Easy Middle Eastern Baklava Recipe (2024)

This easy homemade Baklava recipe will satisfy your sweet tooth cravings. It’s layered with a delicious nutty filling and crunchy filo dough, then topped with a citrus and spice infused syrup. It’s the perfect snack or dessert for any occasion.

This stuff is amazing. Really.

It’s a little time consuming if you don’t have afood processor. Which I didn’t when I first started making it.

But oh, so worth it.

And today I just happened to be home all alone so I decided to go play in the kitchen.

I love being home all alone.

I can crank up my music as loud as I want and don’t have to see anyone stomp into the kitchen, roll their eyes at me and say, “Mo-ther! Turn your music down! You’re not the only one who lives here ya know!”

Not that that has anything to do with Greece. Or Baklava. It just makes me giggle.

But back to the Baklava.

The history of this amazingly crispy, gooey, and sweetdessertis a little unclear.

Both Greece and Turkey claim to be the traditional place of origin and there are centuries old recipes from both cultures, but the ancient Romans also had similar recipes.

Differentmiddle easternregions used different types ofnutsdepending on what was available locally.Pistachios,walnuts, andhazelnutsfigured heavily in the most traditional recipes.

But the one thing they all have in common is that they all use incredibly thinlayers of phyllo doughin betweenlayersof filling.

I looked at many different recipes and combined several to make this. It uses several different spices, but no worries if you don’t have them all.

Some of the recipes I looked at only called forcinnamon. So just use what you have on hand.

So, without further ado, I give you, Homemade Baklava!!

Baklava Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 pound ofnuts(I usedwalnuts,hazelnuts, and pecans because that’s what I happened to have in my freezer. You can use any kind as long as they are raw and unsalted.)
• 1 tsp groundcinnamon
• 1/2 tsp each of the following spices:
  • ground nutmeg
  • ground cloves
  • mace
  • ground cardamom
  • allspice
• 1 16oz packagephyllo pastrydough atroom temperature
• 1 cupmelted butter

Start by preheating yourovento 350° F.

Then, generously butter a 9 x 13 inchbaking dish. You can use glass or stoneware or even metal. Doesn’t matter.

Now for the most labor intensive part. Chop thenutsvery fine. You can do this by hand orpulsethem in afood processor.

I usually do it by hand because I don’t like the noise that myfood processormakes.

If you are using afood processor, keep an eye on it because you don’t want to makenutbutter.

Or, maybe you do.

Just not right now.

After all thenutsare chopped, put them into a smallbowland mix the ground spices into them.

Ok, now comes the tricky bit.

Unroll thephyllo doughand place it on a cookie sheet (or your counter top if it’s clean enough).

Mine measured 9 x 14 so I had to cut an inch off of one end so it would fit mybaking dish.

Now, cover the phyllo with plastic wrap and then with adamp towel.

Some people say to just cover it with the damp cloth, but that made my phyllo kinda soggy and it stuck together.

So now I cover it with the plastic wrap first.

Layeringthe Baklava

To start thelayeringprocess, place 4 to 6sheets of phylloin the bottom of yourbaking dish.Brusheach one generously withmelted butter.

Sprinkle5 to 6 tablespoons of thenut mixtureevenly over the phyllo buttered.

You can put more than that if you want, just keep in mind that too much in any onelayerwill make the Baklava not stick together as well.

Now, add 2 moresheets of phyllo doughandbrushwith butter.

Continue tolayerthenutsandphyllo sheets,brushingthe sheets with butter as you go, until you have used all of thenut mixture.

For thetop layerof phyllo, use 6 to 8 sheets, buttering each one.

Now, using a verysharp knife, cut the Baklava all the way through, into 4 or more long rows.

Then cut diagonally to makediamondshapes.

Confession time. I didn’t cut mine in small enough pieces before I baked it. I should have cut once more vertically.

So, after it cooled, I cut the pieces smaller.

After you’ve got yourdiamondscut, pop it in theovenandbakethe Baklava for 40 to 50 minutes or until it’s agolden brown.

While theovenis doing its thing, it’s time to make the syrup topourover the all that golden loveliness.

Syrup for Baklava

Ingredients

• 1 cup packed sucanat or brown sugar (you can get sucanathere)
• 1cup water
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 tsphomemade vanilla extract
• 1 tsplemon juice
• peel from 1 orange, washed, cut in strips, and pith removed
• 2cinnamonsticks
• 6 whole cloves

To make the syrup, combine the sucanat and the water in a smallsaucepanand bring it to aboil.

After that comes to aboil, add the honey,cinnamonsticks, cloves and theorange peel.

Again, if you don’t have all of these things, it’s OK. Just use what you have.

Let that come back to a fullboil, then reduce the heat andsimmerfor 20 minutes.

After the simmering, the syrup will be reduced and nicely thick.

Remove and discard the cloves andcinnamonsticks.

Theorange peelis now “candied”orange peeland can be used in other recipes. Or, you can put it in the dehydrator and then eat it like candy.

Add thelemon juiceand the vanilla and mix well.

Remove thehoney syrupfrom the heat and allow to cool slightly.

After removing the Baklava from theoven, immediately spoon the syrup over the top.

As a bonus it makes a really cool noise while you do it.

Let the Baklava cool completely before serving.

I like to put it in cupcake papers to serve it.

That makes it easier to handle and looks pretty.

Here’s a close up.

This is wonderful served as adessert, or for a mid afternoon snack.

Or you can take it to a party and really impress your friends!

For best results, store your Baklava uncovered. That way it stays crispy.

Enjoy!

More delicious dessert recipes you’ll love:

Baklava

Baklava is a classic Greek and Middle Eastern dessert recipe made with layers of buttery phyllo, chopped nuts, and a spiced honey syrup.

4.67 from 3 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine Greek

Servings 32 pieces

Calories 222 kcal

Ingredients

Baklava

• 1 lb raw, unsalted nuts
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp ground mace
• 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
• 1/2 tsp ground allspice
• 1 pkg phyllo dough
• 1 cup butter melted

Syrup

• 1 cup brown sugar packed
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 tsp homemade vanilla extract
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 6 whole cloves
• peel from 1 orange washed, cut in strips, and pith removed

Instructions

Baklava

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

• Butter a 9×13 inch baking dish.

• Chop the nuts very fine. You can do this by hand or in a food processor.

• After the nuts are fine, mix the ground spices into them.

• Ok, now comes the tricky bit. Unroll the phyllo and place it on a cookie sheet (or your counter top if it’s clean enough). Mine measured 9×14 so I had to cut an inch off of one end so it would fit my baking dish. Now, cover the phyllo with plastic wrap and then with a damp cloth.

• Place 4 to 6 sheets of phyllo in the bottom of your baking dish. Brush generously with the melted butter.

• Sprinkle 5 to 6 tablespoons of the nut mixture evenly over the phyllo.

• Add 2 more sheets of phyllo dough and brush with butter.

• Continue to layer the nuts and phyllo sheets, brushing the sheets with butter as you go, until you have used all of the nut mixture.

• For the top layer of phyllo, use 6 to 8 sheets, buttering each one.

• Now, using a very sharp knife, cut the Baklava all the way through, into 4 long rows. Then cut diagonally to make diamond shapes.

• Place in the preheated oven ad bake for 40-50 minutes, until golden brown.

Syrup

• Combine the brown sugar and the water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.

• Add the honey, cinnamon sticks, cloves and orange peel and return to a boil.

• Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

• Remove and discard the cloves and cinnamon sticks. The orange peel is now “candied” orange peel and can be used in other recipes.

• Add the lemon juice and the vanilla and mix well.

• Remove the syrup from the heat and allow to cool slightly.

• After removing the Baklava from the oven, immediately spoon the syrup over the top.

• Allow the Baklava to cool completely before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 222kcalCarbohydrates: 23gProtein: 4gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 124mgPotassium: 113mgFiber: 2gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 181IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 24mgIron: 1mg

Keyword Baklava, Greek

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