Gluten Free Baklava Mini Tarts!
Baklava is typically a rich, sweet pastry made of layers of filo (phyllo) dough, filled with a mixture of finely chopped nuts (typically pistachios, walnuts, or hazelnuts), and sweetened with syrup or honey. It's known for its flaky, crispy texture and its sweet, nutty flavor. Baklava is enjoyed in many parts of the world, but is most known as being a middle eastern dessert.
Enter gluten free…and baklava is usually instantly off the the table! There IS a brand of gluten free phyllo dough but is hard to find and its not cheap. If you can get your hands on that- then by all means feel free to use it in this recipe! At some point I will absolutely do a gluten free phyllo here in the club- but the truth is that no matter what it is and will always be a time consuming endeavor to make at home.
So.. THEN I had a fun idea to roll out pie crust a bit more thin and make these beautiful little pistachio/walnut tarts!! Similar to pecan tarts only with a more classic baklava filling. They turned out awesome!! My favorite pie crust to use for this recipe is my Patee Brisee as its the most flaky out of the collection which mimics the idea of phyllo the most!
Lets talk Pie Crust Options!
I have a number of them… and I also have a suggestion if you aren’t in the mood to make your own but need to stick to gluten free!
Both base and plus members have access to my two favorite options:
Pillsbury Copycat Pie Crust Recipe (Gluten/Grain/Egg/Dairy Free)
Extra Flaky Patee Brisee Pie Crust (Gluten & Dairy Free)
If you are a plus member and have additional dietary restrictions then you also have available:
(All 3 of these crusts are located in the same post- so you’ll just need to scroll through until you find the one you want!)
Nut Free Coconut Flour Pie Crust
Any of these recipes will work! The keto pie crust out of all of them is a little bit more difficult to work with (it can be crumbly).But I do think its still doable. Especially if you are willing to use some starch (tapioca,arrowroot, potato or cornstarch) to roll it out.
I wish that there were more gluten free pie crusts available in stores. Especially in a box (rather than pre-rolled). I have been really pleased with Wholly Gluten Free Frozen Pie crust shells every time I have used them. They turn out really nice and flaky! For this recipe you can let the pans thaw and then flip the crust out onto a sheet of parchment. I would just gather the dough into a ball and roll it out using a touch of gluten free all purpose flour or a little starch! If you go this route and want to make the recipe as I have it written you’ll need 2 pie tins total.
Gluten & Dairy Free Pistachio Baklava Tarts
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp Butter
- 1/2 Cup Organic Cane Sugar
- 2 Tsp Lemon Juice
- 1/4 Cup Honey
- 1 1/4 Cup Salted/Roasted Pistachio Nuts
- 1 1/4 Cup Raw Unsalted Walnuts
- 2 Large Eggs
- 1/4 Tsp Salt
- 1/4 Tsp Ground Cardamom
- 1/4 cup salted/roasted Pistachio Nuts very finely chopped and set aside.(To sprinkle on the tops of the tarts)
- 1 Batch of Pie Crust (If you purchase store bought this will the equivalent of 2 rolled out crusts. If making the crust I recommend my Gluten Free Extra Flaky Patee Brisee Pie Crust OR my Gluten Free Pillsbury Copycat Pie Crust Recipe.
Instructions
- Make the filling: Melt the butter in a large glass bowl. Whisk in the sugar, lemon juice. salt, honey eggs & cardamom. Pour in the chopped nuts and stir. Set aside.
- Finely chop an additional 1/4 cup pistachios and set aside
- Roll out pie crust (thin- but not too thin! The dough should still be easy to handle without breaking!) Cut 3 inch wide circles. Place each circle and carefully press them into the cups of a nonstick mini muffin tin. Depending how thick your dough is you will end up with about 40-44 circles of dough.
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Carefully spoon 2 tsp of the filling into each mini muffin tin with crust- filling them only halfway to 3/4 of the way full. If you would like a whole pecan piece can be placed in the center of each tart. Flaky sea salt can also
- Bake for 15 minutes on the middle rack. Pull the pan out and sprinkle the finely chopped pistachio on top of each tart. Place back in for another 4-5 minutes! The crust should be golden brown and the filling firm to touch.
- Store tarts room temperature, in the fridge or freezer!