Tiropitakia (Greek Cheese Pies)

If you love phyllo and feta cheese, you’ll go crazy over these tiropitakia (Greek feta cheese pies, aka feta hand pies). In this post, we’ll explore the art of crafting these traditional Greek savoury pastries.

What are tiropitakia?

The word tiropitakia derives from the word tiropita (which is a large Greek cheese pie). Therefore, Tiropitakia are considered the “mini” or little Greek version of this traditional cheese pie. You’ll mostly see them shaped like little triangles; however, they come in various shapes and sizes. They are also very popular in Greek cuisine. 

Why you’ll love this recipe

• They’re perfect for serving at parties. Prepare them in advance, serve them warm and watch them disappear!
• They make the perfect breakfast or brunch snack. (Try stopping at one!). I also love serving them as an appetizer at dinner parties. 
• It has cheese! This recipe is for cheese lovers - especially if you love Greek cheeses! Combined with flaky, buttery sheets of phyllo - it’s the perfect cheesy, savoury Greek snack. 

• 👨‍🍳 If you love this recipe and want to try something more advanced - try my tiropitakia kourou. These Greek little cheese pies are made with homemade dough using Greek yogurt, producing a pastry similar to shortbread. 

Ingredients

Here are the key ingredients you’ll need to make the tiropitakia:

• Feta Cheese: Use authentic Greek feta if you can get hold of it. It really does make a difference in this traditional recipe. 

• 🇬🇷 Greek Feta P.D.O. is a protected designation for feta cheese made in specific regions of Greece using traditional methods. This ensures the cheese’s authenticity, distinctive texture, and tangy flavour, providing consumers with a guarantee of origin and quality.

• Ricotta Cheese:  Use whole milk drained ricotta. It’s much firmer than some supermarket brands, often called “smooth ricotta”. You can sub with the more traditional “anthotiro”. Anthotiro is a soft cheese with a mild flavour (very similar to ricotta). Still, I can’t find any outside of Greece. 
• Kefalotyri:  This is a hard, salty cheese with a slightly pungent aroma. You can easily substitute Pecorino Romano if you can’t get hold of this. 
• Eggs: I’m using room-temperature eggs weighing approximately 60 grams each. Beat them slightly before adding to the cheese mixture. 
• Butter: I prefer using melted butter when making Greek tiropitakia. The butter provides extra flavour and helps make our pies crispy and golden brown. You can easily swap it for Greek extra virgin olive oil. 
• Phyllo pastry or filo pastry: “filo” or “fillo”. I use a box of phyllo that is chilled (not frozen) to make this recipe. The phyllo is essential, and the store-bought kind is perfect for this recipe. Please see the following tips on working with phyllo to help you make this recipe a success. 

Tips for using phyllo 

Experience has taught me that store-bought phyllo dough, despite its paper-thin appearance, is remarkably easy, convenient, and high-quality. Don’t be afraid!

• Thaw the phyllo dough: If using frozen phyllo, thaw the sheets according to the package instructions, usually in the refrigerator overnight. When ready to use it, please bring it to room temperature. Do not thaw it at room temperature from the freezer immediately! This will make the sheets limp and, soggy and unusable!
• Work quickly: Phyllo dough dries out quickly, so it’s essential to work efficiently when assembling the tiropitakia. I prefer to keep the sheets covered with parchment paper and then place a damp kitchen towel on top of the paper to prevent them from drying out. Don’t place the wet towel directly on top! 
• Store leftovers properly: If you have leftover dough, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and then in a resealable bag and store it in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Possible variations

Consider this delicious Greek recipe as a base, and if you like, you can change it up with the following suggestions:

• I have seen many recipes that substitute the ricotta with cream or cottage cheese. If using either, ensure the cream cheese is at room temperature for easier mixing and that you season the cottage cheese (as it’s pretty bland!). 
• Add some fresh or dried herbs to the cheese filling for flavour. Mint, dill or oregano are perfect!
• For a nutty crunch, sprinkle some sesame seeds before baking the tiropitakia. (Brush the pies with a little egg to help the sesame seeds stick)
• Drizzle some honey when the pies are warm. It’s the perfect combination of sweet, salty and savoury! 

How to make tiropitakia

Before starting this recipe, preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), grease, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

Prepare the cheese mixture.

(1) In a large bowl, crumble the feta cheese and add the ricotta and kefalotyri cheeses, followed by the beaten eggs. 

(2) Combine the cheese and eggs until well combined. 

Making the cheese triangles

(3) Place one sheet of phyllo on a clean bench with the longer edge facing you, brush with melted butter, and layer another sheet on top. Proceed until you have a stack of 3 phyllo sheets brushed with butter.

(4) Cut out 5 vertical strips from the pastry (each should measure approximately 3 inches or 8 centimetres) and place one heaped tablespoon of the cheese mixture at the base of the sheet, allowing a few cm of space and press down lightly.

(5) Place one heaped tablespoon of the cheese mixture at the base of the sheet, allowing a few cm of space and press down lightly. Fold diagonally to form a triangle, then continue folding, ensuring you keep a triangular shape. (Any excess pastry can be “tucked in” by brushing it with some extra butter). Continue with the remaining phyllo and filling until you end up with 25 pies. 

Baking and serving

(6) Place the tiropitakia on a baking sheet, brush both sides with butter and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. 

(7) Remove from the oven and allow the tiropitakia to cool before serving slightly warm or at room temperature.

Expert tips & F.A.Q.

• Avoid the phyllo becoming too dry (even with its forgiving nature!). Keep it covered at all times (see my tips above). 
• Use good quality ingredients (especially with the feta!) 
• Don’t overfill the tiropitakia with the cheese and egg mixture. They will likely burst when they are baking in the oven. 

Storing and freezing

You have two options when preparing these Greek pies in advance.

1. If you plan on serving them the next day - prepare them as per the recipe and then cover them with plastic wrap. Refrigerate and heat, and serve the following day. 
2. For extended storage, freeze unbaked tiropitakia on a baking tray, then transfer them to a freezer bag for up to a month. Bake from frozen on sheets, brushing with olive oil or melted butter, until golden (30-45 mins).

Video- how to make them

Related recipes

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📋 Recipe

Tiropitakia (Greek Cheese Pies)

Author: Peter G

If you love phyllo and feta cheese, you’ll go crazy over these tiropitakia (Greek feta cheese pies, aka feta hand pies). In this post, we’ll explore the art of crafting these traditional Greek savoury pastries.

5 from 2 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 50 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Cuisine Greek

Servings 25 pies

Ingredients

 

MetricUS Customary

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 200 g feta cheese, crumbled (note 1)
• ▢ 200 g ricotta cheese, fresh (note 2)
• ▢ 50 g kefalotyri cheese, grated (note 3)
• ▢ 2 eggs, room temperature
• ▢ 15 sheets fillo pastry, (note 4)
• ▢ 250 g butter, melted (note 5)

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

 

• Before starting this recipe, preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), grease, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, crumble the feta cheese and add the ricotta and kefalotyri cheeses, followed by the beaten eggs.
  200 g feta cheese, 200 g ricotta cheese, 50 g kefalotyri cheese, 2 eggs
• Combine the cheese and eggs until well combined.
• Place one sheet of phyllo on a clean bench with the longer edge facing you, brush with melted butter, and layer another sheet on top. Proceed until you have a stack of 3 phyllo sheets brushed with butter.
  15 sheets fillo pastry, 250 g butter
• Cut out 5 vertical strips from the pastry (each should measure approximately 3 inches or 8 centimetres)
• Place one heaped tablespoon of the cheese mixture at the base of the sheet, allowing a few cm of space and press down lightly. (note 6)
• Fold diagonally to form a triangle, then continue folding, ensuring you keep a triangular shape. (Any excess pastry can be “tucked in” by brushing it with some extra butter). Continue with the remaining phyllo and filling until you end up with 25 pies.
• Place the tiropitakia on a baking sheet, brush both sides with butter and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
• Remove from the oven and allow them to cool before serving slightly warm or at room temperature.

Notes

1. Use authentic Greek feta if you can get hold of it. It really does make a difference in this traditional recipe. 
2. Use whole milk drained ricotta. It’s much firmer than some supermarket brands, often called “smooth ricotta”. You can sub with the more traditional “anthotiro”. Anthotiro is a soft cheese with a mild flavour (very similar to ricotta). Still, I can’t find any outside of Greece. 
3. This is a hard, salty cheese with a slightly pungent aroma. You can easily substitute Pecorino Romano if you can’t get hold of this.
4. Chilled phyllo is best. If using frozen, thaw it in the fridge overnight. When working with phyllo pastry it's best to keep it covered with a piece of parchment paper and then place a kitchen towel on top of that. This will prevent the pastry drying out and also becoming "soggy". 
5. Sub with extra virgin olive oil if preferred. 
6. Don’t overfill the pies with the cheese and egg mixture. They will likely burst when they are baking in the oven. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1 pie | Calories: 627 kcal | Carbohydrates: 90 g | Protein: 15 g | Fat: 22 g | Saturated Fat: 10 g

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.

© Souvlaki For the Soul

Made this recipe?Let me know how you went and tag @souvlakiman on Instagram!

This post was first published in October 2014 but was updated with new pictures and information in November 2023.