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 have been making food recipes from all over the world for years. And It isn’t easy to find good recipes. Yours are very easy to follow. And the results are just outstanding. Please let me know what would you suggest to increase the honey flavor to your syrup ? Should I just add less lemon to it ? Should I just cook it for a little bit longer than 4 minutes ?
Hi, I’m not sure how to increase the honey flavor more without adding more honey, but I love the lemon juice in there because it helps to cut the sweetness.
Natasha !!! Your recipe is just amazing as is !!! And I will make it again…. Thanks
I’m o glad you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for that wonderful reveiw!
It may be the honey you are using. There is a lot of fake honey out there that is part honey, part flavored corn syrup. And it will be labeled as 100% honey. We only buy local honey at the farmers markets.
Hi Natasha!
I love this recipe, it is truly my pride and joy. I make your Baklava recipe for special occasion and it is highly requested. Don’t worry, I always give you the credit!
I have also made your shrimp tacos. They were AMAZING and easy!
Thank you for sharing this wonderful review with me Sophia! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
This was fantastic! I used pistachios, almonds, and walnuts – I particularly love the pistachios in baklava. I also used kerrygold butter and the flavor is awesome. Highly recommend!
I’m so happy to hear that Lea! Thank you for the wonderful review!
Listen, this is incredible. One of the best things I have ever made. It is definitely not a quick one, but if you put the time in, you will get something incredible. I cut a bit of the sugar and it was perfect. Great recipe and a must try.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Very good recipe for Baklava! I followed the recipe, but did add 2 tsp of sugar to my nut mixture. It was my 1st time working with Phyllo dough and it was tricky. Keeping it covered was key, but some of my sheets did stick pretty bad and i’m not sure why. Otherwise, it was just as smooth as watching you in the video. Thanks for the recipe!
Nice to know that you enjoyed it!
Glad I bought more butter. Used 5 sticks,applied on sheets with two inch paint brush.turned out perfect used 8 ox pistachios and 16 oz. Walnuts. Roasted walnuts first. Left sit overnight. nice and crispy. Used 25% brown sugar. Love it.
That is so awesome! Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us, Lee.
Hey! Could I make this recipe in a round dish? What size dish would you recommend?
Hi Marie, I haven’t tested this in a round pan but I bet that could work! If you happen you experiment I would love to know how you like this recipe!
Hi, after reading this amazing article i am as well happy to share my experience here with friends.
I’m glad you enjoyed our recipe blog post, Avlin! I hope you love this recipe!
Can I substitute white sugar with brown sugar?
Hi Katrina, I haven’t tried it with brown sugar yet. If you will do an experiment, please share with us how it goes.
What an amazing surprise how tasty this recipe is.
I used mixed nuts instead of only walnuts.
Seriously delicious
I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe, Rhona! It is one of our most popular recipes!
Made this yesterday to take for an Eid brunch we were invited to this morning. A little fussy to make – all those layers… but totally worth it. Used 3 cups walnuts & 1 cup pistachios… otherwise followed the recipe exactly. It has the perfect amount of sweetness. The layers are separating, but based on comments, we’ll give it another day to see if it holds together more – that is, if we have any leftover! It’s so good!! Will definitely make again. Thanks so much for the recipe!
I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe, Chris! That’s so great!
My mother in law (she’s Greek) says she lets her baklava sit for at least a few days so all of the layers can suck up the syrup that sinks to the bottom. You could check after a few days to see if the syrup has moved back up through the layers. Other than that the recipe seems good.
Hi there!
Would love to try your recipe. It sounds wonderful. I have walnuts and pecans but I keep them in the freezer. Should I toast them first?
Hi Martha, I haven’t found it necessary but you could if you prefer the toasted flavor you can do that. I haven’t tried using walnuts and pecans out of the freezer to advise on their texture.
I keep my walnuts in the freezer too. I let them warm up before I chop them in the food processor so I can get smaller pieces. When I did it with frozen walnuts they wouldn’t chop as fine. Otherwise I kept the recipe the same and there was no texture issues. I think toasting them first could add some more flavor if you wanted to do that. Of course they bake for 35 minutes anyway in the baklava so it might overdo it.
Hi!
I have used your baklava recipe. It tested good but the layers did not adhere together. Can you tell me the reason?
Thanks
Normally by day 2, it should be soft and the top layer should adhere with the amount of syrup in the recipe. If you use a larger pan, you might need more syrup or if the pan goes wider at the top. You can add more syrup and let it continue to rest to soak it up.
Great recipe!
Can the syrup be adapted to use only honey and/or maple syrup with no granulated sugar?
Thanks!
Thank you, I haven’t tried it without granulated sugar yet. If you will do an experiment, please share with us how it goes.
Great recipe!
How do I make sure the top layer doesn’t come apart from the nut mixture?
Hi Saima, normally by day 2, it should be soft and the top layer should adhere with the amount of syrup in the recipe. If you use a larger pan, you might need more syrup or if the pan goes wider at the top. You can add more syrup and let it continue to rest to soak it up. I hope that helps.
Hi Natasha,
I am going to make this tomorrow. My box of dough says to leave it out for 2 hours before using. (I am going to thaw it out in the fridge overnight as you suggest). You say to leave it out for 1 hour before using. Do you recommend leaving it out one or two hours? I only baked with this dough once before and it didn’t come out great so I wanted your advice. By the way, I’ve made your cherry pie and peach pie and both were fabulous! And both crusts were amazing.
Hi Jenny, that could work if your box has that as a thawing option. I would suggest following the box instructions.
Thank you!
Thank you very much!
Any idea if the syrup recipe can be modified to exclude sugar, only using honey and/or maple syrup?
My daughter in law would love to make this for her mother, however, she is highly allergic to cinnamon. Can you substitute something else for the cinnamon?
Hi Coelin, I haven’t tried any substitute for the cinnamon to advise.
Okay, thank you.
You could try cardamom? I put cinnamon and cardamom because my boyfriend is Indian and loves that flavor.
I accidentally forgot the cinnamon and made this recipe without and honestly it still tasted great. I would just omit – it doesn’t change any of the structure of the recipe. You could add a bit of sugar to the nuts if you like a little sweetness.
Maybe nutmeg or cardamon… I personally always use cinnamon in receipe’s with high levels of sugar as it actually helps lower blood sugar levels (my kid has T1D, so everything is about blood sugar, lol) Sometimes you can use cinnamon as a form of sweetener, like making hot cocoa with actual cocoa powder, milk and cinnamon (no sugar added)
I’ve been eyeing your recipe for a few weeks now. I finally got the courage to make it today. This recipe is beyond amazing and thank you for all the extra tips you’ve provided, it made it so much easier to make.
I love it! So great to hear that and thanks for sharing that with us.
should the butter be room temperaure when brushing the phyllo dough? Can’t wait to try this!!!
Hi Seb, it’s ok for the butter to still be warm while brushing.
The recipe calls for melted butter and I have had great success putting it in a spray bottle and spraying the layers! So much faster! Just make sure to shake the butter bottle occasionally to keep it from separating.
When you store the baklava is it best to be in a container, cling wrap over the pan or cling wrap over the pan with a bowl over it? Thanks
Hi Georgia, we use cling wrap or the cover that sometimes comes with the pans.