Middle Eastern Sweets Middle EasternMedium

Barley Honey Walnut Baklava Bites

Name: Barley Honey Walnut Baklava Bites
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 24 servings
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: 2 cups (220 g) raw walnuts, roughly chopped; ⅓ cup (50 g) barley flour; ¾ teaspoon (3 g) ground cinnamon; ¼ teaspoon (½ g) ground cardamom; ¼ teaspoon (1½ g) sea salt; 3 tablespoons (60 ml) raw honey; ½ pound (225 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled to warm; 1 pound (450 g) phyllo dough, thawed if frozen, kept under a damp towel; ¾ cup (255 ml) raw honey; ¼ cup (60 ml) water; ½ teaspoon (2½ ml) vanilla extract; ½ whole lemon, zest only, finely grated

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Crispy phyllo pastry layers wrapped around a nutty filling of toasted walnuts, barley flour, and warm spices, finished with a fragrant honey syrup. These bite-sized baklava pieces are less sweet than traditional versions, with a subtle earthiness from the barley that complements the floral honey and cinnamon.

Prep: 35 min
Cook: 35 min
Wait: 45 min
Total: 1 hr 55 min
Makes: 24 baklava bites

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Steps

Before you start

Have all your ingredients measured and ready—working with phyllo moves quickly and it dries out fast
Preheat your oven to 325°F (160°C)
Remove phyllo from the refrigerator 30 minutes before starting to let it come to room temperature gently
Clarify your butter if you prefer; it'll give the pastry a crisper texture

1
Toast the walnuts
- In a large skillet over medium heat, toast the chopped walnuts for 5–7 minutes, stirring frequently, until they're fragrant and lightly browned.
- Transfer to a plate to cool for 5 minutes.
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Ready when: Walnuts smell fragrant and are light golden brown
Tip: Don't skip toasting—it deepens the flavor significantly and makes the bites taste less raw.
2
Make the filling
- In a bowl, combine the cooled toasted walnuts, barley flour, cinnamon, cardamom, and sea salt.
- Stir in the 3 tablespoons of honey until evenly distributed throughout the mixture.
- The filling should feel slightly moist and hold together loosely when pressed.
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Ready when: All ingredients are evenly incorporated and the mixture holds loosely when pressed
Tip: Don't overmix or the filling will become pasty. A loose, chunky texture is what you want for crunchy bites.
3
Prepare the baking pan
- Brush the bottom and sides of a 9×13-inch (23×33 cm) baking pan generously with melted butter.
- Lay out the phyllo package and keep the stack covered with a damp kitchen towel to prevent drying.
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Ready when: Pan is evenly buttered; phyllo is ready to use
Tip: A damp towel keeps phyllo from cracking and becoming brittle—check it often and re-dampen as needed.
4
Layer the base
- Remove one sheet of phyllo from the stack and place it in the buttered pan, letting any excess hang over the edges.
- Brush lightly with melted butter.
- Repeat with 4 more phyllo sheets, brushing each with butter.
- You'll have a sturdy 5-layer base.
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Ready when: Five phyllo sheets are stacked and brushed, covering the pan bottom
Tip: Phyllo tears easily—work gently and don't worry about small rips; they'll be covered by filling.
5
Add filling layer
- Spread the walnut-barley filling evenly over the phyllo base in a thin, even layer, leaving a small ½-inch (1.3 cm) border from the edges.
- Use about three-quarters of the filling.
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Ready when: Filling is spread evenly across the phyllo with a thin, consistent layer
Tip: A thin filling layer is key—too much makes the bites difficult to cut and overly dense.
6
Top with phyllo
- Layer 5 more sheets of phyllo over the filling, brushing each sheet lightly with melted butter.
- Make sure the top sheet is also brushed with butter so it browns evenly.
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Ready when: Top phyllo layer is evenly brushed with butter and lies flat
Tip: Even buttering is crucial—dry spots will burn, and unbuttered areas won't crisp.
7
Cut into bites
- Using a sharp knife, score the pastry into 24 pieces.
- Cut the pan in half lengthwise (2 cuts), then make 5 cuts across the width to create 24 roughly 2-inch (5 cm) squares.
- Wipe your knife clean between cuts to prevent phyllo shredding.
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Ready when: 24 pieces are cut through phyllo layers and filling
Tip: Score deeply but don't cut all the way through the bottom layer—this ensures crispy bites that stay together while baking.
8
Bake until goldenOven 325°F / 165°C
- Place the pan in a preheated 325°F (160°C) oven and bake for 35–40 minutes, until the phyllo is deep golden brown and crispy.
- The edges may brown faster than the center; if they start to darken too much, loosely tent the pan with foil for the final 10 minutes.
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Ready when: Top is deep golden brown and crispy; a piece tested from the edge feels very crisp when pressed
Tip: Lower heat than traditional baklava prevents the barley flour from burning. Watch after 30 minutes—ovens vary.
9
Make the honey syrup
- While the baklava bakes, combine the ¾ cup honey, ¼ cup water, and lemon zest in a small saucepan.
- Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat and let it bubble softly for 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat, stir in the vanilla extract, and let the syrup cool for 10 minutes until it's warm but not hot.
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Ready when: Syrup simmers gently and lemon zest infuses, then cools to warm (about 140°F / 60°C if checking with a thermometer)
Tip: A warm syrup soaks in without softening the phyllo; a hot or cold syrup won't penetrate as effectively.
10
Apply the syrup
- Remove the baklava from the oven when it's golden.
- Let it cool in the pan for 3 minutes, then slowly drizzle or brush the warm honey syrup evenly over the hot pastry, pouring it into the cut lines so it soaks through the layers.
- Let it rest for 30 minutes at room temperature before serving.
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Ready when: Syrup is evenly distributed and absorbed; baklava is set and still warm
Tip: Pouring syrup onto hot phyllo makes it absorb quickly without pooling. Warm (not hot) syrup is key—boiling syrup can break down the delicate pastry structure.
11
Separate and serve
- Once fully cooled and set, use a thin, sharp knife to cut through the baklava along your score lines to separate the bites completely.
- Serve at room temperature.
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Ready when: All 24 bites are cleanly separated and ready to serve
Tip: Separating after the syrup sets ensures clean, intact pieces without phyllo shreds breaking off.

Good to know

Tips

Barley flour has less gluten than wheat, so it doesn't toughen with mixing—don't worry about overmixing the filling.
Phyllo dries out incredibly fast; work in small sections and keep the rest covered with a damp towel the entire time.
If you can't find barley flour, look for it in the baking or natural foods aisle, or order online—it's becoming more common and adds real dimension to this recipe.
The lemon zest in the syrup balances the sweetness and prevents the baklava from tasting one-dimensional or cloying.

Make ahead

Baklava bites can be made up to 3 days ahead. Bake and apply syrup, then store in an airtight container at room temperature. They actually taste better on day 2 or 3 as the flavors meld and the syrup fully penetrates.

Storage & reheating

Room temperature: up to 5 days in an airtight container. Refrigerator: up to 1 week (they may soften slightly but remain delicious). Freezer: up to 1 month in an airtight container. To reheat, place on a baking sheet at 275°F (135°C) for 5–8 minutes until warm and crisped.

Substitutions

barley flour → all-purpose flour or spelt flour. Use the same amount; you'll lose the subtle earthiness but retain the structure. Spelt adds a slightly nuttier note.
raw walnuts → pistachios or hazelnuts. Maintain the same weight. Pistachios create a more traditional baklava; hazelnuts add deeper richness.
ground cardamom → ground cloves or allspice. Use half the amount (⅛ teaspoon) as these spices are more assertive. Cloves give a warmer note; allspice is milder.
raw honey → agave nectar or maple syrup. Use the same volume; the flavor profile changes slightly but the bites remain excellent. Maple adds a woody note.