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 use your recipe for the syrup (so good!) but have been making baklava for years. I have never – and I mean NEVER – buttered layers because it tends to rip them. I melt 1.5 sticks of butter, and pull of the sheets of phyllo in three groups, with the 2nd one being less than the other two.
Stack the big bottom third, pour on butter down the center, use a silicone brush to spread to the edges.
Pour half of the finely-chopped nuts down the middle and spread.
Stack the smaller, middle third on top of the nuts. Pour butter down the center and brush to the edges.
Pour the remaining half of the nuts down the middle and spread.
Stack the last third of the phyllo sheets on top of the nuts. Pour the rest of the butter down the middle and spread, being careful to really soak the edges so they don’t fry up instead of bake down.
No one has ever noticed my cheating. 😛 And, because it’s so easy, I can make baklava OFTEN and not have the mental blocks of doing it tediously, buttering constantly and hoping it won’t rip. Just thought I would share for any of my fellow slackers. 😉
That’s so great! I appreciate you sharing your steps with us! Thank you for that wonderful review!
Used a glass pan with piece of parchment paper cut to fit bottom of inside of pan before assembling the layers. Baklava baked perfectly and slips right out of pan and releases from parchment paper. Keep oven temp the same as in directions. Fabulous recipie!
Thank you so much for sharing that with me :).
I have been using a Good Housekeeping and Lebanese cookbook recipe for making Baklava for years and your recipe corrects some of the problems I have had and I will be making a batch using it very soon. What I will do differently is making the top and bottom 10 sheets and only using 5 between layers. Also, I had been putting too much filling in each layer and using too much syrup which tends to make them too soggy. I made 3 trays already this year and two things I have been doing right is using rose water (from the Lebanese recipe) and having my husband help with the applying the butter. Two people make short work out of the layering job because one applies the butter and the other lays the sheets. One question I have, I use a glass pan because I don’t see how you can cut without scratching the non-stick, would that make any difference?
Thank you for sharing that with me, Sherry! 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.” We like the metal pan only because it is more squared off on the edges.
Hi Natasha,
How are you?
After baked Baklava, can keep it for few days? If I baked these and keep into refrigerator, the day after to baked again, is it ok?
Thanks
Christina
Hi Christina, Of course! You store at room temp in the same pan, 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 🙂
Noted with many thanks.
what could i use instead of cinnamon for the baklava please
Hi Claire, you could just omit cinnamon and it will still work 🙂
I add nutmeg. A little goes a long way. I add the nutmeg to the syrup.
Thank you for sharing that with us!
our local Lebanese carryout uses Rose Water in addition to Lemon. Adds a very fragrant light floral accent
How interesting! Thank you for sharing that with me!
My husband loves baklava but has diverticulitis-so do you think it would be okay for me to grind up the nuts really fine to almost powder so it has the taste of nuts and follow the rest of the recipe from there?
Hi Sandra, That may work, It won’t have the same texture, however. If you experiment I would love to know how you like that!
Hi Natasha-My first try at making baklava and I did ground the pecans really really fine and it turned out perfect. My husband LOVED IT! Now he can enjoy baklava w/o worries and his family too (they all have it) because I am most definitely bringing it for Christmas. Thanks for the recipe.
That’s awesome!! I’m so glad the baklava worked out well with pecans! Thank you for your wonderful review!
I’m allergic to citrus but I would love to make this. Is there something I can substitute for lemon juice or do you think it would be fine if I just left it out all together?
Hi Veronica, the lemon helps balance the sweetness but it would still work if you replaced the extra lemon juice with water.
Anyone tried this using candied pecans? Lovely especially topped with halfed pecans.
It doesn’t look like they have and neither have I. I would love to know how you like that if you experiment!
Natasha, years ago I watched a pastry chef butter the sheets with a small spray bottle , I have done it like that ever since . It is very fast and the sheets don’t rip at all .Small water spray bottles or spray oil bottles are available anywhere .Love your recipes , thank you !
Thank you for sharing that great idea with us, Doris!
I think I have found my problem. I have never let the syrup cool before putting it on. I wonder if that is why my baklava always falls apart and is always soggy! I’m going to let it cool this time instead of putting it on boiling hot! ALSO – any suggestions for cutting it? It is so delicate and the sheets of dough are hard to keep together while cutting.
Hi Karen. We cut the pastry layers in step #4. Yes, we do recommend letting the syrup cool completely before pouring as soon as the layers are taken out of the oven you should pour the cooled syrup over it. 🙂 I hope this helps
I just put mine in the freezer for about 10 minutes prior to cutting it. It seemed to do the trick. Then I put it in the oven to bake. It turned out really well. I did use a glass dish, I cooked it at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Co-workers are going crazy over it, as I write. : )
Thank you for sharing that with us, Kim!
sounds like I am going to try Baklava again…..my question….do you cut thru to the pan before you bake or not thru the bottom 10 sheets of Philo dough? thank you ,
Hi Sanda, we do cut it through to the bottom before hand.
The video reminded me of how to lay out the phyllo dough next to the pan in order to work quickly. I haven’t done this in years. My grandmother was from Arta, Greece. She made hers with blanched chopped almonds. Then she put an alalmond on each diamond .
Thank you for sharing that with us!
Hi Natasha
I just love this recipe and can’t wait to try it. I have a question first, since I am a pretty serious Christmas baker, I have to do some of it ahead and freeze them. Does this baklava recipe freeze well. Would love to add this to my holiday goodies.
Hi Barbara! 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.
Hi, I don’t have a rectangular non stick baking pan, but I do have a ceramic one that’s about the right size. Will the baklava get stuck to the bottom and sides? Or should I line it with baking parchment – or would that somehow prevent the baklava’s crispness/gooiness? Hope you can help, looking forward to making this later today 😋
Hi Julie, Lining the bottom with parchment would be a good idea to get it out easier. I would avoid lining the sides and just butter the pan all over the inside.
Hi Natasha,
Thank you very much for this recipe. All the praises heaped on this, your recipe, are so well deserved. It is amazing, delicious, fantastic, yes, and more. Oh, if I could find more superlatives… It was perfect!
With appreciation😋
Shyam
I’m so happy you loved the baklava and thank you for the glowing review!! Happy Thanksgiving!!
I made the recipe exactly as written for an international day of peace celebration at work earlier this year and it was great.I made it early this morning substituting pecans for the walnuts and am taking to Thanksgiving. Thank you for the recipe.
I love that this baklava recipe is adaptable with different nuts! Thank you for sharing and have a wonderful Thanksgiving!!
I love this recipe! The baklava turns out so delicious! One year after coming across this recipe I made it about 20 times! This is my first dessert on the thanksgiving list this year! Love it!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that!! Sounds like you definitely found a favorite!
This is amazingly good!! Made it last year for thanksgiving and making it again this year. Just one question can i make a little more syrup then it calls for? Really love a baklava with the gooey goodness dripping off it. Thank you julie
I think you can but I worry it will make it soggy. I’d add more and watch it closely 🙂
Hi – this is probably a totally stupid question, but the tea towel at the end there… why tea towel? Can I just keep them in a tupperware? My 9×14 metal baking pan has a plastic lid that goes on top. I seriously doubt it would last more than a week, but it does need to last from when I make it until Thanksgiving (which is 5 days).
Hi Yuwie, if it is completely at room temperature, you can loosely cover with the lid (I wouldn’t create an airtight seal). I have covered this in plastic wrap, but it was loosely covered (not airtight).
It needs the air flow to keep it “softly crunchy”. The Tupperware lid will create a humid area that with keep the baklava too moist and it will lose crispiness. A few towel, closely wrapped plastic wrap, or waxed paper all work
Thank you! I made it… But made a few mistakes apparently. Somehow I used 3 sticks of butter and only had enough without the last 5 layers (went straight to the last 10), and also didn’t have enough walnuts to cover it anyways. I should have done a little less syrup because of that, but didn’t think about it so now it is super moist. I also managed to set the fire alarm off when I made the syrup (boiled over) because I’m super talented. 😆 Husband said it was super delicious, all I can think of is “there should be one more layer of goodness!!!” and now it’s too moist (???).
I guess those could be happy mistakes. Usually, we hear not moist enough haha! I’m happy you enjoyed this regardless!
This was fantastic! I made this for a group of friends after our trip to Greece! Everyone loved it and couldn’t believe I made it. It was time consuming and painstaking but not difficult. I bought a new pan so that I didn’t have to trim and waste the fillo dough and had more pieces to share. My pound of walnuts was over 5 cups so I used more per layer. I’ll make this again someday.
Thank you for this amazing feedback!
Same for me, I weighed out 1 pound of walnuts, almonds and pecans mixed, I measured out the 3/4 cup for the layers and had to go back and add extra to each batch