Baklava
Jan 03, 2023, Updated Oct 22, 2026
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This baklava recipe layers thin phyllo brushed with butter with two layers of cinnamon walnuts, then soaks it all in a simple syrup poured over the pastry the minute it comes out of the oven. It takes about 30 minutes of hands-on work and an hour in the oven, and because it keeps for days at room temperature, it is the dessert to make ahead for holidays, parties and anyone who drops by for tea.
I lived in Istanbul for three years, and baklava with a glass of tea was an any-time-of-day thing. We bought cevizli baklava (walnut) and fıstıklı baklava (pistachio) from Faruk Güllüoğlu, a shop right by the Bosporus, and that is the baklava this recipe is modeled on. Everything in the method below is about one goal: crisp layers that soak up the syrup instead of going soggy.
Walnuts and pistachios are the classic fillings, and you can use either one or mix them. You need 14 ounces of nuts in total whichever way you go. For an all-pistachio version, follow my pistachio baklava recipe, which uses roasted unsalted pistachios.
One note if you came here looking for Persian baklava: that is a different dessert. Persian baklava uses a very different dough, and the filling is usually almonds with cardamom rather than walnuts with cinnamon. This recipe is the Turkish style, which is frankly, my favorite!
What Baklava is Made of
Phyllo dough: You will find it in the freezer section, usually near the pie crusts. It is paper thin (not to be confused with Turkish yufka, which is thicker) and dries out fast, so thaw it according to the package, keep it wrapped until you are ready to layer, and keep the stack covered with a clean kitchen towel while you work.
Walnuts: They are my default for this version. Pulse them in a food processor until finely chopped, but stop before they turn into something like flour. If they are ground too finely, you lose the crunch between the layers.
Unsalted butter: Use all of it, and brush every single sheet. That butter is what turns the phyllo golden and flaky. Margarine and other butter substitutes will not give you the same result.
Sugar, water and lemon juice: These are for the syrup, plus a spoonful of sugar and a little cinnamon in the walnut filling.
Get The Phyllo Math Right First
Phyllo is sold in two common sizes, and this is where most baklava goes wrong before it even reaches the oven.
Large sheets, about 26 by 9 inches (usually 15 to 18 in a package). Fold each sheet in half so it fits a 9 by 13 inch pan. Five folded sheets give you 10 layers.
Smaller sheets, about 13 by 9 inches (around 40 in a package). No folding. Use 10 sheets for each 10-layer stack.
Either way, the build is the same: 10 buttered layers, half the nuts, 10 more buttered layers, the rest of the nuts, then every remaining sheet on top. If a sheet tears, piece it back together and keep going. The next sheet covers it and nobody will ever know.
How To Make Baklava
Simmer the sugar and water for 15 minutes, stir in the lemon juice and let it cool completely. Pulse the walnuts, sugar and cinnamon until finely chopped, but not as fine as flour.
Brush the pan and 10 layers of phyllo with butter, then spread half the walnuts on top.
Add 10 more buttered layers and the rest of the walnuts, then finish with the remaining phyllo, brushing every sheet.
Slice before baking. Cut it into diamonds and pour the leftover butter on top. Bake at 350°F for 50 to 60 minutes, until golden.
Pour the cold syrup over the hot baklava. Do it the minute the pan comes out of the oven, so the layers soak it up and stay crisp.
Give it at least an hour at room temperature for the syrup to soak in, then serve it with tea.
Cold Syrup, Hot Baklava
This is the one rule that decides whether baklava is crisp or soggy. Warm syrup on hot pastry turns the layers limp. Cold syrup on cooled pastry just sits there because the phyllo will not absorb it. One has to be hot and the other cold. It is the same trick behind the honey syrup on Greek melomakarona cookies, and once you know it you will use it for every syrup-soaked dessert.
If you like a perfumed syrup, add 1 tablespoon of rosewater or orange blossom water while it simmers. Lebanese baklava often leans that way, and Greek baklava often adds honey to the syrup. Turkish baklava, like this one, usually keeps it simple with sugar, water and a little lemon.
How To Store Baklava
Baklava does not need to be refrigerated if you are eating it within a few days. Keep it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Airtight matters: exposed pieces pull moisture from the air and lose their crunch.
For longer, refrigerate it for up to 10 days and let it sit on the counter for a couple of hours before serving. To freeze, pack it in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months and thaw it in the fridge overnight.
Because it keeps so well at room temperature, baklava is one of the easiest make-ahead desserts there is. Bake it a day or two before a party and it is ready when you are.
Serving Baklava
In Istanbul I always had baklava with tea. If you are putting together a dessert table, revani, the syrup-soaked Turkish semolina cake, sits next to it beautifully, and there is plenty more in my collection of Turkish recipes.
Frequently Asked Questions
You should cut baklava before baking after you brush the last layer of phyllo dough with butter. The phyllo sheets will become very crispy after baking and would fall apart if you attempt to cut them.
Keep the syrup cool and the baklava hot for crispy baklava. If you pour warm syrup over hot baklava, it’ll get soggy. Likewise, if the baklava is cool, it won’t absorb the syrup and will get soggy.
Did you make this recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Please comment and leave a 5-star🌟 rating below. You can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest or subscribe to our newsletter to get a free e-Cookbook!
More Desserts To Try
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Turkish Rice Pudding Recipe (Sutlac)
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Easy Kunafa Recipe
Baklava Recipe
Video
Ingredients
Simple Syrup
- 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1 tsp lemon juice
Baklava and filling
- 14 oz walnuts, about 3 1/2 cup
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 16 oz phyllo dough , thawed according to the packaging
Instructions
- Make the syrup: Place the sugar and water in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Once it simmers, lower the heat to medium and simmer for 15 minutes until slightly thickened. Turn off the heat, stir in the lemon juice and set aside to cool completely.
- Make the filling: Pulse the walnuts, sugar and cinnamon in a food processor until finely chopped. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Unroll the phyllo on a clean surface and cover it with a kitchen towel. Brush the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking pan with melted butter.
- Fold a large phyllo sheet in half, place it in the pan and brush with butter. Repeat with 4 more sheets for 10 layers. (If your sheets are already about 9×13, use 10 unfolded sheets.) Spread half the walnut mixture evenly on top.
- Add 10 more layers the same way, brushing each with butter. Spread the remaining walnut mixture evenly on top.
- Layer the remaining phyllo, brushing every sheet with butter, including the top one.
- Cut the baklava into diamonds: cut strips 1 to 1 1/2 inches wide, then cut diagonally across them. You can also cut squares. Pour the remaining butter over the top.
- Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until golden brown.
- Immediately pour the completely cooled syrup evenly over the hot baklava.
- Let it sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour before serving so the syrup soaks into every layer.
Notes
- Phyllo sizes: packages hold either 15 to 18 large sheets (about 26×9 inches, fold each in half) or about 40 smaller sheets (about 13×9 inches, use 10 per stack). Either way you want 10 layers, nuts, 10 layers, nuts, then the rest on top.
- Thaw the phyllo fully before you start. If a sheet tears, patch it and keep layering; it will not affect the result.
- Chop the nuts finely, but not so fine that they turn to flour. A little texture keeps the crunch.
- Use unsalted butter. Margarine and butter substitutes will not work here.
- The syrup must be completely cool and the baklava hot from the oven. That is what keeps it crisp.
- Optional: add 1 tbsp rosewater or orange blossom water to the syrup while it simmers.
- Nuts: use 14 oz walnuts, pistachios or a mix of both.
- Storage: keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for up to 10 days. Let refrigerated baklava sit on the counter for a couple of hours before serving.
- Freezing: freeze in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I had never made baklava from scratch before I tried your recipe, but this was much easier than I thought it would be! Thanks to your helpful directions, my baklava turned out just like my favorite bakery’s baklava! It was delicious!
Great recipe! The baklava came out perfectly flaky. I’ll make this again, thank you!
I’ve always wanted to make this from scratch but was pretty nervous. Your instructions were super easy to follow and it was amazing. Thank you!
This baklava is quick and easy to make. I appreciate your step-by-step directions, pictures and video so I can make this amazing baklava myself.
I always get a kick out of reading your recipes and realizing they are the same as mine! I had a great teacher/mother-in-law! The only thing I do differently is add a drizzle of orange blossom water or rosewater to my syrup occasionally. Once while I was teaching junior high, I even taught my students to make this recipe! Sometimes I roll my nut mixture in in the phyllo dough like an egg roll and bake a sheet of rolls! So good! I can’t eat it in restaurants because I would rather have mine warm out of the oven (or microwave if I must 😉)!
This baklava was so good!! I was nervous to try making it but it was easier than I expected!
Love me some baklava! Such a great recipe
The real one! THANKS!
This really is baklava perfection! Thanks for all the step by step photos.
I love this recipe. I grew up eating baklava. Thank you.