Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

This Baklava is a classic baklava recipe with chopped walnuts, 40 sheets of layered Phyllo dough, olive oil (or butter) sugar, ground cinnamon and cloves, lemon zest, all infused with honey, sugar, lemon syrup. Makes 30-40 pieces.

Baklava

Hi Everyone, Baklava is a favorite recipe in my family.

My mom first introduced me to it as it is one of her favorite desserts.

So of course, I had to learn how to make it myself!

This Baklava recipe is a classic, basic Baklava recipe that uses store-bought Phyllo dough for ease of preparation.

I call for using olive oil instead of butter because it's more traditional and since it's a rich dessert, I feel that it doesn't need it.

It's so easy to customize with your favorite chopped or mixed nuts.

You can also substitute Rosewater for water when making the sugar syrup.

You could add cardamom pods (1-2) when making the honey-sugar syrup to make it have a more floral scent and complex flavor.

What is Baklava?

According to Wikipedia:

Baklava is a rich, sweet dessert pastry made of layers of filo filled with chopped nuts and sweetened and held together with syrup or honey. It is characteristic of the cuisines of the Levant and the broader Middle East, along with Greece, the South Caucasus, Balkans, Maghreb, and Central Asia.

Ingredients

Baklava

• 1 ½ pounds walnuts, chopped (you can substitute your favorite nuts or mixture of nuts) *see notes
• ½ cup granulated white sugar
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ⅛ ground cloves
• zest of 1 fresh lemon
• 40 sheets Phyllo Dough (9"x14" thawed, store-bought) **see notes
• 1 cup regular olive oil (what I use) or the same amount melted unsalted butter (You can also use cooking spray)

Honey-Sugar Syrup

• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup Wildflower honey
• 2 cups water or the same amount Rosewater
• 1 lemon peel

Kitchen Tools

Here are some helpful kitchen tools for making this Baklava recipe (I linked to all the tools in the recipe card):

• 9x13 inch pan (oven-safe) *I use glass
• pastry brush
• mixing bowls
• food processor
• baking spatula
• measuring spoons and cups
• medium saucepan, for making syrup

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If you try this Baklava recipe and like it please give it a recipe rating in the recipe card below and let us know in the comments at the end of the post, thank you for reading and following along!

This post was originally posted 3/2/2020 and updated and republished on 9/1/2021

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Baklava

Yield: 30 pieces

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

This Baklava is a classic baklava recipe with chopped walnuts, 40 sheets of layered Phyllo dough, olive oil (or butter) sugar, ground cinnamon and cloves, lemon zest, all infused with a honey, sugar, lemon syrup. Makes 30-40 pieces.

Print

Ingredients

Baklava

• 1 ½ pounds walnuts, chopped (you can substitute your favorite nuts or mixture of nuts) *see notes
• ½ cup granulated white sugar
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ⅛ ground cloves
• zest of 1 fresh lemon
• 40 sheets Phyllo Dough (9"x14" thawed, store bought) **see notes
• 1 cup regular olive oil (what I use) or the same amount melted unsalted butter (You can also use cooking spray)

Honey-Sugar Syrup

• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup Wildflower honey
• 2 cups water or the same amount Rosewater
• 1 lemon peel

Instructions

To Make Baklava

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine walnuts (or other nuts), ½ cup granulated white sugar, cinnamon, cloves and lemon zest. Mix evenly.
3. Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan with regular olive oil, layer 20 sheets of Phyllo dough, using a pastry brush to brush each layer with olive oil.
4. Add ½ the walnut mixture, spread evenly.
5. Layer 5 more sheets of Phyllo dough and brush olive oil on each sheet.
6. Add the remaining walnut mixture and spread evenly.
7. Add the remaining 15 sheets of Phyllo dough, brush evenly with olive oil between each sheet.
8. Using a sharp knife, cut through the Phyllo dough in a diamond or square pattern, making 1 ½ inch 30-40 pieces. (see photos in post)
9. Bake in your preheated oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour (for me, it's usually done at 45 minutes). While it's baking you can make the honey-sugar syrup.

Baklava Honey Sugar Syrup

1. In a medium saucepan, add all the ingredients and whisk together, bring to a boil, simmer for 10 minutes. Remove lemon peel when done.
2. When the Baklava is done, pour the honey sugar-syrup evenly over the cooked Baklava. Allow the Baklava to cool completely to absorb the syrup. The syrup will thicken as it cools.
3. Serve the Baklava warm, cold or reheated. Enjoy!
   

Notes

• Makes 30-40 pieces
• You can serve Baklava cold, warm or reheated
• *You can use your favorite nuts, I have used cashews, pistachios, almonds, hazelnuts; I suggest using the pulse setting of your food processor
• **I have used "Athen's Phyllo Dough (9x14"), found in the frozen section of your grocery freezer section with success
• You could add cardamom pods (1-2) when making the honey-sugar syrup to make it have a more floral scent and complex flavor.

Recommended Products

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  Wilton Easy Flex Silicone Spatula Set, Your Go-To Tools for Mixing, Folding, Scraping, Cooking and Serving., Blue, 3-Piece
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  Pyrex Grab Glass Bakeware and Food Storage Set, 8-Piece, Clear
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  Pyrex Smart Essentials 8-Piece Mixing Bowl Set
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  Homestia Gold Measuring Cups and Spoons Set Stainless Steel 8 PIECE for Dry and Liquid Ingredients Engraved Measurement Heavy Duty Baking & Cooking Utensils

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 40 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 277Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 163mgCarbohydrates: 37gFiber: 2gSugar: 20gProtein: 5g

Please note that the Calculated Nutrition is an estimate at best.

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Sara Maniez

Owner at Life's Little Sweets

Sara is an architectural designer turned work-at-home Mom. She lives in New Jersey by way of New England and New York, with her husband and 3 kids under 8. She loves design, being creative, and spending time with family and friends. She loves checking out local businesses and eats and being apart of the local farm to table community.

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