Easy Baklava Cookies
If you have ever made Baklava from scratch then you know that it takes a lot of time and steps. Layers and layers of goodness get stacked on top of each other, baked and then glazed. It takes some major time. While it is totally worth it for special occasions, sometimes it is nice to have an easy alternative. These Easy Baklava Cookies are it! Made with a cake mix and ready in under an hour, you get all of the flavors you appreciate from traditional baklava in a fraction of the time {and effort}.
Do you love Baklava? Try this Easy Baklava Bundt Cake Recipe with a Cake Mix!
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Tips & tricks to achieve the most delicious cookies of your life!
The Best Baklava Cookies
Transforming traditional baklava into a cookie might just be one of the best things I have ever done! While this Baklava Bundt Cake is special, these cookies are so easy and truly some of the best cookies I have ever sunk my teeth into.
Starting with a cake mix makes creating these nut filled cookies so simple. Then you get all of the baklava flavor from the delicious nut filling and honey glaze. You won’t believe just how wonderful these babies are.
Ingredients Needed
Cookies:
- Vanilla Cake Mix- The perfect base for these amazingly simple and delicious cookies.
- Eggs- Added to help bind the cookie ingredients together.
- Vegetable Oil- The fat is needed to give you a soft cookie. Melted butter can always be substituted in the same amount.
Baklava Topping:
- Butter- Added to the filling to give the nuts flavor and help create a caramel sauce of sorts.
- Chopped Nuts- I love to use a combination of pistachios, almonds and walnuts but use whatever combination you like.
- Brown Sugar- Combined with the butter, it makes a delicious syrup over the chopped nuts.
- Corn Syrup- Added to help give the filling a little extra sweetness and allow it to set up quicker.
- Cinnamon- Flavor, flavor, flavor!
Honey Glaze:
- Honey- Added to resemble traditional glaze added to the top of baklava.
- Powdered Sugar- The perfect sugar to use because of the sweetness without grit.
- Lemon Juice- The small amount of acid helps to balance the sweetness.
- Water- Used to to thin the glaze just a bit and bring everything together.
How to make Baklava Cookies with a Cake Mix
- Combine the cookie ingredients in a medium bowl and combine using a hand held mixer {or by hand} until you have a thick dough.
- Use a medium cookie scoop to scoop cookies onto a silicone mat {or parchment} lined baking sheet. Bake for 9 minutes.
- While the cookies are baking, combine the chopped nuts in a small bowl.
- Add the brown sugar, butter, corn syrup and cinnamon.
- Stir to combine and set aside until the first batch of cookies are baked.
- After 9 minutes, remove the cookies from the oven and make an indentation in the middle of each cookie using a tart shaper {or the back of the cookie scoop}.
- Fill the middle of the cookie with the nut mixture.
- Place the cookies back in the oven for an additional 2-3 minutes or until the filling is nice and glossy. Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet.
Baklava Cookie Tips
- Use a cookie scoop to scoop out the cookies. This will keep all of the cookies the same size which allows them to bake up evenly and keep them all looking uniform.
- If you have a tart shaper use it to make the indentation in the middle of the cookies. It works best but the back of the cookie scoop will work, just be sure to not press too hard.
- Don’t overfill the middle of the cookies with the nut mixture. It is important that the middle is full but once it bakes you don’t want the liquid overflow from the sides of the cookies.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet. The residual heat from the baking sheet will set the cookies up perfectly and make them the perfect softness.
Variations/Substitutions
- Nuts- I used a combination of pistachios, almonds and walnuts but any combination of nuts would work wonderfully. You could also choose to use only one nut in the filling. It is up to you and your taste.
- Cake Mix- Try using a chocolate or a carrot cake mix for an extra fun and flavorful combination.
Frequently Asked Questions:
The great news is that these Baklava cookies will keep for at least 4 days at room temperature and a day or two longer in the refrigerator.
You can also freeze these cookies for up to 3 months.
Absolutely! Use whatever nut combination you like or even just use a kind of nut in the filling of this cookie. You can decide on whatever your taste is.
Store these Baklava Cake Mix Cookies in an airtight container either at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
Yes, these Easy Baklava Cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months. The best way to freeze them is to place the cookies into a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze. Once frozen, place them in a zipper bag.
This allows you to pull a few cookies out a time if needed and the cookies don’t stick together.
Do you love cookies? Try these amazing recipes…
- Pecan Pie Cookie Bites Recipe
- Easy Cake Mix Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
- Texas Sheet Cake Cookies
- Easy Boston Cream Pie Cookie Bites Recipe
- Peanut Butter Blossom Cookie Recipe with a Cake Mix
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Easy Baklava Cookies
Ingredients
Cookie
- 1 box vanilla cake mix {15.5 ounces}
- 2 eggs
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
Baklava Topping
- ¼ cup butter {melted}
- 1 cup assorted nuts {chopped} I used pistachio, almonds & walnuts
- ⅓ cup brown sugar {packed}
- 1 Tablespoon corn syrup
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Honey Glaze
- 2 Tablespoons honey
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice
- ½-1 Tablespoon warm water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°.
Cookies
- Combine cookie ingredients in large bowl and mix until completely incorporated. NOTE: Dough will be thick.
Baklava Topping
- Combine melted butter, nuts, brown sugar, corn syrup and cinnamon into a medium bowl and stir until combined.
Baking Cookies
- Using a medium sized cookie scoop {or heaping tablespoon}, scoop cookie dough onto a silicone mat {or parchment} lined cookie sheet.
- Bake for 9 minutes and remove from oven and remove. Once the cookies are partially baked, use the bottom of the same cookie scoop {or a tart shaper} and make an indention into the middle of each cookie, being careful not to press too hard {you don't want the scoop to press entirely through the cookie}.
- Fill the indentation with baklava filling. Bake for an additional 2-3 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet.
- Once the cookies are cool or almost cooled combine the honey glaze ingredients and. whisk until you have a nice glaze. Drizzle over the top of the cookies and allow the glaze to set for a few minutes before stacking the cookies. Serve or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Notes
- If you don’t like pistachios, almonds and walnuts that is alright. Use a combination of nuts that you like or even just one kind in the filling.
any adjustments for high altitude? these sound absolutely delicious.
No adjustments. I am at almost 5000 feet and they were perfect. Enjoy!