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Traditional Baklava Recipe

Olivia Carter
Crispy phyllo stacked with spiced nuts, baked till golden, drowned in honey syrup—pure crunch magic.
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1 hour
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 45 minutes
chill Time 4 hours
Total Time 5 hours 45 minutes
COST $15-25 bucks
Course Dessert
Cuisine Turkish
Keyword baklava recipe
Servings 36 pieces
Calories 170 kcal

Equipment

  • 9x13 baking pan
  • Food Processor for nuts
  • Pastry brush
  • Sharp knife for slicing pretty patterns
  • saucepan for that killer syrup
  • oven

Ingredients
  

Nutty Filling

  • 4 cups nuts like walnuts, pistachios, almonds
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • ¼ cup sugar

Phyllo Party

  • 16 oz phyllo dough
  • 1½ cups melted butter or ghee

Syrup Soak

  • 1 cup sugar
  • ¾ cup water
  • ½ cup honey
  • 2 Tbsp lemon juice

Instructions
 

  • Crank oven to 350°F. Pulse nuts with cinnamon and sugar till crumbly.
  • Combine Nuts, Sugar, and Spices.
    Finely chopped nuts mixed with cinnamon and sugar for baklava filling before layering. This step ensures even flavor and texture.
  • Unroll phyllo (keep it damp-toweled so it doesn't dry out). Butter the pan, layer 8-10 sheets, buttering each like a pro.
    Phyllo dough sheets layered in a baking pan with butter brushed between each layer for crispy baklava.
  • Drop a thin nut layer; repeat with 5 phyllo sheets, more nuts, till you're out, top with phyllo stack.
    Even layer of chopped nuts spread over buttered phyllo dough during baklava assembly.
  • Slice into diamonds or squares (pretty and practical). Bake 45 mins till it's golden and smelling insane.
    Baklava cut into diamond shapes before baking to allow clean portions and proper syrup absorption.
  • While it bakes, simmer the syrup stuff for 20 mins; let it cool a bit. Drench hot baklava with it right away—sizzle city!
    Baklava baking in the oven until the phyllo layers turn golden and crisp.
  • Add Syrup While the Baklava Is Hot.
    Syrup being poured over hot baklava to soak into layers without making them soggy.
  • Let it sitat room temp 4+ hours (overnight's best—trust the process).

Notes

  • Thaw phyllo overnight in the fridge—rush it, and it'll tear like my diet plans.
  • Ghee or clarified butter for extra crisp; room-temp syrup on a hot pan keeps it from getting soggy.
  • Lasts 1-2 weeks airtight on the counter; freezes like a champ for 3 months.
  • Mix it up: cloves in nuts, orange water in syrup for that Turkish twist.
 

NUTRITION (Per Piece, ~36 servings)

 
  • Calories 170 kcal
  • Total Fat 9-15g 
  • Carbs 10-21g 
  • Protein 2-3.5g
  • Fiber 1g
  • Sodium 32-97mg