Homemade Mini Phyllo Cups
on Jan 23, 2013, Updated Aug 22, 2024
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Buttery, flakey, and light, Homemade Mini Phyllo Cups can be filled with sweet or savory ingredients to create a delicious and delicate finger food!
Phyllo cups are an easy appetizer or finger food that don’t take much effort, but have an elegant feel to them! Typically served for parties or holiday gatherings, these phyllo cups can be filled with a variety of fillings to create a sweet or savory treat.
You can buy premade phyllo cups at the store, but making them at home is so much more simple and less expensive. All you need is some butter and a package of frozen phyllo dough. I love how quick these cups come together, and they have the perfect light and flakey texture that melts in your mouth with every bite. Everyone should know how to make phyllo cups!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- The cups are easy to make and inexpensive.
- You can use them for a variety of sweet or savory treats.
- The cups are light, crispy, and have a subtle buttery taste.
What are Phyllo Cups?
Phyllo cups are small shells that are typically used to make pastries. The cups are made from very thin sheets of dough that are layered together to create the thicker yet still light and airy shells! Phyllo dough and cups are traditionally used in Greek dishes and are delicate once cooked. You can typically buy phyllo cups precooked at the store, but it is easy to make them yourself too. Some people compare phyllo dough to puff pastry, and while they are similar, phyllo is much thinner and has less fat than puff pastry.
Recipe Ingredients
- Phyllo Dough—Thawed. These thin sheets of dough will be layered to make the cups.
- Butter—Melted. To help the dough stick together and brown nicely.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Homemade Phyllo Cups
Step #1. Gather phyllo sheets and butter then, preheat your oven.
Step #2. Spray a mini muffin tin with cooking spray. Get your dough ready by opening the package and putting all of the sheets of dough on a large clean cookie sheet.
Step #3. Melt your butter. Put one piece of phyllo dough on a large cutting board, cover the rest and then carefully brush it with butter. Place another sheet on top and repeat until you have 5 sheets of dough total. Brush the top sheet with butter too.
Step #4. Cut the stack of phyllo dough into 12 rectangles. Pick up one of the rectangle stacks and push the center into the bottom of the muffin tin hole. Press on the sides gently to make a cup. Repeat with the remaining rectangle stacks. Bake until they are golden. Cool completely before using.
Recipe FAQs
Before you use the phyllo dough, you will want to make sure it is completely thawed and at room temperature. There are two easy ways to do this. You can leave the dough in the fridge overnight, and then leave it out at room temperature on a plate or tray for about 2 hours before using. Or you can simply remove the dough from the freezer and set it out at room temperature on a tray for 3 to 3 ½ hours before using. Either way will work fine, just be sure to plan ahead and give yourself enough time to thaw the dough!
Brushing each layer of your dough as go will naturally help the cups to crisp up in the oven and prevent them from becoming soggy. Additionally, once the cups have baked, you should let them cool for a minute or two, then move them as soon as possible to a wire rack. If they sit in the tin too long, a slight moisture can form in the bottom as they cool which will make the bottom soggy. The air circulating underneath while they cool on a wire rack will help them to stay firm.
Phyllo cups are crispy, light, and perfect for all sorts of pastries! You can fill these with a no-bake cheesecake filling, cook and serve pudding, pastry cream, or even jam. To top them off, add some pie filling, fresh fruit, or whipped cream. These cups can also be filled with savory ingredients to create a yummy appetizer or snack. Some good savory choices are artichoke dip, cheddar jalapeno dip, smoked salmon and cream cheese, or a cheddar and bacon filling. However you choose to serve them, phyllo cups make a wonderful base.
How to Store Phyllo Cups
If you are not ready to use your phyllo cups yet, you can store them after they have baked. Carefully place them in an airtight container and keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. Baked phyllo cups can also be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to a month! You can easily reheat your cups in the oven when ready to use. If the cups have filling inside, be sure to check if the filling will stay good in the freezer before storing them.
Expert Tips
- Phyllo dough and dry out quickly. Once you place it on the baking sheet, cover the sheets of dough with a piece of wax paper then put a damp kitchen towel on top of the wax paper to preserve moisture. Don’t skip this!
- I like to use a pizza cutter to cut the phyllo dough because it allows me to get even lines and it’s much quicker than using a knife!
- The phyllo dough is already in a rectangular shape, so you will want to cut the long side into 4 pieces and the short side into 3 pieces to create the smaller rectangles.
- If you know you are going to fill the phyllo cups with something sweet, you can sprinkle a bit of sugar in between each layer after the butter!
More Appetizer Recipes To Consider
Appetizer Recipes
Fresh Cranberry Salsa Recipe | Sweet & Spicy Holiday Dish
Vegetable Sides
Zucchini Fritters
Seafood Recipes
Butterfly Shrimp
Easy Appetizers
Buffalo Cauliflower Wings
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Homemade Mini Phyllo Cups
Ingredients
- 5 sheets phyllo dough, in the freezer section, thawed
- 4 tablespoons melted butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray a mini muffin tin with cooking spray. Get the phyllo dough ready by opening the thawed package and putting all of the sheets of dough on large clean cookie sheet.
- Cover the sheets of dough with a piece of wax paper and then put a damp kitchen towel on top of the waxed paper. Phyllo dough is super thin and dries out really quickly. The wax paper covers it and then the wet towel weighs down on it (without getting the dough wet) so that air can’t get in. You gotta do this step.
- Melt your butter, grab your pastry brush and a pizza cutter or knife. When you are ready put one piece of phyllo dough on a large cutting board, cover the rest, and then carefully but quickly brush it with butter.
- Place another sheet on top and repeat until you have 5 sheets of dough total. Brush the top sheet with butter too.
- Cut the phyllo dough into 12 rectangles (the sheets are rectangles, so cut the long side into 4 pieces and the short side into 3 pieces).
- Pick up one rectangle and push the center into the bottom of the muffin tin holes. Press on the sides gently to make a cup. Repeat with the remaining dough pieces.
- Bake until they are golden, about 10 minutes, being careful not to let them burn. Cool completely before using.
Notes
- Phyllo dough and dry out quickly. Once you place it on the baking sheet, cover the sheets of dough with a piece of wax paper then put a damp kitchen towel on top of the wax paper to preserve moisture. Don’t skip this!
- I like to use a pizza cutter to cut the phyllo dough because it allows me to get even lines and it’s much quicker than using a knife!
- The phyllo dough is already in a rectangular shape, so you will want to cut the long side into 4 pieces and the short side into 3 pieces to create the smaller rectangles.
- If you know you are going to fill the phyllo cups with something sweet, you can sprinkle a bit of sugar in between each layer after the butter!
Ok, I’m making an Artichoke phyllo cup appy—should I pre-bake these homemade shells a little less (say 6 mins instead of 10), freeze them, then bake directly from the freezer with the artichoke filling for 15 mins? (that would be the second bake for the shells—wouldn’t that make them too brown?) I couldn’t find phyllo cups, so now I have to wing it—I’m worried I’m going to have soggy, undercooked appetizer. HELP LOL
I think I’d bake them all the way. The store sells precooked shells that you add stuff to and bake and they don’t over cook? Can you try like 1 or two at the 6 minute and then one or 2 in the fully cooked shell??
Following this recipe exactly will make phyllo dough cups that are way too big. If you really want small ones that would fit in mini muffin tins, you need to use 4 sheets of dough and cut them in 3″ squares.