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 just ran across this recipe now. My mother learned to make baklava from her mother where she was born in Athens Greece, and this is almost identical to her process, it is very nicely done. One comment I would add is you are putting the syrup on too slowly, if the pan cools you will not get the sizzle so important to caramelize the sugars to get that nice crispy, but moist, texture (the failure of most all commercially made baklava that gives you soggy mush). My mother taught us to pour the chilled syrup onto the hot pan all at once. she said it must sizzle, or it is ruined. No need to spoon it on, but to pour it right out of the bowl into the pan at once. that is the “secret” to moist yet crispy baklava.
A variation, in the middle east they often use pistachios instead of wall nuts, and also flavor it with rose water.
My late mother taught my now wife to make it when she was 16, when we were first dating (we have been married now for 39 years). My wife has taught our two daughters how to make this way, as my late mother taught her, and my daughters, as well as my wife, makes it as good as my mother used to make it.
Hi Peter, thank you for sharing a lot of useful information and tips with us. That is so useful and we appreciate it!
Making this recipe has become an annual tradition for me. It’s absolutely perfect. Thank you!!
That’s fantastic feedback! Thank you so much for sharing that with us.
This is my third year using your recipe and it is *always* a big hit! I follow your directions to the letter and have never had a bad batch. Greek Christmas and Easter wouldn’t be complete without this baklava. I feel like the Pied Piper when I bring it into work, haha! They can’t get enough!
I’m so glad it’s been a hit! It’s truly our favorite also! I’m so happy to hear you all enjoyed it!
THIS BAKLAVA RECIPE IS AMAZING!! Thank you so much for sharing!!
The only thing I changed is that I use orange juice instead of lemon and have had TONS of compliments.
My question to you is can it be frozen? Have you ever tried?
Thank you for the awesome review, Jennifer. You can 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.
Made this baklava today and it is an excellent recipe! Be sure to use a medium sized pan to cook the honey syrup, I used a smaller one and it boiled over.
Had a few leftover nuts that adhered well to the freshly-poured syrup. That sizzle is delightful.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Made this several times! The BEST!!! I cannot eat any other kind of baklava anymore. Nothing comes close to this!
Natasha, on a different topic. What are some of your favorite dishes/dessert to bring to a potluck?
Hello there! Thank you for your great review! That’s a tough question as I have a lot of favorites but here are some of my dessert recipes that you can try.
Baklava is my son’s favorite dessert. We enjoy the bonding time while making it and he absolutely devours it as soon as it cools.
Personally, I’m gluten free yet am able to enjoy it vicariously through the amazing aroma and watching him gobble it up.
This is our favorite recipe.
Thanks Natasha!
Great to hear that, Triana. Thank you for your review and for sharing that with us!
Will the baking time change, if baking in a glass pan? Thanks for the answer in advance!
Hi Kylie, One of our readers reported great results and wrote the following after experimenting with a glass dish “I just made two batches of baklava using a glass 13 x 9 inch Pyrex dish. I lowered the heat by 15 degrees.”
Baklava Rolls….
I made your recipe for baklava into baklava rolls .. I was hoping to share a picture. They are nice to give as gifts .. folks love getting a roll or 2 with 3-4 pieces each roll instead of a few diamond shapes.. I just wanted to share it with you .. thank you. Your recipes always work and that’s very nice when every recipe works .. especially fir the younger cooks and beginner cooks I share with.. some don’t have time to find recipes so I do it for them.. Your my go to 1st bc every recipe I tried from your collection works .. thank you for that ..
That is a great Idea, so thoughtful and thank you for the great review!
I made your recipe for baklava into baklava rolls .. I was hoping to share a picture. They are nice to give as gifts .. folks love getting a roll or 2 with 3-4 pieces each roll instead of a few diamond shapes.. I just wanted to share it with you .. thank you. Your recipes always work and that’s very nice when every recipe works .. especially fir the younger cooks and beginner cooks I share with.. some don’t have time to find recipes so I do it for them.. Your my go to 1st bc every recipe I tried from your collection works .. thank you for that ..
Thank you for your good comments and feedback. I hope you’ll love all the recipes that you will try!
Made Baklava and it is Perfect!
The layers are flaky, the top is crispy and the sweetness is perfect. If you want a tender tasty desert please make and enjoy❤️
I know we are!
Glad you enjoyed this recipe, Barbara. Thank you for sharing your experience with us, we appreciate this review!
Hi Natasha !
Did you use all the honey syrup or did you have some leftover ?
Thanks
R
Hi, I did use all of the honey syrup.
Tried your apple pie recipe. It was delicious. Butter is the trick. My wife loves it. Will try to make the bakalav with your clear instructions. The 10,5 steps will help a lot.
Thanks for sharing, JC. I hope you’ll love all the recipes that you will try!
This was the best Baklava we’ve ever had! I thought if I added a drop of lemon essential oil, it would be amazing and wow it really kicked it up a notch! I’m sure it’s good without the essential oil too!
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Laura!
I would recommend instead of lemon essential oils, when you are heating up the syrup putting in the lemon skins. Leaving them in until it is time to pour!
Can I substitute the 1 c. Of suger with 1c. Of stevia?
Hi Kelly, I haven’t tried it with stevia yet. If you will do an experiment, please share with us how it goes.
Hello Natasha,
Two questions:
First, I have a convection oven that has a convection bake feature; what setting should I use or do I use normal bake feature.
Second, which rack in my oven should I use to make the Baklava; as I am thinking about making it for the holidays. Thank you.
Hi Mike, I haven’t tested baking baklava on convection mode so I can’t say for sure. If you experiment, please let me know how it goes.
This is the best baklava recipe ever. Was my first time making baklava and it turned out absolutely perfectly! Stayed crispy for days after and was delicious. Not overly sweet or sticky which I loved! I ended up using a little more butter than listed but basically just heated up half sticks at a time to make sure I didn’t have to keep reheating the butter once it started to harden. 10/10 recipe, will definitely make again!
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite, Sritha!
I’m planning on making this recipe some time this week, can I use orange juice instead of lemon?
Hi Juliana, I saw this comment shared by someone else in the comments. “This is the recipe I use when I make baklava but instead of lemon juice, I use orange juice. I did it like this the first time I made it since that is what I had and I LOVE IT THIS WAY!!” Hope that helps.
OMG!! I wanted to do this ever since you posted it and I finally did today. Boy was that work!! I mixed walnuts and pistachios and I didn’t do the top thick enough because I ran out of Philo BUT it was still delicious. I made a smaller portion just for myself and I really love it. My husband said it was delicious!!! My arms hurt but my tummy is happy 🙂
Hello Ardlee, thanks for sharing your experience making this recipe. Great to hear that it was a success and you felt happy with the result.
Hey Natasha,
Can I use a casserole clear dish to make the baklava?
Hi Riley, if you’re referring to a glass casserole dish, that should work. One of our readers wrote the following after experimenting with a glass dish “I just made two batches of baklava using a glass 13 x 9 inch Pyrex dish. I lowered the heat by 15 degrees. I also used the glass dish because I could cut the dough without scratching the bottom of my Teflon pan.” I hope that helps.