How to Make Easy Layered Homemade Greek Baklava

Baklava is a traditional Greek dessert. Make your own layered baklava at home with sweet syrup for a delicious dessert. 

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The first time we ever made Baklava was for a friend’s Name Day Party. I hadn’t heard of a Name Day before, but it’s a Greek tradition to celebrate the day of the saint that you are named for. She wanted some baklava but couldn’t find a good place to get enough for the party that was affordable (we were broke college kids at the time!). Justin and I took it upon ourselves to find a homemade baklava recipe and give it a try. 

Since then, we have made a few variations of baklava and settled on this as our best baklava recipe. 

​How is Greek Baklava Cut?

There are a few ways you can cut the Greek baklava. Determine what size pieces you want and how many you need. When we were doing it for the party, we cut them into squares because it was easiest for us. You can also cut them into triangle or diamond shapes for smaller pieces. When we made it for ourselves, we cut into square shapes. No matter which you choose, make sure to use a very sharp knife and go slowly. I find that using just the tip of the knife to get through the layers of phyllo pastry works the best. 

Simple Ingredients

​There are two sets of ingredients. You have your main ingredients for the baklava layers, and the ingredients for the sweet honey syrup. 

Baklava

Walnuts

A traditional Greek baklava recipe will always have walnuts for the nut layers. But you can use different nuts for varying flavors. Pistachio baklava is more common in Syria, Iran, and Turkey. You can also make it with almonds or hazelnuts. 

Ground Cinnamon

Cinnamon is another uniquely Greek part of the recipe. Add cinnamon to the nut filling for that earthy taste. 

Cardamom

Add cardamom or ground cloves to your nut mixture as well for a bit more of that sweet taste that you want in the sugar syrup. 

Salt

A tiny bit of salt helps to bring out the flavors in the nut filling and the rest of the baked baklava. 

Phyllo Dough

Sheets of phyllo dough, also called phyllo pastry sheets or fillo dough, can be found in the freezer section at your grocery store. This is the main ingredient for the baklava, which makes the layers. When working with phyllo dough, you need to make sure your hands stay very dry so it doesn’t stick to you. Follow the directions on the package to thaw the dough properly. 

Butter

​Butter will be spread between every single layer of phyllo dough. This helps it stick together but also helps it bake properly into those flaky layers. 

Sweet Simple Syrup

Water & Sugar

The water and sugar come together to make a simple syrup. 

Honey

Honey will add more natural sugar to the syrup and make it sticky, which is what you want for baklava. 

Cinnamon

Again, a bit of cinnamon adds a lot of flavor to the baklava and the syrup. 

Orange Peel & Lemon Peel

It doesn’t seem like much, but the peels add a little bit of citrus flavor. You could also add a teaspoon of lemon juice if you don’t have a fresh lemon to peel. 

Homemade Greek Baklava Step by Step

Ingredients

Baklava

• 16 oz walnuts
• 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground cardamom (or ground cloves)
• ¼ tsp salt
• 16 oz phyllo dough, thawed
• 1 cup butter, melted

Syrup

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup honey
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 1 strip orange peel
• 1 strip lemon peel

Preparation

Baklava

Preheat the oven to 350F and lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish.

Pulse the walnuts in a blender or food processor with the cinnamon, cardamom, and salt until well-chopped.

To assemble the baklava, place 8 layers of phyllo sheets in the bottom of the pan, using a pastry brush to brush each layer lightly with butter.

Spread 1 cup of the nut mixture evenly on top of the 8 pieces of phyllo dough.

Add another 5 layers of phyllo dough, one by one, brushing each lightly with melted butter.

Add another layer of walnuts.

Continue until you have 8 pieces of phyllo dough on the top layer.

Use a sharp knife to cut the baklava into your desired shape and size.

Bake the baklava for 50 minutes, until golden brown on the edges and the top.

Let the hot baklava cool for at least 15 minutes.

Syrup

While the baklava cools, add all of the syrup ingredients to a medium saucepan over high heat and bring it to a boil.

Reduce to simmer for 5 minutes.

Remove the citrus peels and cinnamon stick then pour the hot syrup over the baklava.

Let the baklava cool completely at room temperature for 8 hours uncovered, or overnight with a loose cover.

Homemade Greek Baklava Leftovers

Storage: Store the remaining pieces of baklava in an airtight container. If you have to make layers, place a piece of parchment paper between the layers so it doesn’t stick. Keep it at room temperature for up to one week to preserve the crispiness. Or store it in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks, knowing that you may end up with slightly soggy baklava. 

Reheating: If you choose to store your baklava in the refrigerator, it’s best to place it in the microwave for a few seconds to bring it back to room temperature or slightly warmer. Otherwise, baklava can be enjoyed cold as well. 

Freezing: Let the baklava cool completely then wrap it in multiple layers of plastic wrap. Add a layer of foil then place in a freezer-safe ziptop bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for 4-6 hours or overnight in the refrigerator. 

Recipe

Homemade Greek Baklava

Baklava is a traditional Greek dessert. Make your own layered baklava at home with sweet syrup for a delicious dessert. 

Prep Time 40 minutes minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes minutes

Cool Time 8 hours hours

Total Time 9 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Course:

Dessert

Cuisine:

American

|

Greek

Diet

Vegetarian

Keyword:

baklava

|

cinnamon

|

greek

|

nuts

|

phyllo dough

|

walnuts

Dietary Needs:

Egg-Free

Servings: 20 pieces

5 from 13 votes

Ingredients

Baklava

• 16 oz walnuts
• 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground cardamom (or ground cloves)
• ¼ tsp salt
• 16 oz phyllo dough (thawed)
• 1 cup butter (melted)

Syrup

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup honey
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 1 strip orange peel
• 1 strip lemon peel

Recommended Equipment

• Blender
• Food Processor
• Glass Baking Dish
• Pastry Brush
• Saucepan – Medium

Instructions

Baklava

• Preheat the oven to 350F and lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish
• Pulse the walnuts in a blender or food processor with the cinnamon, cardamom, and salt until well-chopped
• To assemble the baklava, place 8 layers of phyllo sheets in the bottom of the pan, using a pastry brush to brush each layer lightly with butter
• Spread 1 cup of the nut mixture evenly on top of the 8 pieces of phyllo dough
• Add another 5 layers of phyllo dough, one by one, brushing each lightly with melted butter
• Add another layer of walnuts
• Continue until you have 8 pieces of phyllo dough on the top layer
• Use a sharp knife to cut the baklava into your desired shape and size
• Bake the baklava for 50 minutes, until golden brown on the edges and the top
• Let the hot baklava cool for at least 15 minutes

Syrup

• While the baklava cools, add all of the syrup ingredients to a medium saucepan over high heat and bring it to a boil
• Reduce to simmer for 5 minutes
• Remove the citrus peels and cinnamon stick then pour the hot syrup over the baklava
• Let the baklava cool completely at room temperature for 8 hours uncovered, or overnight with a loose cover

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Nutrition Facts

Homemade Greek Baklava

Amount Per Serving (1 piece)

Calories 389 Calories from Fat 225

% Daily Value*

Fat 25g38%

Saturated Fat 8g40%

Trans Fat 0.4g

Polyunsaturated Fat 11g

Monounsaturated Fat 5g

Cholesterol 24mg8%

Sodium 213mg9%

Potassium 132mg4%

Carbohydrates 39g13%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 25g28%

Protein 5g10%

Vitamin A 292IU6%

Vitamin C 2mg2%

Calcium 34mg3%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutrition content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.

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