Homemade Baklava

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!

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.

Best Baklava Recipe Tips

1. 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. 
2. 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.
3. 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. 
4. You cannot replace phyllo dough with puff pastry; it will not work. 
5. Use freshly squeezed lemon juice; bottled lemon juice will give the syrup an off-taste. 
6. 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. 
7. You may substitute a good monk fruit sugar substitute with excellent results. 
8. Baklava is like Wedding cookies; it has its roots in many Middle Eastern cultures.
9. 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.
10. You can also use ghee instead of butter! Ghee is clarified butter with a lot of flavor.
11. 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 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.

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