How to Make Baklava – Easy and Delicious Homemade Baklava Recipe

Baklava

Easy and Delicious Homemade Baklava Recipe

Baklava is a rich and decadent dessert made with layers of filo (phyllo) pastry filled with chopped nuts and sweetened with syrup or honey. It is a very popular traditional dessert in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. But its popularity is growing all over the world because who can resist the layers of delicate, buttered phyllo dough filled with cinnamon and walnuts? :)

I grew up eating baklava. My family and most families we knew, made this delicate and mouthwatering dessert throughout the year as a sweet treat but especially around the holidays. There is not a Christmas or a New Year that I can remember, where baklava was not part of our holiday dinner menu.

For the longest time, I honestly was afraid of making this dessert. It seemed intimidating. So, I know what you are thinking…this sure looks complicated and very time-consuming to make, right? Nope. I promise you, this baklava recipe is quick and easy and in no time, you will be a pro in making this amazing dessert.

This is also a great recipe to make with your kids. I made it recently with my daughter and she had a lot of fun layering and buttering the phyllo dough sheets and spreading the walnut mixture.

There are many variations of baklava and it will in the end come down to your own preferences. Our family favorite is baklava with walnuts. Here is how to make it.

Ingredients you will need for this recipe:

You will need 1 (16 oz) package of phyllo (filo) dough; thawed according to package instructions. Each package has 2 rolls with a total of 40 sheets. Do not use thick sheets of filo dough for this recipe. You will need the very thin filo sheets; they are even thinner than paper.

I know this looks like a lot of butter but do not skimp on it or any part of the syrup (lemon juice, water, and honey) since the recipe needs it to moisten and soften the sheets. Otherwise, the baklava layers can end up dry and won’t stay together easily.

Ingredients:

  • 16 oz phyllo dough (thawed by package instructions)

  • 1 1/4 cups unsalted butter 10 oz or 2 1/2 sticks, melted

  • 1 lb. walnuts, finely chopped (about 4 cups)

  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon

  • 1.5 cups granulated sugar

  • 2 Tbsp lemon juice (optional)

  • 2 cups water

  • 1/2 cup honey

Syrup

In a medium saucepan, combine 1.5 cups sugar, 1/2 cup honey, 2 Tbsp lemon juice, and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil over med/high heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved, then reduce heat to med/low and boil an additional 4 minutes without stirring. Remove from heat and let syrup cool while preparing baklava

Instructions

  1. Preheat Oven to 325°F.

  2. Thaw phyllo dough according to package instructions (this is best done overnight in the fridge, then place it on the counter for 1 hour before starting your recipe to bring it to room temp).

  3. Trim phyllo dough to fit your baking sheet. My phyllo dough package had 2 rolls with a total of 40 sheets that measured 9×14 so I had to trim them slightly. Make sure that the phyllo sheets that you are not using are covered by a slightly damp towel since they can dry out quickly and break.

  4. Pulse walnuts about 10 times in a food processor until coarsely ground/ finely chopped. In a medium bowl, stir together: 4 cups finely chopped walnuts and 2 tsp cinnamon

  5. Place 10 phyllo sheets into baking pan one at a time, brushing each sheet with butter once it’s in the pan before adding the next (i.e. place phyllo sheet into pan, brush the top with butter, place next phyllo sheet in the pan, butter the top, etc.). Keep remaining phyllo covered with a damp towel at all times. Spread about 1/5 of nut mixture (about 3/4 cup) over phyllo dough.

  6. Add 5 buttered sheets of phyllo, then another layer of nuts.

  7. Repeat this 4 times. Finish off with 10 layers of buttered phyllo sheets. Brush the very top with butter. Here is the order:10 buttered phyllo sheets, 3/4 cup nut mixture,5 buttered phyllo sheets, 3/4 cup nut mixture,5 buttered phyllo sheets, 3/4 cup nut mixture,5 buttered phyllo sheets, 3/4 cup nut mixture,5 buttered phyllo sheets, 3/4 cup nut mixture,10 buttered phyllo sheets, and butter the top.

  8. Cut pastry into 1 1/2″ wide strips, then cut diagonally to form diamond shapes.

    Bake at 325°F for 1 hour and 15 min or until tops are golden brown. 

  9. Remove from the oven and immediately spoon the cooled syrup evenly over the hot baklava (you’ll hear it sizzle). This will ensure that it stays crisp rather than soggy. Let the baklava cool completely, uncovered and at room temperature.

Cover it with foil and let stand at room temperature for 8 hours or overnight before serving. The flavor improves after resting overnight but is ready to serve once cooled. 

I really hope you give it a try. It is one of my family’s favorite desserts and I hope it becomes one of yours too! For more delicious and easy recipes, head over to my YouTube Channel.

Enjoy!

Eve

Eve from Emmandilife

Communication is key, questions/comments are welcome

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