Baklava Recipe

5 from 17 votes

Learn how to make baklava from scratch with my easy tutorial. This delicious dessert is made with flaky phyllo pastry, nuts and simple syrup. You can make this baklava recipe ahead of time and wow everyone!

Prep Time30

Cook Time1

Total Time1 30

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Mediterranean, middle eastern, Turkish

Servings:

Calories: 283kcal

Author: Shadi HasanzadeNemati

Ingredients

Simple Syrup

1 ½ cup granulated sugar
1 cup water
1 tsp lemon juice

Baklava and filling

14 oz walnuts about 3 ½ 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 comes to a simmer, lower the heat to medium and simmer for 15 minutes so the syrup thickens a bit. Add the lemon juice, turn the heat off and set the syrup aside to cool completely.

Prepare the filling:

Place the walnuts, granulated sugar and cinnamon in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the walnuts are finely chopped. Set aside.

Assemble the baklava:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Take all the phyllo sheets out of the packaging and unroll them. Place them on a clean surface and cover with a kitchen towel to keep them from breaking. Take a 9x13 baking pan and brush the bottom with melted butter.
Fold a sheet of phyllo in half and place it in the baking pan. Brush the sheet with melted butter. Repeat this with 4 more sheets, brushing every sheet with melted butter. Spread ½ nut mix over the phyllo dough.
Top with 5 more phyllo sheets (folded in half) and brush each sheet with melted butter. Spread the remaining nut mix on the phyllo sheet evenly.
Repeat with the remaining phyllo sheets (remaining 5 to 8 sheets) and make sure to brush each layer including the last one with butter.
Cut the baklava into diamonds using a sharp knife. To do so, cut the pastry diagonally and then in strips, 1 to 1 ½ inch wide. You can watch the video for a full tutorial. Alternatively, you can cut them into squares. Pour the remaining butter all over the baklava.

Bake and finish:

Bake the baklava in the oven at 350 degrees F for 50 to 60 minutes until it's golden. Take it out of the oven and immediately pour the syrup (which is now completely cool) evenly all over the hot baklava.
Let the baklava sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour before serving. This will give the baklava enough time to absorb the syrup in each layer.

Video

Notes

Phyllo dough is very delicate and could tear easily. It's okay if it tears a bit while you're assembling the baklava, it won't affect the flavor.
Make sure the phyllo dough is fully thawed before using it in this recipe.
Phyllo packages can have anywhere between 15 to 18 sheets that you can fold in half to use in this recipe. Use 5 sheets (folded in half) in the first 2 sets and the rest for the final set. You basically need 10 layers of dough in the first 2 sets and since we're folding the phyllo sheets, 5 sheets would be enough for each set. Keep in mind that if the phyllo dough you're using is already cut in half and is approximately 9x13, then you need to use 10 for the first set, 10 for the second set and the remaining for the third set.
Make sure the nuts are not chopped too finely, a bit of crunch makes these even better.
If desired, you can add 1 tablespoon rosewater or orange blossom water to the syrup when it's simmering.
It's very important to have the syrup completely cool and the baklava hot. This would ensure crispy baklava that's not soggy.
Variations: You need 14 ounces of nuts to make baklava. You can use walnuts, pistachios or a combination of both. You can also use cashews or hazelnuts.
Make ahead: you can make baklava up to 8 hours in advance in keep it at room temperature until you're ready to serve.
Storage: Store the baklava in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature or 10 days in the fridge. Let the refrigerated baklava sit on the counter for a couple of hours before serving.
Freezing: Place them in a freezer safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before serving.

Nutrition