Portokalópita (Greek Orange Broken Phyllo Pie)
By Nicole KonstantinakosPublished on December 12, 2025
Time
1½ hours, plus 2½ hours cooling and resting
Yield
Serves 8 to 12
Ingredients
Syrup and Candied Zest
6 (2-inch) strips orange zest plus ¾ cup juice (2 oranges)¾ cup (5¼ ounces/149 grams) plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided¼ cup water 1 tablespoon coriander seeds 2 cinnamon sticks ½ teaspoon (about 12) whole clovesPie
4 ounces (113 grams) phyllo, thawed and cut into ½-inch-wide strips3 large eggs ¾ cup (5¼ ounces/149 grams) sugar, plus extra for seasoning2 cups plain whole-milk Greek yogurt, divided⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon grated orange zest plus ¼ cup juice1¼ teaspoons baking powder ¼ teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon table saltBefore You Begin
You will need 3 oranges in total for the pie, syrup, and quick-candied zest. Thaw frozen phyllo (in its original packaging or tightly wrapped in plastic) overnight in the refrigerator or on the counter for 4 to 5 hours; do not thaw in the microwave. Leftover thawed phyllo can be refrozen (once) to be used in recipes featuring broken or crinkled phyllo; sheets will be too brittle for traditional layering. If you prefer, you can dry your phyllo for this recipe in advance; start with step 2 and then return to step 1 when you’re ready to make the pie. Use a light hand when sweetening the yogurt to taste in step 5.
Instructions
- Bring 6 strips orange zest and ¾ cup juice, ¾ cup (5¼ ounces) sugar, ¼ cup water, 1 tablespoon coriander seeds, 2 cinnamon sticks, and ½ teaspoon whole cloves to gentle simmer in medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Immediately remove pan from heat and let syrup cool for at least 30 minutes while preparing pie. \
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. Place 4 ounces phyllo, thawed and cut into ½-inch-wide strips, on rimmed baking sheet, lifting and tossing phyllo in handfuls to separate strips (peel apart any clumped sections as needed). Arrange phyllo in even, tangled layer. Bake until phyllo is dry and crisp but still pale in color, about 25 minutes, tossing gently halfway through baking. Transfer sheet to wire rack. (Dried phyllo can be stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days.)
- Increase oven temperature to 375 degrees. Vigorously whisk 3 large eggs, ¾ cup (5¼ ounces) sugar, ½ cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt, ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon grated orange zest and ¼ cup juice, 1¼ teaspoons baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, and ½ teaspoon table salt in large bowl until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Fold half of phyllo into custard with silicone spatula until no dry phyllo remains; repeat with remaining phyllo. Press phyllo into custard to fully submerge, then refrigerate for 15 minutes.
- Generously grease 9-inch pie plate. Fold batter to recombine and transfer to prepared plate. Bake until top of pie is deep golden brown and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.
- While pie is baking, whisk extra sugar to taste into remaining 1½ cups yogurt; refrigerate until ready to serve. Strain cooled syrup through fine-mesh strainer into liquid measuring cup (you should have about 1 cup syrup); transfer zest strips to cutting board and discard remaining solids. Slice zest into fine threads, then toss with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in small bowl; set aside.
- Transfer pie plate to wire rack. While pie is still hot, use skewer or toothpick to poke about 75 holes evenly over top of pie. Slowly pour half of syrup (about ½ cup) over pie and let sit until syrup is mostly absorbed, about 15 minutes. Gently slide silicone spatula around perimeter of pie to loosen edges, then pour remaining syrup over pie (pie will appear submerged in syrup). Let sit until pie is fully cooled and syrup is mostly absorbed, at least 2 hours.
- Loosen portokalópita from pan with spatula and gently slide onto serving platter. Serve with prepared yogurt and candied zest. (Portokalópita can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days.)
for the syrup and candied zest
for the pie
Time
1½ hours, plus 2½ hours cooling and restingYield
Serves 8 to 12Ingredients
Syrup and Candied Zest
Pie
Ingredients
Syrup and Candied Zest
Pie
Ingredients
Syrup and Candied Zest
Pie
Why This Recipe Works
Portokalópita is an ambrosial, orange-scented Greek pastry—one of many syrup-drenched sweets in a category known as “siropiasta”—that originated from the same resourcefulness that inspired such things as bread pudding from stale bread elsewhere. To make portokalópita (from the Greek words “portokáli” for orange, and “pita” for pastry or pie), Greek home cooks found that they could revive scraps of dried phyllo (left over from the meticulous work of layering sheets of dough to make such classics as baklava and spanakopita) by hydrating them in a simple custard made from other ingredients they had on hand—yogurt, olive oil, eggs, sweet oranges, and sugar plus a bit of leavener and salt—and make a simple batter, where phyllo replaces the flour. After baking, the warm pie is drenched in a fragrant syrup, and the result is a treat that reminds you at once of a delicate cake, a fragrant citrus pie, and a rich custard. Traditionally portokalópita is made in a large pan as an example of “glykó tou tapsioú,” or sweets from the pan, which are typically kept at the ready for whenever a visitor pops by. This scaled version is baked in a pie plate, so you can still serve it from the pan, or you can transfer it to a serving platter and present it, garnished with some quick-candied orange zest and some lightly sweetened yogurt, as an elegant finale to your winter holiday meal.
Before You Begin
You will need 3 oranges in total for the pie, syrup, and quick-candied zest. Thaw frozen phyllo (in its original packaging or tightly wrapped in plastic) overnight in the refrigerator or on the counter for 4 to 5 hours; do not thaw in the microwave. Leftover thawed phyllo can be refrozen (once) to be used in recipes featuring broken or crinkled phyllo; sheets will be too brittle for traditional layering. If you prefer, you can dry your phyllo for this recipe in advance; start with step 2 and then return to step 1 when you’re ready to make the pie. Use a light hand when sweetening the yogurt to taste in step 5.
Instructions
- Bring 6 strips orange zest and ¾ cup juice, ¾ cup (5¼ ounces) sugar, ¼ cup water, 1 tablespoon coriander seeds, 2 cinnamon sticks, and ½ teaspoon whole cloves to gentle simmer in medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Immediately remove pan from heat and let syrup cool for at least 30 minutes while preparing pie. \
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. Place 4 ounces phyllo, thawed and cut into ½-inch-wide strips, on rimmed baking sheet, lifting and tossing phyllo in handfuls to separate strips (peel apart any clumped sections as needed). Arrange phyllo in even, tangled layer. Bake until phyllo is dry and crisp but still pale in color, about 25 minutes, tossing gently halfway through baking. Transfer sheet to wire rack. (Dried phyllo can be stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days.)
- Increase oven temperature to 375 degrees. Vigorously whisk 3 large eggs, ¾ cup (5¼ ounces) sugar, ½ cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt, ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon grated orange zest and ¼ cup juice, 1¼ teaspoons baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, and ½ teaspoon table salt in large bowl until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Fold half of phyllo into custard with silicone spatula until no dry phyllo remains; repeat with remaining phyllo. Press phyllo into custard to fully submerge, then refrigerate for 15 minutes.
- Generously grease 9-inch pie plate. Fold batter to recombine and transfer to prepared plate. Bake until top of pie is deep golden brown and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.
- While pie is baking, whisk extra sugar to taste into remaining 1½ cups yogurt; refrigerate until ready to serve. Strain cooled syrup through fine-mesh strainer into liquid measuring cup (you should have about 1 cup syrup); transfer zest strips to cutting board and discard remaining solids. Slice zest into fine threads, then toss with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in small bowl; set aside.
- Transfer pie plate to wire rack. While pie is still hot, use skewer or toothpick to poke about 75 holes evenly over top of pie. Slowly pour half of syrup (about ½ cup) over pie and let sit until syrup is mostly absorbed, about 15 minutes. Gently slide silicone spatula around perimeter of pie to loosen edges, then pour remaining syrup over pie (pie will appear submerged in syrup). Let sit until pie is fully cooled and syrup is mostly absorbed, at least 2 hours.
- Loosen portokalópita from pan with spatula and gently slide onto serving platter. Serve with prepared yogurt and candied zest. (Portokalópita can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days.)
for the syrup and candied zest
for the pie
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