Prepare to impress your guests with this homemade baklava recipe! This stunning-looking baklava recipe requires less than ten ingredients to make, and you probably have most of the ingredients already. This baklava has a delicious and nutty taste with a crunchy and buttery texture that will melt in your mouth.
Don’t be intimidated by the idea of making baklava at home. It may look difficult, but it’s really quite straightforward! You’ll need to have patience when layering the phyllo dough, but with my step-by-step photos and expert tips down below, you’ll be able to make this dessert flawlessly. Want to enjoy baklava but don’t have phyllo? Try my Baklava Cookies!
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE THIS RECIPE
Chopped nuts — the most commonly used nuts are walnuts and pistachios, but hazelnut and almonds can be used as well. You can use just one type or a mixture of nuts.
Phyllo dough — you can find sheets of pre-made phyllo in the freezer section of most major grocery stores. Be sure to thaw fully before using, or the sheets will rip as you try to separate them. Do not open the package as you thaw in the fridge.
Butter — be sure to grab unsalted butter for your baklava, or you’ll end up with a salty dessert. The butter adds moisture and makes the phyllo flakey, so be sure to use good quality butter. Try to keep the butter warm as you work with it, so it doesn’t solidify as you brush the phyllo.
HOW TO MAKE BAKLAVA
1. In a food processor, pulse the nuts until they are well chopped.
2. Place nuts in a bowl and stir in sugar and cinnamon until combined.
3. Trim phyllo to fit a 13×9-inch baking pan and then brush the bottom and sides of the baking pan with melted butter. Lay a sheet of phyllo dough in the bottom of the pan and brush with melted butter. Repeat 9 more times, creating a layer of 10 phyllo sheets.
4. Sprinkle phyllo evenly with a third (about 1¼ cups) of the nut mixture.
5. Top with a phyllo sheet and brush with butter. Repeat 5 more times, creating a layer of 6 phyllo sheets. Sprinkle with another third of the nut mixture. Repeat both phyllo and nut layers before creating another 10 layers of phyllo sheets on top.
6. Using a very sharp knife, cut the baklava into a diamond pattern. Bake for 50 minutes or until golden brown.
7. Combine water, honey, and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the lemon zest and juice and remove from the heat. Let cool.
8. When the baklava has finished baking, pour the honey syrup over the top. Let the honey syrup soak into the baklava for about 6 hours before serving.
PRO TIPS FOR MAKING THIS RECIPE
- Since the baklava bakes for about an hour, I recommend using raw, not roasted nuts. You can use roasted nuts in a pinch, but the baklava will have an extra toasty flavor.
- An alternative to the honey in the syrup is orange blossom honey because it adds a nice floral flavor note to baklava.
- You’ll likely have some extra phyllo sheets left over. You can wrap them around fish or chicken pieces before roasting for a crispy coating. Or, use them as a cobbler topping by ruffling the sheets up, placing them on top of a cobbler filling, and brushing liberally with melted butter before baking.
- If your phyllo pastry rips while you’re layering it into the pan, don’t worry too much about it. Once baked, it’s not noticeable.
- The damp tea towel over the unused phyllo dough as you work is worth the effort as the phyllo will dry out and become brittle when exposed to air. Work as quickly as possible during the layering process and avoid leaving the dish unattended.
- The honey syrup needs to be made and cooled early on. If the syrup is still hot while you pour it overtop of the baklava, it won’t absorb as well, and your dessert may end up soggy.
- Do not forget to cut the baklava before baking! As you can see, the phyllo is quite crispy after baking, so you will not have beautiful clean cuts if you slice after baking.
- Avoid overprocessing the nuts in the food processor. They should not be so fine that it’s almost like dust as you want the texture of the nuts to be noticeable when you take a bite of the dessert.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is the difference between phyllo pastry and puff pastry?
Phyllo dough has almost no fat, so when baked, the texture is not the same. Puff pastry puffs up while phyllo dough crisps in the oven. They are usually side by side in the freezer section at the store, so make sure you grab the correct dough.
Can I make this without honey?
The honey gives the baklava that classic flavor, but if you’re not a fan of honey, you can opt for a simple sugar syrup instead.
How do I keep it crispy?
You’ve worked hard to layer all the phyllo, so you want to make sure you store your baklava correctly, so it stays crispy! I don’t recommend tightly wrapping the entire tray in plastic wrap. It would be best to store the tray at room temperature with a clean tea towel over top. Doing so should prevent moisture from being trapped and prevent the phyllo from becoming soggy.
Why did mine come out dry?
As you brush the phyllo with butter, make sure you cover all of the phyllo, including the edges and corners. The phyllo will come out dry if you’ve missed spots on the dough. However, keep in mind that a thin coat is all you need, as too much butter will cause the baklava to be soggy.
Can I freeze this for later?
You can freeze baked baklava for up to 4 months. I recommend freezing them in smaller batches in airtight freezer-safe containers to avoid having to thaw out the entire tray at once and re-freezing extras.
IF YOU LOVE THIS RECIPE TRY THESE OUT!
If you’ve tried this Baklava recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Baklava
Equipment
- 13x9 inch baking pan
Ingredients
Honey Syrup:
- 1 cup water (240mL)
- 1 cup honey (340g)
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100g)
- zest and juice of 1 lemon
Baklava:
- 1 pound finely chopped nuts walnuts or pistachios (450g)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (50g)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 16 ounces phyllo dough thawed (450g)
- 1 cup butter melted (170g)
Instructions
Honey Syrup:
- Combine water, honey, and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the lemon zest and juice and remove from the heat. Let cool.
Baklava:
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Place nuts in a bowl and stir in sugar and cinnamon until combined.
- Unfold phyllo. Trim to fit a 13x9-inch baking pan. Cover with a damp tea towel to keep the dough from drying out.
- Brush the bottom and sides of a 13x9-inch baking pan with melted butter. Lay a sheet of phyllo dough in the bottom of the pan and brush with melted butter. Repeat 9 more times, creating a layer of 10 phyllo sheets.
- Sprinkle phyllo evenly with a third (about 1 1/4 cups) of the nut mixture.
- Top with a phyllo sheet and brush with butter. Repeat 5 more times, creating a layer of 6 phyllo sheets. Sprinkle with another third of the nut mixture. Repeat both phyllo and nut layers again.
- Top the nut mixture with 1 phyllo sheet and brush with butter. Repeat 9 more times, creating a top layer with 10 phyllo sheets. Brush with butter.
- Using a very sharp knife, cut the baklava into 2 1/4-inch wide strips lengthwise. Cut into the same width strips, again running diagonally to the first cuts, creating a diamond pattern. If any melted butter remains, Drizzle it all over the pan.
- Bake for 50 minutes or until golden brown.
- Right when the baklava is removed from the oven, immediately pour the honey syrup all over. (It should make a sizzling sound.) Let the honey syrup soak into the baklava for about 6 hours before serving. Garnish with finely chopped nuts, if desired.
Notes
- Since the baklava bakes for about an hour, I recommend using raw, not roasted nuts. You can use roasted nuts in a pinch, but the baklava will have an extra toasty flavor.
- An alternative to the honey in the syrup is orange blossom honey because it adds a nice floral flavor note to baklava.
- You’ll likely have some extra phyllo sheets left over. You can wrap them around fish or chicken pieces before roasting for a crispy coating. Or, use them as a cobbler topping by ruffling the sheets up, placing them on top of a cobbler filling, and brushing liberally with melted butter before baking.
- If your phyllo pastry rips while you’re layering it into the pan, don’t worry too much about it. Once baked, it’s not noticeable.
- The damp tea towel over the unused phyllo dough as you work is worth the effort as the phyllo will dry out and become brittle when exposed to air. Work as quickly as possible during the layering process and avoid leaving the dish unattended.
- The honey syrup needs to be made and cooled early on. If the syrup is still hot while you pour it overtop of the baklava, it won’t absorb as well, and your dessert may end up soggy.
- Do not forget to cut the baklava before baking! As you can see, the phyllo is quite crispy after baking, so you will not have beautiful clean cuts if you slice after baking.
- Avoid overprocessing the nuts in the food processor. They should not be so fine that it’s almost like dust as you want the texture of the nuts to be noticeable when you take a bite of the dessert.
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