This easy Baklava Recipe has layers of buttery, flaky phyllo dough filled with cinnamon-spiced walnuts and soaked in a sweet honey-lemon syrup. The top stays crisp and golden while the bottom layers soak up all that delicious syrup. It looks impressive, but using store-bought phyllo dough makes homemade baklava much easier than you might think!
If you love store-bought baklava, get ready for a revelation – because as good as the store-bought kind is, it’s no match for homemade baklava.
If you’ve never made baklava before, don’t let all those beautiful layers intimidate you! The secret to an easy homemade baklava is store-bought phyllo dough. Instead of making paper-thin pastry from scratch, all you have to do is layer the prepared sheets in a baking dish, brushing each one lightly with melted butter as you go.
Between those flaky layers is a simple mixture of finely chopped walnuts and cinnamon. Once baked until deeply golden, the hot baklava is covered with a cooled syrup made from sugar, honey, water, and fresh lemon juice. The syrup works its way down through all those layers, creating the sticky, sweet bottom and crisp, flaky top that makes baklava so good.
Why You’ll Love this Baklava Recipe
- Easier than it looks. Store-bought phyllo dough does most of the hard work for you.
- Amazing texture. The top is golden and crisp with layers of tender pastry, crunchy walnuts, and sticky honey syrup underneath.
- Simple ingredients. You only need 8 ingredients to make it.
- Perfect for making ahead. Baklava actually gets better after it has time to sit and soak up the syrup.
- Makes plenty. One pan makes 24 pieces, so it’s a great dessert for holidays, parties, and sharing with friends and family.
- Can be made ahead. This dessert can seriously be made ahead – as much as 1 week in advance. All of the honey keeps it fresh for a long time. You can even freeze it for up to 3 months.
What is Baklava?
Baklava is a layered pastry made with thin sheets of phyllo dough, nuts, butter, and sweet syrup. Variations of baklava are found throughout Greece, Turkey, the Middle East, the Balkans, and surrounding regions.
The exact ingredients vary depending on where and how it’s made. Some recipes use walnuts, others use pistachios or a combination of nuts. Syrups and spices can also vary.
This is a Greek-style Baklava Recipe made with walnuts, cinnamon, butter, and a honey-lemon syrup.
Baklava Ingredients
You only need 8 ingredients to make this easy Greek Baklava Recipe. Scroll down to the recipe card for the exact measurements.
- Phyllo dough. You’ll need one 16-ounce package, thawed. Phyllo is made up of extremely thin sheets that become crisp and flaky when layered with butter.
- Walnuts. Finely chop the walnuts so they’re easy to spread evenly between the delicate layers of phyllo.
- Cinnamon. Adds a warm spice to the walnut filling.
- Unsalted butter. Melted butter is brushed between every sheet of phyllo. This is what separates the layers and helps them become crisp and golden.
- Granulated sugar. Forms the base of the sweet syrup.
- Honey. Gives the syrup its rich sweetness and classic honey flavor.
- Water. Thins the syrup to the right consistency.
- Fresh lemon juice. Balances the sweetness of the sugar and honey and adds a subtle citrus flavor.
What is Phyllo Dough?
Phyllo, sometimes spelled filo, is an extremely thin pastry dough used in many Mediterranean and Middle Eastern dishes.
Unlike puff pastry, phyllo doesn’t contain layers of butter within the dough itself. Instead, the thin sheets are stacked together and brushed with butter between the layers.
That’s exactly what gives homemade baklava its signature crisp, flaky texture.
You can find phyllo dough in the freezer section of most grocery stores, often near frozen pie crust and puff pastry.
How to Make Baklava
To make the baklava, it’s all about building the layers one by one, and then baking until done. From there, you’ll pour the syrup evenly over the whole thing, and let it rest so that the syrup is absorbed by the baklava. Easy!
- Prepare The Phyllo Dough. Thaw the phyllo dough according to the package directions. Once opened, cover the sheets with a damp kitchen towel while you’re assembling the baklava so it doesn’t dry out.
- Make The Honey Syrup. Combine the sugar, water, honey, and fresh lemon juice in a medium saucepan and boil until dissolved. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 4 minutes without stirring. Remove the syrup from the heat and set it aside to cool.
- Make The Walnut Filling. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Finely chop the walnuts and combine them with the ground cinnamon.
Layering Baklava
- Make The Bottom Phyllo Layer. Grease a 13×9-inch glass baking dish with a tablespoon of melted butter. Place one sheet of phyllo into the bottom of the dish and lightly brush it with melted butter. Add another sheet and brush again. Repeat.
- Add The Walnuts. Sprinkle about ¾ cup of the cinnamon-walnut mixture evenly over the phyllo. Add another 5 sheets of phyllo, brushing each sheet with melted butter. Sprinkle another ¾ cup of walnuts over the top. Repeat until you’ve used all the nuts.
- Add The Top Layer. Finish the baklava with 10 more sheets of phyllo, brushing each sheet with melted butter as you add it. Brush the final sheet generously with butter.
- Cut The Baklava. Cut the assembled baklava before baking. Slice it into 1½-inch strips, then cut diagonally in both directions to create the classic diamond-shaped pieces.
- Bake. Bake uncovered at 325°F for about 1 hour 25 minutes, or until the phyllo is crisp and golden brown.
- Add The Honey Syrup. As soon as the baklava comes out of the oven, slowly pour the cooled honey syrup over the hot pastry. Allow the baklava to cool completely before serving.
For the best results, cover it and let it sit overnight so the syrup has plenty of time to soak into the layers.
Tips For Working With Phyllo Dough
Phyllo dough is probably the part of making baklava that makes people nervous, but it’s really not difficult once you know how to handle it.
- Thaw it first. Follow the package directions and make sure your phyllo is completely thawed before opening it.
- Keep it covered. Place a damp kitchen towel over the unused sheets while you work. Exposed phyllo dries out quickly.
- Work gently. The sheets are very thin and can tear easily.
- Don’t worry about little tears. Baklava has so many layers that a small tear in an individual sheet won’t ruin the finished dessert.
- Brush lightly with butter. You don’t need to drench every sheet. A light coating is enough.
- Trim it if necessary. If your phyllo sheets are larger than your pan, trim them to fit before you begin layering.
- Have everything ready. Melt the butter and prepare the walnut mixture before opening the phyllo package so you can work without stopping.
Variations
Since baklava is a traditional sweet in lots of different cultures (Greek, Turkish, Lebanese, Syrian, and Eastern European, just to name a few!) there are tons of different variations out there. Here are some easy variations you can try in your own kitchen!
- Pistachio Baklava. Using crushed pistachios instead of crushed walnuts is an easy and authentic swap. Many classic baklava recipes call for using pistachios, with their distinctive green color and salty-sweet flavor. You can also use a combination of pistachios and walnuts.
- Rosewater: Middle Eastern baklava is often scented with rosewater, which adds a beautiful floral taste and fragrance to this honeyed recipe. Just add 1/2 teaspoon (or to taste) to the syrup as it simmers.
- Chocolate Baklava. Drizzle your baked and cooled baklava with melted chocolate for a satisfying twist! Just microwave a cup of chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl for 5-10 seconds at a time, stirring each time. When the chocolate is melted, stir in a tablespoon of butter, and then drizzle over the baklava with a spoon. Allow to cool before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Baklava should have syrup-soaked lower layers while the top remains crisper. Make sure you’re using the amounts in the recipe and pouring the cooled syrup over the hot pastry rather than adding extra syrup.
Phyllo can become brittle when it dries out. Keep the unused sheets covered with a damp kitchen towel while you assemble the baklava.
This can happen when the butter has not been applied evenly to every part of the phyllo. Here again, using a pastry brush is super helpful! Make sure you apply a thin coat to every part of the phyllo, including the edges.
How To Store Baklava
- Store homemade baklava covered tightly or in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. Room-temperature storage also helps the phyllo maintain its texture better than refrigeration. This long storage time is another reason baklava is such a great make-ahead dessert.
- Freeze. Baklava can be frozen for up to 3 months. Once it’s completely cooled, transfer the pieces to a freezer-safe container with parchment paper between layers. Thaw the baklava before serving.
Easy Baklava Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup pure honey
- 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 16 ounce package phyllo dough thawed
- 1 cup unsalted butter 2-sticks melted
- 4 cups walnuts finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Open the phyllo pastry dough package and cover with a damp towel to prevent drying out. If needed, trim the dough to fit your glass baking dish.
- Grease a 13 x 9-inch or larger glass baking dish with 1 tablespoon of the melted butter and set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, water, honey, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring often until the sugar is dissolved. Reduce the heat to low and simmer without stirring for 4 minutes; set aside to cool.
- Preheat oven to 325F degrees.
- Combine the finely chopped walnuts and cinnamon in a medium bowl.
- Lay 1 sheet of the phyllo dough into the bottom of the buttered dish. Brush with melted butter, then repeat with 9 more sheets of phyllo. Spread ¾ cup of the walnut mixture evenly over the phyllo layer.
- Lay another 5 sheets of phyllo dough over top of the walnut mixture, brushing each with butter. Sprinkle on another ¾ cup of the walnut mixture.
- Repeat until walnut mixture is used up, then top with 10 last sheets of phyllo dough, brushing butter on each as you add them.
- Brush the top layer with butter, then slice the pastry into 1 1/2 inch strips and then slice diagonally in both directions to create diamonds.
- Bake uncovered for 1 hour 25 minutes until pastry is golden brown.
- Immediately after removing from the oven, pour the cooled syrup over the pastry.
- Let cool completely before serving. For best results, let the baklava sit covered overnight to soak up the syrup.
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30 comments on “Baklava Recipe”
This recipe is easy and delicious. I wasn’t prepared, but I like to put some melted chocolate (not a lot) on a middle layer. I drizzed on top instead. A special thanks for specifically calling for 4 cups of walnuts to be processed and chopped. It was THE PERFECT amount and it will be my rule of thumb!
Thank you Phyllis!
This recipe is top notch.
Thanks Neena!
If I half this recipe do I still cook it the full hr and 25 mins?
Hi Brandy. The bake time may be slightly less. I would check at an hour, looking for the pastry to be golden brown.
☆☆☆☆☆
I LOVE baklava! I used breadcrumbs to my almond filling, and made sure my syrup was cold enough to pour on the hot baklava as suggested by Alice. Perfect recipe! Thank you Jill ♡
Thank you Marie!
So delicious omg made it with my mom that’s for the recipe.
Thank you Amber!
I have a quick question. I am literally about to make baklava for the first time and all I have is salted butter. Can I use salted butter?
Hi Britney. Yes, salted butter will work fine.
I have made this recipe twice. The first time I was nervous about the dough dying out so I followed the recipe exactly covering the dough with a damp cloth. The second time I just threw it together not worrying about the dough drying out both were absolutely delicious definitely recommend this recipe easy and delicious!
Thanks great Cari! Thanks!
Can I use pistachios? Same amount?
Absolutely!
Could I use pecans instead of walnuts?
Rachel, yes you could use pecans.
Have made baklava hundreds of times. Be sure that the syrup is cold and the baklava hot or you will have a soggy mess. Also, put one slice of fresh white bread into the processor when you are grinding, chopping, the nuts. Some people use bread crumbs. This helps keep the nuts in place instead of falling out of the pastry when you eat it. No matter what, it will taste delicious!
Awesome advice and 100% correct. I use breadcrumbs.