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.
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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 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
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!
I lost 15 sheets of dough and most of the other sheets were ripped. I couldn’t keep them damp or then they were gooey messes. The taste was fabulous but looked terrible. I don’t know what I did wrong except I didn’t handle the dough right.
Hi Sarah, it is critically important to cover the sheets with a lightly damp tea towel or linen towel between picking up each sheet or they do dry out and flake quickly otherwise. The sheets are much easier to work with when using the damp towel. I’m glad you still enjoyed the flavor 🙂
Hi! I grew up in an Italian/Greek mining community, and honestly some things were presented to me as Italian or Greek, when they were the other way around. My grandmother’s generation grew up “all inclusive” and the families each identified with each other VERY STRONGLY. I just wanted to add that, although I grew up with walnuts in Baklava, I traveled as a college student and found out that in the Mediterranean, they “prefer” (?) or at least us, PISTACHIOS more than walnuts. Have you heard of this? Also, in Greece, they introduce it as GREEK. But in Turkey – and again in Egypt – they introduce it as either being TURKISH or EGYPTIAN. 😀 And by the way, in the Arabic speaking world, they pronounce it “ba KLA va” – I just thought you would find that interesting. So, about the nuts….? 😀 and thank you!
Hi Bella, I made my baklava cups with a mixture of nuts including pistachios and they are very nice in color and flavor. You can definitely mix it up with a variety of nuts in this recipe.
When I was first in college, I worked for a Home Health agency. I was assigned to a Greek couple in their 80s living at home. I learned to make Baklava from the Mrs. She made it exactly the way you make it. I have made it so many times and it turns out excellent every time. Thanks for the recipe. Mine was translated from a pinch of this, a handful of that.
My pleasure Ken! I’m glad to hear the recipe is a success! Thanks for sharing your wonderful review with other readers!
This was an amazingly delicious recipe. This was my first time making baklava. It was simple and turned out perfectly! Thanks!
You’re welcome Megan! I’m happy to hear how much you enjoy the recipe. Thanks for sharing your great review!
Looks beautiful..however I think I used alot more butter than called for..the recipe was a bit hard to follow due to the ads blocking the recipe..
Hi Annette, there should never be ads blocking the recipe. Was there an ad blocking in the video? Please let me know so that I can report it to our tech team. Have a great weekend.
I have made Baklava several times but tried yours this time, it turned out perfect. I use a pinch of Cardamon and sage tho, the Greek website I first learned from recommend it. Another add in for flavor can be orange or lemon zest, I like orange.
What I liked the most about your recipe was the photos, they are GREAT , especially for first timers! 5/5!
I’m happy to hear how much you enjoy the recipe. Thanks for sharing your fantastic review Loretta!
Use ghee not butter. Butter makes phylo dough soggy. You can find ghee at an Arab or international market. Also adding pistachios and sugar in the nut mix makes it amazing.
With syrup add cinnamon stick and orange blossom water.
I haven’t tried that substitution but I bet it would work great especially for people who can’t have butter (allergies!). I’ve never had a baklava turn soggy on me before. The baking and nature of the phyllo dough keeps it from turning soggy.
I made this recipe for my Dad’s Birthday; he absolutely loves baklava. We all loved this recipe. It makes a lot but will not last long on the plate! Simply amazing
Also, the step-by-step video was very helpful
I’m glad to hear that!
I’m glad to hear the recipe is such a HIT! Thanks for sharing your excellent review Celeste!
It tastes great but is really dry. Can I fix this by adding another 1/2 recipe of the honey mixture do you think?
Hi Tan, did you possibly use a larger pan? Also, make sure you let it rest overnight for the syrup to absorb into the baklava and the following day it will be moist, juicy and soft while still maintaining the crisp topping.
My first time ever making this! Thank goodness for your video. It helped me with the visual. I did find the phylo dough hard to separate and my pkg had many tears but I persevered! It’s just coming out of the oven now so I won’t taste test until tonight. Can’t wait!
I’m glad you find the recipe so helpful! Please let me know how it turns out Peggy!
I think it is over cooked. I checked ii in an hour and I should have taken it out. I just tasted it and it is ok. My family will be my critics. Lol!
Hi Peggy, did you make sure to bake at 325˚Farenheight using a regular (conventional) oven and not convection which will cook it faster. Also, did you use a glass pan or metal? I have had a couple readers report good results in glass but they said it baked faster than in a metal pan. I hope that helps to troubleshoot if it is overbaked.
I have made Baklava before, but it has been a long time. This was a great recipe. Really perfect, and while very rich, a nice balance of sweet. DEfinitely on my favorite list.
I too appreciate the detailed instructions.
Thank You
You’re welcome Cynthia! I’m glad to hear how much you enjoy the recipe. Thanks for sharing your great review!
Can I use a Pyrex pan for this recipe?
Hi Joan, a couple of my readers reported good results using glass. Here is what Diane wrote: “I just made two batches of baklava using a glass 13 x 9 inch Pyrex dish. I lowered the heat by 15 degrees.”
Thanks for the tip!! I just put it in the oven and lowered the temperature, fingers crossed!
You’re welcome Joan!
I would love to make this, but I have a family member with an extreme allergy to honey…. can I substitute something else like Corn Syrup?
Hi Jan, I have had one person report great results replacing honey with maple syrup, just keep in mind they don’t sub straight across so you’ll want to use about 1/2 cup maple syrup.
Hello Natacha, thank you for this amazing recipe, I am a fan of baklava and i have never gathered the courage to do one myself until i stumbled on you very well detailed recipe. The result turned out amaaaaazing and incredibly successful. Thank you.
You’re welcome! I’m glad to hear the recipe is such a success! Thanks for sharing your wonderful review Ihssane!
This was my first attempt at baklava. It came out picture perfect, and could stand up against any seasoned baklava expert. The recipe was easy to follow. It was a huge hit. So glad I found this. Thank you Natasha!😘
You’re welcome Jamie! I’m glad to hear the recipe is such a success! Thanks for sharing your fantastic review!
YUM! This baklava looks amazing – so delicious ♥
It tastes as good as it looks! Please let me know what you think if you decide to make it!
I wish you could mention this originally comes from Middle East.
Thank you for sharing! I hadn’t heard that before and others have written in with different histories of this recipe 🙂
Lovely baklava recipe! Natasha explains step by step so it is almost impossible to fail. I substituted pecans for walnuts as I prefer pecans for baking.
I’m glad you enjoy the recipe Shawna! Thanks for sharing your wonderful review with other readers!
Thanks Natasha! This is so much like my late mother’s recipe, which I never got from her because in her later years she forgot the proportions. So happy to have found your page.
I used the juice of half an orange in the syrup because I love the fragrance it imparts 😊
My pleasure Mita! I’m so glad to hear you enjoy the recipe! Thanks for sharing your wonderful review!
This was my first go at making baklava and it came out flawless! Living in Georgia, I used home grown pecans instead of walnuts and I highly recommend the switch. Pecans are a little less fat and have slightly more of a crunch, making this the perfect recipe!
I’m happy to hear the recipe is a HIT! Thanks for sharing your fantastic review Jon!