How to Make Baklava

Baklava with Pistachios and Almonds

Baklava is one of those desserts that looks far more complicated than it actually is. Layers of delicate phyllo pastry, butter, pistachios, and almonds come together to make a dessert that is crisp, buttery, nutty, and wonderfully sweet.

This homemade baklava recipe uses a simple combination of pistachios and almonds between layers of buttered phyllo pastry. Once baked until golden, the hot baklava is soaked with a cooled cinnamon-lemon syrup, allowing the sweetness to seep into every layer while keeping some of that lovely crisp texture.

And the best part? You don’t have to worry about cutting it into a particular shape. Cut it into diamonds, squares, rectangles, or whatever shape you like. Baklava is forgiving that way.

What is Baklava?

Baklava is a layered pastry dessert made with thin sheets of phyllo pastry, nuts, butter, and sweet syrup. It is popular throughout the Middle East and the Mediterranean and is made in many different ways depending on the country and family recipe.

The combination of crisp pastry, rich butter, crunchy nuts, and fragrant syrup makes baklava particularly satisfying with a cup of coffee or tea.

What You’ll Need

The ingredients for this wonderful sweets are simple and easy to find.

Phyllo pastry: The thin sheets create the delicate, flaky layers. Cut them to fit the baking pan.

Pistachios and almonds: I use both nuts for a combination of flavor, color, and texture. Chop them finely enough to sprinkle easily between the layers.

Icing sugar: The icing sugar is mixed with the nuts before being sprinkled over the phyllo layers.

Butter: Softened butter is brushed between the layers to help the pastry bake into crisp, golden layers.

The syrup: Sugar, water, fresh lemon juice, cinnamon, and a little clove create a sweet and lightly spiced syrup. The lemon adds a touch of brightness to balance the sweetness.

How to Make Baklava

Prepare the nut mixture

Combine the icing sugar, pistachios, and almonds in a bowl and mix well. Set aside while you prepare the phyllo pastry.

Prepare the phyllo pastry

Cut the phyllo sheets to the same size as your baking pan. Keeping the pastry covered while you work will help prevent the sheets from drying out.

Place two sheets of phyllo pastry in the pan and brush generously with softened butter.

Sprinkle a generous layer of the nut and sugar mixture over the pastry.

Add another two sheets of phyllo pastry, brush with butter, and sprinkle with more of the nut mixture. Continue layering until the nuts are used, finishing with phyllo pastry.

Brush the top generously with butter.

Cut the baklava

Before baking, use a small sharp knife to cut the baklava into your desired shapes and sizes. Diamonds are traditional, but squares and rectangles work just as well.

This is also the fun part—you can be creative with the pattern and size.

Bake

Bake at 350°F (175°C) for about 35 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and crisp.

Make the syrup

While it is baking, prepare the syrup.

Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10–15 minutes.

Add the fresh lemon juice, cinnamon powder, and a pinch of clove powder, if using. Stir and remove from the heat. Let the syrup cool.

Add the syrup

When done baking, pour the cooled syrup over the hot baklava.

Allow it to sit so the syrup can soak into the layers before serving.

Tips for Making Baklava

Keep the phyllo covered. Phyllo pastry dries out quickly when exposed to air. Keep the unused sheets covered with a clean, slightly damp kitchen towel while assembling the baklava.

Don’t skimp on the butter. Brushing the phyllo generously helps create those crisp, flaky layers that make this so good.

Cut before baking. Cutting the baklava while the pastry is still unbaked makes it much easier to create neat pieces.

Cool the syrup. For this recipe, the syrup should be cooled before it is poured over the hot baklava. This helps the syrup soak into the pastry without making the whole dessert excessively soggy.

Give it time to rest. Baklava is even better once the syrup has had time to settle into the layers. If you can resist eating it immediately, let it rest before serving.

How to Serve Baklava

Baklava is delicious on its own, but it is especially nice served with coffee or tea. The crisp pastry and nutty filling pair beautifully with a warm drink.

It also makes a lovely dessert for gatherings because it can be prepared in a large pan and cut into small portions for sharing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Baklava may look impressive when arranged on a serving platter, but the process is really just a matter of layering, buttering, sprinkling, and baking.

The combination of pistachios and almonds gives this version plenty of nutty flavor, while the cinnamon-lemon syrup brings everything together. And because you can cut it into whatever shapes you like, you don’t have to worry about making every piece perfect.

Sometimes homemade desserts are at their best when they are a little imperfect—and a tray of golden, syrupy baklava is certainly one of them. 

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A similar recipe called Kunafa Baklava replaces the phyllo pastry with kunafa dough.