Easy Homemade Baklava Recipe (With Pistachios And Walnuts)

Name: Easy Homemade Baklava Recipe
Prep time: 50 min
Cook time: 45 min
Ingredients: 16 oz Phyllo pastry package, thawed; 1/2 cup Butter, melted; 1.5 cups Pistachios; 2 cups Walnuts; 2 tsp Cinnamon powder; 1 cup Water; 3/4 cup Sugar; 1/2 cup Honey; 2 tbsp Lemon juice; 1 small Cinnamon stick; Dried rose petals and Finely chopped pistachios

By Natasha MinochaUpdated April 30, 2024 Jump to recipe Watch video

If you've always wanted to make baklava at home, this easy homemade baklava recipe is a great place to start! Layers of crisp, buttery phyllo are filled with chopped pistachios and walnuts, baked until golden, and soaked in a fragrant honey-cinnamon syrup. It's sweet, nutty, wonderfully flaky, and much easier than you might think!

Homemade baklava with pistachios and rose petals in a baking dish.

You don't need to make pastry from scratch or fuss over complicated techniques. Store-bought phyllo sheets do most of the work, and the assembly is simply a matter of layering pastry, butter, and nuts. The hardest part? Waiting for the syrup to soak in before you dig in! Make a batch for a festive gathering, holiday dessert table, potlucks, and it's also great for gifting.

Love baklava flavors? Then you must try my baklava cheesecake, easy baklava cake, and baklava cinnamon rolls.

Baklava topped with chopped pistachios and rose petals in a baking dish.

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What Is Baklava?

Baklava is a traditional pastry made with phyllo pastry, nuts, and a sweet syrup. It's popular across Türkiye, Greece, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean, with different regions having their own versions.

The classic combination is crisp, buttery pastry layered with nuts and finished with a fragrant sugar or honey syrup. Pistachios and walnuts are popular choices, but you can easily customize the nut filling and spices according to your taste.

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Why You'll Love This Recipe

Easy to make. Store-bought phyllo makes this recipe much simpler than you might think. No need to make pastry from scratch.
Crispy, buttery layers. Thin layers of phyllo brushed with butter bake up golden and wonderfully crunchy.
Nutty and delicious. A generous filling of pistachios and walnuts adds plenty of nutty flavor and crunch.
Sweet, fragrant syrup. Honey, lemon, and cinnamon come together in a syrup that soaks beautifully into the pastry.
Great for sharing. Make for festive celebrations, dinner parties, or whenever you want a very special homemade dessert.

Recipe Ingredients

Phyllo Pastry: You'll need a 16 oz package of frozen phyllo pastry, thawed. Store-bought phyllo makes this baklava recipe super simple.

Butter: Melted butter is brushed between layers of pastry. I use salted butter, but unsalted butter works just as well. Be generous with it to get crispy, golden layers.

Pistachios and walnuts: I used a combination of both for the nut filling. Chop them finely in a food processor, but don't turn them into a powder. you can also use almonds or hazelnuts.

Cinnamon: Mixed into the nuts, cinnamon adds flavor and warmth to the filling.

For The Honey Syrup

Water and sugar: These form the base of the syrup and give it the right consistency.

Honey: Adds sweetness and a distinct floral flavor to the syrup.

Lemon juice: A little acidity balances the sweetness of sugar and honey. Don't skip it!

Cinnamon stick: Simmered with the syrup to infuse it with a gentle cinnamon flavor.

Please see the recipe card below for full information about the ingredients and quantities.

How To Make 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.

Sugar honey syrup with a cinnamon stick in a saucepan.

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 in a bowl.

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

Layers of phyllo pastry brushed with butter in a baking dish.

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

Layer phyllo on top of nuts in a baking dish.

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.

Phyllo layers cut into vertical strips in a baking dish.

Phyllo layers cut into diamonds in a baking dish.

Step 7: Bake for 40 to 50 minutes at 180 C/ 350 F.

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

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!

Baklava with rose petals and chopped pistachios in a baking dish.

Top Tips

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.
Keep all the baklava ingredients ready and handy– melted butter, pastry brush, phyllo, and nut mixture and assembly is super-fast.
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 the phyllo pastry, 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 easily, so keep the sheets under a damp towel when layering the baklava.
Be generous with the butter to get golden, crispy layers.

How To Store Homemade Baklava

Store the baklava in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator. It'll keep well for 2 weeks.

Storing at room temperature will preserve their crispiness.

Pieces of baklava stacked on a small plate with rosebuds and pistachios around.

Recipe 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 a 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!