How to Make Cretan Anebata (Kalitsounia from Heraklion)
Some sweets steal your heart the first time you taste them. For me, anebata are one of those rare treasures—soft, golden pies filled with cheese and kissed with honey and cinnamon. They rise, they puff, and then make the whole house smell like a bakery in spring.
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I fell in love with this recipe during my trips to Heraklion. In Chania, where I live, this type of pie isn’t so easy to find—so whenever I go east, I make sure to hunt them down like a culinary treasure.
The name anebata comes from the Greek verb ανεβαίνω (anavéno), which means “to rise” or “to go up.” That’s exactly what the dough does—it rises slowly and beautifully until it’s airy and soft.
Any pie that needs time for yeast to work its magic can be called anebato, but these sweet cheese pies are my absolute favorite.
Traditionally, they’re made around Easter, when every kitchen in Crete is full of sweet breads and festive smells. But once I learned the recipe, I decided they were too good to save for once a year. Now I make them whenever I crave something special.
If you can’t find myzithra, don’t panic—ricotta works just fine. The filling has so many flavor notes—honey, cinnamon, orange zest—that nobody will notice the difference.
Ricotta Tip
Strain ricotta overnight to obtain a kind of cheese that’s similar to fresh mizithra — perfect for Cretan pies, pastries, or savory fillings. Want to learn more? Check out our full guide: How to Replace Mizithra .
How I Make Them
PREPARE THE DOUGH
I always start by getting my mixer bowl ready. Warm milk goes in first, along with the yeast, a spoonful of sugar, and a little bit of flour—just enough to make a thick paste.
I cover it and wait about five minutes. This is my “let the yeast wake up” moment… It’s a bit like waiting for a friend to finish their coffee before asking them to help you move furniture.
Once the yeast is happy and bubbly, I add the olive oil, the melted butter, the egg, the rest of the sugar, the orange zest, and the fragrant little secrets—masticha and mahlepi. If you can’t find mahlepi, ground cardamom works well, and for masticha, vanilla extract will give you a lovely (although slightly different) aroma.
Then in goes the rest of the flour, and I let the mixer do the hard work for 10 minutes, kneading until the dough is smooth and elastic. I cover the bowl and let the dough rise for 1 to 2 hours in a warm, draft-free corner of my kitchen.
PREPARE THE FILLING
While it’s puffing up, I prepare the filling: myzithra (or ricotta) cheese, honey (make it Cretan if you can), baking powder, cinnamon, and egg, all mixed until smooth. Into the fridge it goes to stay cool while the dough finishes rising.
Once the dough is ready, I portion it into little 30-gram balls. I roll each one into a small circle, add a spoonful of the cheese filling, and then pinch it closed. Here’s my trick: I gently roll it on the kitchen top again to make a neat ball with the closure invisible.
LAST RISE AND BAKE
They go onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper, and then I tuck them under a kitchen towel and let them rise one more time for 30 minutes.
Once they’re ready to go to the oven, I get a brush of egg wash and a generous sprinkle of sesame seeds. Then
Finally, into the oven they go—170°C (340°F) for 20 minutes, until they are golden, puffy, and impossible to resist. They are best enjoyed warm, with a cup of Cretan malotira mountain tea.
Cretan Ingredient Substitutions & Language Notes
- Myzithra
Cretan / Greek word: Μυζήθρα (Mee-ZEE-thra)
Fresh, soft, slightly tangy cheese made from whey. Essential in many Cretan pastries and pies.
Substitutes if abroad: Fresh ricotta (mild)
- Anebata
Cretan / Greek word: Ανεβαστά (A-ne-va-STÁ) or Ανεβατά
From the verb ανεβαίνω (to rise/go up) — describes any pie or bread that uses yeast and needs rising.
- Masticha
Cretan / Greek word: Μαστίχα (Mas-TEE-ha)
Resin from the mastic tree, used for its sweet, pine-like aroma in festive baking.
Substitutes if abroad: Vanilla extract or a drop of almond extract
- Mahlepi
Cretan / Greek word: Μαχλέπι (Mah-LE-pee)
Spice made from the ground kernel of a cherry pit; aromatic and slightly bitter. Common in Easter breads.
Substitutes if abroad: Ground cardamom
- Malotira
Cretan / Greek word: Μαλοτήρα (Ma-lo-TEE-ra)
Cretan mountain tea made from Sideritis syriaca, traditionally served with sweets.
Substitutes if abroad: Greek mountain tea or chamomile
Cretan Anebata (Kalitsounia Heraklion)
Equipment
- 1 standing mixer
Ingredients
For the dough
- 450 grams strong bread flour or tsoureki flour
- 30 grams soft butter
- 30 ml olive oil extra virgin
- ⅛ tsp masticha powder can be replaced by ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp mahlepi powder can be replaced by ¼ tsp ground cardamom
- 7 grams dry yeast (or 20 g fresh yeast)
- 50 grams sugar
- 180 ml warm milk
- Zest of 1 orange
For the filling
- 500 grams myzithra (or ricotta, strained)
- 2 tbsp Cretan thyme honey (or any other fragrant honey)
- 1 large egg
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
Garnish
- 1 egg (+ water) for eggwash
- Sesame seeds (white)
Instructions
Activate the yeast:
- In the mixer bowl, combine the warm milk, the yeast, 1 tbsp sugar, and 2 tbsp flour.
- Mix, cover, and let rest for 5 minutes until bubbly.
Make the dough:
- To the activated yeast, add the olive oil, the melted butter, the egg, the remaining sugar, the orange zest, the masticha, and the mahlepi.
- Add the rest of the flour and knead for 10 minutes until elastic.
- Cover and let rise 1–2 hours in a warm place until it doubles the size.
Prepare the filling:
- In a bowl, mix the myzithra (or ricotta) with honey, baking powder, cinnamon, and one egg.
- Refrigerate until needed.
Shape the pies:
- Divide the risen dough into 30 g portions. Roll each into a small circle.
- Place a spoonful of the filling in the center, pinch closed, and gently roll into a ball with the closure invisible.
Final rise:
- Place on parchment-lined tray, cover with a towel, and let rise 30 minutes.
- Before baking, brush with the egg wash and sprinkle sesame seeds
Bake and serve:
- Preheat oven to 170°C (340°F) and bake for 20 minutes, until golden. Serve with a cup of Greek coffee or Cretan mountain tea.
Nutrition
Best Baking Secrets for Leavened Sweets
- Warm milk should be about body temperature—too hot will kill the yeast.
- Knead until the dough can stretch thin without tearing (the “windowpane” test).
- Always cover the dough to prevent a crust from forming during rising.
- Don’t skip the second rise—it makes the texture light and fluffy.
- Bake in the middle rack for even browning.
Anebata are more than just a sweet—they’re little pockets that everyone loves, soft as clouds and rich with the flavors of Crete. Once you taste them fresh from the oven, you’ll understand why I never wait until Easter to make them.
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How to Make Cretan Anebata (Kalitsounia from Heraklion)
Gabi Ancarola
Gabi is a travel writer who has lived in Crete for over a decade. Through her blog, Crete Insider, she has helped travelers uncover local experiences. Passionate about food and Cretan cuisine, she now attends Greek cooking lessons to bring the island’s flavors straight to your kitchen!
Discover The Greek Yogurt Recipe Book — a curated collection of 35 delicious recipes using Greek yogurt, from wholesome breakfasts to savory dinners and refreshing treats.
Get the Book>> Interested in learning to cook in Crete, or discovering all of the top spots to eat in Chania and around the island? Book a food tour or plan your trip with me.
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