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.

Baklava pieces loaded with nuts and honey lemon syrup with chocolate garnish - A center cut view of this homemade baklava recipe showing flaky, crisp, tender layers.

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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):

Slice of baklava coming out of serving pan for baklava and how to cut baklava

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.

Baklava Recipe ingredients

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.

How to Prepare Fillo (phyllo) Dough for Baklava Recipe

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 Make Syrup for Baklava Recipe

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

How to Make filling for baklava recipeHow to make nut filling for Baklava Recipe

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.

How to layer baklava recipe

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

How to Cut Baklava Recipe

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

How to Apply Syrup to Baklava Recipe

Homemade baklava displayed sliced in baking sheet drizzled with hot honey lemon syrup for the best baklava recipe

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.

Up close view of baklava recipe showing nut and syrup filling with flaky crisp crust.

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:

Natasha's Kitchen Cookbook

Baklava Recipe

4.96 from 724 votes
Author: Natasha of NatashasKitchen.com
This baklava is flaky, crisp, tender and I love that it's not overly sweet. No store-bought baklava can touch this! | natashaskitchen.com
This baklava is flaky, crisp, tender and perfectly balanced with the honey-lemon syrup. This homemade baklava is so much better than any store-bought version. 
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes

Ingredients 

Servings: 30 pieces
  • 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 cups)
  • 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

Here's the order of the Baklava Layers:
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

255kcal Calories21g Carbs3g Protein18g Fat6g Saturated Fat20mg Cholesterol74mg Sodium83mg Potassium1g Fiber11g Sugar240IU Vitamin A0.6mg Vitamin C20mg Calcium1mg Iron
Nutrition Facts
Baklava Recipe
Amount per Serving
Calories
255
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
18
g
28
%
Saturated Fat
 
6
g
38
%
Cholesterol
 
20
mg
7
%
Sodium
 
74
mg
3
%
Potassium
 
83
mg
2
%
Carbohydrates
 
21
g
7
%
Fiber
 
1
g
4
%
Sugar
 
11
g
12
%
Protein
 
3
g
6
%
Vitamin A
 
240
IU
5
%
Vitamin C
 
0.6
mg
1
%
Calcium
 
20
mg
2
%
Iron
 
1
mg
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American, Turkish
Keyword: Baklava
Skill Level: Medium/Advanced
Cost to Make: $$
Calories: 255

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♥ 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

This baklava is flaky, crisp, tender and I love that it's not overly sweet. No store-bought baklava can touch this! | natashaskitchen.com

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!

This baklava is flaky, crisp, tender and I love that it's not overly sweet. No store-bought baklava can touch this! | natashaskitchen.com

 

Natasha Kravchuk

Welcome to my kitchen! I am Natasha, the blogger behind Natasha's Kitchen (since 2009). My husband and I run this blog together and share only our best, family approved and tested recipes with YOU. Thanks for stopping by! We are so happy you're here.

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Comments

  • Olga
    October 2, 2016

    Made this for I never tried em before. It taste delicious and I ate a bunch. But with every piece, I thought about the amount of butter I was consuming. But that didn’t stop me from eatting more!

    Does the bottom 10 pieces have to be soaked the most? I realized I was soaking them very well that towards the end I ran out of butter and had to use another half a stick.

    Mine did seperate too from the bottom nut area. Could it because the bottom 10 is so soaked in butter that it was too heavy to hold the rest all together?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      October 3, 2016

      The first 10 pieces don’t need any additional soaking compared to the rest. They become plenty moist after the syrup goes onto the baklava and is absorbed by the layers. I hope that helps for next time! I haven’t had the bottom separate so that could be a possible reason for it

      Reply

  • Patrick
    October 2, 2016

    had a slight problem with the pastry. As i was reading the ingredients i paid attention only to the weight of the pastry rather than the number of sheets. Ended up with only 12 sheets of filo to use that in total weighed 1.2lb. I divided them evenly and cooked it with a topping of nuts. will see how the result comes out……thanks for the recipe.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      October 3, 2016

      Hi Patrick, that seems really unusual that there would only be 12 sheets in a 1.2 lb box. What brand are you using and what size are the sheets?

      Reply

  • Bharat Ratna
    October 2, 2016

    Will this recipe work with Pistachios instead? (walnut allergy)

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      October 3, 2016

      Yes, that will work with pistachios! 🙂

      Reply

  • Mary
    October 1, 2016

    I am 1/2 Greek and grew up with Baklava, Finikia and other fabulous Greek pastries. When we made Baklava we added zest of a whole orange and also used pecans along with the walnuts in the nut mixture. Just a couple of ideas for different flavors!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      October 2, 2016

      Wow orange zest and pecans mixed in sound wonderful!!

      Reply

  • Alena
    October 1, 2016

    Made this for a fall potluck, everyone loved it!! I doubled the recipe and made two batches at once. I used 1/2 cup instead of 3/4 cup of the nut mix between the layers and didn’t have the issue of the layers coming apart.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      October 1, 2016

      Alena, thank you for the nice review and for sharing your variation 😄.

      Reply

  • Cory
    September 30, 2016

    It was my husband birthday yesterday and I wanted to make him baklava as it’s one of his fav. I’ve never made one before so was a bit nervous but with the clear step by step instructions you gave and helpful comments I thought I’d give it a go! I enjoyed making it and I think, based on comments I did pretty well. A few comments that might help others:
    1. Syrup has to reach till the top so that the first layers won’t separate but just to the very top layer not over because the top will not be crispy.
    2. It’s important to make sure the phyllo sheets fit well into the pan as the extra bits in the ends and corners absorb syrup.
    3. Ground pistachio on top looks nice too!
    Thank you for sharing this recipe!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      September 30, 2016

      HI Cory, I’m so glad you liked it! It also helps to spoon the syrup on so for the pastry to absorb it more readily which helps with the separation issue, but yes you can increase the syrup if you wish but it will result in a sweeter pastry. I do love how ground pistachios look on dessert – that vibrant color is lovely!

      Reply

  • Melissa
    September 22, 2016

    I made this for a Greek-themed dinner, half recipe for 9 people. Everyone loved it and was very impressed! People said it was the best baklava they’d had or was better than the one at the Greek festival they always go to. It was my first time making it too! Thank you for a great recipe and such easy instructions. I will definitely make this again. (Probably very soon, it went so fast I didn’t get to take leftovers home like I hoped! I should’ve made the whole pan!!)

    As a previous poster mentioned, my first layer also separated. But I served them in cupcake papers so picking them up wasn’t an issue for people and no one seemed to care or notice.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      September 23, 2016

      Hi Melissa! I’m so happy you all enjoyed the baklava! 🙂 It does help to spoon the syrup over the baklava so the layers can absorb more of it – I found this helps wit the layers separating issue. Thank you for the wonderful review! 🙂

      Reply

  • Marlene Hickling
    September 7, 2016

    This has too be the best Baklava recipe ever! The flavor is indescribable! I did have a problem with the first row of nuts. The row separates from the next. I used the same amount of nuts on each nut row, so I dont think that is the problem. Any ideas what I did wrong? I would love to make this for our family get togethers but only if I can fix this problem. All your help would be greatly appreciated.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      September 7, 2016

      Hi Marlene! I’m so happy you like it :). You might try chopping the nuts a little more finely to see if that helps. Also, was it still separating after adding the syrup? I’m not sure why else it would happen to just the first row, especially with the same amount of nuts. And you are buttering between each phyllo layer?

      Reply

  • Lee
    August 26, 2016

    Hi Natasha,

    Could one substitute margarine for the butter?
    Thank you!

    Lee

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      August 26, 2016

      Hi Lee, I’ve never seen it done that way before and I haven’t tested that substitution so I really can’t say if it would work.

      Reply

  • Stacie
    August 17, 2016

    Hi Natasha! Made this today, and it’s a hit with my husband and son…keep up the great recipes!!!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      August 17, 2016

      Stacie, thank you for the nice review, I’m glad you liked it 😄.

      Reply

  • Em
    August 16, 2016

    Thank you sooo much for making this so easy! It is one of my boyfriend’s favorite desserts and I was a little hesitant to attempt it as it seemed rather difficult but your clear cut instructions definitely helped out a lot. I cannot wait to try them once they cool 🙂

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      August 16, 2016

      You are very welcome 😀. Let me know how it turns out.

      Reply

  • Peanut
    August 11, 2016

    Well! That recipe worked!!! I did add a couple of cinnamon sticks in the sugar/honey syrup. Absolutely delish!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      August 12, 2016

      Thanks for sharing your tip with the cinnamon! 🙂

      Reply

  • Niha
    August 11, 2016

    Super recipe… u hav explained it very well..
    I taught it ws very diffclt to make.. u made it easy for me.. thank u so much

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      August 11, 2016

      I’m so happy to hear that! 🙂

      Reply

  • Honey
    August 3, 2016

    I just made this today and oh so good! .I will definitely keep this recipe! Thanks Natasha

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      August 3, 2016

      I’m so happy to hear that! 🙂

      Reply

      • Honey
        August 7, 2016

        I’m planning use your recipe again next week because my husband loves it so much! wondering if it’s ok to use chestnuts instead of walnuts as we have a chestnut tree and chestnut’s are starting to be ready to be picked. Hope for your response. Thanks!

        Reply

        • Natasha
          natashaskitchen
          August 7, 2016

          Hi Honey, to be honest, I don’t have much experience with chestnuts since we only see them locally during the holidays and even then they are really pricey so I haven’t done much experimentation with them. I’ve spotted a few recipes online just from a quick google search where chestnuts were used, but without testing it myself, I can’t say for sure how they would compare.

          Reply

  • Lena
    July 30, 2016

    So excited to try this! But do you put butter on each phyllo sheet or in between the 10 layers?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      July 30, 2016

      Lena, yes each phyllo sheet is coated with butter. Let me know how it turns out 😀.

      Reply

  • Anna
    July 14, 2016

    Hey Natasha,
    Have you ever tried making sunflower halva? I’ve been looking for a recipe but all of the ones I’ve come across are tahini based and they aren’t the greatest.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      July 14, 2016

      Hi Anna, I tried once and I broke my kitchenaid mixer trying to push sunflower seeds through the meat grinder. They basically turned into cement in there with all the oil naturally in the sunflower seeds. I haven’t tried since! 🙂 If you come across a method that doesn’t involve a meat grinder, let me know 🙂

      Reply

  • Jordyn
    July 5, 2016

    I made this for my family (we are from Greece), but used homemade filo/phyllo dough. It was amazing! Thank you so much!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      July 5, 2016

      Do you use a special kitchen tool to make homemade filo dough? Pardon my ignorance – I’ve never tried making it from scratch ;). It sounds like it would be difficult to make getting those sheets so thin but I always love a good challenge :).

      Reply

  • Marina
    June 8, 2016

    Hi Natasha can I use pecans instead of walnuts

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      June 8, 2016

      Hi Marina, yes that would work fine 🙂

      Reply

  • Larissa
    May 21, 2016

    Hi Natasha, first of all, i love your blog sooooo much! Thank you for sharing so much goodness with all of us! I have one question: i have a 16 oz phillo dough, but there is only 10 sheets, i have recounted several times, what do i do?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      May 22, 2016

      Are the sheets extra long? If so, you would need to cut them in half.

      Reply

  • JoAnne Merriner
    May 11, 2016

    The step by step directions made it so easy to make and it was so yummy!!!

    Excellent!!!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      May 11, 2016

      That’s awesome! Thank you for that awesome review! 🙂

      Reply

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