Feta Filo Parcels With Honey
on Sep 04, 2024
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Transport yourself to the sunny shores of Greece with these feta filo parcels with honey – a classic and very delicious Greek style appetizer. With their crispy filo pastry, creamy and tangy feta filling and sticky sweet honey drizzled over the top, they make a perfect simple appetizer for guests. Shh, don’t tell them how easy they are to make!
These feta filo parcels with honey were a popular choice for me during my many visits to neighborhood tavernas during my years of living in Greece. There it’s perfectly acceptable to sit down at a taverna or ‘ouzeria’ at 3 o’clock in the afternoon. Order a few ‘mezedes’ (or Greek appetizers), perhaps a sneaky glass of ouzo, and while away the afternoon while soaking up the afternoon sun and watching the antics of the neighbourhood ‘wildlife’ (in Athens this mostly equates to savvy neighbourhood cats!).
Why you’ll love them
I may no longer live in Greece, but just like many Greek appetizers, these filo feta parcels are incredibly easy to make yourself at home. If you’ve already tried and enjoyed this equally as easy baked feta dip, or these cute mini feta cheese pies, these are a must-try.
Here’s a summary of what you’ll love:
- Super quick and easy. Make them with just 6 very simple ingredients and in around 15 to 20 minutes.
- Crispy, tangy, sweet, fragrant and subtly nutty, you’ll love the balance of flavors and textures in this traditional pastry snack!
- Perfect easy appetizer for guests, or serve as a lazy afternoon snack for yourselves. Serve by itself, or combine with other ‘mezedes’ such as Greek giant beans (gigantes!) and Greek air fryer chicken meatballs (see this list of Greek appetizers for all the best ideas!).
- Either bake or pan-fry in olive oil – your choice!
About the ingredients
You’ll find a full list of ingredients with amounts in the recipe card below. But here’s a summary of what you need to know.
- Filo pastry: Usually in the fresh aisle in the supermarket. Frozen filo pastry is fine, too (let it defrost in the fridge overnight). You’ll need 4 large sheets.
- Feta cheese: You can use any brand. However, I recommend opting for a good quality authentic Greek feta. Another option is a creamier, softer style feta such as Danish, French, or Persian feta.
- Extra virgin olive oil: Both for mixing into the feta and brushing over the pastry.
- Honey: Honey and feta cheese are a match made in culinary heaven! The rich sweetness of honey perfectly complements the salty, tangy feta. Use runny honey since you’ll be drizzling it over the parcels.
- Dried oregano: Feel free to substitute the teaspoon of dried oregano with around a tablespoon of fresh oregano. Take a look at the best oregano substitutes if you happen not to have any!
- Sesame seeds: To scatter over the top of the pastries at the end. You’ll toast them lightly in a dry pan (don’t worry, it’s easy). Regular or black sesame seeds are both fine.
How to make feta filo parcels with honey
It couldn’t be easier to make these!
Firstly, grab a big fork and mash together the filling ingredients – so feta cheese, olive oil, honey and oregano. Set this aside for the moment while you prepare the pastry.
Now lay one of the sheets of filo pastry on a large wooden board or work surface. Brush it all over lightly with olive oil. Lay another sheet of pastry over the top.
Then cut the sheets in half across the width.
Spoon a quarter of the cheese, honey and oregano mixture into the centre of each half-sheet.
Now for the fun part. Simply wrap the cheese up like a parcel! I usually start by folding in the longer sides, then folding in the ends. It doesn’t have to be perfect – the rustic look is fine!
Now lay the four filo and feta parcels onto a baking sheet lined with baking paper. Brush all over lightly with a little more olive oil.
Bake at 390F/200C for around 10 minutes or until nicely golden and crisp all over.
Meanwhile, lightly toast the sesame seeds in a hot dry frying pan. Shake them around as you do.
Drizzle a little of the honey over each of the pies. Then sprinkle over some of the toasted sesame seeds.
Helen’s Top Tips
- While you’re preparing the other ingredients, keep the pastry sheets covered with a slightly damp tea towel to stop them drying out.
- Once you’ve wrapped up all your feta cheese filo parcels, press down on them lightly to spread the feta mixture around evenly inside.
- If you like, instead of baking you can pan-fry for a couple of minutes on each side until crisp and golden.
- If the honey seems quite thick, warm it for 15 to 20 seconds in the microwave so that you can drizzle it over the pies more easily.
- Serve immediately while the pastry is still very crisp and the filling hot and melty.
- Try adding extra ingredients to the cheese mixture such as a little wilted spinach (with the water squeezed out), sun-dried tomatoes, or olives. You can also add a pinch of chili flakes to the honey to add a spicy twist.
How to serve
- I love to keep this delicious baked feta with honey very simple by just serving with a little bread on the side. And perhaps a dish of Kalamata olives and a sneaky cold glass of ouzo just as the Greeks do! Let the pies cool for a few minutes, then cut into small squares.
- It’s delicious eaten as a light lunch or pre-dinner appetizer, whether you’re just enjoying it yourself or serving it to your lucky dinner guests.
- If serving at a dinner party, consider making some of this really easy no-knead Greek bread to go with it. It’ll take the experience to a whole other level of deliciousness!
- If you’re feeling a little adventurous, this dish would be fabulous as part of a mezze spread (similar to tapas).
Here are a few of my favorite mezze ideas to serve with these filo pastry feta parcels:
- Baked chicken skewers (Greek style of course!)
- This amazing zucchini in tempura batter
- A Greek lettuce salad (simple shredded salad)
- Greek style chicken meatballs (perfect if you have an air fryer!)
- Tsatziki sauce for dipping!
Recipe FAQs
If you’re baking them, no. As long as you brush all over with olive oil before cooking, they will be possibly even more crisp and delicious on the underside. If you decide to pan-fry them, you’ll need to flip them over after a couple of minutes to cook on the other side.
Yes, you can prep them up to a few hours ahead. Simply assemble fully and store on a plate in the fridge, covered tightly. Don’t brush with oil though until just before cooking. You can also freeze them in a freezer container between layers of baking paper or individually wrapped in a freezer bag. You can bake them straight from frozen but you will probably need to add 5 to 10 minutes onto the cooking time. It’s easy to see when they are ready as they will be golden and crisp all over!
Yes, you can. Preheat the air fryer for 3 minutes at 350F/180C, then air fry for 7 to 8 minutes.
Yes, you can. Keep them covered in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat in the oven until crisp again (around 10 minutes at 350F/180C). Of course you can also reheat them in an air fryer. 3 to 5 minutes at 330F/165C should do it, or until hot and crisp again. Keep an eye on them so that they don’t burn.
More recipes using filo pastry
Or see all easy appetizer recipes.
Feta Filo Parcels With Honey
Ingredients
- 7 ounces feta cheese, An authentic Greek brand is always a good choice.
- ¼ cup olive oil , roughly (you'll need enough to add 1 tablespoon to the cheese mixture and the rest is for brushing over the pies)
- 3 tablespoons honey , (or to taste)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano, (or substitute with 1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves)
- 4 sheets filo pastry, large (my sheets are around 17 inches x 11 inches – if yours are smaller simply use them as they are, without cutting them in half)
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- fresh crusty bread to serve, optional
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 390F/200C.
- Mash the feta with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, 1 tablespoon of the honey and the oregano.7 ounces feta cheese, 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Lay one sheet of filo pastry onto your work surface and brush it lightly with olive oil. Lay another sheet directly on top. Cut the sheets in half across the width. Repeat this with the remaining two sheets of filo so that you have 4 rectangles of pastry.4 sheets filo pastry, ¼ cup olive oil
- Spoon one quarter of the feta mixture into the centre of each piece of pastry. Fold the long edges in across the filling to enclose it. Then fold the short edges into the centre, too, so that the cheese is wrapped up like a parcel. It doesn't have to be perfectly folded!
- Brush the parcels lightly all over with olive oil, and bake them on a baking sheet lined with baking paper for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Or, if you prefer, pan-fry them for a couple of minutes on each side, again until golden and crispy.
- Meanwhile, toast the sesame seeds in a dry frying pan until they are a light golden brown. Shake the pan often and keep a close eye on them so that they don't burn.1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- If the honey is thick, warm it for 10 to 20 seconds in the microwave or by placing the bowl in another shallow bowl of hot water for a minute or so. Serve the hot crispy parcels with some of the warm honey drizzled over the top and some toasted sesame seeds scattered over. If you like, cut each parcel into squares before serving with fresh crusty bread on the side.3 tablespoons honey, fresh crusty bread to serve
Notes
Thank you for this excellent and very, very easy recipe. A lovely and impressive starter. I prepped them several hours ahead and refrigerated, covered tightly. I think they could also be made a day ahead. Didn’t drink ouzo, rather a lambrusco, which works well with this for a lighter summer sipper. Next time I might try this with fresh rosemary instead of the oregano, as I think it would also work well.
Thank you so much for the feedback on this recipe, Michele, and I’m glad you found it since it’s an older recipe here on the blog. Very helpful to hear it worked out well for you prepping ahead, and I think they’d work perfectly with rosemary or other herbs too! So happy you enjoyed them and will make again!
I forgot to mention that I used toasted black sesame seeds, rather than white. They look fab on the packets. I intended to serve good kalamata olives along side, but forgot to put them out! (Sure sign of a good dinner party with good friends).
Haha, yes I often find something in the fridge after guests have left that I meant to put out! That’s helpful to know that you used black sesame seeds – they would definitely look great. So happy these helped make your dinner party a success!
SO, SO GOOD! Quick and easy. Will remake again and again! Thank you so much!
They’re wonderful, aren’t they? So simple and yet… yum! 🙂
Excellent! I will be using this recipe often. 😁
Thank you, Pat! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
These look so tasty and fresh! I love the combination of cheese and honey 🙂
Thank you, Lilli!
I’m definitely an appetizer kind of gal. I think I like them so much because you can have a little of this and little of that. I’m also pretty obsessed with nachos and those always seem to be on the appetizer part of the menu. I also really love filo! I don’t like cooking with it as much as I love eating it though, haha! I always get scared that it is going to dry out before I get to it, but it is so crispy and yummy that it is worth the stress, and stuffing it with feta makes it that much better! Also, as you probably could have guessed, I love the cat photo! He really does have doggy eyes!
Actually, Isadora, after saying I’m NOT an appetizer kind of girl, I could definitely eat one right about now – especially a big plate of nachos! I used to be a bit scared of filo, too, for the reasons you describe, but since I’ve used it a few times lately and it’s gone well I’m totally relaxed around it now … haha!Thanks for the lovely comment! 🙂
Your filo pies look fantastic! I could nibble on these and certainly eat a whole meal’s worth! I love the small plates idea….tasting bits of lots of dishes is my idea of heaven!
Thanks, Liz! I’ll definitely be making these again. And yes, whoever first though of that little plates idea is a bit of a genius, I reckon. 🙂