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Home > Recipes > Christmas Desserts

Published: Nov 10, 2023 · Last Updated On: Apr 30, 2024 by Natasha Minocha

Easy Homemade Baklava Recipe

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This easy baklava recipe gives you a decadent dessert that delicately balances sweetness with spice. Simple to make with just 7 ingredients, each bite luxuriates in syrup with rich, buttery nuts wrapped in layers and layers of crispy pastry that shatters and melt-in-the-mouth.

Easy Homemade Baklava Recipe

This easy baklava is my magnum opus. It's been on my list for years, and I finally got around to making it. I needlessly worried. It's an easy holiday dessert. Time-consuming but not complicated. And you can get the family involved in the recipe, and that's what festivities are about, right? Spending time together and when sweets and desserts are at the center, it's even better!

Jump to:
  • WHAT IS BAKLAVA?
  • WHY TRY THIS EASY BAKLAVA?
  • HOW TO MAKE BAKLAVA?
  • NOTES ON MAKING THE BEST BAKLAVA
  • FAQs
  • HOW TO STORE HOMEMADE BAKLAVA?
  • SWAPS & SUBS FOR BAKLAVA INGREDIENTS 
  • BAKLAVA DESSERT RECIPES
  • 📖 Recipe
Easy Homemade Baklava

WHAT IS BAKLAVA?

Who made the first baklava recipe is forever in dispute. Türkiye says it's them. So do Greece and Cyprus. I leave the debate to the masters and just enjoy the crunchy, nutty dessert drenched in delicious syrup. 

So, what is in baklava? Syrup, phyllo dough, and nuts. The original recipe used pistachios without any other flavors. But that's the beauty of this recipe of baklava: you can customize it any which way, taking it in just about any direction your tastebuds desire.

Easy Homemade Baklava Recipe

WHY TRY THIS EASY BAKLAVA?

You'll never reach for a store-bought baklava again

A perfect treat to impress your guests when hosting a gathering

The sweetest gesture and the most heartfelt homemade gift for Diwali and for the Holiday season

Endless variety: Round baklava, square baklava, diamond baklava. Pick any shape, size & flavor you love

 Homemade Baklava

HOW TO MAKE BAKLAVA?

Ingredients for easy homemade baklava

Step 1: In a saucepan, heat water, sugar, honey, a cinnamon stick, and some lemon juice. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium-low. Continue simmering for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.

Baklava syrup

Step 2: While the syrup for the baklava recipe cools (it'll also thicken a little), finely chop the walnuts and pistachios in your food processor.

Step 3: Combine the nuts with cinnamon powder.

Chopped walnuts and pistachios

Step 4: Set your oven to preheat and prep your pan. Grease the bottom and sides generously (and I really meant that).

Layer the phyllo pastry

Step 5: Assemble your baklava by layering the phyllo sheets (cut to the size of your pan) and nuts. This is the stack I created, 8,6,6,8.

  • Layer 8 leaves of phyllo pastry, brushing each sheet with melted butter before you add the next
  • Spread 1/3rd of the nut mixture
  • Layer 6 phyllo leaves, again buttering each one
  • Spread 1/3rd of the nuts
  • Stack 6 more buttered phyllo leaves 
  • Sprinkle the rest of the nut mixture 
  • Place the final 8 layers of buttered phyllo leaves
Sprinkle the nuts on the phyllo pastry
Layer phyllo on top

Step 6: Brush the top with more butter and cut the baklava. Starting vertically, make long parallel lines. I managed to get 1.5- to 1.75-inch-wide strips, but that will change depending on your pan size. Then, cut diagonally to get diamond-shaped baklava.

cut the layers vertically
Cut the phyllo layers into diamonds

Step 7: Bake for 40 to 50 minutes.

Step 8: Pour the cooled syrup over the baklava the minute you take it out of the oven.

Baked baklava with syrup on top

Step 9: Let the baklava steep in syrup at room temperature (no need to refrigerate) for at least 4 to 6 hours. I like to keep it overnight so the syrup permeates every layer and the flavor is at its best.

Final step: Garnish with dried rose petals and finely chopped pistachios. Serve!

Easy Homemade Baklava

NOTES ON MAKING THE BEST BAKLAVA

  • The process feels challenging, but while testing different recipes, I realized that getting the phyllo-to-pan size ratio right is the only tedious part. 
  • If you have all the baklava ingredients – melted butter, pastry brush, phyllo, and nuts mixture – ready and conveniently placed by your side, assembly is super-fast. And you're not scrambling here and there to make the dessert of your dreams.
  • A 9 by 13" pan is a popular size for baklava. I didn't have one, so I baked it in 2 separate pans. You can use a 9 by 9 square or even a round tin. 
  • To thaw, transfer the phyllo sheets to the fridge the night before or leave them on the countertop for 3 to 4 hours.
  • Phyllo dries in a snap, and then they tear, so keep the sheets under a damp towel when layering the baklava.
  • Be generous with the butter because dry phyllo equals burnt baklava.
Easy Homemade Baklava

FAQs

How long to bake baklava?

All ovens are different, so the exact time will vary. And you don't want all the hard work to burn. Keep an eye on the pistachio baklava after the 30-to-35-minute mark. When the top is richly golden brown, they're done. Mine took 45 minutes.

Why is my baklava soggy?

The secret to crispy and flaky crust and moist inside is cool syrup on hot baklava. If you pour the syrup on cold baklava, it'll just puddle on at the bottom, and you'll end up with soggy layers. If you hear the syrup sizzle when you drizzle it, you know you got it right! 

HOW TO STORE HOMEMADE BAKLAVA?

Store the baklava in an air-tight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator. They'll keep well for 2 weeks. 

Storing at room temperature will preserve their crispiness.

 Homemade Baklava

SWAPS & SUBS FOR BAKLAVA INGREDIENTS 

Phyllo Pastry: This is not a baklava recipe from scratch. I bought readymade phyllo sheets, which are readily available in the frozen section of a supermarket or online.

Butter: My pantry had regular, salted butter, which I used. Unsalted will work, too. 

Nuts: Making baklava with pistachios was a personal choice. You can swap them with walnuts, almonds, or hazelnuts or use a mixture! Play around with the quantities. Add more of a nut you love and less of the one that doesn't sing to you.

Spices: Cinnamon is an absolute essential as it brings a depth of flavor to honey baklava. Clove powder would give the Middle Eastern dessert a bracing punch.

Best Baklava Syrup Recipe: You can taste the lemon in the syrup. It cuts through the sweetness and richness. So don't skip it. As long as you follow the exact measurements I've given, you'll get the flawless balance of sweetness and tang. 

Although there's no need (the baklava tastes out of this world already), you can add orange oil or extract. The floral flavoring compliments the baklava beautifully. Orange blossom water or rose water is another option.

Easy Homemade Baklava

BAKLAVA DESSERT RECIPES

Baklava Cheesecake

Easy Baklava Cake

Baklava Cinnamon Rolls

Half the joy of cooking is sharing it with others. That's why I'm always eager to hear from you. So go right ahead and drop a comment or reach out on Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, or Facebook. I hope you love this easy baklava as much as we do!

📖 Recipe

Easy Homemade Baklava Recipe

Easy Homemade Baklava Recipe

Natasha Minocha
This easy baklava recipe gives you a decadent dessert that delicately balances sweetness with spice. Simple to make with just 7 ingredients, each bite luxuriates in syrup with rich, buttery nuts wrapped in layers and layers of crispy pastry that shatters and melt-in-the-mouth.
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Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 50 minutes mins
Cook Time 45 minutes mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine Middle Eastern
Servings 40 pieces
Calories 148 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

  • 16 oz Phyllo pastry package, thawed
  • 1/2 cup Butter, melted
  • 1.5 cups Pistachios
  • 2 cups Walnuts
  • 2 tsp Cinnamon powder

Syrup

  • 1 cup Water
  • 3/4 cup Sugar
  • 1/2 cup Honey
  • 2 tbsp Lemon juice
  • 1 small Cinnamon stick

Garnish

  • Dried rose petals and Finely chopped pistachios

Instructions
 

Syrup

  • In a saucepan, heat water, sugar, honey, a cinnamon stick, and some lemon juice. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium-low. Continue simmering for 8 to 10 minutes.
    Remove from heat and cool.

Nuts

  • Finely chop the pistachios and walnuts in your food processor.
  • Combine both the nuts in a bowl and mix in the cinnamon powder.

Phyllo Pastry

  • Preheat your oven to 180 C. Butter your baking dish well with butter.
  • Trim your phyllo sheets to fit the size of your pan. I used 2 pans - 7"x10" and 5" x7".
    9"x 13" is a good size for making baklava, but you can use any size pans you want.
  • Keep the phyllo sheets covered with a damp kitchen towel to prevent them from drying out.

Assembly

  • Layer 8 leaves of phyllo pastry, brushing each sheet with melted butter before you add the next.
  • Spread 1/3rd of the nut mixture evenly on top.
  • Layer 6 phyllo sheets, again buttering each one.
  • Spread 1/3rd of the nuts mixture.
  • Stack 6 more buttered phyllo sheets. Spread the remaining 1/3rd of the nuts mixture on top.
  • Place the final 8 layers of buttered phyllo pastry sheets on top.
  • Brush the top with more butter and cut the baklava.
    Starting vertically, make long parallel lines. Then, cut diagonally to get diamond-shaped baklava.
  • Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until the baklava is golden and crisp on top.
  • Pour the cooled syrup over the baklava the minute you take it out of the oven.
  • Let the baklava steep in syrup at room temperature (no need to refrigerate) for at least 4 to 6 hours. I like to keep it overnight so the syrup permeates every layer and the flavor is at its best.
  • Garnish with dried rose petals and finely chopped pistachios. Serve and enjoy!

Nutrition

Serving: 1 PieceCalories: 148kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 3gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 6mgSodium: 74mgPotassium: 87mgFiber: 1gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 93IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 15mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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