These baklava cookies are made with sugar cookie dough that gets stuffed with a sweet honey pistachio filling, and the baked buttery cookies get rolled in floral rose sugar for the perfect finish.
These cookies have the flavors of traditional baklava without the effort of working with phyllo dough and syrup! Make these for a special occasion or a unique flavor to add to any cookie swap.
Baklava is one of my favorite desserts because of the combination of pastry, nut filling, and the flavor of rose petals throughout the syrup. In this pistachio dessert, sugar cookies take the place of the phyllo pastry, making it much easier to make with simple pantry ingredients!
If you're looking for another twist on baklava, try this showstopper baklava cake or baklava cheesecake bars! If you want a more simple pistachio dessert, we love these easy and delicious pistachio shortbread cookies and lemon pistachio cake.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
Sugar Cookie Dough - These baklava cookies use sugar cookie dough in place of phyllo dough (the same cookie dough as these coffee cake cookies) which is much easier to make and equally as delicious! You probably have all of the ingredients for sugar cookie dough in your pantry, and the dough comes together in minutes.
Pistachio Filling -The one-bowl pistachio filling in these cookies comes together simply with a fork and tastes just like baklava filling thanks to the cinnamon and honey.
Rose Sugar - Instead of making a sticky syrup to pour over baklava, these cookies get rolled in an easy-to-make rose sugar. Just pulse dried rose petals and sugar in a food processor, and you're done!
Ingredients
- Granulated sugar. Normal sugar is used in the base of the dough, and gets combined with dried rose petals to roll the cookie dough into.
- Brown sugar. This sugar is used in the cookie dough, and gets mixed into the filling.
- Honey. This gets mixed into the nut mixture like in a classic baklava.
- Cornstarch. This ingredient helps to keep the filling nice and chewy instead of hard and sticky.
- Cinnamon. To make the baklava filling nice and flavorful.
- Pistachios. The main ingredient for the baklava cookie filling.
- Rose petals. Edible rose petals get ground up into the sugar and rolled onto the outside of the dough balls. Find these in many middle eastern grocery stores or order online.
See recipe card for full ingredients list and quantities.
Substitutions and Variations
- Use walnuts in addition to or in place of the pistachios.
- Add ½ teaspoon of orange blossom water to the filling for even more floral flavor.
- If you don't enjoy rose flavor, roll the cookies in spiced sugar instead. Add ¼ teaspoon cloves, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, and ¼ teaspoon of allspice to the sugar.
- Add the zest of one lemon or orange into the filling for a brighter flavor.
How to Make This Recipe
One: Grind up the dried roses with some of the sugar, then mix with the remaining sugar.
Two: Mix the pistachios, sugar, cinnamon, cornstarch, and honey until combined.
Three: Cream the butter and sugars until smooth.
Four: Add the eggs and beat until fluffy.
Five: Add the dry ingredients and mix it in with a spatula or wooden spoon.
Six: Scoop out flush mounds of cookie dough into a 3 tablespoon scoop.
Hot tip! The dough is very firm, you may need to use a clean hand to bring all of the dough together into a smooth mass.
Seven: Add all of the dough balls onto a parchment lined sheet pan.
Eight: Squeeze a piece of dough a few times to make it smooth.
Nine: Flatten the dough evenly into the palm of your hand.
Ten: Add a 1 tablespoon scoop of the baklava filling to the center of the dough.
Eleven: Close the dough completely around the nut filling, then roll through your hands into a smooth ball.
Twelve: Roll the dough ball through the rose sugar to coat completely.
Thirteen: Gently flatten the cookie dough balls with your fingers or use the bottom of a cup.
Fourteen: Once baked, use a round object to scoot the cookies, then sprinkle the tops with more rose sugar.
Expert Tips
- Measure the flour with a digital scale. If you use too much flour in these cookies, it makes them difficult to assemble and they will crack open.
- Flatten and assemble one piece of dough at a time so the dough doesn't dry out.
- Only bake as long as directed in the recipe. The cookies keep cooking while cooling on the pan.
- Scooting the cookies inside of a biscuit or round cookie cutter helps to seal any cracks on the sides before cooling.
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Recipe FAQs
Yes. Walnuts, pecans, and hazelnuts are all good options
This is probably because too much flour was used. Make sure to measure with a digital scale or use the fluff, scoop, and level method for the most accurate measurements.
Storage
Store the cookies in a sealed container at room temperature for 4-5 days. The cookies continue to get softer as the days go on thanks to the sugary nut filling.
Freeze the cookies in an airtight container for up to three months. Remove from the container and thaw at room temperature before enjoying.
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What to Know When Cooking with The Cozy Plum
- All recipes are created with Diamond Crystal kosher salt, the least salty variety of kosher salt. If using Morton's, you'll need to cut the amount of salt in half as it's 2x as salty. This will be the same for sea salt. Please do not use table salt.
- Switch between Cups vs Metric using the toggle on the recipe card. Baking by weight using a digital scale will always produce the most accurate results.
- Scale the recipe using the '1X' '2X' '3X' buttons on the recipe card. Note that this does not make an adjustment for baking times, only quantities.
- If you'd like to make the recipe in a different pan, use the pan size converter.
📖Recipe
Baklava Cookies
Equipment
- 2 Large baking sheet
- Stand mixer with paddle attachment, or handheld mixer
- 3-tablespoon cookie scoop
- Spice grinder or small blender
Ingredients
- ¼ cup dried roses edible version
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup pistachios shelled
- ¼ cup light brown sugar packed
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 3 large egg yolks room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla paste or extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- In a food processor (or spice grinder, small blender) pulse together one tablespoon of sugar and the rose petals until combined and the petals have turned into a fine dust. Transfer to a bowl, mix with the remaining sugar, and set aside.¼ cup dried roses, ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- Add the pistachios to the food processor and pulse until finely ground. Transfer to a bowl and mix in the brown sugar, cinnamon, and cornstarch. Stir the honey into the hot, melted butter then mix it into the nuts until combined. Set aside.¾ cup pistachios, ¼ cup light brown sugar, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 1 tablespoon honey, 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or with a hand mixer), cream together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium speed for five minutes.½ cup unsalted butter, ½ cup light brown sugar, ¼ cup granulated sugar
- Scrape down the sides and add the egg yolks and vanilla and mix on medium speed until combined.3 large egg yolks, 2 teaspoons vanilla paste or extract
- Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and mix on low speed until just combined2 cups all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- (it may look crumbly and dry). Use a rubber spatula and some elbow grease to combine the mixture into a smooth dough
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ and line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Using a 3 tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop the cookie dough and place six onto each cookie sheet. Flatten out each piece of cookie dough with your hands, then add a 1 tablespoon of the pistachio mixture to the center.
- Fold the dough around the filling and roll in between your hands to smooth. Repeat with all cookies.
- Roll the cookie dough ball through the rose sugar, and place 6 cookies onto each pan.
- Press each cookie down gently with your hand or the bottom of a cup until 1cm thick.
- Bake one pan at a time for 8-10 minutes.
- Scoot the cookies immediately after they come out of the oven to sure up the sides, sprinkle with extra rose sugar, then cool completely on the pan.
Video
Notes
-use a digital scale to measure the flour for best results. Too much flour will result in a dough that is hard to form and dry cookies.
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Christa says
I accidentally powdered all the sugar with the rose petals to use on the outside but they still turned out so delicious and beautiful! I will definitely be making these again!
Callan Wenner says
So glad they still turned out great! Thank you for trying them!
Jennifer says
I can’t give a rating as I’ve not made these yet… they’ll be made this week though so I’ll make sure t come back to give my feedback then. I just wanted to say a HUGE THANK YOU for the formatting of your recipes! I adore that you’ve put the ingredients used at each step. So helpful 😁
Callan Wenner says
Aww this is such great feedback - so happy you find it helpful! Please do report back after you've made the cookies!
Christie Hugman says
I can’t wait to make these! Are they freezer friendly?
Callan Wenner says
Hi Christine! Yes, they actually freeze really well. Store the baked cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Let them thaw at room temperature (uncovered so the moisture can evaporate).
Vibhuti Dedhia says
Hey dear, love the recipe. Would you be able to suggest a egg yolk substitute as some if my clients are vegetarian
Callan Wenner says
Without trying this I can't say for certain how it will turn out (the egg yolks provide fat and chewiness to the dough), but typically, a flax egg is your best bet for a vegan egg replacement. To replace one egg yolk, I'd do: 1/2 tablespoon of finely ground flax seeds combined with 1.5 tablespoons of water, mix and wait until it's thickened before using it. Would be curious to hear how it turns out if you try it!