A recipe for Saragli (Greek Rolled Baklava)! Walnuts, almonds, and pistachios are rolled up in phyllo, baked until crisp, and soaked in a spiced sweet syrup.

Five Saragli (Greek Rolled Baklava) on a marble board with ground nuts and rose petals over the top.

Baklava is a type of layered phyllo pastry found throughout the Middle East and Eastern Europe. The type of filling, additional flavors, and shape vary based on region and family.

Today, I am sharing a recipe for Saragli (Σαραγλί)! This baklava is popular in Thessaloniki in Northern Greece and has a unique crinkly, rolled shape. In Türkiye, they are known as Sarı Burma.

This rolled shape actually makes it an easier option for beginners since you only need to layer a couple of phyllo sheets at a time before filling with the desired mixture and rolling. It is also more forgiving to small tears and other imperfections.

In this recipe, I filled the Saragli with a combination of finely chopped walnuts, pistachios, and almonds spiced with cinnamon and cloves. I have also seen simply walnuts or walnuts and almonds in varying amounts. In the cookbook, The Country Cooking of Greece, there is even a recipe for a pumpkin and walnut-filled saragli.

Spiced Syrup

Clear syrup in a small saucepan with a cinnamon stick, lemon peel, and cloves.

Start by making the spiced syrup. It needs time to cool fully before pouring over the hot Saragli.

Simply bring together sugar, water, lemon peel, cinnamon, and cloves in a medium saucepan. Simmer until all the syrup has been dissolved.

Remove from heat, stir in the lemon juice, and set aside to cool completely. Some recipes also add a little honey.

Pouring syrup over Saragli (Greek Rolled Baklava) in a pan.

Phyllo

I used store-bought phyllo sheets found in the freezer section of many larger American grocery stores. Use thin phyllo sheets (number 4 if available). I haven’t personally tried it yet, but the Saragli would be even better with a homemade dough.

If using store-bought frozen phyllo, make sure it is completely thawed before removing from the package and unrolling. I usually put the box in the refrigerator the night before or on the counter at room temperature for a couple of hours. Don’t thaw the phyllo longer than a day or they will become too sticky to separate and handle.

Prepare all the ingredients and the filling before removing the phyllo from the package. It dries out quickly.

Forming the Saragli

Seven photo collage of pulsing nuts in food processor until chopped, butter brushed over phyllo, nuts sprinkled over phyllo, and using two sticks to roll phyllo into a crinkled roll.

These Saragli are formed by layering two buttered phyllo sheets, then covering with a thin layer of the chopped nuts and rolling up/crinkling before adding to the prepared baking dish.

To evenly roll up the phyllo, it is common to use two wooden skewers or a longer dowel as a guide. If you are looking for a visual, Akis Petretzikis has a video on their Saragli Thessalonikis recipe for how to do this.

Start by placing one phyllo sheet on a larger work surface with the short end facing you. Brush or drizzle with butter, then top with another phyllo sheet. Brush that one with butter as well before sprinkling a thin layer of the finely chopped nut mixture.

Place two wooden skewers or a wooden dowel in the center, then fold the phyllo in half over the skewers. Use the skewers as a guide to roll up the phyllo, then press in on the ends towards the center to crinkle the roll before transferring to the baking dish, seam-side down.

Repeat with the remaining phyllo sheets and nut mixture until the baking dish is covered with a single layer of rolls.

Brush with the remaining butter, then use a sharp knife to cut the rolls in thirds or fourths to make individual 2-3 inch (5-8 centimeter) long pieces.

Bake in the preheated oven, uncovered, until the rolls are golden and crisp, about 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes.

While still hot, pour the cooled syrup evenly over the rolls. Allow the Saragli to soak in the syrup for 1-2 hours before serving.

A Few More Saragli Tips

I used a food processor to quickly pulse the nut mixture until they were finely chopped. If doing this, take care to keep some texture in the nuts. Don’t pulse so much that they turn completely into a powder or paste.

Cover any filo you aren’t currently using with a lightly damp towel. Work carefully and brush the butter lightly, but a small tear here or there isn’t a big issue. Just try to gently press it back together.

For these latest photos, I had a rough batch of store-bought phyllo (try to use a higher quality brand if possible to avoid this) and multiple sheets were tearing straight out of the box. If two sheets absolutely won’t separate, treat them as one instead of completely ruining it. Just spread the top with butter and cover with a third sheet.

Take care when pouring the cooled syrup over the hot phyllo. It may sizzle and splatter a bit.

Store the Saragli in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1-2 weeks. That sweet syrup preserves them well. Don’t cover the container until it has completely cooled to room temperature.

Five photo collage of phyllo rolls in a baking dish, rolls cut into fourths, baked Saragli (Greek Rolled Baklava), Saragli coated in syrup, and finished syrup-soaked rolls.

If there are any leftover ground nuts, use them as a garnish on the finished Saragli. I also like to add a few rose petals for an extra pop of color. If you don’t have any of the leftover ground nut mixture, finely chopped pistachios are often used as a garnish.

The exact amount of Saragli may vary based on the size of the phyllo and how you cut the rolls. I usually get around 24.

Looking for more Greek recipes?

Try my:

Close up of five Saragli (Greek Rolled Baklava) on a marble board with ground nuts and rose petals on top.

This recipe was originally posted in April 2015 and updated in May 2025.

Saragli (Greek Rolled Baklava) Recipe

Adapted from Dimitra’s Dishes

Five Saragli on a marble board with chopped nuts and rose petals.

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Saragli (Greek Rolled Baklava)

A recipe for Saragli (Greek Rolled Baklava)! Walnuts, almonds, and pistachios are rolled up in phyllo, baked, and soaked in a spiced sweet syrup.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Greek

Keyword almond, baklava, butter, Greece, Greek, phyllo, pistachio, syrup, walnut

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 1 15

Resting Time: 1

Total Time 2 45

Servings 24 Saragli

Ingredients

Spiced Syrup:

2 1/2 cups (500 grams) granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups (355 milliliters) water
6 cloves
2 strips lemon peel
1 cinnamon stick
2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) freshly squeezed lemon juice

Saragli:

6 ounces (170 grams) walnuts
4 ounces (113 grams) almonds
4 ounces (113 grams) shelled pistachios
1 1/2-2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 pound (450 grams) thin phyllo sheets #4
1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter melted, plus more for greasing the pan

Instructions

To make the syrup:

In a medium saucepan, add the sugar, water, cloves, lemon peel, and cinnamon.
Place over medium heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until all the sugar has dissolved.
Remove from heat, stir in the lemon juice, and set aside to cool.

To make the Saragli:

Preheat oven to 325˚F (165˚C) with the oven rack in the center. Grease a 9×13 inch (23×33 centimeter) baking dish with an at least 2 inch (5 centimeter) high rim with butter.
Finely chop the walnuts, almonds, and pistachios, either in a food processor or by hand. Do not process into a powder or paste. The nuts should still have a little texture, but not be so large that they tear through the phyllo.
Transfer the finely chopped nuts to a bowl and toss with the ground cinnamon and ground cloves. If you really love cinnamon, add 2 teaspoons or a little more. Otherwise, add 1 1/2 teaspoons and adjust flavors to taste. Set aside.
Place one phyllo sheet on a large work surface, short side facing you. Cover the remainder with a towel to prevent them from drying out.
Brush or lightly drizzle butter over the phyllo sheet.
Top with another phyllo sheet and brush with a little more butter.
Sprinkle the chopped nut mixture evenly over the phyllo in a thin layer.
Optionally, place two wooden skewers or one long thin dowel crosswise over the center of the nut-covered phyllo.
Gently fold the phyllo in half over the skewers, then roll the sheet up, using the skewers as a guide, to form a roll.
Press each end of the phyllo in towards the center to crinkle the roll, then carefully remove the skewers.
Place the crinkled roll seam-side down in the prepared baking dish, either lengthwise or crosswise depending on the length of your phyllo.
Repeat with the remaining sheets and nut mixture until the pan is filled in a single layer of rolls. If there is any nut mixture remaining, set it aside to use as garnish on the finished rolls.
Brush the tops of the rolls with the remaining butter.
Using a sharp knife, cut across the rolls either in thirds or fourths to make individual 2-3 inch (5-8 centimeter) long pieces.
Transfer the baking dish to the preheated oven and bake uncovered until the tops are golden and crisp, 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes.
Immediately after removing the baking dish from the oven, slowly pour the cooled syrup evenly over the top.
Set aside at room temperature and allow the Saragli to rest and soak in the syrup, 1-2 hours.
Serve or cover the baking dish once it has cooled and store at room temperature for up to 1-2 weeks.