Sweet phyllo cups are an easy bite-size party dessert made with crispy baked phyllo shells, fluffy sweetened whipped cream, and fresh mixed berries on top.

These mini dessert cups are perfect for finger food, single-serve desserts, brunch parties, bridal showers, baby showers, potlucks, and dessert tables.

The phyllo shells bake in about 12 minutes, and the whole dessert comes together in under 30 minutes. They look elegant and impressive, but they are simple to make with a no-bake filling and fresh berry topping.

Kids love topping their own with whatever berries they want.

I like putting them out alongside Apple Pie French Toast Baked Casserole at brunch or serving them as the sweet finish to a Mediterranean meal.

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Ingredients You’ll Need

Full-fat heavy whipping cream is the only ingredient worth being picky about here. It whips up properly and holds its shape long enough to serve. Everything else is straightforward. Use whatever mix of fresh berries looks best at the store.

Important Recipe Notes

• Fill right before serving: Once filled with cream, the phyllo softens within 30 to 60 minutes. Bake the shells ahead of time and keep them in an airtight container, then fill and top with berries just before you put them out.
• Keep phyllo covered while you work: Phyllo dries out quickly. Keep unused sheets under a slightly damp (not soaking wet) kitchen towel the whole time you are layering. Dry phyllo tears and won’t press into muffin cups cleanly.
• Cool the shells completely before filling: Filling warm or even slightly warm phyllo cups with whipped cream causes the cream to melt immediately. Wait until they are fully cooled, which takes about 15 to 20 minutes after baking.
• Don’t overbeat the cream: You want soft to medium peaks, not stiff peaks. Overbeaten cream turns grainy and is harder to spoon neatly. Stop when the cream holds its shape but still looks billowy.
• Make-ahead tip: Baked unfilled shells keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. The whipped cream can be made up to 4 hours ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator.
• Berry prep: Slice strawberries thin so they lay flat on the cream. Blueberries and raspberries can go in whole. Pat all berries dry before topping or the excess moisture drips into the cream.

How to Serve, Store & Customize This Recipe

Serving:

Serve sweet phyllo cups immediately after filling, or within 30 minutes at most. Arrange them on a platter and let people grab what they want.

A small drizzle of honey right before serving gives the berries a nice gloss.

Storing:

Filled cups don’t store well since the cream softens the phyllo quickly. Baked unfilled shells keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, which makes them easy to prep ahead.

Fill and top them only when you’re ready to serve.

Customizing:

Swap the plain whipped cream for mascarpone whipped cream (mix equal parts heavy cream and softened mascarpone, then whip together) for a richer, slightly tangier filling.

Lemon curd makes a good alternative to whipped cream if you want a tart base.

Any seasonal fruit works as a topper: thin sliced peaches in summer, pomegranate seeds and kiwi in winter.