to keep it from drying out.
Repeat steps 7–8 for your remaining phyllo sheets.
Bake your samosas for 10–20 minutes until the crust is golden brown.
Recipe adapted from Archana’s Kitchen
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Amchur
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4. Apple turnovers
This is a classic, feel-good, sweet treat. The prep time is 20 minutes, and the baking time is 35 minutes.
You’ll need:
One-half teaspoon of cinnamon
One-third cup of dried cranberries
One-third cup of light brown sugar
1 package of phyllo dough
One-quarter teaspoon of ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon of cornstarch
3 tablespoons of melted butter
4 ladyfinger cookies
4 Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced
To complete this recipe:
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Using a non-stick pan, cook apples, cranberries, cinnamon, sugar, and nutmeg together over medium heat, until the apples are tender. The fruit will break down into a thick liquid with the help of the sugar.
Stir the cornstarch into the mixture. Cook until liquid thickens in the pan, then set it aside to cool.
Lay a sheet of phyllo dough on the counter. Brush with butter, then add another sheet, and brush with butter again. Add one crushed cookie on top, then apply another buttered phyllo sheet.
Cut your phyllo sheet into 4 equal strips.
Add a small amount of your apple-cranberry mix at the bottom of your sheets, leaving a 1-inch border. Fold over into a triangular pocket or a turnover shape.
Then fold again, maintaining a triangle shape, until you’ve folded all of the pieces in a layered triangle.
Add the second half of your crushed cookies to the final layer of the phyllo dough.
Repeat step 5 with your remaining phyllo dough sheets until they’re all used up. Use one ladyfinger cookie per turnover when you begin folding. The cookie is essential to absorb some of the butter.
Brush butter over the top of each turnover.
Grease your baking sheet with spray or butter, then place your turnovers on top.
Bake for 25–35 minutes, or until golden brown.
Remove from the oven and serve warm.
Recipe adapted from Food Network
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You can make excellent apple pie crusts with phyllo, too. Substituting your butter for oil will make this — or any other apple dessert — less rich.
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How do you use puff pastry?
Puff pastry is just as versatile as phyllo. It’s richer, so it’s better suited for making desserts to spoil yourself.
1. Croissants
Croissants are the quintessential puff pastry treat. You’ll need 15 minutes to prep and 20 minutes to bake.
You’ll need:
1 package of puff pastry
1 tablespoon of water
1 egg (for egg wash)
Two-thirds cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips
Flour (for rolling)
To complete this recipe:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cover two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Whisk your egg in a small bowl and set aside.
Lightly flour your counter. Spread the pre-made puff pastry sheet out, then dust the top with flour.
Use a rolling pin to roll the puff pastry flat into a 16-inch square. Cut the square in half, then cut each half into four rectangles. Cut each rectangle into two triangles, for 16 in total.
Place two teaspoons of chocolate chips in the center of each triangle. Roll each triangle up with the chocolate chips inside, starting from the wider side. This will give your croissant its layers.
Once rolled, fold edges inwards to create a crescent shape.
Repeat for each piece of pastry.
Baste with egg wash, then bake for 20 minutes, or until the croissants are golden brown.
Recipe adapted from Inspired Taste
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2. Puff pastry Danish
This classic puff pastry Danish's fillings can be customized, from apple to blueberries to cheese. You’ll only need 15 minutes to prep and 18 minutes to cook.
For this recipe, you’ll need:
1 package of puff pastry
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon of lemon juice
3 tablespoons of sugar
8 ounces of cream cheese
One-quarter teaspoon of vanilla extract
To complete this recipe:
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Cover two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Whisk the whole egg with a teaspoon of water in a bowl. Set aside.
In another bowl, whisk egg yolk, cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and lemon juice together.
Lay the pre-made puff pastry out. Cut into four squares.
Fold the corners of the squares over by 1 inch, so each is in an octagon shape.
Spoon cream cheese mixture into the center of each octagon. Do not spread.
Brush the exposed pastry with egg wash, dust with sugar, and place it in the oven.
Bake for 18 minutes, or until golden brown.
Cool before serving.
Recipe adapted from Food Network
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3. Beef wellington tarts
Beef wellington is a savory dish that requires puff pastry. To make this delicious entree, you’ll need 20 minutes for prep and 45 minutes for cooking.
You’ll need these ingredients:
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 onion
1 teaspoon of dried marjoram
1 package of puff pastry
1 egg
2 cloves of garlic
2 tablespoons of beef broth
4 tablespoons of butter
8 ounces of mushrooms
24 ounces of filet mignon, sliced into 4 rounds
One-half teaspoon of salt
One-half cup of chicken livers
One-eighth teaspoon of pepper
To complete this recipe:
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large skillet, heat the butter and oil. Next, add chopped onion and mushrooms, salt, and pepper. Sauté over medium heat until the mushrooms start to cook and the mix browns.
Add chicken livers, marjoram, and garlic to the mix. Cook for 5 minutes.
Add the beef broth to the mixture. Stir for another 4 minutes until the liquid evaporates. Remove the mixture from heat.
In another skillet, sear each slice of filet mignon in butter until the center is medium-rare. Remove from heat and let rest.
On a lightly floured counter, roll out pre-made puff pastry. Cut into four squares.
Divide the mushroom mixture between the four squares, leaving a border around the pastry edges. Add 1 filet mignon to each square on top of the mix.
Brush the egg over the edges of the pastry, then bring the edges up and fold together to create a pocket with meat and mushroom mix inside. Repeat the process for each pastry square.
Place each pastry seam-down on the baking sheet. Brush with egg mixture.
Bake for 15–25 minutes, or until golden brown.
Cool before serving.
Recipe adapted from The Spruce Eats
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4. Puff pastry pizza
Last but not least is the puff pastry pizza. Apart from thawing the pastry, you’ll only need 15 minutes for assembly and 15 minutes for cooking.
For the recipe, you’ll need:
1 package of pre-made puff pastry
Olive oil (to brush pastry)
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1 cup pizza sauce
1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning
1 package of pepperoni
Optional toppings include:
Feta cheese
Bell pepper
Italian sausage
Sliced olives
Onions
To complete this recipe:
Thaw your puff pastry and assemble supplies.
Preheat the oven to 415°F. Place a piece of parchment over a large baking sheet.
On a lightly floured surface, unroll your puff pastry. Slice in half down the middle, then place both halves flat on the baking sheet.
Brush a thin layer of olive oil over the center of each sheet, leaving a half-inch border around the outsides of the pastry for the crust.
Add pizza sauce, cheese, and any other toppings you want to the middle, leaving room for the crust. Avoid adding too much sauce, as it could make the crust soggy.
Once the toppings are in place, baste the pizza crust edges with the remaining oil.
Bake for 15 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and crispy.
Remove from the oven and serve hot or at room temperature.
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Phyllo dough vs. puff pastry: Can you replace one with the other?
It all depends on what food you’re trying to make. For some of these recipes — like apple turnovers, danishes, and samosas — you can use these two interchangeably. You’ll simply have a richer result with puff pastry.
However, for some of these recipes — including baklava, croissants, and the puff pastry pizza — substitutions won’t do. You’re welcome to experiment, but we recommend checking recipes to see if they mention substitutions before swapping out these ingredients.
Want to bake these pastry recipes and savory dishes from home? Make sure to purchase all of your supplies through Gopuff. We’ll deliver everything you need right to your door.
