Easy Baklava Recipe
This Easy Baklava Recipe brings the flavors of a European delight to your holiday table. This classic dessert features flaky phyllo dough stuffed with a sweet mixture of ground walnuts and citrus honey syrup, then it’s all baked to golden perfection.
While we usually opt for classic American holiday treats like decorative cookies or cakes, we do love to expand our tastes from time to time, and that’s why we love this easy baklava recipe. It’s a delicious taste of Europe for the holidays that feels so fancy but is so easy to make!
Table of contents
❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It uses just a few simple ingredients.
- It looks fancy, but it’s so easy to make.
- It brings a rustic, European holiday feel to your dessert table.
- The earthy walnuts and sweet syrup are a wonderful combination.
🛒Ingredients
You’ll only need a few simple ingredients to make this recipe, and you might just have most if not all of them in your kitchen right now. Anything you don’t have is just one quick trip to the grocery store away.
Everything you need to make this delicious dessert is listed here, but you can find the exact amounts in the recipe card at the end of the post.
- Phyllo dough
- Butter – melted
For the Filling
- Walnuts – finely chopped
- Sugar
- Cinnamon
- Ground cloves
For the Syrup
- Sugar
- Water
- Honey
- Grated orange zest
🔪 How to Make This Easy Baklava Recipe
This might look involved when you see it on the plate, but it’s actually deceptively easy to make! This is one of those desserts that impresses everyone without you having to do much of anything. That’s always a plus!
Step 1: Make the Filling
Combine the walnuts sugar, cinnamon, and cloves in a food processor and process until finely chopped. Set aside.
Step 2: Layer the Baklava
Brush a baking dish with melted butter. Then, place 1 sheet of phyllo dough in the dish and brush it with more melted butter. Repeat until you have 7 layers of buttered phyllo dough. Then, add a layer of the walnut mixture.
Repeat the process until all the ingredients are used up, finished with a final layer of 5 buttered phyllo dough sheets.
Step 3: Bake
Cut the baklava into diamonds or squares with a sharp knife and bake at 350 for about 45 minutes or until golden brown.
Step 4: Make the Syrup
While the baklava bakes, combine the sugar, water, honey, and orange zest in a pan. Bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until thickened.
Step 5: Soak up the Syrup
Remove the baklava from the oven and pour the syrup evenly over it while still hot. Then, let the baklava cool and soak up the syrup for a few hours. Enjoy!
📝Variations
Do you want to change up this recipe and make it your own? Here are some ways that you can do that!
- Walnuts – You can use pecans or almonds for this recipe.
- Nutmeg – Nutmeg adds a wonderful flavor to the baklava.
If you’re looking for another delicious, unexpected holiday treat, then try our chocolate-covered honeycomb candy.
🥄 Equipment
- food processor
- 9×13 baking dish
- saucepan
- sharp knife
🥫 Storage
Store this baklava in an air-tight container for up to 2 weeks at room temperature or in the refrigerator. Storing at room temperature preserves its crispness while refrigerating it gives it a chewier texture that many people enjoy.
For longer storage, tightly wrap individual pieces in plastic wrap, then freeze for up to 3 months in an air-tight, freezer-safe container.
What to Serve with Baklava
Children can enjoy baklava with a nice glass of milk, while adults will love it with a cup of coffee or tea. It can also be served with citrus-based cocktails or orange-based drinks. Baklava is also lovely served with fresh fruit or even ice cream.
💭 Tips
- A food processor is the best way to get a fine, uniform filling for your baklava.
- Let our phyllo dough sit for about an hour at room temperature before using it.
- Keep your phyllo dough covered while working with it so it doesn’t dry out.
- Give your baklava plenty of time to soak up all the syrup for a truly delicious treat.
⁉️ FAQ
Do you have questions about this recipe? Here are the answers to the most commonly asked questions.
Baklava is a layered pastry dessert made with layers of phyllo pastry and a sweet filling of chopped nuts. It’s then soaked in syrup or honey.
Baklava originated in areas of Turkey, Greece, and the Middle East and was then brought to Hungary by Turkish invaders in the 16th century.
Baklava should be crisp. It’s baked until the dough is golden brown and flaky. If your baklava is soggy, it wasn’t baked long enough.
🍽 More Recipes
For more delicious holiday treats, try these recipes:
🧾Recipe Card
Want to make this recipe? Print the recipe card below, or pin this recipe, so you can find it later.
Easy Baklava
Equipment
- Food processor
- 9×13 baking dish
- Saucepan
- sharp knife
Ingredients
- 16 ounces Phyllo Dough Sheets
Filling
- 1 ½ pounds walnuts finely chopped
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
Syrup
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup honey
- 1 tablespoon grated orange zest
- 1 cup butter melted (for brushing phyllo sheets)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a food processor, combine the walnuts, sugar, cinnamon and clove and process until finely chopped. Set aside.
- Unroll phyllo dough and cut dough stack to fit into your pan (if needed)
Assembly:
- Brush a baking dish with melted butter.
- Place one sheet of phyllo dough in the dish and brush with more melted butter. Repeat this layering 7 times.
- Sprinkle the walnut filling over the phyllo layers, enough to lightly cover the sheets. Following this pattern: 7 layers of phyllo sheets layered with butter, then 1 layer of walnut sugar mix, then 7 more layers of phyllo sheets with butter, 1 layer of walnut sugar mix, and so on until all ingredients are used up.
- Finish with a final layer of 5 phyllo dough sheets on top. Butter the top layer.
- With a sharp knife, cut the Baklava into diamond or square patterns.
- Bake for about 45 minutes or until golden brown.
Syrup:
- While the baklava is baking, make the syrup. Combine sugar, water, honey, and orange zest into a pan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until it thickens.
- Once the baklava is out of the oven and still hot, pour the cooled syrup over it, ensuring it’s distributed evenly.
- Allow the baklava to cool and soak up the syrup for several hours before serving.
