Strawberry Cheesecake Baklava

Two of my favorite things in the world are strawberry cheesecake and baklava, so I found a way to combine them! Since Valentine's Day is right around the corner, I figured this would be a great recipe to share with the world! I garnished with blueberries, because I used all my strawberries in the recipe!

Prep Time:
15 mins
Cook Time:
1 hr
Total Time:
1 hr 15 mins
Servings:
12
Yield:
1 9x13-inch pastry
Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

Original recipe (1X) yields 12 servings

  • 1 (10 ounce) package frozen strawberries, thawed

  • 2 cups drained cottage cheese

  • 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

  • 1 cup white sugar, divided

  • 2 egg yolks

  • 1 egg

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest

  • 1 (8 ounce) package frozen phyllo dough, thawed

  • 1 cup butter, melted

  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter a 9x13x2-inch baking pan.

  2. Drain strawberries and reserve juice in a bowl. Chop into pieces and add any remaining juice to the bowl.

  3. Combine cottage cheese, cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar, egg yolks, whole egg, vanilla extract, and lemon zest in a bowl. Blend together using an electric mixer on medium speed. Stir in the drained strawberries.

  4. Place phyllo dough sheets between dampened towels to keep moist.

  5. Place 1 phyllo sheet on the prepared pan. Brush with melted butter. Repeat until 1/2 of the sheets are left.

  6. Spoon the strawberry-cheese mixture over the top layer of phyllo; spread evenly. Layer the remaining phyllo sheets on top, brushing each with butter.

  7. Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 1 hour.

  8. Combine 1/2 cup reserved strawberry juice, remaining 1/2 cup sugar, and lemon juice in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook into a thick syrup, about 5 minutes.

  9. Spoon hot syrup evenly over the baked baklava. Let cool before cutting into pieces.

Cook's Notes:

To thaw strawberries for this recipe: Empty the package into a bowl and sprinkle with some sugar. Stir it up so they're all coated with the sugar. Let thaw at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours. The sugar will help create a juice when the berries thaw.

The frozen phyllo dough will take 2 hours to thaw as well, so make sure to account for this extra time.

You can substitute ricotta cheese for the cottage cheese.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

384 Calories
26g Fat
30g Carbs
9g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 12
Calories 384
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 26g 33%
Saturated Fat 16g 78%
Cholesterol 117mg 39%
Sodium 414mg 18%
Total Carbohydrate 30g 11%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 18g
Protein 9g 17%
Vitamin C 10mg 11%
Calcium 54mg 4%
Iron 1mg 7%
Potassium 117mg 2%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.