This honey baklava is flaky, crisp and tender and I love that it isn’t overly sweet. It’s basically a party in your mouth. I am a huge fan of baklava and this is the BEST baklava recipe I have ever tried. Hands down.
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.
You will love the hint of mellow lemony flavor which offsets the sweetness and compliments the cinnamon. It’s truly delicious.
Store-bought baklava has nothing on this and trust me, I’ve been around the block when shopping for baklava. This baklava recipe is well loved wherever it goes and it is definitely a reader and family favorite!
How to Make the Best Baklava (See Video Below):
Ingredients for Baklava Recipe:
You will need 1 (16 oz) package of phyllo (fillo) dough*; thawed according to package instructions *Fillo dough should be paper thin – even thinner than paper. Each package has 2 rolls with a total of 40 sheets. Do not use thick sheets of fillo dough for this recipe.
Also, don’t skimp on the butter 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.
The chocolate is optional but a nice touch to fancy up a tray of baklava.
How To Make Baklava:
1. 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).
2. 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. You can trim one stack at a time then cover with a damp towel to keep from drying out.
3. Butter the bottom and sides of a 13×9 non-stick baking pan.
Start with your honey sauce (which will need time to cool as your baklava bakes).
1. In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup honey, 2 Tbsp lemon juice, and 3/4 cup 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
How to Assemble Baklava:
Preheat Oven to 325˚F.
1. 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 1 tsp cinnamon
2. 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 pan, butter the top, etc. 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.
3. Add 5 buttered sheets of phyllo, then another layer of nuts. Repeat x 4. Finish off with 10 layers of buttered phyllo sheets. Brush the very top with butter.
Here’s 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.
4. 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
5. Remove from 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 baklava cool completely, uncovered and at room temperature
Tip: For best results, let baklava sit 4-6 hours or overnight at room temperature for the syrup to penetrate and soften the layers. Garnish baklava with finely chopped nuts or drizzle with melted chocolate. Store at room temp, covered with a tea towel for 1 to 2 weeks.
So many juicy layers of flavor! This is hands down, our favorite baklava. Check out the glowing reviews below and add the ingredients to your grocery list. 🙂
Watch Baklava Video Tutorial:
Any baklava is a little tedious to make, but I’ve shared all of my best tips and advise to ensure you are successful in making yours. You will love that this recipe can be made several days in advance of your shindig and keeps beautifully at room temperature for at least a week.
Dessert Recipes to Explore:
- Blueberry Lemon Cake – this went viral for good reason
- Strawberry Layer Cake – loaded with fresh strawberries
- Banana Bread Recipe – moist and fully loaded
- Strawberry Sauce – you’ll want this over every dessert & pancakes!
Baklava Recipe
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)
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice, juice of 1/2 lemon
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup honey
- Melted chocolate chips & chopped walnuts for garnish, optional
Instructions
Prep:
- Thaw phyllo dough by package instructions (this is best done overnight in the fridge, then place it on the counter for 1 hr before starting your recipe to bring it to room temp).
- Trim phyllo dough to fit your baking dish. My phyllo package had 2 rolls with a total of 40 sheets that measured 9x14 so I had to trim them slightly. You can trim one stack at a time then cover with a damp towel to keep from drying out.
- Butter the bottom and sides of a 13x9 non-stick baking pan.
Start with your honey sauce (which needs time to cool as baklava bakes).
- In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup honey, 2 Tbsp lemon juice, and 3/4 cup water. Bring to a boil over med/high heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved, then reduce heat to med/low and boil additional 4 min without stirring. Remove from heat and let syrup cool while preparing baklava.
How to make Baklava: Preheat Oven to 325˚F.
- Pulse walnuts 10 times in a food process or until coarsely ground/ finely chopped. In a medium bowl, stir together: 4 cups finely chopped walnuts and 1 tsp cinnamon.
- 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 pan, butter the top, etc. 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.
- Add 5 buttered sheets of phyllo, then another layer of nuts. Repeat x 4. Finish off with 10 layers of buttered phyllo sheets. Brush the very top with butter.
- 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.
- Remove from oven and immediately spoon cooled syrup evenly over the hot baklava (you'll hear it sizzle). This will ensure that it stays crisp rather than soggy. Let baklava cool completely, uncovered and at room temp. For best results, let baklava sit 4-6 hours or overnight at room temperature for the syrup to penetrate and soften the layers. Garnish baklava with finely chopped nuts or drizzle with melted chocolate. Store at room temp, covered with a tea towel for 1 to 2 weeks.
Notes
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.
Nutrition Per Serving
♥ FAVORITE THINGS ♥
Shown in this post (Amazon affiliate links):
* Cuisinart 9×13 non-stick cake pan (also great for cakes!)
* Wusthof Cooks knife – an essential knife for any cook
* Zwilling sauce pan distributes heat evenly & handle stays cool
* This Cuisinart 11-cup food processor cuts prep time in half
What are YOU cooking up for Christmas?
If you’ve tried this already and are back for more, I’d love to hear from you in a comment below!
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
I don’t think baklava should be stored in a closed container. Do you agree?
You can store it in a loosely covered container at room temperature and cover it with a kitchen towel.
My son wanted baklava for his birthday cake. Hands down the best recipe I have tasted. No dry and very tasty. Hubby the bee keeper was blown away. He is a bit of a critic. No complaints. He had two pieces for breakfast cause I said he had to wait.
I’m so glad it was enjoyed! Thank you for sharing.
Would you switch out the butter for ghee?
I’ve been going through lots of recipes and notice some recommend ghee.
I have not tested using ghee but I imagine that will work too! We’d love to know how it goes if you give it a try!
Hi. Made this tonight and with a little more practice, it will look perfect but it tasted amazing. Can this be frozen?
Hi Dawn, You can store it at room temp, covered with a tea towel for 1 to 2 weeks or freeze it for up to 3 months by tightly wrapping the dish in several plastic wrap layers and placing it into the freezer. Thaw at room temperature and serve – it will be just as good as fresh and doesn’t take too long to thaw.
Thank you so much for this amazing recipe, Natacha! My baklavas turned out absolutely perfect, and everyone loved them! After reading some of the comments, I made a couple of small adjustments—using just one tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice, and adding 1/8 teaspoon of cardamom powder and 1/8 teaspoon of nutmeg. Your recipe was so easy to follow, and I can’t wait to make them again!
I happen to agree with those who feel the amount of lemon is excessive, maybe it should be two teaspoons not two tablespoons. I find using 1 teaspoon of zest and 1 teaspoon of vanilla makes a better tasting walnut baklava.
Hi Steve, I haven’t heard of anyone else saying that the lemon was overpowering – it’s normally very mild and pleasant and balances the sweetness. Did you possibly use lemon concentrate? I always recommend freshly squeezed lemon juice for the best flavor.
Wow!!!! This was my first time ever making baklava and this recipe is phenomenal!!! I was pretty intimidated prior to making it but this break down made it so simple! I didn’t add any toppings but it came out simply perfect, will definitely use this recipe again! Thank you!!
I’m so happy it was helpful. Thanks for trying the recipe!
I wasn’t a fan of this one. I’ve made a lot of baklava in my lifetime and I have to say that this is okay but I’ve made better. There wasn’t enough honey in the recipe to keep the layers from falling apart and I thought that the lemon overpowered the dessert.
HI Donna, I haven’t heard of anyone else saying that the lemon was overpowering – it’s normally very mild and pleasant and balances the sweetness. Did you possibly use lemon concentrate? I always recommend freshly squeezed lemon juice for the best flavor.
It tastes fabulous. I used the Bakers dipping chocolate to drizzle on top. The only problem was I had to eat with 2 hands because it didn’t stay together.
Regardless of that, it was great
Great recipe, easy to follow! Turned out perfect! Crispy, sweet, nutty. My children and their friends absolutely loved it. Thank you!
Absolutely the best Baklava!! Flaky, sticky and sweet. I brought this to my family reunion and everyone loved it. Thank you, Natasha, for another 10 star recipe 😊
That’s so great to hear, Carolyn!
I omitted using chocolate. The baklava was fantastic! While I trimmed the phyllo – I don’t think it was really necessary. Otherwise no changes. I had baklava with pistachios in Athens, Greece. May try this recipe using pistachios next time. Excellent recipe and instructions!
I used pistachio instead of walnuts. Otherwise, I followed the recipe exactly. The baklava turned out perfectly. Thank you for a fantastic recipe!
Two weeks ago I made this recipe with pistachio and it was delicious. So today I decided to be adventurous and I made one with honey roasted peanuts and chocolate chips and another one with the peanuts and homemade strawberry jam. It’s in the oven now so I haven’t tasted it yet but it looks really good. Hopefully it works. Thanks for your guidance.
That sounds delish!
I’ve made your Baklava recipe about 4-5 times. It’s a big hit with everyone. I’ve had someone tell me “How did you get my mother’s recipe “? It brought back fond memories for her. Now I’ve bought a 12 x 17 pan so that I don’t have to cut the phyllo dough. Thank you for this recipe!
Aww, that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me. I’m all smiles
Do you think I could use a sugar substitute like monk sugar?
Hi Yvette, while I haven’t tried it with a sugar substitute, here’s what one of my readers wrote: “THE BEST RECIPE EVER! But, because I have so many diabetics in the family I had to substitute 1/2 cup of Stevia for the 1 cup of sugar. I tried this with several other recipes with blah results. Your recipe has the right combination of everything to get the flavor I wanted. Thank you!” I hope this helps.
You could use monk fruit as a substitute, works well. Same 1:1 ratio!
I love this recipe! Made it for the first time last weekend. Packed it up and gave away as gifts. Making more to give away again this weekend. It’s a hit! Thank you!!!
You’re so very welcome!