A sweet twist on a popular Mediterranean treat, these sweet bourekas are filled with tender apples, juicy blueberries and drizzled with a creamy honey tahini glaze. These little pastries are fast, easy and perfectly sweet.
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About This Recipe
Bourekas are a beloved pastry across the Mediterranean and Middle East, usually made savory with fillings like cheese, Spinach and Feta Borek, or stuffed with potatoes or eggplant borek. This version flips the tradition and goes sweet, with a mix of blueberries, apples, and cinnamon tucked into buttery puff pastry and finished with a drizzle creamy honey tahini glaze.
Think of them as part hand pie and part turnover. And that tahini drizzle would be fabulous on top of Mediterranean roasted eggplant and roasted Kabocha squash.
📋 Ingredients
- Puff pastry – Store-bought puff pastry keeps things easy. Thaw in the fridge overnight or on the counter for 30 minutes before rolling.
- Apples – Pink Lady or Honeycrisp add sweetness and hold their shape, while Granny Smith adds tartness.
- Blueberries – Fresh or frozen both work! If using frozen, add 1 tablespoon cornstarch to absorb extra liquid.
- Sugar – About ½ cup for the filling, plus more for sprinkling on top.
- Cinnamon & vanilla – Warm flavors that pair very well with apples.
- Lemon juice + zest – Brightens the filling and balances the sweetness.
- Tahini & honey – The base of the glaze. Whisk with warm water until silky and pourable.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
🍋 Substitutions and Variations
- Different berries: Swap blueberries for blackberries, raspberries, or chopped strawberries.
- Change up the fruit: Use pears instead of apples for a fall twist.
- Add crunch: Sprinkle sesame seeds or chopped pistachios on top before baking.
⏲️ Instructions
Cut the pastry. Roll out puff pastry slightly and cut into 4 larger squares (or 9 smaller ones).
Add the filling. Spoon fruit mixture into the center of each square.
Fold and seal. Fold pastry into triangles and crimp edges with a fork.
Bake until golden. Brush with egg wash, sprinkle with sugar, and bake until puffed and golden brown.
📍 Recipe Tips
- Cut to size: Each puff pastry sheet can be cut into 4 larger squares (easier to fill and seal) or 9 smaller squares (great for bite-sized bourekas).
- Filling amount: For large bourekas, use about 1 heaping tablespoon of filling. For smaller ones, use less so they don’t burst open.
- Seal well: Use a fork to crimp the edges and cut a small slit on top of each pastry so steam can escape.
- If using frozen blueberries: Add 1 tablespoon cornstarch to the filling to absorb excess liquid.
- Glaze consistency: If leftover honey tahini glaze thickens in the fridge, whisk in a splash of warm water to loosen it.
- Freezer-friendly: Cool completely, then freeze. Reheat at 350°F until warmed through.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve warm with extra honey tahini on the side for dipping.
- Pair with hot tea or coffee.
- Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream for dessert.
- Include in a brunch spread alongside shakshuka, fresh fruit, and yogurt.
More Dessert Recipes to Try
Sweet Bourekas with Apples, Blueberries and Honey Tahini
LittleFerraroKitchen.com
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Bourekas:
- 2 cups chopped and peeled apples cut into ½-inch cubes
- 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries see note if using frozen
- ½ cup sugar plus more for sprinkling on top
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla paste
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 sheets puff pastry thawed
- Flour for rolling out pastry
- 1 egg whisked with 1 teaspoon water (for egg wash)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Make the filling: In a medium bowl, combine apples, blueberries, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Toss well and set aside.
- Prepare the puff pastry: On a lightly floured surface, roll out each sheet just a bit thinner. Cut into either 4 larger squares (8 total) or 9 smaller squares (18 total).
- Fill the pastries: Place about 1 heaping tablespoon of filling in the center of each square (use less if making smaller bourekas). Fold into a triangle and press the edges with a fork to seal. Cut a small slit on top of each for steam to escape.
- Bake: Arrange bourekas on the prepared sheet. Brush with egg wash, sprinkle with sugar, and bake for 28–30 minutes, or until puffed and golden brown.
- Make the glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together tahini, honey, and warm water (start with ¼ cup and add more as needed) until smooth and pourable.
- Finish: Drizzle the warm bourekas with honey tahini glaze before serving.
Notes
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- Cut to size: Each puff pastry sheet can be cut into 4 larger squares (easier to fill and seal) or 9 smaller squares.
- Filling amount: For large bourekas, use about 1 heaping tablespoon of filling. For smaller ones, use less so they don’t burst open.
- If using frozen blueberries: Add 1 tablespoon cornstarch to the filling to absorb excess liquid.
- Glaze consistency: If leftover honey tahini glaze thickens in the fridge, whisk in a splash of warm water to loosen it.
- Freezer: Cool completely, then freeze. Reheat at 350°F until warmed through.
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Marcia Greenberg says
These look wonderful. I’d like to make them for Rosh Hashanah using just apples. How many more cups apples would you suggest instead of the blueberries?
Your recipes are always so wonderful. Thanks so much.
Marcia
Samantha Ferraro says
Hi Marcia, we have not recipe tested only apples, however if the bits of apple are about blueberry size, use the same weight. So on my recipe we would use the full 4 pounds of Apples to replace the blueberries. Enjoy the Holidays. Samantha.
Samantha Ferraro says
Hi Marcia...that was a typo, I meant 4 cups of apples, not 4 pounds.
Scarlett Pearson says
Such a nice post. Thanks for sharing this with us.