This Baklava is flaky, crisp, and tender, and easier to make than you think. I share my authentic Greek Baklava Recipe below with step-by-step directions that are easy to follow. Make this dessert and be prepared for oo’s and ahh’s, because this is the BEST baklava recipe I have ever tried.
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Helpful Reader Review
“Love this recipe. I am Greek, but my baklava never turned out this good. I made your recipe for my husband’s family reunion. They were so impressed by how delicious it was. They said the syrup wasn’t too sweet like other baklava recipes and it’s the best they ever tasted.” – Tina ★★★★★
Baklava Video
Baklava can be a little tedious to make, but it’s truly simpler than you think. Watch my video, and you’ll be confidently buttering layers in no time! If you want a sneaky shortcut version, try my Baklava Cups.
Best Baklava Recipe
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 with so many 5-star reviews, it is definitely a reader and family favorite! It’s also make-ahead and freezer-friendly, which is perfect for holiday baking.
My baklava recipe comes out beautifully flaky, buttery, and crisp. The flavor is incredible, since this one is not too sweet. You will love the hint of mellow lemony flavor, which offsets the sweetness and complements the cinnamon. It also keeps well for over a week on the counter, making it a great option to make ahead.
Baklava Ingredients
While this recipe is a Classic Greek Baklava, other varieties, such as Lebanese and Turkish recipes, swap the walnuts for pistachios and include rose water. My Baklava recipe calls for simple ingredients, most of which you can find in your pantry.
- Phyllo (fillo) dough – one 16oz package should have about 40 total paper-thin sheets. Do not use the thick sheets of fillo dough for this recipe. They are sold in the freezer section of the grocery store. Thaw according to the package instructions.
- Unsalted Butter – don’t skimp here! This keeps the fillo dough from peeling away.
- Walnuts – finely chop. You can swap them for almonds, pistachios, or a mix of nuts.
- Cinnamon – adds a great hint of flavor that’s traditional for Baklava
- Syrup ingredients – sugar, lemon juice, water, and honey
- Garnish – drizzle with melted chocolate or Chocolate Ganache, and chopped walnuts
How To Make Baklava
While it takes time to brush each layer, the result is worth every moment! Don’t skim on the butter, and you will be rewarded.
- Thaw phyllo dough in the refrigerator per the package instructions, then place it covered on the counter for 1 hour to bring to room temperature.
- Trim the phyllo dough to fit your 9×13 pan, covering it with a damp (not wet) towel to keep from drying out.
- Grease – use butter to coat the sides and bottom of a 13×9 non-stick baking pan. You can line it with parchment paper so you don’t damage it with your knife when slicing later.
- Make the honey syrup – heat the syrup ingredients in a medium saucepan while stirring until it boils, and then reduce the heat to medium-low and allow to cook for 4 more minutes without stirring. Set aside to cool.
- Chop Walnuts – pulse walnuts in a food processor until finely chopped, and then mix with cinnamon.
How to Assemble the Baklava
- 10 Layers – Preheat oven to 325°F. Start layering the phyllo dough, brushing each sheet with butter as you place it in the pan. Repeat this until you’ve added 10 layers. Then sprinkle 3/4 cup of walnuts over the top.
- 5 Layers – add 5 more sheets, buttering between each one, and then another layer of walnuts. Repeat this 3 more times. Finally, add 10 more layers of buttered dough on top.
- Cut the dessert into strips using a sharp knife, and then cut across to make diamonds. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
- Add syrup – spoon cooled syrup over the Baklava right after removing it from the oven. It should sizzle. Leave it uncovered on the counter to cool completely (4 hours or overnight). Then store covered with a tea towel for up to a week.
Tips for Making the Best Baklava
Follow these simple tips to make homemade baklava easy.
- Use a 13×9 pan with straight corners that fits the pastry to the edges. Avoid pans with angled corners that fan out, as they can cause the syrup to pool at the edges and make the top of the baklava dry. If you choose a larger pan, increase the syrup amount by 25% so you don’t run out. You can also cut the recipe in half using an 8×8 pan.
- Don’t skimp on the butter, especially on the top layers, since that can cause them to flake off. You can melt a few more tablespoons if you run out.
- Sizzle – the sound you’ll hear when you spoon the syrup over the hot pastry. This keeps it from getting soggy.
My Baklava recipe has so many layers of irresistible textures and flavors! The crispy layers of dough are perfectly complemented by the honey syrup and crunchy nuts. I hope it becomes your new favorite dessert.
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 1/4 cups unprocessed
- 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
Preparation
- 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 temperature).
- Trim phyllo dough to fit your baking dish. My phyllo 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.
- Grease – Butter the bottom and sides of a 13×9 non-stick baking pan. Line the bottom with parchment if desired to protect the pan when cutting later.
- Make the honey syrup – 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 medium/high heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved, then reduce the heat to medium/low and boil an additional 4 min without stirring. Remove from heat and let the syrup cool while preparing baklava.
- Chop walnuts – Pulse walnuts 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.
Assemble the Baklava
- 10 layers – Preheat the oven to 325°F. Place 10 phyllo sheets into a 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.). Keep the remaining phyllo covered with a damp towel at all times. Spread about 1/5 of the nut mixture (about 3/4 cup) over the phyllo dough.
- 5 layers – Add 5 buttered sheets of phyllo, then another layer of nuts. Repeat four times with the remaining layers of fillo, butter and nuts. 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.
- Add syrup – 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 and rest uncovered at room temperature 4-6 hours or overnight for the syrup to penetrate and soften the layers. Garnish with chocolate and nuts if desired.
Notes
- 10 buttered sheets, 3/4 cup nuts,
- 5 buttered sheets, 3/4 cup nuts,
- 5 buttered sheets, 3/4 cup nuts,
- 5 buttered sheets, 3/4 cup nuts,
- 5 buttered sheets, 3/4 cup nuts,
- 10 buttered sheets and butter the top.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
More Pastry Recipes
Homemade pastries always turn heads, so once you try this Baklava, don’t miss these other classic dessert recipes:
- Eclairs
- Croissants
- Cream Puffs
- Apple Turnovers
- Churros
- Fruit Tart
- Rugelach
- Palmiers
- Cheese Danish
- Apple Danish
- Apple Roses
Hi Natasha!
I made this recipe and it turned out beautiful and delicious!!!
My friends wanted to know where I purchased it as it’s the best tasting they’ve ever had!
Thank you for sharing this delight, I’ll be making again for sure.
Hello Michael! My pleasure, I’m glad to hear how much everyone enjoys the recipe! Thanks for sharing your excellent review!
I made your baklava and it turned out BEAUTIFUL cooked in about 35 minute took about 1 hour to put together and I would make this again thank you
You’re welcome Alice! I’m happy to hear how much you love the recipe! Thanks for sharing your great review!
Can other nuts be substituted for the walnuts? We have allergy issues with walnuts. Thx, Cindy
Hi Cindy, yes! A combination of nuts would work. You can try a mix of any or all of the following: pecans, hazelnuts, pistachios, cashews, most nuts really! 🙂
Thank you for the recipe but for the syrup is not mentioned what kind or how to make? I don’t know why you not give the details in full?!
Hi Anca, the instructions are in the post above in detail. Maybe you missed it while scrolling?
I made this Baklava months ago..and followed the recipe with no problems at all..especially the syrup!! ( As I said at the time, we cannot seem to get extremely thin Filo but have managed to get more sheets for the weight which is Sainsburys own) but still have to have another go!! Barbara
My wife has been a celiac for 15 years.
I am a full blooded greek and grew up on Baklava.
IT IS NOT GLUTEN FREE.
READ INGREDIENES ON FILO PKG.
Hi Michael, I think the only place that says it shows as gluten-free is Pinterest and that is a Pinterest glitch and not something wrong with our blog. It’s irritating for sure but since Pinterest is not our own platform, there is nothing I can do about it. I’m not sure where Pinterest is pulling that from since we have not identified this recipe as being gluten-free anywhere in the post. Must be a glitch on Pinterest!
they turned out so good! Wish i can post some picture here!! Thanks for the recipe and happy thanksgiving!
It states gluten free in the description but I thought phyllo was a wheat dough?
Hi Barb, I don’t see anywhere that it says gluten free. Can you tell me exactly where you saw that? Thanks!
It is on the Pinterest site. I took a screen shot but I can’t post it here, sorry. Maybe they are the ones who added that?
How odd. We don’t have any control over what shows up on Pinterest. Maybe the Pinterest database doesn’t know what phyllo is? 😉
The best baklava recipe ever!
I’m glad you love it Mariana! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Haven’t tried it yet but would love it if you could list the ingredients quantities in grams and cups.
Thank you in advance
Hi Edith, I added some conversions in this recipe. We don’t have metric conversions for many of our earlier recipes due to time constraints. I have been putting them on the newer ones though. I think a chart is in order for the future! 🙂 Thanks Edith 🙂
To make your Baklava you never stated if you’re using thin or thick fillo dough??
Hi Darlene, I have only ever seen paper thin fillo in the US but that is a good question! I added this note just under the ingredients list at a the top of the recipe to clarify: “*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.” Thank you for asking!
You are a good Chef and all your cooking are the best all recipes are tasty
I’m glad to hear you are enjoying the recipes! Thanks for following! 🙂
Hello,
I am allergic to walnuts. I was wondering how I would adapt this to pistachios or almonds, or would I not really change anything? Thank you for your time.
Hi Miranda, I have had a couple of people report great results using a variety of chopped nuts. I bet it would work well to mix the two nuts together instead of walnuts.
Amazing recipe, so easy, made them yesterday everyone thought i’d bought them and was faking it! Thank you.
That’s awesome! I’m glad to hear that Tes! Thanks for sharing your wonderful review!
Hi Natasha! This was my first time making a baklava, and it turn out scrumptious. I followed the recipe but did did add zest of 1 large orange in the syrup and also in the filling, in attempt to hide the the honey, since my husband and daughter not a fan of it. It really mild down the honey and made it super yummy. My husband and my dauther gobbled right up. Thank you so much for this recipe and detailed steps it really helped to make this very antimidating recipe easy! Thank you!
My pleasure Saniya! I’m so glad to hear how much you everyone enjoys the recipe! Thanks for sharing your excellent review!
I LOVE baklava and I know nuts are the traditional, but we have a nut allergy in our house. Is there ANYTHING I can substitute for the nuts?
Hi Kelly, I haven’t tried any substitutions but I have seen some using seeds. You might search for a seed baklava and see if there are any unique combinations out there.
I would also add a couple of things….I use orange juice instead of lemon (I just like the taste better). Also, I’ve made it with pecans, and also with almonds. And one very important step….while you’re making this, do not answer the phone, do not answer the door, and ignore everyone who tried to talk to you, especially the first time you make it!!
LOL, thanks for sharing your helpful tips with other readers Kelly!
Hi, could I swap the walnuts for any other nuts like hazelnut or pistachios x
Hi Lisa, yes, I have had readers report great results using those substitutions or even a combination of different nuts.
I have never made baklava myself, it is a most favorite dessert of my husband’s. I’m going to try it out!
I have made many of your recipes/videos, and they always turn out fabulous. Thanks.
You’re welcome Shelley! I’m glad to hear you’re enjoying the recipes so much! Please let me know what you think of this one!
i have never made baklava before & will try it next weekend when im off. I have always wanted to make it so will see. thank you for posting this I love new things.
My pleasure Anne! Please let me know what you think of the recipe!
I don’t remember how many items I tried this so far in last couple of years. Every single time it was a big hit with family and friends. I did bake it and took with me to my family in another continent which was 24 hours flight journey and it still tasted good for another few days. Thanks you so much for this simple and delicious recipe!
You’re welcome Rohini! I’m glad to hear how much everyone loves this recipe! Thanks for sharing your excellent review!
Hi Natasha!
Will the Baklava still be good if I made it the day before?
How should I store the leftovers in the fridge or freezer?
Hi Jen, Store at room temp, covered with a tea towel for 1 to 2 weeks. You can freeze it up to 3 months by tightly wrapping the dish in several layers of plastic wrap and placing into the freezer. Thaw at room temperature and serve – it will be just as good as fresh 🙂