Greek Honey Pie Recipe

Introduction

Greek Honey Pie is a delightful dessert that combines crisp layers of buttery phyllo with a luscious semolina custard, all soaked in fragrant honey syrup. This authentic recipe offers a perfect balance of sweetness and texture that will impress your family and friends.

Ingredients

• 1 pound phyllo dough, thawed overnight in the refrigerator
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 ½ cups granulated sugar (for syrup)
• ¾ cup water
• ½ cup honey (Greek thyme honey is ideal, but any good quality honey will work)
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 strip of lemon peel (about 2 inches long)
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 4 cups whole milk
• 1 cup granulated sugar (for custard)
• ½ cup fine semolina flour
• 4 large eggs
• 2 large egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Ground cinnamon (for garnish)
• Chopped walnuts or pistachios (optional, for garnish)

Instructions

1. Step 1: In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, water, honey, cinnamon stick, and lemon peel.
2. Step 2: Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar dissolves completely.
3. Step 3: Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 8-10 minutes, or until the syrup slightly thickens.
4. Step 4: Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the lemon juice. Remove the cinnamon stick and lemon peel.
5. Step 5: Pour the syrup into a heatproof bowl and let it cool completely to room temperature. Refrigerate to speed cooling if desired.
6. Step 6: In another saucepan, combine the milk and sugar. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved and the milk is steaming but not boiling.
7. Step 7: In a separate bowl, whisk together the semolina flour, eggs, and egg yolks until smooth and well combined.
8. Step 8: Slowly pour about ½ cup of the hot milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly to temper the eggs.
9. Step 9: Gradually add the remaining hot milk to the egg mixture, whisking steadily until warmed through.
10. Step 10: Pour the tempered egg mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk.
11. Step 11: Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a whisk, until the custard thickens and coats the back of a spoon (about 8-12 minutes).
12. Step 12: Remove from heat and stir in the butter, vanilla extract, and lemon zest until butter melts and ingredients combine.
13. Step 13: Pour custard into a bowl, cover the surface with plastic wrap pressed directly onto it, and let cool slightly while preparing the phyllo.
14. Step 14: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13 inch baking dish with butter.
15. Step 15: Unwrap phyllo dough, keep it covered with a damp towel to prevent drying.
16. Step 16: Brush one sheet of phyllo dough with melted butter and place it in the baking dish. Repeat layering about 8-10 sheets, brushing each with butter.
17. Step 17: Pour the slightly cooled custard evenly over the phyllo base.
18. Step 18: Layer the remaining 8-10 phyllo sheets over the custard, brushing each sheet with melted butter.
19. Step 19: Score the top phyllo layer into diamond shapes or squares with a sharp knife.
20. Step 20: Brush the top generously with remaining butter.
21. Step 21: Bake for 45-55 minutes until the phyllo is golden and crisp, and the custard is set.
22. Step 22: Let the pie cool for 10-15 minutes.
23. Step 23: While warm, pour the cooled honey syrup slowly and evenly over the pie.
24. Step 24: Allow the pie to cool completely to room temperature before serving.

Tips & Variations

• To prevent the phyllo from drying out, always keep the sheets covered with a damp towel while working.
• Use Greek thyme honey if possible for an authentic flavor, but any good quality honey will work well.
• For added texture, sprinkle chopped walnuts or pistachios between some phyllo layers or on top before baking.
• If you prefer a less sweet pie, reduce the syrup sugar slightly or drizzle less syrup at the end.

Storage

Store the pie in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To serve, bring it to room temperature or warm slightly in a low oven. Avoid microwaving, as it may make the phyllo soggy.

How to Serve

Serve this delicious recipe with your favorite sides.

FAQs

Can I prepare the syrup and custard in advance?

Yes, both the honey syrup and custard can be made a day ahead and refrigerated separately. Bring them to room temperature before assembling the pie.

Is it possible to freeze Greek Honey Pie?

While the pie can be frozen after baking and cooling, the phyllo texture may suffer upon thawing. If freezing, wrap tightly and thaw slowly in the refrigerator before serving.

Greek Honey Pie Recipe

Print Recipe

★★★★★

4.6 from 110 reviews

Greek Honey Pie is a traditional and authentic dessert featuring layers of buttery phyllo dough filled with a rich semolina custard, delicately flavored with lemon and vanilla, and topped with a fragrant honey-cinnamon syrup. This indulgent dessert delivers a perfect balance of crispy texture and creamy filling, finished with a touch of ground cinnamon and nuts for garnish, making it an unforgettable treat that showcases classic Greek flavors.

• Author: zara
• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
• Yield: 12 servings 1x
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: Greek
• Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the Honey Syrup

• 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
• ¾ cup water
• ½ cup honey (Greek thyme honey preferred)
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 strip of lemon peel (about 2 inches long)
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

For the Custard Filling

• 4 cups whole milk
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup fine semolina flour
• 4 large eggs
• 2 large egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Zest of 1 lemon

For the Phyllo Layers and Topping

• 1 pound phyllo dough, thawed overnight in the refrigerator
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
• Ground cinnamon, for sprinkling
• Chopped walnuts or pistachios, for garnish

Instructions

1. Prepare the honey syrup: In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, water, honey, cinnamon stick, and lemon peel. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat and simmer 8-10 minutes until slightly thickened. Remove from heat, stir in lemon juice, and discard cinnamon stick and lemon peel. Cool to room temperature.
2. Heat the milk: In another saucepan, combine milk and sugar. Heat over medium, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves and milk is steaming but not boiling.
3. Combine semolina and eggs: In a bowl, whisk semolina flour, eggs, and egg yolks until smooth.
4. Temper the eggs: Slowly whisk about ½ cup hot milk into the egg mixture to temper, then gradually add remaining hot milk, whisking continuously until warmed.
5. Cook custard: Pour tempered egg mixture back into saucepan with milk. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, 8-12 minutes until custard thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
6. Finish custard: Remove from heat and stir in butter, vanilla extract, and lemon zest until fully combined. Pour into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap pressed onto surface. Let cool slightly.
7. Preheat oven and prepare dish: Heat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13 inch baking dish with butter.
8. Prepare phyllo layers (bottom): Unwrap phyllo on a clean surface, keeping covered with damp towel. Brush one sheet with melted butter and place in baking dish. Repeat layering and buttering with 8-10 sheets.
9. Add custard filling: Pour cooled custard evenly over phyllo base.
10. Prepare phyllo layers (top): Layer remaining 8-10 phyllo sheets over custard, brushing each with melted butter.
11. Score and butter top: Using a sharp knife, score top layer into diamond or square shapes. Brush top generously with melted butter.
12. Bake: Bake for 45-55 minutes until phyllo is golden and crispy and custard is set.
13. Cool and syrup: Let pie cool 10-15 minutes. While warm, slowly pour the cooled honey syrup evenly over pie surface. Let cool completely before serving.

Notes

• Use Greek thyme honey for the most authentic flavor, but any good quality honey will work well.
• Keep the phyllo dough covered with a damp towel to prevent drying out and cracking.
• Tempering the eggs with hot milk is crucial to avoid curdling in the custard.
• Scoring the top phyllo before baking allows for easier slicing and serving after baking.
• Let the pie cool completely before cutting to achieve clean slices.
• For garnish, sprinkle ground cinnamon and chopped walnuts or pistachios over the cooled pie.

Keywords: Greek honey pie, galaktoboureko, phyllo dessert, semolina custard pie, Greek pastry, honey syrup dessert