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Golden, crisp rice paper rolls filled with salty feta — a lighter, gluten-free take on classic Bulgarian banitsa, made in the air fryer in 30 minutes.
Rice paper has been everywhere lately, and I finally tried it where a Bulgarian would least expect it — banitsa. It works. Not as a substitute pretending to be phyllo, but as its own thing: lighter, gluten-free, with a texture that shatters differently than pastry does. No flour taste, and it cooks in a fraction of the time.
If you’ve never made a Bulgarian cheese pastry before, this is the easiest possible entry point. The technique is simple: beat eggs with a little milk, dip the rice paper, fill it with cheese, roll, brush with butter, and air fry. The egg wash is what makes rice paper banitsa work — it softens the wrapper enough to roll and gives it a golden, crisp finish once it hits the heat.
Why You’ll Love This Gluten-Free Banitsa
Fifteen minutes in the air fryer and you have six of them.
It’s naturally gluten-free without any special flour or substitution — rice paper recipes are the easiest shortcut I’ve found to easy gluten-free pastry that doesn’t taste like a compromise.
And it’s lighter than traditional banitsa, with no layers of butter-brushed phyllo.
The filling is flexible: crumbled feta on its own, or the softer three-cheese mix if you want it creamier.
Either way, these feta rice paper rolls are the kind of thing you eat warm with a glass of ayran and don’t overthink.
How to Make Rice Paper Banitsa
- Beat the eggs with the milk, water, or cream and a pinch of salt in a shallow dish wide enough to fit a rice paper round.
- Dip one rice paper sheet into the egg mixture, turning to coat both sides. It softens quickly.
- Lay it flat and add about 45 g of cheese in a line across the lower third.
- Fold in the sides and roll it up tightly.
- Repeat with the remaining sheets.
- Drizzle the tops with melted butter and sprinkle generously with sesame seeds.
- Air fry at 400°F for about 15 minutes, until golden and crisp. Or bake at 400°F until golden.
Tips for the Best Rice Paper Cheese Rolls
Sesame seeds go on right after the butter, while it’s still wet, so they stick.
Work one sheet at a time. Rice paper softens fast and sticks to itself if you let it sit.
Don’t overfill. 45 g per roll is enough — more and it splits while rolling.
Roll tightly so the cheese doesn’t escape while cooking.
The egg wash does double duty here: it softens the rice paper and browns it. Don’t skip it.
Serving Ideas
Serve warm, with plain yogurt or a tall glass of ayran — the traditional pairing, and the cold tang cuts the salty cheese.
A simple tomato and cucumber salad on the side turns it into a full meal.
FAQ
Can I make these ahead?
They’re best straight from the air fryer while the outside is still crisp. You can assemble the rolls a few hours ahead, keep them covered in the fridge, and cook right before serving.
Is this actually gluten-free?
Yes — rice paper is made from rice flour and tapioca, so there’s no wheat anywhere in the recipe. It’s the easiest way I’ve found to make banitsa gluten-free without a substitute that tastes like a compromise.
Can I bake instead of air fry?
Yes. Bake at 400°F until golden. Air fryer banitsa gets crisper and faster, but the oven works fine, especially for a bigger batch.
Rice Paper Banitsa
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 2-3 tbsp milk, water, or heavy cream
- Pinch of salt
- 6 rice paper sheets, 22 cm
- 270 g cheese, 45 g per roll — crumbled feta, or an equal mix of feta, farmers cheese, and cottage cheese
- Grated mozzarella, optional
- 1 tbsp butter, melted
- Sesame seeds, for sprinkling
Instructions
- Beat the eggs with the milk, water, or cream and salt in a shallow dish.
- Dip one rice paper sheet in the egg mixture, coating both sides until softened.
- Lay it flat and add about 45 g of cheese across the lower third.
- Fold in the sides and roll up tightly.
- Repeat with the remaining sheets.
- Drizzle the rolls with melted butter and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
- Air fry at 400°F for 15 minutes, until golden and crisp, or bake at 400°F until golden.
Notes
Don’t overfill; 45 g per roll rolls cleanly without splitting.
Cream gives the richest result, water keeps it lightest, milk sits in the middle.
Add grated mozzarella to the filling for a meltier result.
Serve warm with yogurt or ayran.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
