I'm not sure when I first tried baklava. A Greek festival perhaps. But I do recall loving it from the first taste. Flaky, nutty, buttery sticky goodness in every bite. How can one not love it? Homemade baklava seems intimidating if you've never done it. Honestly, it is so simple with the right recipe, which is why I created this easy homemade baklava recipe.
Key Takeaways
- This easy Baklava recipe combines crispy phyllo dough, mixed nuts, and aromatic spices for a delicious treat.
- Using store-bought phyllo saves time, while quality honey and spices elevate the flavors.
- For the syrup, maintain a 2:1:1 ratio of sugar, water, and honey; simmer to enhance the taste.
- Score the phyllo before baking, then pour melted butter on top for a quicker and easier preparation.
- Experiment with different nuts and spices to customize your baklava experience.
Baklava is a beautiful blend of flavors and textures that brings together layers of crispy, buttery phyllo dough, rich nuts, and warm spices. The filling combines pistachios and walnuts with hints of cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg, infusing each layer with aromatic goodness. Once baked, the whole dessert is soaked in a syrup made from honey, orange peel, and cinnamon, giving it that sticky, sweet finish that makes each bite pure heaven. The balance of the flaky dough, crunchy nuts, and spiced honey syrup creates a dessert that's both delicate and satisfyingly rich, perfect for anyone who loves a mix of textures and flavors.
Be sure to check out some of our other easy and amazing pastry recipes!
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The Ingredients Matter
Of course, I use store bought phyllo making the process much faster and easier. I don't use ready made, pre-packaged goods in baking for many things, but phyllo dough is one place that it is absolutely acceptable and worth the shortcut. (Though, one day I do want to play with making it from scratch, but that's just the baking addict coming out in me!)
I find the key to easy homemade baklava recipes is using lots of spices and flavor. It already has great texture from the phyllo, butter and nuts, but don't skimp on flavor. For instance, the type of honey used in the syrup matters! Choose a quality, raw honey with flavors you don't mind being more pronounced as the syrup reduces. Steep orange peel and cinnamon along with the honey and it not only creates a heavenly aroma, but also adds so much to the finished pastry.
Adding spices to the nut mixture brings flavor throughout the layers of crispy goodness. You could switch up the spices and nuts to customize and make different versions of baklava any time you like. So far, my favorite has a mix of pistachios, walnuts, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg.
Top Tip for Amazing & Easy Baklava
The syrup really is what brings life into baklava. There are so many different recipes for this and all contain mostly the same ingredients but in vastly different ratios. I find the most important thing in the syrup is just that. It needs to truly be a syrup. Some recipes I've tried use too much water or don't cook it down long enough. I like a ratio of 2:1:1 for the sugar, water and honey. Some recipes also call to warm this just enough to dissolve the sugar but I like to bring it to a boil, reduce to a simmer and leave it for 10-15 minutes. This allows the mixture to reduce and thicken but also lets the cinnamon stick and orange peel give off all their yummy flavors!
Step by Step Instructions
This easy homemade baklava recipe also cheats a bit on the traditional technique of layering the phyllo and melted butter. Rather than brushing each thin sheet of phyllo with butter as I build, I build all my layers without butter and then score the whole pan into triangles. Then, before going into the oven, I pour the melted butter over the top of the entire pan. The butter soaks in through all the layers and seeps into all the nooks and crannies just as it would with brushing but this method is so so so so much faster and easier. Seriously, I cannot recommend this trick enough. I've made it both ways and there is no difference in overall taste or texture, only a difference in the amount of time spent tediously brushing every sheet!
Recipe
Easy Baklava Recipe
Serving Size Adjustment
If needed, you can double or triple the serving sizes.
Unit Conversion
Selected US Customary or Metric Unit.
Ingredients
For the baklava
- 25-30 sheets Phyllo dough thawed in refrigeratore overnight
- 10 oz pistachios
- 10 oz walnuts
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 cup butter
For the syrup
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup honey
- 1 orange zested
- 1 cinnamon stick
Instructions
Assembly
- Start by melting butter in microwave or on stove top and brush the bottom and sides of your 9x13 pan generously.
- Begin layering your phyllo dough on the bottom of your baking dish. The bottom layer and top layer will be thickest (8-10 sheets). Top your base layer with a few tablespoons of the nut/spice mixture. Then continue adding 3-4 sheets of phyllo topped with nuts/spices until your mixture is gone. Add another thick 8-10 sheet layer of phyllo on the top.
- Using a sharp knife cut diagonal lines through the baklava to cut small triangles. You will cut all the way through the layers, not just scoring. This is part of what allows the butter and syrup to soak into all the pieces evenly.
- Now, slowly pour the melted butter over the entire pan of baklava. Let this sit for just a few moments while the butter soaks into the pastry.
- Place in the oven at 300 degrees for 50-60 minutes.
Nutrition
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Amelia D says
Delicious.. gooey.. crispy.. amazing flavor! Seriously my favorite baklava I’ve had.