Phyllo-Wrapped Baked Feta Appetizer with Walnuts

Name: Phyllo-Wrapped Baked Feta Appetizer with Walnuts
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 2 blocks feta cheese, about 150-200g / 6-8oz each ( (½-¾ inch thickness)); 4 sheets phyllo dough, (defrosted); ½ cup butter, (melted (or olive oil)); ¼ cup liquid honey, (divided); ¼ cup chopped walnuts. (divided); pinch of chili flakes, (divided); 1 tsp minced fresh rosemary; Crackers for serving; Optional: Garnish the serving plate with seasonal Fall and Winter fruits like grapes, clementines and/or figs. Alternatively, choose fruits like berries in the Spring or Summer.

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This phyllo-wrapped baked feta has to be my favorite easy appetizer yet!

side angle of baked feta on a serving board with grapes and figs

The crispy phyllo pastry is filled with creamy feta cheese and topped with honey and walnuts once baked.

Plus, this phyllo-wrapped feta only takes 5 minutes to prep!

Think salty, creamy feta with a drizzle of sweet honey and some crunch from walnuts in a flaky pastry – it’s the perfect balance of flavours in an appetizer? Just like all of my appetizers, this simple baked feta appetizer is a breeze to make but packed with so much flavor.

I love that I can make this up to a month ahead of time, making my life so much easier, especially during the holiday season! This baked feta cheese appetizer is the perfect combination sweet and salty. I love bringing this out for dinner parties and anytime during the holidays.

phyllo-wrapped baked feta appetizer on a serving board with seasonal fruits

Why you’ll love phyllo-wrapped feta

Simple: You only need 7 simple ingredients to make this feta appetizer.
Easy: You can easily make this simple recipe ahead of time, but it only takes 5 minutes to prep.
Flavor: It’s packed with flavor thanks to a combination of feta, walnuts, a generous drizzle of honey, and a sprinkle of chili flakes.

honey in a bowl, walnuts in a bowl, sheets of phyllo, pieces of feta cheese

Ingredients Needed for this delicious appetizer

Feta Cheese: make sure you buy blocks of feta and not crumbled feta as you will wrap the feta blocks with a phyllo sheet. Sheep’s milk or goat milk feta are both fine to use.

Phyllo Dough: You want the phyllo dough to be completely defrosted before you start making this recipe. You can use store-bought phyllo dough to make this

Butter: if you don’t have any butter on hand, you can use extra virgin olive oil instead!

Chili Flakes: I love adding a pinch of chili flakes (or red pepper flakes) for a little bit of spice.

Honey: A drizzle of honey ties the flavours all together. Alternatively, you could use hot honey instead of chili flakes and honey on their own

Fresh rosemary: Fresh herbs like rosemary add a festive touch to this phyllo-wrapped baked feta. Alternatively you could use fresh thyme

sheet of phyllo with a piece of feta cheese on top

How to make this feta recipe

Step 1: The night before, take the phyllo dough out of the freezer and let it thaw in the fridge.

Step 2: Preheat your oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Step 3: Gently place one sheet of phyllo dough onto a clean work surface. Use a pastry brush to cover the sheet with melted butter. Then repeat once more with another sheet of phyllo dough so you have two sheets layered on top of each other.

Step 4: Place one piece of feta on top of the sheet of phyllo pastry, towards the bottom of the sheet. Wrap the feta with the phyllo so you’re wrapping up and towards the center, just like a parcel. Set on the baking sheet.

feta wrapped with phyllo dough on a baking sheet

Step 5: Repeat this whole process one more time with 2 more sheets of phyllo and the second block of feta, so now you have two phyllo-wrapped feta parcels on the baking tray.

Step 6: Brush both of the feta packages on top of the phyllo and the sides with melted butter.

Step 7: Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp. If the bottom of the phyllo is golden but the top isn’t, carefully flip it and cook for a few more minutes.

Step 8: Place the baked feta on a serving plate and top with liquid honey, chopped walnuts, chili flakes and fresh rosemary.

overhead of baked feta on a serving board with grapes and figs

Tips and Tricks

You can swap out the melted butter for an equal amount of olive oil.
Don’t love walnuts or don’t have any? Swap them out for chopped almonds or pistachios! You could even try nutty sesame seeds.
Make this ahead of time by wrapping both blocks of feta in the phyllo, following steps 3-5. But do not coat in butter after wrapping them up. Wrap in parchment paper and then plastic wrap. Freeze in an airtight container for up to 1 month. When ready to bake, place on the baking sheet and brush with melted butter, then bake for 15-20 minutes.
Serve this as the star of a cheeseboard!
Instead of using chili flakes and honey, use just hot honey instead.

Seasonal Variations on this phyllo-wrapped baked feta

In the Fall, add roasted grapes as a topping or option to serve with.
For Christmas or New Years Eve, add pomegranate seeds for a festive touch
In the Spring or Summer, serve topped with fresh berries for a pop of warm-weather flavour.

close up of baked feta on a serving board with grapes and figs

Common Questions

Can I make this without phyllo dough?

If you don’t want to use phyllo dough or don’t have any on hand, I recommend making my baked feta appetizer with dates and pistachios instead!

What do I do with the leftover phyllo dough?

Since you are using just 4 sheets of phyllo dough, you can wrap the remaining phyllo in plastic wrap. Then place in the box it came in or in a zip top bag and frozen again for later use.

Can I reheat leftovers?

While this baked feta is best on the day it’s made, you can reheat leftovers. Preheat the oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Bake for 5-15 minutes or until crispy and the feta cheese is warm again. Alternatively, you can reheat in the air fryer at 325F for 5-10 minutes.

How to store and reheat this baked feta appetizer

I recommend serving this baked feta appetizer on the day it’s made! However, you can store leftovers in an airtight container for 1 day. Then, reheat in the oven at 350F on a parchment paper lined baking sheet for 5-15 minutes until crispy again and the cheese is softened. Alternatively, you can reheat in the air fryer at 325F for 5-10 minutes.