
Don’t we all want a fancy smancy meal that doesn’t require hours in the kitchen? I know I do.
Meet Phyllo dough. It’s here to bring back the fancy in your life!

Cuz we need it.

And I don’t mean Circa 1982 pink carpet fancy either…

Any takers? lol.
Phyllo (also spelled fillo or filo) is fancy smancy. You can buy it pre-made. It’s versatile.
Native to Middle Eastern cooking, Phyllo (which translates to “leaf” in Greek) is a kind of dough that is stretched into paper-thin like sheets and used for savoury and sweet pastries. Think, Baklava. Mmm.
It’s made primarily of flour, water, and a bit of oil, but it’s usually recommended to buy it pre-made due to it’s extremely delicate nature.

If you’re like me, you’ve seen Phyllo dough lurking in the freezer section of your grocery store, but slinked away in fear not knowing what the heck to do with it.
I decided I was going to get over my Phyllo fears, so I picked up some dough, watched a couple You Tube videos, and realized it wasn’t so bad after all!

Here are a few important tips about working with Phyllo dough:
1. It needs to thaw, so you can leave it in the fridge overnight or on the counter for a couple hours.
2. Because the dough is paper-thin, it dries out super fast. When it dries out, it tears very easily. It’s best to wait to open the package until you are ready to use it. Once it is opened and rolled out, place a piece of parchment or wax paper over top and then cover it with a damp tea towel to keep in the moisture. This is essential or your dough will crack much more easily.
3. The goal is not perfection! At first I was terrified of cracking or tearing the dough, but after a few slip-ups, I realized that my pastry would still taste delicious even if it wasn’t perfect. So don’t freak out if it tears a bit on you. Just try to handle it as gently as possible and do what you can.
4. Spread a generous amount of melted Earth Balance on each layer with a pastry brush or to save more time, spray with cooking spray. This not only adds needed moisture, but it creates a delicious buttery pastry once baked. I’m not so sure cooking spray would have tasted as good as my Earth Balance version though!

The first thing you need to do is prepare your filling. I had a bunch of garden kale to use up, as well as local Crimini mushrooms, so I decided to make a mushroom pastry with kale, cheeze, etc. You can use whatever vegetables you prefer though! It’s extremely versatile.
I sliced the mushrooms (making 7 cups) and I cooked it down for about 10 minutes until most of the water evaporated.

Next, I added about 1 cup chopped kale leaves (no stem), 1 cup chopped onion, 1 tsp olive oil, 2 minced garlic cloves, Herbamare, ground pepper, and fresh Thyme. I cooked this for about 5-7 minutes. It tasted amazing.

Once the filling was ready, I stirred in the cheese, removed it from the heat, and unrolled my Phyllo dough. Make sure you have a damp tea towel and parchment paper ready!

Grab a large baking sheet and line it with parchment paper or a non-stick mat. Carefully peel off 1 piece of dough and place it onto the baking sheet.
At this point, you can either spray each sheet with cooking spray or use my method which is to spread on melted Earth Balance with a pastry brush.

Repeat this process, for about 7 sheets of dough.
You might have a couple ‘flops’ along the way. Don’t fret!

Make sure to keep the dough covered with a damp tea towel throughout this process.

Once you have your 7 layers, scoop on your filling and fold in the sides.

Now roll your pastry all the way up into a log. This part was much easier than I thought!

Now, brush your log with more oil or melted Earth Balance.

Bake in a 350F pre-heated oven for 25-35 minutes until slightly golden. It will be puffy and beautiful.

Slice on a diagonal because you’re fancy. It will be really hard not to inhale this right on the pan! Don’t be alarmed when it flakes all over the place, this is normal.

Behold, the flaky, cheezy, buttery glory.
WANT.
Now.
For breakfast.

The 1/2 cup of Daiya Cheese brought this pastry to a whole other level. I highly recommend it.

Now I just need to figure out what I’m doing with the leftover sheets. Maybe a sweet tart is in my future?

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Stuffed Mushroom Phyllo Roll
Perfect for a fancy meal to impress. Hands down, one of the best savoury vegan foods I’ve made. This mushroom pastry is buttery, flaky, cheezy and will have you ohhing and awwing with every sinful bite.
Yield: 2-4 servings (we both ate the entire thing quite easily!)
Ingredients:
- 7 sheets Phyllo dough, thaw according to package directions
- 16 oz/7 cups sliced fresh Crimini mushrooms (or mushrooms of choice)
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 cup chopped sweet onion
- 2 finely chopped garlic cloves
- 1-2 tbsp fresh Thyme (or use 1/2 tbsp dried)
- Kosher salt, Herbamare, and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 cup kale leaves, roughly torn and stems discarded
- 1/2 cup shredded Daiya Cheese
- ~1/2 cup melted Earth Balance, olive oil, OR cooking spray
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Thaw Phyllo dough according to package directions.
2. In a large skillet, add 7 cups sliced mushrooms and cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes until the water cooks off.
3. Add in the garlic, oil, onion, and kale. Cook for another 5-7 minutes on medium-low heat. Add seasonings to taste. Remove from heat and stir in the cheese.
4. Place 1 sheet of Phyllo dough onto prepared baking sheet. Brush or spray on butter or oil. Repeat for 7 layers.
5. Scoop on mushroom filling, roll the edges inward, and then roll into a log. Brush log with oil or butter. Bake at 350F for 25-35 minutes until golden. Slice and enjoy!
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I made a Mango Kale salad to go with it which also was quick and easy. I have kale coming out of the wazoo in my garden (among peppers, cukes, onions, etc!), so I’ve been giving it away to friends and also using it daily in my meals.

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Mango Kale Salad
Adapted from Food Network.
Ingredients:
- 1 bunch kale, stalks removed and leaves roughly torn
- 1 lemon juiced
- 1 tbsp + 1-2 tsp olive oil, to taste
- Kosher salt or Herbamare & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1-1.5 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1.25 cup diced mango (I just thawed frozen mango chunks)
- 2 tbsp pepita seeds, or other seed of choice
1. In a large bowl, add kale, half the lemon juice, a tablespoon of oil, and a sprinkle of salt. Massage the kale leaves with your hands for about 1 minute. Set aside.
2. Add the rest of the lemon juice, maple syrup, salt & pepper, and remaining oil into a mason jar. Close lid and shake (alternatively you can whisk in a bowl). Adjust dressing to taste and add more salt, oil, & pepper if needed.
3. Pour dressing over kale and massage well with hands. Add mango and seeds. Place in the fridge for a minimum of 1 hour so it can soften and marinate.
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First, massage some oil, lemon juice, and salt into the kale leaves.

Shake up your dressing.

Pour on the dressing, massage into kale, add mango and seeds, marinate for an hour or longer, and then serve!

It was light and lovely, although our all-time favourite kale salad is still the Weekend Glow Kale Salad.
All in all, a wonderful meal which was a nice treat during a time of chaos.
Especially with some Chardonnay…

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The Phyllo roll looks so good! I have worked with phyllo before, you are right it looks more indimidating than it is. Great for entertaining with! :)
Wow the roll is beautiful! Although I was staring at the mango kale salad. Just drool-worthy. Yum!
Wish I had an oven! Haha.
Hi – Save the “flop” sheets of phyllo to toss in the bottom of a casserole dish, drizzle a TINY amount of Earth Balance, small sprinkle of brown sugar, top with chopped fresh fruit (or whole berries, top with a crumble of your choice and bake for 35 minutes at 375, a yummy quick dessert…….(from a woman that has experienced her share of phyllo flops)
WOW great idea!!!
I found your blog a few months ago and have been following it ever since. I had yet to try cooking but drooled over almost everything you posted! I saw this recipe yesterday and knew I had to try it. I made it for dinner last night. Delicious!!! Even my non-vegan boyfriend loved it! Keep up the good work. I love your recipe ideas!!!
So glad you enjoyed it!
I made the mushroom phyllo roll with crimini and white mushrooms, spinach, and gouda cheese (all the for my cheese- and mushroom-loving bf and a friend) and they LOVED it!! Thanks for the inspiration!
Mmmmm mushrooms. This looks so yummy. I have to make this and overcome my fear of phyllo.
These look amazing!
The phyllo rolls look fantastic! Need to make ASAP!
They remind of what I make during the winter with vegan cream cheese and cranberry sauce twisted into little pockets as starters! I am made for the flaky thin crumbly pastry
I have one in the oven right now and it looks amazing!! The only thing is (and it is just as much my impatience) you have 16oz/7 cups of mushrooms. I just went with the cups and used a TON of shrooms and red bell pepper to fill the gap for about 5 cups and said this has got to be enough. I think you meant to write 2 cups. Looks like we’ll have breakfast stuffed phyllo! Nummers!
I just made this and it was delicious..you always post amazing recipes – you’re my favorite blogger! Thanks!!
i need to find me some kale.
I want to make this right now…
The phyllo rolls looked so amazing that I made a batch, except with chard instead of kale and a zucchini from our weekly farm share. They were so delicious, they’re definitely going to be a dish in my regular rotation, especially now that I have the hang of how to work with phyllo dough. It was a bit tricky at the start (especially because I forgot to brush on the essential Earth Balance…).
How long did it take to prep? can this be frozen before baking?-want something my husband can thaw and cook for later.
I just wanted to thank you for that awesome recipe, even though I am not vegan or a vegetarian for that matter, we really enjoyed it. I made it the other night and hubby ate 2 pieces! I was a little nervous about the Kale, i had read it was bitter.
I can’t let go of meat all together but we are trying to eat half our dinners without it and finding recipes like yours is helping.
Thank you Erin, so happy to hear that you enjoyed it!
This looks awesome, and I can’t wait to try it! Is it fair to assume that it probably doesn’t re-heat very well?
Ours didnt last long enough to try that out! My guess is that it wouldn’t reheat that great in the micro, but you might have luck reheating in the oven :)
Thanks, Angela! I ended up making it last night and it was awesome! I sub’d baby spinach for kale, and vegan sausage for mushroom. I followed your step by step instructions about the phyllo SO carefully and it paid off! It was perfect. Thank you!!
So glad it worked for you and great modifications!
I have another phyllo recipe (for a contest) coming up at the end of the month…I can’t wait to share it!
OMG!!!! I made this dish last night for my husband and I – All I can say for the both of us is Mmmmmmmmmmm :-) I just had abdominal surgery 2 weeks ago (partial colon, appendix removal) and am ‘easing’ back into my healthy eating so I used spinach instead of kale and went lighter on the cheese. I did add some leeks, shredded zucchini, shredded sweet potato and 1 chopped parsnip to this recipe. Mine didn’t turn out quite as pretty as yours but it was yummy delicious! Thank you for posting this awesome recipe….going to try the Buckwheat Flour Pizza with Roasted Tomato Basil Pesto and Roasted Tomato, Garlic, & Onion Coconut Soup next week. Thank you for making meal planning so easy!! You rock :-)
Made this on Tuesday for dinner; YUM! Thanks for all the great recipes! All of the dinners I made this week were taken from your site. I just added a blog post about them! Your camera takes much better pics than mine tho! :)
p.s. Your tahini-lemon dressing is amazing!
Glad you are enjoying them!
hey angela i love your blog im not a vegan but i still love and try ur recipies i hail all the way from egypt so i dont always find all the ingredients
Would love it if you evr come this way Egypt has some pretty decent vegan food like molokheya (green soup) which im sure u wld love
i just made the chocolate chip cookie dough and it is divineee
i have a question though last night i prepared the phylo stuffed 2 with mushrooms and another 2 with pasterami and cheese :-D its my bday and im having my friends over
but i havent baked it yet and im afraid it will be too flaky do you recommend adding some milk before i bake or would it be too soft?
Hey Angela!
Do you think you could do a reduced sugar Baklava recipe? I LOVE Baklava but most recipes tend to have tons of proccessed sugar. Thanks!
P.S. My husband and I are addicted to the chocolate peanut butter crunch balls for the blizzard recipe. Amazing. The whole thing is really.
Can I make this ahead of time, roll it all up and cook it the next day??? We made this 2 weeks ago for a Christmas party and it was great I’m just short on time sometimes!!!
Hi Elaine, Im not sure…my guess is that it would become soggy? Im glad you enjoyed it the first time you made it.
Can you make the roll a few hours before you put it in the oven?
Hi Angela,
My parents and I are vegans. In my free time, when I’m home from college, I LOVE to cook. I’m a huge follower of your blog – absolutely love your recipes and lifestyle approach. For my Mom’s 50th birthday dinner yesterday, I made this recipe – mango kale salad and stuffed mushroom phyllo rolls. WOW! Probably one of the best recipes I’ve ever made/eaten. Everyone loved it. It was the first time that I used Daiya cheese and I must say it added a lot to the dish (like you said!). Now I have extra, so I might try making a pizza with it this weekend. Anyway, just wanted to say THANK YOU SO MUCH for all of your recipes/posts.
Hi Greta, I`m so glad they were a hit! Happy Birthday to your mom :) Thanks for reading!
i made this today for thanksgiving dinner, and it was absolutely delicious! my only problem, though, was trying to stuff that massive amount of mushrooms into the dough and roll it. there was soooo much filling that i could have easily made two or even three rolls! still good, though! thanks for the recipe. :)
were YOU really able to fit 16oz of filling into *one* phyllo roll?
Bet this would be really good with spinach too!!!
I can’t believe I just discovered your blog a week ago! Within this week I’ve made a few of your recipes and told just about everyone I know about this blog (my vegan and non-vegan friends and family). Everything has come out great and been surprisingly easy!!! I’m very thankful that everything is plant-based and has very few processed ingredients!
I love this recipe! I make it all the time. Thank you for sharing.
Do you know if theses are good cold or reheated? I was thinking they would make a great appetizer or side for Thanksgiving but I would need to do them a day in advance. What do you think?
Hi Dawn, Im sorry Im not sure about reheating! If you did try it, I would recommend reheating it in the oven so it hopefully crisps up again
Looks sooo yummy! About how long would these stay good? I’m going to Burning Man in a couple of weeks and this looks like heaven!
Based on what is in my freezer and garden, I made this with puff pastry, lots more kale, added some parsley, no onion, and regular cheddar cheese. Just wonderful, the mushrooms give it some serous heft. It is key to get the filling ingredients pretty dry, though, of the bottom crust stays a little gooey.
Thanks for the recipe!