Learn how to make perfectly crisp and honey-sweet Baklava, with layers of spiced walnuts between delicate phyllo sheets! This classic recipe creates a show-stopping dessert that’s even better the next day.

What is Baklava?
Baklava is a rich, sweet pastry made of layers of delicate phyllo dough, filled with chopped nuts, and sweetened with honey syrup. While often associated with Greek cuisine, it has deep roots across various Middle Eastern cultures, each adding their own special touch to this dessert!
Why You’ll Love this Recipe For Baklava
My dear Greek friend Zoe, taught me how to make her 45-year-old cherished family baklava recipe with me a few years ago. After many attempts at recreating it (including a memorable incident with a shedding pastry brush and another with curling phyllo), I’ve finally perfected the technique. Through trial and error with syrup ratios and various mishaps, I’ve fine-tuned every detail of this traditional recipe to make sure you are successful!
What makes this version truly special isn’t just the decades of family tradition behind it, but the carefully balanced layers of buttery phyllo, warmly spiced walnuts, and honey syrup that create the perfect texture – crisp on top, tender in the middle, and just sweet enough to satisfy without being overwhelming.
Through my own kitchen experiments, I’ve learned exactly how much syrup keeps the baklava moist without becoming soggy and precisely how many layers of phyllo create that ideal crunch—all lessons that can help you get it right the first time. I cut the normal syrup in half because I felt it was too sweet, but feel free to increase the syrup if you prefer a more syrupy baklava.
It might sound intimidating to make your homemade baklava, but trust me, it is totally worth it! With store-bought phyllo dough, it just takes a little prep, assembling, and baking!

Homemade Baklava Ingredients
Baklava Layers
- Phyllo Dough: Phyllo dough can be found in the freezer section by the pie dough! I prefer using store-bought phyllo dough since it is difficult to make at home.
- Unsalted Butter: Butter is brushed on each of the layers of dough to make sure they crisp up in the oven. While I normally bake with salted butter, this is one of those few recipes, that is best with unsalted.
- Walnuts: The simple nut mixture here is made with walnuts!
- Spices: To spice it up, you will need ground cinnamon and ground cloves in the nut mixture. But like all recipes, make it your own!
- Sugar: To make the nut filling slightly sweet.
Honey Syrup
- Sugar: The base of the syrup is regular, granulated sugar, I like to use all natural cane sugar.
- Water: Water is added to make a syrup!
- Lemon Juice & Slice: Add lemon juice and a lemon slice to the syrup to infuse it with a citrus flavor; lemon also helps cut the sweetness.
- Whole Cloves: Whole cloves add a warm, spiced flavor to the syrup.
- Honey: Honey adds a bit more sweetness and makes the syrup thicker!
Get the full recipe in the recipe card below.


Recommended Tools
- 9×13 pan or Jelly Roll Pan
- Boars Bristle Pastry Brush
- Sharp Knife
How to Make Baklava
Step 1 – Prep the Phyllo and Nut Mixture
Thaw phyllo dough according to package instructions, usually overnight in the fridge and an hour at room temperature before use. Keep it sealed until assembly.
In a food processor, grind walnuts in batches until finely chopped (avoid over-processing to prevent them from turning into a paste). I usually pulse in a food processor 10-14 one second intervals. Alternatively, chop finely by hand or use a high-powered blender in small batches.
Combine ground walnuts, cinnamon, cloves, and sugar in a large bowl. Set aside. This step can be done a day ahead; just cover with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature.
You may also make the syrup up to 2 days ahead of time and store it in a glass jar.

Step 2 – Prepare to Assemble
Preheat oven to 325°F (165°C).
Melt butter in a small saucepan or microwave-safe bowl.
Generously brush melted butter over the sides, corners, and bottom of a large rectangular baking pan, I tested using a jelly roll pan (about 14.25 x 9.88 x 1) but my favorite was using a 9×13-inch pan.
Arrange your walnut mixture, melted butter, baking pan, and phyllo dough on a large working surface. Unwrap one package of phyllo dough and cover it with plastic, then use a slightly damp tea towel, cheesecloth, or paper towel to keep it moist. Phyllo drys out quickly, so work quickly and keep it covered when not using.
Step 3 – Assemble the Baklava
Bottom layers: Lay one sheet of phyllo in the pan and brush lightly with melted butter. Repeat until you have ten lightly buttered layers. Yes, 10! It’s your foundation.
First nut layer: Spread a thin layer of the walnut mixture over the 10th phyllo layer. Cover with a sheet of phyllo, brush with butter, and add another sheet, brushing with butter again (2 buttered sheets total). If it is easier for you, butter that first layer on your work surface, then carefully move it to the pan.
Continue layering: Repeat with a thin layer of nuts followed by two buttered phyllo sheets. Repeat this layering sequence until you have used all the nuts, aiming for about four nut layers in total with two buttered phyllo sheets in between each.



Top layers: Finish with 8-10 buttered phyllo layers, brushing each sheet with butter. Trim any overhanging phyllo edges using a sharp knife. Or tuck any phyllo edges inside the pan, using the tip of the pastry brush to tuck them in nicely.
Final brush: Generously brush the top with melted butter and wet your hands with some ice water, rubbing them over the top of the baklava – this prevents curling while baking
Score: Using a sharp knife, cut through the top layers of phyllo in a diamond or triangle pattern. See the diagrams below the images.




Step 4 – Bake
Bake for about one hour and 15 minutes or until golden brown on top.

Step 5 – Make the Syrup (up to 2 days ahead)
While baking baklava, combine sugar, water, lemon juice, lemon slice, and cloves in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium, stirring until sugar dissolves, then bring to a fast boil.
Reduce to a gentle boil and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, discard the lemon slice and cloves, and stir in honey. Set aside to cool.


Step 6 – Add the Syrup & Serve
Once the baklava is done baking, immediately and slowly pour half of the syrup slowly and evenly over the top (you’ll hear a wonderful sizzle), letting it absorb fully. Go slowly, making sure you get the entire surface, slices, and tops.
Let the baklava sit uncovered at room temperature for at least 4-6 hours or overnight before cutting. This allows the syrup to penetrate all of the layers, getting that traditional sticky, gooey layered yum!
When ready, use a sharp knife to cut through the baklava fully, following your original score lines. Make sure to cut deep and clean through all of the layers. Repeat the cutting twice so that your pieces come out cleanly and easily. To serve, place slices of baklava in cupcake liners.

Suggested Layering Order
- Bottom: 10 buttered phyllo sheets, ¾ – 1 cup nut mixture
- 2-5 buttered phyllo sheets, ¾ cup nut mixture
- 2-5 buttered phyllo sheets, ¾ cup nut mixture
- 2-5 buttered phyllo sheets, ¾ cup nut mixture
- Top: 8-10 buttered phyllo sheets on top with butter
Traditional Baklava Recipe Variations
Baklava comes in many different variations, depending on the region you are in! Here are some regional variations of the recipe while still making traditional baklava:
- Nuts: Walnuts and pistachios are most commonly used. See more regional variations below.
- Syrup: You can make many different variations of honey syrup. Try adding orange extract instead of lemon juice for a sweeter citrus flavor!
- Gluten-Free: If you need to make a gluten-free baklava, you can buy a gluten-free phyllo dough or make your own.
- Turkish: Made with finely ground pistachios, walnuts, or hazelnuts, and sweetened with a simple syrup made of sugar, water, and lemon juice (no honey).
- Greek: Typically made with layers of phyllo dough filled with walnuts or a mix of nuts (often almonds and pistachios) and sweetened with a honey-based syrup flavored with cinnamon, cloves, and sometimes orange or lemon zest. Often cut into diamond shapes and served as large portions.
- Middle Eastern (Lebanese/Syrian): Pistachios or cashews flavored with rose water or orange blossom water.
- Persian: Cardamom, rose water, lighter sweetness, and smaller diamond-shaped pieces.
- Armenian: Often made with shortbread-like dough with walnuts, cinnamon and cloves.
- Balkan: Walnut-based with tangy syrup made with lemon juice, served in small portions.
- Egyptian: Fewer phyllo layers, filled with cashews and sweetened with citrus or rose water syrup.
- Cypriot: Made with almonds and walnuts, flavored with orange blossom or rose water.
- Georgian: Thicker dough layered with spiced walnuts, sweetened with honey or sugar syrup.
- Jewish: Kosher adaptation using matzo instead of phyllo and honey syrup, often for Passover.

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Best Baklava Recipe Tips
- Do not use a silicone basting brush. These brushes grab too much butter, and the goal for all layers except for the top is to go light! Too much butter will result in soggy baklava! You want a good old-fashioned boars bristle basting brush —you can also use a brand new 2” paint brush.
- If your brush is brand new, it might shed while you are basting. To avoid this, follow these simple steps:
- To prevent a boar bristle brush from shedding, soak the bristles in warm, soapy water for about 10 minutes, then rinse and let it air dry completely.
- Use a fine-tooth comb or your fingers to gently remove loose bristles.
- Always handle the brush gently during cleaning, avoid aggressive scrubbing, and dry it with the bristles facing downward to protect the glue. If shedding persists, it may be time to replace the brush with a higher-quality option.
- When slicing the baklava’s top layer before baking, use a sharp-tipped knife and go slowly, moving any pieces that move out of place back into place and tamping down any corners that pull up.
- You cannot replace phyllo dough with puff pastry; it will not work.
- Use freshly squeezed lemon juice; bottled lemon juice will give the syrup an off-taste.
- Replace the walnuts with pistachios and add other ground nuts or a mix of nuts. I’ve heard seeds are a good non-nut solution, but again.
- You may substitute a good monk fruit sugar substitute with excellent results.
- Baklava is like Wedding cookies; it has its roots in many Middle Eastern cultures.
- For a dairy-free version, I’ve read that some recipes use only quality olive oil instead of butter; you still get really crisp layers.
- You can also use ghee instead of butter! Ghee is clarified butter with a lot of flavor.
- While I haven’t tried it, I have spoken to others who have swapped maple syrup for honey using a 1:1 ratio.

How to keep baklava from getting soggy?
The key to keeping baklava from getting soggy is pouring the cooled syrup onto the hot baklava right after it comes out of the oven! This will allow it to soak in and become nice, gooey, but not soggy!
How to Serve Baklava Dessert
Serve the baklava in diamond-shaped pieces at room temperature, with extra honey or syrup if you want! This baklava dessert is perfectly delicious on its own, but it would also go great with a side of vanilla ice cream and a cup of chai tea!

How to Store Homemade Baklava
Baklava is best stored at room temperature and does not need to be covered. Depending on the environment, it can last several days or several weeks.
When storing baklava at room temperature, make sure it’s completely cooled, then cut it into pieces and layer them in an airtight container with parchment paper between each layer. This way, your baklava will stay fresh for two weeks or more! If you want to keep it longer, you can refrigerate it, but it may get harder and chewier, so let it come to room temperature or a quick reheat at 325°F (165°C) oven for 4-5 minutes will bring back some of that crispiness.
Freezing Tips
Individually wrap completely cooled pieces of Baklava in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer baggie or airtight container and freeze up to 4 months. Or wrap the entire batch twice in plastic wrap and again with aluminum foil. Thaw on the counter.
To freeze before baking: Prepare baklava up until baking point (no syrup), covering well in two layers of plastic wrap, and again with foil and freeze up to 2 months.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350°F (175° C) and bake frozen baklava for about 1- 1½ hours (if needed, place a loose sheet of foil on top), then reduce to 325°F (165° C) and bake until golden brown, about 30-45 more minutes. While baking, prepare syrup and cool until ready to use.

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Print Pin RateEquipment
- 1 9 x 13 inch pan or Jelly Roll Pan 14.25"L x 9.88"W x 1"H
Ingredients
Baklava Layers
- 1 – 1 ½ pounds phyllo dough 40 sheets, thawed, see Note 1
- ½ pound unsalted butter melted, see Note 2
- 2 pounds walnuts ground, other nuts may be used
- 2 tablespoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ cup sugar I used all-natural cane sugar or white
Syrup
- 2 cups sugar all-natural cane sugar or white; see Note 3
- 1 cup filtered water
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice fresh is best, about one medium lemon
- 1 slice lemon
- 4 whole cloves
- ½ cup honey added after syrup is made
Instructions
Prep the Phyllo and Nut Mixture
- Thaw phyllo dough according to package instructions, usually overnight in the fridge and an hour at room temperature before use. Keep it sealed until assembly.
- Grind the walnuts: In a food processor, grind walnuts in batches until finely chopped (avoid over-processing to prevent them from turning into a paste). I usually pulse in a food processor 10-14 one second intervals. Alternatively, chop finely by hand or use a high-powered blender doing in small batches.2 pounds walnuts
- Mix the filling: Combine ground walnuts, cinnamon, cloves, and sugar in a large bowl. Set aside. This step can be done a day ahead; just cover with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature. You may also make the syrup up to 2 days ahead of time, store in a glass jar.2 tablespoons cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground cloves, ½ cup sugar
Prepare to Assemble
- Preheat oven to 325°F (165°C). Melt butter in a small saucepan or microwave-safe bowl. (rewarm your butter if it starts to harden or congeal. )½ pound unsalted butter
- Butter the pan: Generously brush melted butter over the sides, corners, and bottom of a large rectangular baking pan (a jelly roll pan about 14.25 x 9.88 x 1 or a 9×13-inch pan will work, see Note 3).
- Set up your workspace: Arrange your walnut mixture, melted butter, baking pan, and phyllo dough on a large working surface. Unroll one package of phyllo dough and cover it with the plastic it comes in and then a damp tea towel, cheesecloth, or paper towels to keep it from drying out.1 – 1 ½ pounds phyllo dough
Assemble the Baklava
- Bottom layers: Lay one sheet of phyllo in the pan and brush lightly with melted butter. Repeat until you have 10 lightly buttered layers.
- First nut layer: Spread a thin layer of the walnut mixture over the 10th phyllo layer. Cover with a sheet of phyllo, brush with butter, and add another sheet, brushing with butter again (2 buttered sheets total). If easier for you, you can butter that first layer on your work surface, then carefully move it to the pan.
- Continue layering: Repeat with a thin layer of nuts followed by two buttered phyllo sheets. Repeat this layering sequence until you have used all the nuts, aiming for about four nut layers in total with two buttered phyllo sheets in between each (see Note 4).
- Top layers: Finish with at least 8-10 buttered phyllo layers, brushing each sheet with butter. Trim any excess phyllo edges using a sharp knife.Tuck any overhanging phyllo edges inside the pan, using the tip of the pastry brush to tuck them in nicely.
- Final brush: Generously brush the top with melted butter and wet your hands with some ice water, rubbing them over the top of the baklava – this prevents curling while baking
- Score: Using a sharp knife, cut through the top layers of phyllo in a diamond or triangle pattern (see Note 5).
- Bake for one hour and 15 minutes or until golden brown on top.
Make the Syrup (may be made up to 2 days in advance, store in a glass jar on counter)
- While baking baklava, combine 2 cups sugar, 1 cups water, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, lemon slice, and cloves in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium, stirring until sugar dissolves, then bring to a fast boil. Note: this was the perfect amount of syrup in my opinion, but the original recipe had double the amount, which my hubby loved, so use any variation, you do not need to increase the lemon juice or cloves.2 cups sugar, 1 cup filtered water, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 slice lemon, 4 whole cloves, ½ cup honey
- Reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, discard the lemon slice and cloves, and stir in honey. Set aside to cool.
Add Syrup
- Once the baklava is done baking, immediately and slowly pour half of the syrup slowly and evenly over the top, letting it absorb fully. Go slowly making sure you get the entire surface, slices and tops. Then pour the rest of the syrup evenly over the surface again.
- Let the baklava sit uncovered at room temperature for at least 4-6 hours or overnight before cutting. This allows the syrup to penetrate all of the layers, getting that traditional sticky, gooey layered yum!
- When ready, use a sharp knife to cut through the baklava fully, following your original score lines. Make sure to cut deep and clean through all of the layers. Repeat the cutting twice so that your pieces come out cleanly and easily.
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Notes
Notes:
- Phyllo Dough: Use two 1-pound packages in case of damage to the phyllo (sometimes it’s dried before you open, or pieces get stuck together. The Athens brand has sheets. Trim if needed or fold to fit. Thaw in the fridge overnight, then bring to room temperature for an hour before using. You’ll need 26-28 good sheets for my recipe. There are typically 40 sheets in a box, but some of the long boxes can be cut in half for 36-40 sheets.
- Butter: Use unsalted butter to avoid excess saltiness. ½ pound (2 sticks), melting more if needed. Brush lightly except for the top, which you should brush generously.
- The original recipe from my friend Zoe called for double the amount of syrup, I personally don’t like it quite so syrupy sweet, but feel free to double the syrup recipe. You only need to double the sugar and water, the honey, lemon juice and cloves all stay the same.
- Pan Size: Not all pans are the same size; measure and trim phyllo as needed. Unroll the phyllo and trim it with a sharp knife or kitchen shears to the correct size.
- Layering Order:
- 10 buttered phyllo sheets, ¾ – 1 cup nut mixture
- 2-5 buttered phyllo sheets, ¾ cup nut mixture
- 2-5 buttered phyllo sheets, ¾ cup nut mixture
- 2-5 buttered phyllo sheets, ¾ cup nut mixture
- 8-10 buttered phyllo sheets on top with butter
- Cut pan into even rows (lengthwise) I cut 4 rows, then starting at the far corner, cut a long diagonal line to the opposite corner (see images) and continue the pattern until diamonds are cut. Or cut 4 rows, then cut even rows the opposite direction, then cut each square diagonally.
Rick Eich
Recipe is wonderfully written with clear instructions with one exception. 1/2 syrup on top when Baklava comes out of the oven. Other 1/2 syrup where?? When served??
Oh thanks for catching that, Rick! Over the top after the first ½ has soaked in. Waiting just a 5-10 minutes. I’ve amended the recipe.
Rick Eich
1/2 syrup on top, other 1/2 where??
Recipe is wonderfully written and clear instructions except for other 1/2 of syrup….