Baklava Recipe (Crisp Honey Walnut Baklava)
This baklava recipe is drenched in hot honey which allows the layers of phyllo pastry to stay crisp, unlike the sugar syrup coated version of baklava.
I find this baklava recipe to be immensely more appealing because when made with a simple syrup (sugar and water), the beautifully thin layers of crisp pastry become soggy and wet.
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What is Baklava?
Baklava is a pastry created from layers of phyllo dough, chopped nuts and honey or a sugar syrup. It’s a dessert that comes from Middle Eastern, Greek, and Turkish cuisine, to name a few. It’s also delectable!
When we lived in North Hollywood, my Armenian neighbor used to bring us the sugar syrup topped baklava, and I just didn’t know how to tell her that we didn’t like it. We much preferred the honey walnut baklava recipe that I’d discovered. This recipe for baklava is the best baklava recipe, in my humble opinion.
How to Make this Baklava Recipe
There’s no mixer involved, and unless you try to make your own phyllo dough, it’s really just a layering process. Mix the nuts, cinnamon and sugar, which you sprinkle in between 5 layers of buttered phyllo dough. Then mark the slices with a knife, bake and pour on the hot honey! See, I told you it was an easy recipe for baklava.
I used to make this easy baklava recipe frequently before I had children. After my daughter was born, I continued making baklava until I found out that she was severely allergic to tree nuts. Since she’s now studying at St Andrews, she’s far enough away from home for me to make it again!
You may also enjoy this nut topped coffee cake
It turned out as wonderful as I remember. Just be sure to use good quality, fresh nuts. If you would like, you can mix up the nuts a bit, too. I was 4 ounces short of a pound of walnuts, so I added pecans. If you think working with phyllo dough (filo dough) is a daunting task, it really isn’t. Just trim the dough to the size of the pan and keep it covered with a damp cloth.
Baklava Recipe
slightly adapted from a Good Housekeeping recipe makes 24 pieced
FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW
Ingredients
- walnuts and/or pecans
- sugar
- cinnamon
- phyllo dough (thawed)
- butter
- honey
Special equipment: 9″ x 13″ pan (23 cm x 33 cm) and a pastry brush
Make the Baklava Filling
Stir the nuts, sugar and cinnamon together in a large bowl and set aside.
Start Layering the Pastry
Remove the phyllo dough from the package and unroll on the counter. Trim to 9″ x 13″ (23 cm x 33 cm) and cover with a damp cloth.
Brush the bottom of the pan with melted butter and place a sheet of phyllo dough into the pan. Next, carefully brush melted butter onto the sheet of pastry and top with another sheet. Butter and repeat until you’ve used 5 sheets of phyllo dough.
Assemble the Baklava Recipe
Divide the nuts mixture into 3 equal portions and sprinkle one third over the pastry layers in the pan.
Repeat with butter and pastry sheets again; top with nuts.
Then one last time with 5 more sheets of phyllo pastry and butter.
Using a sharp knife, cut halfway through the layers (lengthwise into 3, and crosswise into 4). Next cut each piece in half, diagonally to end up with 24 pieces total.
Bake the Baklava
Bake in 300°F oven for about 1 1/2 hours or until top is golden brown. Remove from oven.
Heat honey until hot, then spoon over the baklava as soon as it comes out of the oven.
Allow to cool in tray on cooling rack. Keep at room temperature, covered with aluminum foil.
To serve, cut all the way through the layers to remove the pieces from the pan. Finally, you can eat a piece! Take a sweet bite of the crispy decadence and you’ll agree; this is the best baklava recipe, ever!
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Baklava Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 c walnuts finely chopped (and/or pecans)
- ⅓ c sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 lb phyllo dough (thawed)
- 7 oz butter (1 3/4 sticks) melted
- 12 oz honey
Instructions
- Special equipment: 9" x 13" pan (23 cm x 33 cm) and a pastry brush Oven temp: 300°F (150°C)
- Stir the nuts, sugar and cinnamon together in a large bowl and set aside.
- Remove the phyllo dough from the package and unroll on the counter. Trim to 9" x 13" (23 cm x 33 cm) and cover with a damp cloth.
- Brush the bottom of the pan with melted butter and place a sheet of phyllo dough into the pan. Carefully brush melted butter onto the sheet of pastry and top with another sheet. Butter and repeat until you've used 5 sheets of phyllo dough.
- Divide the nuts mixture into 3 equal portions and sprinkle one third over the pastry layers in the pan.
- Repeat the pastry and buttering process with 5 more sheets of phyllo dough, and top with another third of the nuts.
- Repeat with butter and pastry sheets again; top with nuts, then one last time with 5 more sheets of pastry and butter.
- Using a sharp knife, cut halfway through the layers (lengthwise into 3, and crosswise into 4). Next cut each piece in half, diagonally to end up with 24 pieces total.
- Bake in 300°F (150°C) oven for about 1 1/2 hours or until top is golden brown. Remove from oven.
- Heat honey until hot, then spoon over hot baklava as soon as it comes out of the oven. Allow to cool in tray on cooling rack. Keep at room temperature, covered with aluminum foil.
- To serve, cut all the way through the layers to remove the pieces from the pan.
Notes
- Use quality ingredients for the best results.
Nutrition
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My mother loved baklava as much as I do. Thank you for this recipe!
Absolutely the hit of the entire party, came out perfect. Don’t hesitate to try this recipe, it works every time!
Happy to hear it, Lydia! THank you!
Christina is absolutely right. It would *not* be the same at all and you might end up wasting 4 cups worth of chopped nuts which can be a little expensive.
How far in advance can this be made?
Hi Shirley, goodness baklava can be made up to a week or more in advance! It lasts for ages due to the honey! :)
Can you substitute puff pastry sheets for phyllo?
I’m sure you could, but it wouldn’t turn out the same. It would end up being like 5″ tall. Too much pastry, not enough filling, too. Really need phyllo for baklava, Wendy.