Homemade Mini Phyllo Cups
on Jan 23, 2013, Updated Aug 13, 2022
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Homemade Mini Phyllo Cups are a miniature pastry with big possibilities- fill these buttery, flaky cups, with any kind of filling for delicious finger food.
Homemade Mini Phyllo Cups
I can think of a million reasons you may need some finger food/appetizer knowledge. Baby/bridal showers, birthday parties, Super Bowl parties, Christmas, New Year’s Eve and any of event in the middle. Mini phyllo cups are those adorable little pastry shells that you can buy in the freezer section and fill with anything from taco meat and toppings to desserty puddings and fruits. If you’ve never had them they are light and super flaky, very fun to eat and have a fancier air about them than some other finger foods.
I was looking at them the other day at the store and the pre-made mini phyllo cups are so much more expensive than sheets of phyllo dough. Not only is the dough cheaper per box than the premade shells, but you can also make about four times as many shells out of the dough compared to how many come in the box of pre-made cups. So that makes it much, much cheaper. So I thought I’d share how you make homemade mini phyllo cups to save you a buck and to give you some fun appetizer ideas.
What can I put inside phyllo cups?
I’ve done mainly desserts with these. I like to do a simple no-bake cheesecake filling (or cook-and-serve pudding) and then top with pie filling or fruit, but there are plenty of savory things that could go in as well.
Can you keep phyllo cups in the freezer?
Baked phyllo cups can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to a month. The cups can be reheated in the oven. If your cups already have filling inside them, be sure to check if the filling will keep in the freezer before you store them.
What’s the Difference Between Phyllo and Puff Pastry?
Phyllo dough is much thinner and has less fat than puff pastry dough. Phyllo is traditionally used in Greek dishes and can be more brittle than puff pastry. On the other hand, puff pastry is much thicker than phyllo and is denser. Phyllo is a great option for these mini cups because they are so light!
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Homemade Mini Phyllo Cups
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 12 mini cups 1x
Description
Homemade Mini Phyllo Cups are a miniature pastry with big possibilities- fill these buttery, flaky cups, with any kind of filling for delicious finger food.
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
If you know you are going to fill them with something sweet you can sprinkle a bit of sugar in between each layer after the butter is brushed on. So good!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Appetizers, Desserts
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Method from theKitchn
Filling Options:
- Mini Taco Cups from Taste of Home
- Caramelized Onion, Apple, and Bacon Phyllo Cups with Gorgonzola from Cake, Batter, and Bowl
- Stuffed Sausage Cups from Made in Melissa’s Kitchen
- Mini Pepperoni Pizza Cups from Chef Mom
- Chocolate Mousse Tarts with Raspberries from Cooking for Keeps
Peanut Chicken Cups from JIF - Raspberry Cheesecake Dip
Other Appetizer Recipes:
- Mini Baked Corn Dogs
- Everyday Cheese Board
- Parmesan Pretzel Bites with Parmesan Dipping Sauce
- Easy Fall Apple and Cheese Board
This post was originally published in 2013 and has been updated in July 2019.
These Homemade Mini Phyllo Cups are an excellent finger food for any occasion- the perfect flaky crust to convey and compliment any flavor you choose to put inside.
This is a question: if you are putting a filling that needs baking, are you still pre-baking the phyllo cups first?
You don’t need to cook them ahead of time, you are good to put in your pie filling and then bake, and it’ll take a few minutes longer for it all to bake since something is in it. Does that make sense?
Due to supply chain issues, I was unable to buy phyllo cups and came across your recipe. I was really scared to try this but decided to just jumped right in. As I was using mini muffin tins, after I cut the squares, I used a small glass to make an impression in the dough then used scissors to cut them into rounds which fit the tins perfectly. Your hint about the wax paper and wet tea towel was spot on. Thank you for your detailed instructions!
They turned out perfect!! I was nervous about using such a delicate dough but it was just tough enough to handle.
I used butter flavoured cooking spray instead of butter and it was quick enough I didn’t need to cover the dough and it made 4 dozen beautiful mini phyllo cups.
Thank you for the great recipe!!!!!
Ohhh using the spray is a great idea, thank you for sharing!
I don’t have s muffin pan or wax paper. What can I use instead??
Hello!
Why rectangles instead of squares?
My grandmother used to make homemade phyllo sheets. It is definitely a process. The store bought ones are much easier to work with. But if you are interested, here’s the recipe from my grandmother who was from Alleppo, Syria….. 5 pounds flour, 1 egg white, 1/2 C. olive oil, 2 C. lukewarm water, 1 tsp salt, and cornstarch. Pour flour in a large pan and make a well in the center. Place egg white, oil, water, and salt in well and stir. gradually mix in the flour and knead until dough is smooth and elastic. (usually takes about 20 minutes of kneading) Cover and set aside in warm place for about 4 hours. Cut dough in sections (the size of an orange) and dip in cornstarch. Let set another 2 hours covered with a cloth. Roll dough as thinly as possible on floured board. Place cloth on table. Start pulling the rolled piece of dough on the cloth toward you until tissue thin. In just a few minutes, the dough will be dry and feel like paper. Cut into lengths to fit in baking pan. Cover with wax paper. Continue to roll and pull dough, covering each sheet with wax paper. Yield 5 pounds.
Cheaters! i was looking from made from scratch Phyllo cups, not made from store bought!
arrgh.
I know people who make homemade puff pastry but I’ve literally never heard of someone making homemade phyllo dough! Good luck with that one! LOL
Homemake phyllo dough takes a while because you have to layer each super thin sheet so most people don’t even think about trying. It’s definitely not something just anyone can do!
See. Recipe. Above. Your. Post.
Thanks so much for sharing this, I am planning on making caprese phyllo cups
Yum cant wait to make them
ooooh! Provo! 🙂 I hope you find many treasures. I have NOT had luck with dressers in thrift stores here… but hopefully you will!
Thanks for recommending my filling to go with your homemade phyllo cups! I’m going to have to make my own next time – I especially like the idea of sprinkling sugar in between each layer.
Thanks for having something delicious to put in them 🙂