Baklava Tartlets with Maple and Walnuts

These Baklava Tartlets are the perfect dessert party bites! They're made with gluten free puff pastry, toasted walnuts, and maple syrup.

These Maple Walnut Baklava Tartlets are lightly sweetened and a great addition to your next holiday cocktail party!

One of the best things about the holiday season are all of the appetizers and bite-size foods that appear during these seasonal gatherings.

It seems like many of these get-togethers comes with a variety of both savory and sweet goodies in addition to festive cocktails. Everyone sort of turns into a foodie this time of year.

One of my favorite party bites are tartlets. Tartlets are basically mini tarts. They're made with some sort of pastry and baked with either a sweet or savory filling or topping.

Many tartlets are savory and to complement that, I took this recipe in a sweet direction inspired by baklava - The classic Middle Eastern dessert made with layers of phyllo dough, nuts, and honey.

This is a simplified version of that dessert. It's made with puff pastry sheets that are cut into rounds and topped with a mixture of toasted walnuts, maple syrup, cinnamon, cardamom, and lemon zest.

Jump to:

• What Is Baklava?
• Is Baklava Gluten Free?
• Tips For Baking With Gluten Free Puff Pastry
• Ingredients For Baklava Tartlets
• How To Make Baklava Tartlets
• How To Toast The Walnuts
• How To Make The Maple Glaze
• What Is Cardamom?
• How To Make The Maple Walnut Mixture
• Can I Use A Different Nut To Make These Tartlets?
• How Long Does It Take To Bake Mini Baklava Tarts?
• What To Serve With Baklava Tarts
• How To Store These Tartlets
• Can They Be Frozen?
• Baklava Tartlets with Maple and Walnuts

What Is Baklava?

I used to work in a Middle Eastern restaurant and it was there I discovered baklava.

Baklava is a traditional Middle Eastern dessert that is thought to have originated in the Ottoman empire and has roots in Turkey.

It's a layered dessert made with phyllo dough, assorted nuts, and sweetened with honey. To make baklava from scratch can be a time consuming and tedious process.

Is Baklava Gluten Free?

Unfortunately, baklava is made with phyllo dough, which is not gluten free.

To enjoy traditional baklava, you would need to make your own gluten free phyllo dough from scratch, as there are no brands of gluten free phyllo dough on the market (that I know of).

To simplify things, I opted to create a dessert that was inspired by baklava and that I would be able to enjoy even as someone who is gluten free.

Gluten free puff pastry is a great alternative to phyllo dough for recipes like this one. There are a number of gluten free puff pastry brands on the market, which are perfect for both savory and sweet treats like this one.

You can find gluten free puff pastry in the freezer section of your local grocery store, specialty grocery store, or food coop. Alternately, you can put in a request with your local grocery store to order some if they do not carry it, or purchase it from an online retailer such as Amazon.

I have tried both the GeeFree and Schar brands of gluten free frozen puff pastry and enjoyed both of them. These Baklava Tartlets were made using one 18 oz. package of GeeFree gluten free puff pastry sheets.

Tips For Baking With Gluten Free Puff Pastry

There are a few differences when it comes to regular and gluten free puff pastry.

This recipe can be made using either regular or gluten free puff pastry, but there are a few things to keep in mind. Alternately, these baklava tartlets can be made using phyllo cups if gluten is not an issue for you.

• When using gluten free puff pastry, it must be thawed before use. Thawing gluten free puff pastry takes 2-3 hours.
• Gluten free puff pastry does not 'puff' quite as much as regular puff pastry. It is just as buttery and decadent, but not quite as light and airy.
• The lack of gluten means that gluten free puff pastry tears more easily than regular brands. You will likely need to work it more with your hands and/or a rolling pin to keep it from falling apart, just as you do when making gluten free pie crust.
• Make sure to sprinkle a bit of gluten free flour over the surface on which you're working to prevent it from sticking. It's best to sprinkle flour over the top of the puff pastry sheet as well if using a rolling pin.

Ingredients For Baklava Tartlets

Here's what you'll need to make them.

• 1 package Gluten Free Puff Pastry (such as GeeFree or Schar) (can use regular puff pastry if not gluten free)
• 2 Tbsp. Gluten Free Flour Blend (or AP flour if not gluten free)
• 2 ¼ cups Chopped Walnuts (unsalted) (or unsalted nuts of choice)
• 2 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter
• ¾ cup Pure Maple Syrup
• 1 tsp. Cinnamon
• 1 tsp. Cardamom
• 1-2 Lemons (zest only)
• ¼ tsp. Kosher Salt
• Cooking Spray

How To Make Baklava Tartlets

The process of making these baklava bites is easy and it starts by thawing the puff pastry.

As mentioned, gluten free puff pastry must be thawed before use and it takes 2-3 hours to thaw at room temperature, so it's important to plan ahead when making this recipe.

Once the puff pastry sheets are thawed, they're rolled out with a rolling pin and cut into rounds with a biscuit or cookie cutter, placed into a muffin tin, topped with the maple walnut mixture, and baked in the oven.

I recommend cutting the puff pastry into 2 inch rounds.

The great thing about puff pastry is that once all the rounds are cut, it can be scooped up, formed into another sheet, and used to create more rounds.

1. Start by removing 1 package of puff pastry from the freezer and allowing it to thaw at room temperature for 2-3 hours (gluten free puff pastry takes longer than regular puff pastry to thaw).
2. Once thawed, sprinkle 1 Tbsp. gluten free flour blend on a clean, flat surface. Place 1 sheet of puff pastry on the floured surface and roll it out a bit with a rolling pin.
3. Generously spray a muffin tin with cooking spray to prevent the tartlets from sticking as they bake.
4. Using a 2 inch round biscuit or cookie cutter, cut 12 or so rounds from the puff pastry and place each one into the muffin tin cavities. Gently press each pastry round into the cavity so it forms a cup.
5. Scoop the puff pastry up with your hands and form it into a ball. Flatten the ball and roll it out again with the rolling pin. Use the biscuit or cookie cutter to cut more rounds from the dough.
6. Repeat this process with the other sheet of puff pastry and continue until all the dough is cut into rounds.
7. Pierce each puff pastry round 2 times each with a fork (this will prevent them from 'puffing' as they bake).

Depending on the brand of puff pastry used and the size of the rounds cut, this recipe should yield 24-30 tartlets.

How To Toast The Walnuts

Walnuts form the base of these baklava tarts. I recommend toasting the walnuts before making these baklava bites, or any recipe that contains walnuts.

Toasting the walnuts helps to release their natural oils, making the flavor more robust. It only takes a few minutes to toast the walnuts and is well worth the effort.

I love to use a small cast iron skillet to toast nuts on the stove top. The process takes 5-6 minutes and cast iron is great for dispersing heat evenly, which helps to ensure that the nuts don't burn as they toast.

It's important to use unsalted walnuts (or nuts of choice), otherwise the dish will be too salty.

1. Place 2 ¼ cups unsalted chopped walnuts (or nuts of choice) in a small cast iron skillet.
2. Place the skillet on the stove top and heat to medium-low.
3. Toast the walnuts over medium-low heat for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent them from burning.
4. Once the walnuts are fragrant, remove the skillet from the heat and set aside.

How To Make The Maple Glaze

Once the walnuts are toasted, they're tossed in a sweet and sticky spiced maple syrup glaze before they are used to top the puff pastry rounds.

This maple glaze is simple to prepare and made in a sauce pan on the stove top.

The glaze is a flavorful combination of pure maple syrup, unsalted butter, ground cinnamon and cardamom, lemon zest, and kosher salt.

1. To make the glaze, place a small sauce pan on the stove top and heat to medium-low.
2. Place 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter in the sauce pan and allow it to melt.
3. Once melted, add ¾ cup pure maple syrup to the pan. Stir the butter and maple syrup until completely combined.
4. Add 1 tsp. each ground cinnamon and cardamom, along with ¼ tsp. kosher salt.
5. Using a Microplane zester, grate the zest of 1 lemon into the sauce pan. Stir until completely combined.
6. Cook the maple glaze over low heat for 5 minutes, stirring often. It will thicken slightly.
7. Remove the sauce pan from the stove top and set aside.

What Is Cardamom?

Cardamom is a spice that is native to the Indian subcontinent. It is used in both savory and sweet dishes in Indian, Middle Eastern, and Scandinavian cuisines.

You can find cardamom in pods or ground into a powder (as used in this recipe). It's a fragrant spice that has flavors of citrus, mint, and a bit of spice.

It's absolutely delicious and can be found in the spice aisle of most supermarkets or purchased online.

If you like cardamom, be sure to check out this Cardamom French Toast!

How To Make The Maple Walnut Mixture

The maple glaze and walnuts may be prepared at the same time on the stove top.

Once they're both ready, all that's needed is to combine them in a large mixing bowl.

1. Place the toasted walnuts into a large mixing bowl.
2. Pour the maple syrup mixture over the top and stir until the walnuts are completely coated in the syrup.

Can I Use A Different Nut To Make These Tartlets?

Yes! Feel free to use unsalted pecans, pine nuts, pistachio, almonds or any type of nut you like to make these baklava bites.

How Long Does It Take To Bake Mini Baklava Tarts?

All that's needed at this point is to top the puff pastry rounds with the maple walnut topping and bake them in the oven.

• It's essential to spray the muffin tin generously to help prevent the tartlets from sticking to the pan.
• The maple syrup in the tartlet filling does run over the sides of the tartlet shells as they bake in the oven. This creates a caramelization on the bottom of the tartlet shells. It's important to keep an eye on the tartlets as they bake so that the sugars in the maple syrup caramelize and don't burn.
• You can use phyllo cups instead of gluten free puff pastry if gluten is not an issue for you. Alternately, you can use store-bought pre-made tart shells in place of puff pastry or phyllo cups.

1. To bake the tartlets, preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Place 1 Tbsp. of the maple walnut mixture onto each puff pastry round, making sure to add some of the extra syrup in the bowl to each one.
3. Continue with the remainder of the walnut mixture.
4. Place the baking sheets on the top rack of the oven and bake for 12-14 minutes.
5. Remove the muffin tin when finished and allow to cool before serving.
6. You may need to run a knife along the sides of the muffin tin cavities to remove the tartlets, as the sugars from the maple syrup can cause them to stick to the sides.
7. If making in batches, be sure to spray the muffin tin generously with cooking spray before making more batches.

Looking for more festive desserts? Don't miss these!

• Crispy Sugar Cookies
• Peanut Butter Blossoms
• Peppermint Chocolate Cheesecake Cups
• Chocolate Dipped Shortbread Cookies
• Strawberry Mascarpone Tartlets

Want to celebrate with festive cocktails? Don't miss these!

• Tom and Jerry Christmas Cocktail
• Pomegranate Mojito
• Bailey's Whiskey Irish Affogato
• Raspberry Mule Cocktail

What To Serve With Baklava Tarts

After the baklava tartlets are cooled, they're ready to serve.

1. Feel free to add the zest of another lemon to make the flavor pop a little more (optional).
2. You can also sprinkle a bit of extra cinnamon over the top (optional).

These tartlets are perfect served as a party bite during the holidays. They're delicious with coffee drinks, tea, wine, or sparkly cocktails or mocktails.

They're great paired with savory appetizers such as feta stuffed dates, BBQ turkey meatballs, smoked salmon crostini, or cold spinach artichoke dip.

How To Store These Tartlets

Any leftover tartlets may be stored in an airtight container for 1-2 days at room temperature or in the refrigerator.

Keep in mind that they dry out quickly and are best enjoyed within a day or two.

Can They Be Frozen?

For optimal taste and texture, I do not recommend freezing these tartlets.

Love appetizers? Check out these recipes!

• Mushroom Gruyere Tartlets
• Prosciutto Gruyere Tartlets
• Mushroom Tapenade
• Teriyaki Turkey Meatballs
• Kalamata Olive Tapenade
• Spiced Roasted Mixed Nuts

Looking For More Party Bites? Don't Miss These!

Eggnog Cheesecake Cookie Cups

Bite Size Cream Puffs

Cream Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms

Bacon Wrapped Shrimp