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
- 454 g (4 cups) finely chopped walnuts and/or pecans (or your choice of tree nuts)
- 70 g (1/3 cup) sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 1lb (454 g) package of phyllo dough (thawed)
- 200 g (1 3/4 sticks butter), melted
- 340 g jar of 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
- 454 g 4 cups finely chopped walnuts and/or pecans (or your choice of tree nuts)
- 70 g 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 1 lb 454 g package of phyllo dough (thawed)
- 200 g 1 3/4 sticks butter, melted
- 340 g jar of honey
Instructions
- 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.
This is the most amazing baklava recipe. Every time I make it, I get rave reviews. I am having a baklava making party with my neighbors next week, they all want to try and make it themselves!!
OMG, that’s fantastic, Ann! Good for you, I’m delighted to hear this! It’s not my recipe, but I love to share the ones that work for me (and give credit to where I find them)! So it makes me happy to hear this! :) Let me know how it goes, and send a picture!!
Myself and the beautiful Yen have been having a bit of a Greek month and having made a fantastic Spanakopita recently we decided to make a Greek Olive pie and your amazing Baklava today. We didn’t have any walnuts so used pecan, almonds and sesame seeds, we followed your recipe and it was amazing. We will be sharing a little with friends and family (not too much though) Thank you so very much for sharing this absolute delight.
Oh Roy, that’s wonderful to hear! Thank you so much for letting me know and I hope you find other recipes to enjoy! Incidentally, we just had my Greek gyros for lunch!
hhhh Baklava! Makes me think of my grandmother. This recipe is a little different than hers. Can’t wait to try it!
Should I use salted or unsalted butter?
I used salted, but if you use unsalted, just add a pinch of salt to the sugar. :)
Kudos! This is an Amazing baklava recipe! just the right way. I like more cinnamon in mine, so I think the amount of cinnamon can be increased if you have a similar taste.
Yay! Thank you!
Thanks For Sharing this Amazing Recipe. My Family Loved It. I will be sharing this Recipe with my Friends. Hope They will like it.