Baklava Recipe
My family’s honey baklava recipe layers buttery phyllo with pistachios, walnuts, hazelnuts, cinnamon, and cloves. Pour cooled honey syrup over the hot pastry, then give it time to soak into the layers. This make-ahead dessert is even better the next day.
Servings: 24 pieces
Ingredients
For the Baklava and Nut Filling
- 6 ounces shelled pistachios, coarsely chopped
- 6 ounces walnuts, coarsely chopped
- 6 ounces hazelnuts, coarsely chopped
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 to 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon, start with less if you're not sure
- Large pinch of ground cloves
- 1 (16-ounce) package phyllo dough, thawed
- 1 1/2 to 2 sticks of unsalted butter, (12 to 16 tablespoons), melted
For the Honey Syrup
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 cup cold water
- 1 cup honey
- 1 tablespoon orange extract, optional
- 5 whole cloves, optional
- 1 lemon, juiced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven. Heat the oven to 350°F.
- Make the honey syrup. Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan. Heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves. Add the honey, orange extract if using, and whole cloves if using. Stir to combine, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for about 25 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool to lukewarm. Add the lemon juice and remove the whole cloves. Set aside to cool completely while you assemble the baklava. The syrup should be cool when you pour it over the hot pastry.
- Prepare the nut filling. Place the pistachios, walnuts, and hazelnuts in a food processor fitted with a blade. Pulse a few times until chopped, without grinding them into a powder or paste. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and stir in the sugar, cinnamon, and ground cloves.
- Prepare the phyllo and pan. Carefully unroll the thawed phyllo and keep the sheets between two clean kitchen towels while you work. Brush the bottom and sides of a 9 x 13 x 2-inch baking pan with some of the melted butter.
- Build the bottom pastry layer. Place one sheet of phyllo in the pan, folding it in half or trimming it with kitchen shears as needed to fit. Brush the top with melted butter. Repeat, adding and buttering each sheet, until you have used about one-third of the phyllo.
- Add the first nut layer. Distribute half the nut filling evenly over the pastry.
- Build the middle layers. Add another third of the phyllo, one sheet at a time, brushing each sheet with melted butter. Spread the remaining half of the nut filling evenly over the pastry.
- Finish with phyllo. Add the remaining third of the phyllo, brushing each sheet with melted butter. Brush the very top sheet with butter.
- Cut before baking. Using a sharp knife, cut the pastry into 24 diamond-shaped pieces about ½ inch deep. You can cut up to 36 smaller pieces if you prefer.
- Bake until golden. Place the pan on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until the top turns golden. Check halfway through baking, since ovens vary.
- Add the syrup. As soon as you remove the baklava from the oven, pour the cooled honey syrup evenly over the hot pastry.
- Cool and serve. Let the baklava cool completely and rest for several hours if possible, or at least 1 hour, to absorb the syrup. Cut all the way through the pieces you marked before baking. Garnish with chopped pistachios, if you like, and serve.
Video
Notes
- Plan ahead: Thaw the unopened phyllo package overnight in the refrigerator, following the package instructions. Take it out of the refrigerator 1 hour before starting. The listed total time excludes thawing and the resting period after baking.
- Save time: Begin assembling the baklava while the syrup simmers. Keep unused phyllo covered between two clean kitchen towels as you work.
- Phyllo sheets: Use the full 16-ounce package, dividing it into three sections. Sheet sizes and counts vary by brand, so use thirds of the package rather than a fixed sheet count.
- Nut variations: You can use just walnuts or pistachios, or adjust the combination of nuts, keeping the total at 18 ounces. You can also omit cinnamon if you like.
- Make ahead: Baklava is even better the next day, after the layers have had time to absorb the syrup. Cool completely before covering.
- Storage: Store completely cooled baklava in an airtight glass container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Room-temperature storage preserves the crisp texture better; I usually refrigerate leftovers after a few days.
- Freezing: Freeze baked, completely cooled baklava for up to 4 months. Freeze in small batches so you can thaw only what you need. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or for a few hours at room temperature.
- Shop this recipe: Visit The Mediterranean Dish shop for quality Mediterranean ingredients, including the honey used in this recipe.
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