Baklava Cookies (Inspired by Bake It With Fat and Weird)
The ultimate phyllo dough cookie filled with pistachios, brown sugar, and honey
If you love the flaky, nutty, sticky-sweet layers of traditional baklava but want it in cookie form, these Baklava Cookies are your dream dessert. Inspired by Episode 18 of Bake It Fat & Weird, this unique cookie recipe layers buttery phyllo dough with pistachios, brown sugar cookie dough, and a honey syrup drizzle—bringing the best of Middle Eastern baklava into a soft, chewy cookie format.
This cookie is a phyllo dough dessert that’s both crisp and gooey, nutty and buttery, and completely over the top in the best way possible.
“Nobody’s layering cookies with phyllo like this. It’s a baklava-cookie-lovers fever dream.”
Perfect for holidays, special occasions, or your next viral TikTok cookie drop, this recipe is a must-bake if you're craving something extra weird, flaky, and delicious.

Ingredients for Baklava Cookies
Brown Sugar Cookie Dough Base (Baklava-Inspired)
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
½ cup shortening (for structure)
¾ cup light brown sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg + 1 egg yolk
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp vegetable oil
½ tsp sea salt
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
1¾ cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup finely chopped pistachios (unsalted)
1 tbsp honey (in dough)
🧈 For the Phyllo Dough Layers
- 1 package frozen phyllo dough, thawed and cut into squares
- ½ cup melted butter (for brushing)
- ¼ cup chopped or crushed pistachios (for layering)
- Extra honey for drizzling between layers
🍯 Homemade Honey Syrup (Baklava Drizzle)
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup water
How to Make Baklava Cookies (Step-by-Step)
1. Make the Pistachio Brown Sugar Cookie Dough
Start by creaming together butter and shortening. Add in both sugars and beat until fluffy and pale. Mix in the egg, extra yolk, vanilla, and oil until smooth. Stir in the salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Finally, fold in the flour, chopped pistachios, and honey.
💡 Chill dough for 15–20 minutes so it’s easier to shape into layers.
2. Layering the Cookie Like Baklava
Lay down 2–3 sheets of phyllo dough on a parchment-lined baking tray. Brush each layer lightly with melted butter. Top with a scoop (about 2 oz) of cookie dough, flattened slightly. Drizzle with honey and sprinkle extra pistachios. Repeat layering: phyllo → pistachios → honey → cookie dough → phyllo. Finish with a final buttered layer of phyllo.
This creates a lasagna-style cookie structure that mimics the flaky, nutty layers of classic baklava.
3. Bake the Cookies
Pre-bake the phyllo dough layers alone at 400°F for 8 minutes to give them a head start on crisping.
Add your layered cookie stacks and bake at 350°F for 12–14 minutes until golden brown and gooey in the middle.
4. Make the Honey Syrup
While the cookies bake, combine honey, sugar, and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil, then simmer for 10 minutes to create a sticky baklava-style syrup.
5. Drizzle and Finish
When the cookies come out of the oven, immediately drizzle each one with warm honey syrup. It soaks into the layers and gives the cookies that iconic baklava stickiness and shine.
Tasting Notes & Texture
These cookies hit all the baklava flavor notes: crispy phyllo layers, toasted pistachios, buttery brown sugar dough, and a sweet honey finish. The inside stays gooey and soft while the phyllo crisps into delicate golden shards. Sweet, sticky, flaky, chewy—a Middle Eastern fusion cookie worth every layer.
"That might be the best one we’ve ever made."
—Brad, Bake It With Fat and Weird
Final Thoughts
If you’re tired of basic drop cookies and want to try something bold, flaky, and sweet, these Baklava Cookies are the perfect blend of tradition and innovation. Part cookie, part pastry, all delicious.