Mango Baklava: A Delightful Eid Dessert

As a food stylist based in the UAE, one of my constant efforts is to show the world how beautiful, delicate, and deeply expressive our desserts can be — from the ingredients that are available to the way they are presented on a table. This year, I chose baklava and tried to use a fruit very close to my heart, Indian mangoes.

Mango season and Eid have arrived together this year, and honestly, that felt like enough reason to make mango the star of the table. For a small Eid gathering with a friend and his family from university, I wanted to make something that felt festive, light, and a little nostalgic. The evening became less about a grand menu and more about catching up on life after university, sharing memories, and serving something beautiful with ingredients that feel very much in season.

These mango-stuffed filo pastry shells are crisp, buttery, lightly sweet, and filled with a silky mango puree scented with saffron. The shells are finished with desiccated coconut, chopped pistachios, and tiny rose blooms, giving them a delicate, festive look without making the dessert too heavy.

The best part is that they look far more complicated than they actually are. Once the filo is rolled, scrunched, and shaped into small hollow shells, they bake into crisp golden cups that can hold the mango filling beautifully.

Preparation time: 25-30 minutes
Baking time:12-15 minutes
Serves: 6-7

Ingredients

For the filo pastry shells

• Filo pastry, defrosted 1 packet
• Melted butter, for brushing
• Baking paper, for lining the tray

For the mango saffron puree

• Pulp of 2 ripe mangoes
• Sugar, or adjust to taste, 2 tbsp
• A few strands of saffron
• Warm milk or warm water, to bloom the saffron 1–2 tbsp

For the sugar syrup

• Sugar ½ cup
• Water ½ cup
• A few drops of lemon juice
• Optional: a few saffron strands or a little rose water

For topping

• Desiccated coconut
• Chopped pistachios
• Dried or fresh edible rose blooms
• Optional: extra saffron strands

Method

1. Soak the saffron strands in 1–2 tablespoons of warm milk or warm water for a few minutes. Blend the mango pulp with sugar and the bloomed saffron until smooth.
2. Taste and adjust the sweetness if needed. Since mangoes are naturally sweet, I used only 2 tablespoons of sugar for the pulp of 2 mangoes. Keep the puree chilled until the filo shells are ready to fill.
3. Add sugar and water to a small saucepan and bring it to a gentle boil. Let it simmer for a few minutes until slightly sticky but still pourable. Add a few drops of lemon juice to prevent crystallization.
4. You can also add a little rose water or saffron for a more festive flavour. Keep the syrup hot, as it will be poured over the baked filo shells.
5. Defrost the filo pastry according to the packet instructions. Work carefully, as filo dries out quickly. Keep the sheets covered with a slightly damp towel while shaping.
6. Cut each filo sheet into rectangles. Each sheet should give 4 rectangles, approximately 8 cm by 10 cm.
7. Take one rectangle and place it with the narrower side facing you. Using a chopstick, start rolling the filo from one side. Stop rolling about half an inch before the edge. Now gently scrunch the filo from both sides while it is still on the chopstick. Slowly slide the chopstick out. Twist the two ends towards each other to create a hollow shell shape. Push the extra filo slightly towards the base so the shell can sit properly on the tray. Repeat with the remaining filo rectangles.
8. Arrange the shaped filo shells on a lined baking tray. Brush them generously with melted butter. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for about 12–15 minutes, or until golden, crisp, and lightly browned.
9. As soon as they come out of the oven, pour or brush the hot sugar syrup over the shells. Let them cool completely before filling.
10. Once the shells have cooled, spoon or pipe the mango saffron puree into the hollow centre of each shell. Top with desiccated coconut, chopped pistachios, and rose blooms.
11. The coconut adds softness, the pistachios bring colour and texture, and the rose blooms make the dessert feel instantly festive. Serve soon after assembling so the filo stays crisp.