This easy baklava recipe has been in my family for generations! Traditional Baklava is prepared with flaky sheets of phyllo dough layered with walnuts and topped with a sweet, lemony simple syrup. It’s so good!
Simply the Best Baklava Recipe
Name a better dessert than baklava. I’ll wait….
I’ve yet to meet anyone who doesn’t LOVE a flaky, gooey, sweet baklava. The flavors and texture are just so dang delicious! I love the contrast between the phyllo sheets and syrup coated walnuts. This recipe in particular has been in my family for years and years. Growing up in Macedonia, anytime there was a family gathering you better believe this dessert was on the table!
Baklava is made of 40 sheets of phyllo dough. Yes, 40! Those sheets of flaky, airy and crisp dough are layered with syrup and nuts. I know that sounds like a lot of effort, but it’s actually simple to put all the layers together. The end result is totally worth it!
What is Baklava?
Baklava is a phyllo layered sweet treat packed with a mixture of nuts, sugar and spices. Think of it as the lasagna of desserts! Those layers are then smothered in a honey syrup or simple syrup.
What Country is it From?
If you ask me – which I’ll assume you will since you’re here – baklava originated in Macedonia. 🇲🇰 😉 But, ask anyone from the Balkan region or the Middle East and they will all lay claim to this crispy, sweet dessert. I mean, have you tried it? If you have, you’ll understand exactly why everyone wants credit for it. 😊
However, each culture has their own variation or special tricks to their baklava. The two constants in all baklava recipes are phyllo dough and a sweet syrup. Everything else is up for debate! What we have here is my family’s traditional Macedonian baklava recipe.
Recipe Ingredients
For Baklava, you’ll be layering phyllo dough with a sweet nut mixture and then pouring a simple syrup over top. Here’s what you’ll need:
For the Simple Syrup
- Water
- Sugar – White granulated sugar
- Lemon juice – Use fresh lemon juice, not bottled.
For the Baklava
- Walnuts – You could also use pistachios or macadamia nuts.
- Granulated sugar
- Lemon zest
- Ground cinnamon
- Butter – Use unsalted butter.
- Phyllo dough – Though both phyllo dough and puff pastry are known for their flaky texture, phyllo dough is different from puff pastry. Phyllo dough has a much lower fat content than the very buttery puff pastry. Because of this, phyllo dough can dry out easily and is usually brushed with melted butter or oil.
Can I Use a Different Kind of Nuts?
Yes! Some of my other favorite nuts to mix in with the walnuts (or without walnuts) are pistachios and macadamia nuts. And, I’m a big fan of mixing coconut into my filling, too.
How to Make Baklava
- Make the syrup. Combine the water, sugar, and lemon juice in a saucepan. Set the saucepan over medium-high heat and bring the mixture to a simmer. Simmer, occasionally stirring, until the sugar has completely dissolved. Continue to simmer for 5 more minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Set the saucepan aside and let the syrup cool down completely.
- Prep your tools. Preheat the oven to 325˚F and brush the bottom of a 9×13 baking pan with some of the melted butter.
- Make the nut filling. In a large bowl, combine the chopped walnuts, sugar, lemon zest, and cinnamon and set it aside.
- Assemble the baklava. Unroll the phyllo sheets. As you work with the phyllo sheets, keep the stack covered with a damp paper towel so they don’t dry out while you’re working. You can also use plastic wrap to cover the stack.
- Arrange 10 layers of phyllo sheets into the prepared baking pan, one sheet at a time, brushing EACH SHEET with butter before adding the next. That is, layer 1 sheet, brush with butter, then layer the next, brush with butter, and so on…
- Sprinkle about ¾ cups of the walnut mixture over the phyllo.
- Continue to layer 5 more phyllo sheets, brushing each sheet with butter before adding the next.
- Sprinkle with a layer of ¾ cup walnut mixture. Repeat this 4 times.
- Finish the baklava with a layer of 10 phyllo sheets and brush the top with more butter.
- Cut the baklava. Using a sharp knife, cut the baklava into diamond or square shapes all the way to the bottom of the pan. You can cut it into 4 long rows, and then cut diagonally to make diamond shapes, or straight across to make square shapes.
- Bake. Bake for 55 minutes to 1 hour, or until the top of the Baklava is golden. Remove the baklava from the oven and pour the cooled syrup evenly over the Baklava.
- Cool and serve. Let the baklava cool completely in a dry and cool place. For best results, let baklava sit overnight before serving.
What is the Order of the Layers?
That’s a lot of layers to keep track of, right? Here’s a quick reference you can use as a guide while assembling your baklava layers:
- 10 phyllo sheets with butter, then 3/4 cup of the nut mixture
- 5 phyllo sheets with butter, then 3/4 cup of the nut mixture
- 5 phyllo sheets with butter, then 3/4 cup of the nut mixture
- 5 phyllo sheets with butter, then 3/4 cup of the nut mixture
- 5 phyllo sheets with butter, then 3/4 cup of the nut mixture
- 10 phyllo sheets with butter, then 3/4 cup of the nut mixture
Pro Tips for Successful Baklava
Baklava is good no matter how you shake it. Seriously, it’s hard to mess up. I’ve tried many baklava recipes in my day, you can trust me on this one. These tips will make this the best baklava you’ve had, yet!
- Do not thaw your phyllo dough on the counter top. Instead, allow it to thaw in the fridge overnight. This will make it easier to work with.
- Don’t let the phyllo dry out. When you’re working with the phyllo dough sheets, keep your stack covered with a damp paper towel or tea towel so they don’t dry out while you’re working.
- Be generous with the butter! Make sure you brush EACH SHEET of phyllo dough with butter. This is not the place to skimp.
- Let your baklava sit overnight at room temperature. This allows the syrup to soak into and soften the layers.
How to Store
- Keep baklava in an airtight container at room temperature. It will stay fresh and delicious for about 10 to 14 days.
Can I Freeze Baklava?
- You can assemble it ahead of time – don’t bake it – and keep it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Just cover it in plastic wrap and aluminum foil. When ready, place it on the kitchen counter to thaw and then bake as directed.
More Desserts to Try
ENJOY!
Easy Baklava Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 4 cups walnuts, finely chopped
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 16 ounces phyllo dough (about 40 pieces), thawed according to directions on the package
Instructions
- Combine water, sugar, and lemon juice in a saucepan. Set the saucepan over medium-high heat and bring the mixture to a simmer; simmer, occasionally stirring, until the sugar has completely dissolved. Continue to simmer for 5 more minutes. Remove from heat; set aside and let cool down completely.
- Preheat oven to 325˚F.
- In a large bowl combine chopped walnuts, sugar, lemon zest, and cinnamon. Set aside.
- Brush the bottom of a 9×13 baking pan with melted butter. Unroll the phyllo sheets; as you work with them, keep the stack covered with a damp paper towel so they don’t dry out while you’re working. You can also use plastic wrap to cover the stack.
- Arrange 10 layers of phyllo sheets into the prepared baking pan, one sheet at a time, brushing each sheet with butter before adding the next. So, layer 1 sheet, brush with butter, then layer the next, brush with butter, and so on.
- After buttering the tenth phyllo sheet, sprinkle about ¾ cup of the walnut mixture over the phyllo. Continue to layer 5 more phyllo sheets, brushing each sheet with butter before adding the next. Then, sprinkle with a layer of ¾ cup walnut mixture. Repeat this 4 more times. Finish the baklava with a layer of 10 phyllo sheets and brush the top with more butter.
- Cut the baklava into diamond or square shapes; cut through the baklava and down to the bottom of the pan using a sharp knife. You can cut it vertically into 4 long rows and then cut diagonally to make diamond shapes or cut straight across to make square shapes.
- Bake for 55 minutes to 1 hour or until the top of the Baklava is golden and crisp. Remove from the oven and pour the cooled syrup evenly over the entire Baklava.
- Let the Baklava cool completely in a dry and cool place. For best results, let Baklava sit overnight.
Notes
- 10 phyllo sheets with butter, then 3/4 cup of the nut mixture
- 5 phyllo sheets with butter, then 3/4 cup of the nut mixture
- 5 phyllo sheets with butter, then 3/4 cup of the nut mixture
- 5 phyllo sheets with butter, then 3/4 cup of the nut mixture
- 5 phyllo sheets with butter, then 3/4 cup of the nut mixture
- 10 phyllo sheets with butter, then 3/4 cup of the nut mixture
- Do not thaw your phyllo dough on the countertop. Instead, allow it to thaw in the fridge overnight. This will make it easier to work with.
- Don’t let the phyllo dry out. When working with the phyllo dough sheets, keep your stack covered with a damp paper towel or tea towel so they don’t dry out while you’re working.
- Be generous with the butter! Make sure you brush each sheet of phyllo dough with butter. This is not the place to skimp.
- If your phyllo sheets are too large for the pan you are using, use a sharp knife to cut them so they will fit in your pan.
- Let your baklava sit overnight at room temperature. This allows the syrup to soak into and soften the layers.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
