Baklava Recipe: How to Make the Best Honey Baklava

This easy step-by-step tutorial and my expert advice will help you make the best honey baklava for your friends and family to enjoy. This traditional Greek baklava recipe is easy-to-make, from scratch, and tastes fantastic. It is one of the best desserts of all time! This sweet dessert is made with layers of nuts, layers of flaky phyllo pastry, and rich honey syrup.

Baklava Recipe: How to Make the Best Honey Baklava

This homemade baklava was my father’s favorite dessert recipe that I made. He would ask for me to make it for Christmas, Easter, and at least once in the summer. I have been making this recipe for over 35 years, and everyone just loves it. It is great for dessert, parties, weddings, showers – anytime you have a large gathering. This is the best baklava recipe you can make.

Tips and variations for making this honey baklava recipe:

● I double the honey syrup. It makes for stickier, gooier baklava, but that is the way my family likes it. If, after the first time you make this you find it too dry with the honey syrup quantity listed, try to make another half recipe of the honey syrup (so 1½) before doubling the syrup recipe. The way we like it may be way too sweet and sticky for many people.
● Do not be afraid to press down often on the phyllo dough. I usually press every other sheet instead of every five flaky layers and the one above the walnuts. You will most likely use more sticks of butter than I have listed. Make certain you have plenty of butter on hand when making this recipe.
● While this recipe calls for chopped walnuts, I use ground walnuts just as often. I simply place them in a bowl of a food processor and give it a whirl. I do not make them too fine, but they are less bulky than hand-chopped nuts.
● This recipe works well with fresh phyllo dough or frozen sheets that are defrosted. The photos are from a frozen, defrosted sheet as I was too lazy to go to the Lebanese bakery for their fresh flaky phyllo dough.
● Since this is a honey recipe, it keeps very well. Do refrigerate the leftovers.
● When I insert the cloves, the spike is inserted and the head shows outward.
● Allow the baklava to cool for a few minutes before removing the cloves so as not to burn your fingers. A fork also works well to pop the cloves out.

How do you make baklava from scratch?

1. Pre-heat oven to 350°F.
2. Combine walnuts and cinnamon in a bowl.
3. Brush pan with melted butter, add phyllo sheet, brush with but and repeat a total of six times. Press.
4. Layer in 1/3 of the cinnamon and walnut mixture.
5. Repeat the process until the nut mixture is used, then add a top layer of phyllo sheets slathered in butter.
6. Score top with a knife, insert whole cloves, bake.
7. Make sweet honey syrup.
8. Remove baklava from the oven, remove cloves, add honey syrup.

Is puff pastry the same as phyllo dough?

No, Puff pastry and phyllo are not the same, and they are not interchangeable. If you compared the two, phyllo would look like a sheet of paper (a single layer of dough) while puff pastry is many layers of pasty sheets baked together.

If you like easy to make desserts, you might enjoy these:

● Apple Brown Betty Recipe
● Banana Split Icebox Cake Recipe
● Gooey Bars Recipe

Baklava Recipe Ingredients:

● 3 cups Walnuts, finely chopped
● 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
● 2 cups Butter
● 1 pound Phyllo Dough (fresh or defrosted frozen)
● ¼ cup Whole Cloves

Honey Syrup ingredients:

● ¾ cup Sugar
● ¾ cup Water
● 1½ tsp Lemon Juice
● 1/3 cup Honey

Baklava Mise en Place:

● Measuring Cup
● Measuring Spoon
● Bowl(s)
● Knife and Cuttingboard or Food Processor
● Small Saucepan
● Medium Saucepan
● Baking Brush
● Sharp Knife
● 13″x9″ Baking Dish

How to make the best honey baklava directions:

● Preheat oven to 350°F.
● Combine walnuts and ground cinnamon in a medium bowl; stir. Set aside.
● Melt butter.

● Brush the bottom of a 13″x9″ baking dish with melted butter.
● Place one phyllo sheet in the prepared 13×9 pan, folding to fit pan. Brush with butter.
● Repeat with 5 more phyllo sheets brushing butter in between each sheet. Press the layers of phyllo dough down firmly before buttering.

● Sprinkle 1 cup of the walnut and cinnamon mixture on top of the phyllo sheets.

● Place one phyllo sheet on top of the nut mixture, press down firmly. Brush with butter.
● Repeat with 5 more phyllo sheets brushing butter in between each sheet. Press the last sheet down firmly before buttering.
● Sprinkle 1 cup of the walnut and cinnamon mixture on top of the phyllo sheets.
● Place one phyllo sheet on top of the nut mixture, press down firmly. Brush with butter.
● Repeat with 5 more phyllo sheets brushing butter in between each sheet. Press the last sheet down firmly before buttering.
● Sprinkle the remaining walnut and cinnamon mixture on top of the phyllo sheets.
● Place one phyllo sheet on top of the nut mixture, press down firmly. Brush with butter.
● Repeat with 5 more phyllo sheets brushing butter in between each sheet. Press the last sheet down firmly before buttering.

● With the tip of a sharp knife, score the top of the phyllo pastry in diagonal lines to make a diamond pattern.

● Insert a whole clove (tip down, head up) into the center of each scored diamond intersection. You may also insert a clove at the edges of the baklava and baking pan, too.
● Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 30 minutes.

● While the baklava is baking, make the honey syrup.

● On a medium pot on the stove, combine sugar and water. Stir frequently over medium heat until the sugar dissolves and the mixture comes to a full boil. Reduce heat, allow to simmer for 5 minutes.
● Remove from heat.
● Stir in lemon juice and honey.

● Allow the baklava to cool slightly.

● Remove the cloves from the baked baklava (and dispose of them).

● Pour the honey syrup over the hot baklava.

● Cut the baklava into diagonal pieces and serve.

● Refrigerate all leftovers in an airtight container

Yield: 1

Baklava Recipe

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Baklava Recipe: How to Make the Best Honey Baklava. This easy step-by-step tutorial and my expert advice will help you make the best honey baklava for your friends and family to enjoy. This traditional Greek baklava recipe is easy-to-make, from scratch, and tastes fantastic. It is one of the best desserts of all time! This sweet dessert is made with layers of nuts, layers of flaky phyllo pastry, and rich honey syrup.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Additional Time 10 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

• Baklava Recipe Ingredients:
• 3 cups Walnuts, finely chopped
• 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
• 2 cups Butter
• 1 pound Phyllo Dough (fresh or defrosted frozen)
• ¼ cup Whole Cloves
• Honey Syrup ingredients
• ¾ cup Sugar
• ¾ cup Water
• 1½ tsp Lemon Juice
• 1/3 cup Honey

Instructions

1. preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Combine walnuts and ground cinnamon in a medium bowl; stir. Set aside.
3. Melt butter.
4. Brush the bottom of a 13"x9" baking dish with melted butter.
5. Place one phyllo sheet in the prepared 13x9 pan, folding to fit pan. Brush with butter.
6. Repeat with 5 more phyllo sheets brushing butter in between each sheet. Press the layers of phyllo dough down firmly before buttering.
7. Sprinkle 1 cup of the walnut and cinnamon mixture on top of the phyllo sheets.
8. Place one phyllo sheet on top of the nut mixture, press down firmly. Brush with butter.
9. Repeat with 5 more phyllo sheets brushing butter in between each sheet. Press the last sheet down firmly before buttering.
10. Sprinkle 1 cup of the walnut and cinnamon mixture on top of the phyllo sheets.
11. Place one phyllo sheet on top of the nut mixture, press down firmly. Brush with butter.
12. Repeat with 5 more phyllo sheets brushing butter in between each sheet. Press the last sheet down firmly before buttering.
13. Sprinkle the remaining walnut and cinnamon mixture on top of the phyllo sheets.
14. Place one phyllo sheet on top of the nut mixture, press down firmly. Brush with butter.
15. Repeat with 5 more phyllo sheets brushing butter in between each sheet. Press the last sheet down firmly before buttering.
16. With the tip of a sharp knife, score the top of the phyllo pastry in diagonal lines to make a diamond pattern.
17. Insert a whole clove (tip down, head up) into the center of each scored diamond intersection. You may also insert a clove at the edges of the baklava and baking pan, too.
18. Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 30 minutes.
19. While the baklava is baking, make the honey syrup.
20. On a medium pot on the stove, combine sugar and water. Stir frequently over medium heat until the sugar dissolves and the mixture comes to a full boil. Reduce heat, allow to simmer for 5 minutes.
21. Remove from heat.
22. Stir in lemon juice and honey.
23. Allow the baklava to cool slightly.
24. Remove the cloves from the baked baklava (and dispose of them).
25. Pour the honey syrup over the hot baklava.
26. Cut the baklava into diagonal pieces and serve.
27. Refrigerate all leftovers in an airtight container.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

48

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 174Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 21mgSodium: 116mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 1gSugar: 7gProtein: 2g

Note: for exact nutritional information, consult your dietitian. All nutritional information provided is simply a guideline.

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