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baklava-simplywanderfull

Homemade Baklava Recipe

simplywanderfull
Discover the ultimate baklava recipe! Crispy phyllo, rich honey syrup, and layers of chopped nuts create a decadent Mediterranean dessert that's easier to make than you think.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Course Dessert

Ingredients
  

Syrup Ingredients:

  • 1-1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup honey
  • 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
  • 1 inch piece of an orange peel

Nuts & Spices Ingredients:

  • 1 cup pistachios
  • 1 cup walnuts halves and pieces
  • 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
  • 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp. salt

For The Phyllo And Butter:

  • 3 sticks unsalted butter melted
  • 1 pkg. phyllo dough #2 thickness

Instructions
 

How To Prepare The Syrup

  • Combine the sugar, honey, water, lemon juice, and orange peel in a saucepan.
  • Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes.
  • Remove from the heat and let cool. Discard the orange peel.

How To Prepare The Nuts

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • In a small food processor, pulse the pistachios and walnuts into a fine grind.
  • In a bowl, mix together the pistachios, walnuts, graham cracker crumbs, cinnamon, and kosher salt.

Assembling The Baklava

  • Thaw the phyllo dough according to package instructions.
  • Layer the phyllo dough in a 9x13 inch baking dish, brushing each layer with melted butter.
  • Start out by place 8 sheets, each brushed with butter. This is your base layer.
  • Next, spread half of the nut mixture evenly over the base layer of phyllo.
  • Add 4 sheets of phyllo on top of the nut mixture being sure to brush each layer with butter.
  • Spread the rest of the nut mixture over this layer of phyllo.
  • Add the rest of the sheets of phyllo on top of this layer being sure to butter each layer in between.
  • Now its time to cut the baklava into diamond shape pieces (see video below for an example), cutting all the way through to the bottom of the dish.
  • Bake the baklava in the preheated oven for about 45-50 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the phyllo is crispy.
  • Remove the baklava fro the oven and let it cool for about 10 minutes.
  • Drizzle the cooled syrup evenly over the warm baklava.
  • Let the baklava cool for approximately 6 hours before serving to allow the syrup to marinate.