Traditional Greek Diples, delicate honey-drizzled pastries, are a cherished Christmas treat that brings Mediterranean warmth to holiday celebrations.
These crispy, rolled sweets take just 90 minutes to prepare and yield 30 heavenly pieces that perfectly balance sweet and crispy textures.
At only 153 calories per serving, they’re a lighter alternative to heavy winter desserts while still delivering that festive indulgence.
The combination of fried dough and honey creates an irresistible contrast that has made these pastries a beloved part of Greek cuisine for generations.
Ingredients
- For the Diples:
- 2 flat tbsps sugar – room temperature for better mixing
- 2 flat tbsps baking soda – fresh for best results
- 350-400g all-purpose flour – sifted for smoother texture
- 5 eggs – separated and at room temperature
- 1 lemon – freshly squeezed
- 1 orange – freshly squeezed
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar – helps achieve perfect texture
- 1/2 cup corn oil – for pliable dough
- Pinch of salt – enhances flavor
- Vegetable oil – for frying, enough to deep fry
- For the Syrup:
- 1/4 cup sugar – regular granulated
- 1/4 cup water – room temperature
- 1/2 cup honey – good quality for best flavor
- 1/2 lemon juice – freshly squeezed
- 1 cinnamon stick – adds warmth
- 150g chopped walnuts – freshly chopped for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare the Meringue: Beat egg whites with salt until glossy peaks form.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: Incorporate egg yolks one by one, then add citrus juices with dissolved baking soda.
- Make the Dough: Combine flour, oil, and wet ingredients. Knead until smooth and elastic.
- Rest the Dough: Divide into four pieces and let rest for 30 minutes, covered.
- Shape and Fry: Roll dough thin, cut into rectangles, and fry in hot oil until golden.
- Prepare Syrup: Combine syrup ingredients, boil for 5 minutes without stirring.
- Final Touch: Drizzle warm syrup over diples, sprinkle with walnuts and cinnamon.
Cooking Techniques
Making diples is all about mastering two key skills: creating the perfect meringue and handling hot oil safely.
For the meringue, use room temperature eggs and a completely dry bowl – even a tiny drop of water can prevent your egg whites from whipping properly.
When frying, keep your oil at a steady temperature – if it’s too hot, your diples will brown too quickly; if too cool, they’ll become greasy.
A good test is to drop a small piece of dough in the oil – it should bubble gently and rise to the surface.
Variations
While this recipe gives you the classic Greek diples, you can play around with different shapes! Besides the traditional rolled version, try the simpler flat squares or rectangles – they’re just as tasty and perfect for beginners.
Some families skip the syrup and just use warm honey, while others love their diples extra sweet with a generous soaking. You can also swap the walnuts for almonds or pistachios for a different crunch.
Storage Tips
These sweet treats can stay crispy for up to 2 weeks when stored right! Keep them in an airtight container with wax paper between layers.
If you live somewhere humid, add a paper towel to the bottom of your container to absorb extra moisture.
Wait until they’re completely cool before storing, and only add the honey or syrup when you’re ready to serve – this keeps them from getting soggy. For best results, store them at room temperature rather than in the fridge.
Greek Diples (Christmas Greek Pastry with Honey)
Equipment
- electric mixer
- Deep frying pan
- Rolling Pin
- Rolling cutter
Ingredients
For the Diples
- 2 tbsps sugar flat
- 2 tbsps baking soda flat
- 350-400 g all-purpose flour (12-14 ounces)
- 5 eggs divided into yolks and whites
- 1 lemon juiced
- 1 orange juiced
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup corn oil
- 1 pinch salt
For the syrup
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/2 lemon juiced
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 150 g chopped walnuts for garnish (5 ounces)
Instructions
- Place the egg whites into the bowl of the electric mixer, along with a pinch of salt. Make sure your egg whites, bowl and whisk attachments are clean and free of any water. Whisk the egg whites until the mixture is very thick and glossy and a long trailing peak forms when the whisk is lifted (meringues).
- Add the egg yolks one at a time, whilst mixing; wait for each one to be absorbed, before adding another. In a cup add the orange and lemon juice and baking soda and blend, until dissolved and pour in the egg mixture. Add the white wine vinegar and the sugar and mix.
- Pour the mixture in a large bowl or basin and sift in the flour; add the oil and knead the dough using your hands, until smooth and elastic, and not sticky (if it is sticky, add some more flour).
- Separate the dough in four pieces, cover with some plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes.
- Using a rolling pin, roll out each part of the dough into thin rectangle sheets.
- Heat the oil in a deep frying pan, until shimmering but not smoking hot. Place a cut dough sheet in the hot oil. Using two large cooking forks and placing the edge between the tines of the fork, hold the end furthest away from you and roll the sheet away from you. Hold it a little with the fork in the oil, until coloured and place on some kitchen paper to drain. Repeat with the rest.
- Prepare the syrup for the diples. Pour in a pot all the syrup ingredients and bring to the boil; boil for 5 minutes, until the sugar has dissolved (do not stir the syrup).
- Place the diples on a serving platter and drizzle with the syrup (or if you like them extra syrupy, soak each one in the syrup for a few seconds). Sprinkle with ground walnuts and cinnamon.
- Alternatively, just warm up the honey, drizzle the diples and garnish with chopped walnuts. Enjoy!