Traditional Baklava Recipe
This easy and Classic Baklava recipe is loaded with layers of cinnamon, nuts, and butter and saturated in a simple honey syrup! Everyone will love this sweet and sticky dessert!
This easy and classic Baklava recipe is loaded with layers of cinnamon, nuts, and butter and saturated in a simple honey syrup! Everyone will love this sweet and sticky dessert!
This Homemade Baklava Recipe is dreamy!
I can still remember the first time I had Baklava. It was probably close to 20 years ago and I was maybe 10 or so. My mum and I were picking up dinner at this new pizza place one Friday night.
I remember looking at the counter and seeing this cake stand stacked with a strange treat that looked like a really sticky pastry, you know, the best kind. When I asked my mom what it was, she said it was baklava, and then she bought me a piece!
This was a HUGE deal, guys! Growing up, there wasn’t a lot of extra money, so when my mom bought me this $3 treat I was ecstatic!
What is Baklava?
My recipe for Baklava is a rich, sweet dessert pastry made of layers of phyllo dough filled with chopped nuts and sweetened and held together with syrup.
Ingredients for Homemade Baklava
Package Phyllo Dough
Finely Chopped Pecans or Walnuts
Unsalted Butter
Ground Cinnamon
Water
Granulated Sugar
Vanilla Extract
Honey
This was my first ever baklava. I brought it in to work and also gifted it some to family and friends. They raved about it. Couldn’t believe that it was homemade and not from a bakery, one co worker said it was best baklava he has ever had! I still need to master working with phyllo dough but hands down I will now be adding this to my Christmas and Easter baking every year. Thank you!!!
– Christy
How To Make Homemade Baklava
1. You’ll begin with a 9×13-inch baking dish and melted butter. Butter pan using a pastry brush, then add two layers of phyllo dough and brush them all over with butter.
Repeat three more times for a total of eight layers of dough.
2. Next, combine the chopped nuts and cinnamon and sprinkle a few tablespoons of the nut mixture over the top of the buttered dough.
Repeat your dough layers and nut filling layer several more times.
3. Once you have completed the layers, use a very large and sharp knife to cut the baklava. Cut it lengthwise and then angled across to create diamond shapes before you bake the baklava. Bake until the top layers are golden brown.
4. While baking, prepare your honey syrup. Add the water and sugar to a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Then add the honey and vanilla.
5. Pour the syrup over the hot baklava in the baking pan and allow it to cool completely.
Baklava Recipe Easy Storage
One of my favorite things about baklava is that it’s good for about 2 weeks after making. This makes it a fantastic holiday treat! Just make sure to store it in an airtight container at room temperature to preserve the texture. Storing in the fridge will cause the dough to lose flakiness.
What is the secret to crispy baklava?
Make sure you are applying coats of butter to every two sheets of dough. You can also use clarified butter or ghee for extra crispiness in the final dish.
Letting your dough dry out can also cause the baklava to become chewy, this is why I recommend keeping the dough covered while you work.
Make sure you don’t underbake the baklava, either!
Is baklava eaten hot or cold?
It’s best eaten at room temperature.
What is the most popular baklava flavor?
Pistachio Baklava is definitely the most popular world-wide. And you can make this recipe with pistachios instead of pecans or walnuts if you want to!
What is the difference between Greek Baklava and Turkish Baklava?
The biggest notable difference is that Greek Baklava uses walnuts, spices, and a honey based syrup (like what this recipe uses). Turkish Baklava uses pistachios instead and omits the spices but sometimes includes citrus in the syrup.
Are phyllo dough and puff pastry the same?
No, they are not. Phyllo (or filo) dough is made with flour, water, vinegar, and a bit of oil. It is a very thin dough that’s usually used in layers and generally yields light, flaky, crispy end results.
Puff pastry is made with butter, flour, water, and salt. It is a thicker dough that has already gone through lamination (folding butter into dough over and over again) during the prep process to create layers of flour and fat that, once baked, the liquid in the dough evaporates and causes the pastry to puff and rise.
More Recipes Made With Honey
- Honey Cakes – A great recipe that can be made ahead of time!
- Honey Ginger Chicken Sheet Pan Chicken – An easy Asian-inspired dish!
- Sopapilla Cheesecake – Only 10 minutes of prep and 35 minutes of cooking!
- Honey Whiskey Pulled Pork – Mouthwatering meat that’s slow cooked to perfection!
Steps
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Add the nuts and cinnamon to a medium bowl and mix together, set aside.
Unroll both tubes of phyllo dough on a clean surface, cover loosely with saran wrap and a damp dishcloth so the dough doesn't try out.
Melt the butter in the microwave on 30-second intervals. Use a pastry brush to brush butter onto the bottom and sides of a 9x13-inch baking pan. Line the dough up with the length of the pan and feel free to cut off any excess at the end, usually, there's an extra inch or so that can be removed.
Add two sheets of phyllo dough to the buttered pan, and use the pastry brush to brush melted butter over the entire surface area of the dough, repeat until you have 8 layered sheets total.
Evenly sprinkle the top of the buttered 8th sheet with 2 to 3 tablespoons of the nut mixture.
Lay another two sheets on top and brush with butter and then add more nuts. Repeat the dough, butter, nuts layers every 2 sheets until you have just 8 sheets left, adding those two at a time and only brushing with butter.
Using a really sharp knife, cut 4 rows down the length of the pan and then cut diagonally all the way down and across the pan for a traditional baklava prep. You may also cut into squares.
Bake for 45 to 50 minutes until the baklava is golden and crisp on top.
With 30 minutes left to bake, begin making the syrup by adding the water and sugar to a small pot and bringing to a boil over medium-high heat until sugar is dissolved.
Add the vanilla and honey and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove the baklava from the oven and immediately pour the sauce over the entire pan, let set and cool.
Notes
- Adapted from All My Recipes.
- I use Athens brand which has 36 sheets of Phyllo dough per box, other brands maybe have more or less, even if they are the same weight, due to the paper being thicker or thinner. If you have less sheets, start adding nuts with the 6th sheet and add 1/4 cup of nuts every 2 sheets.
- Baklava does freeze well.
- Chopped Pistachios can also be used.
Nutrition
- Calories169
- Carbs11g
- Protein1g
- Fat14g
- Saturated fat4g
- Fiber1g
- Sugar9g
- Sodium1mg
Estimates per serving, when a serving size is listed.
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