Layers upon layers of crispy, flaky buttery pastry with crushed nuts soaked in a honey lemon syrup. The iconic Baklava is my all time favourite pastry that I can’t get enough of.
You’ll love how homemade Baklava is not overly sweet and how people can’t believe you made this!
Overhead photo of Baklava in a white pan
Baklava recipe
I can sweep past the window of patisseries without having to fight an urge to pop in.
But if there’s one sweet thing that makes me hesitate – and breaks me more often that I care to admit – it’s Baklava.
This is THE Dessert to make when you want to impress the pants off your family and friends. Everybody loves it. It makes loads. It looks amazing. It tastes even more amazing.
And it ain’t that hard to make. 🤫
Close up of a stack of Baklava, dripping with honey syrup
What goes in Baklava
Something that might surprise you is how few ingredients go into Baklava. Filo / phyllo pastry, walnuts or pistachios (or other nuts, see recipe notes for regional variations) , butter, honey, sugar, lemon, cinnamon and water.
Yes, really, that’s all you need!
What goes in Baklava? Photo of ingredients in Baklava
Phyllo pastry – tricks to handling
Phyllo pastry – also known as Filo Pastry – is the paper-thin pastry used to make pastries and pies like Spanakopita in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisines. It’s sold frozen and fresh (fridge section of supermarkets).
The difference between Phyllo Pastry and Puff Pastry is that puff pastry “puffs up” when it’s cooked, revealing layers upon layers of flaky pastry. Phyllo pastry is like a single one of those thin flaky layers in puff pastry.
People seem to have a love/hate relationship with Phyllo pastry. The “love” part usually being the consumption of anything made with Phyllo.
The “hate” part usually the making part. 😂
The problem most people have is that the pastry dries out so it crumbles when you try to use it. It’s frustrating and there’s no way to salvage it once that happens.
But when you follow simple tips, you are going to be a Phyllo Queen (or King) and breeze right through this Baklava recipe – and any other recipe using Phyllo pastry:
