Baklava Recipe

a few slices of baklava on a black plate.

5 from 1 vote

Experience a bite of the sublime with my homemade Baklava. Layers of flaky phyllo pastry, filled with a sweet, spiced nut mixture, are baked to golden perfection, then bathed in a honey syrup for that authentic, gooey sweetness.

Prep Time30

Cook Time50

Total Time1 20

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Middle Eastern

Servings:

Calories: 268kcal

Author: Joanna Cismaru

Ingredients

1 pound phyllo dough thawed
1¼ cups unsalted butter melted
2 cups mixed nuts such as walnuts and pistachios, finely chopped
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves

Syrup

1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup water
½ cup honey
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cinnamon stick

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9x13 inch (23x33 cm) baking pan.
In a bowl, mix the chopped nuts, ¼ cup sugar, ground cinnamon, and ground cloves. Set aside.
Unroll the phyllo dough and cover it with a damp towel to keep it from drying out. Layer the phyllo sheets one at a time in the greased pan, brushing each sheet with melted butter before adding the next. Use about 10 sheets of phyllo for the bottom layer.
Spread about half of the nut mixture evenly over the phyllo layers.
Add 5 more layers of phyllo dough, brushing each with melted butter, followed by the remaining nut mixture.
Finish with another 10 layers of phyllo dough, brushing each with melted butter.
With a sharp knife, carefully cut the baklava into squares or diamond shapes, slicing through all the layers.
Bake the baklava for 50 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.
While the baklava is baking, prepare the syrup by combining the sugar, water, honey, lemon juice, and cinnamon stick in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove the cinnamon stick and allow the syrup to cool slightly.
Slowly pour the cooled syrup over the slightly cooled baklava, allowing it to soak into the layers. Let the baklava sit for at least 4 hours or overnight to fully absorb the syrup and develop its flavors.

Notes

Phyllo pastry: It's important to keep the phyllo covered with a damp cloth while you're working to prevent it from drying out.
Nut mixture: Feel free to use a combination of your favorite nuts. Almonds, walnuts, and pistachios are traditionally used.
Syrup: For the best results, make sure the syrup is cooled before pouring over the hot baklava.
Storage: Baklava keeps well and actually improves with time. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Nutrition