Turkish Baklava with Honey (Printable Version)

Crisp phyllo layered with chopped nuts and drenched in fragrant honey syrup for a rich, sweet finish.

# What You'll Need:

→ Nuts Filling

01 - 1 1/2 cups finely chopped walnuts (about 7 oz)
02 - 1 cup finely chopped pistachios (about 4.2 oz)
03 - 1/2 cup finely chopped almonds (about 2.1 oz)
04 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
05 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

→ Phyllo & Butter

06 - 1 lb phyllo dough, thawed
07 - 1 cup unsalted butter, melted

→ Honey Syrup

08 - 1 cup honey (approx. 12 oz)
09 - 1 cup water
10 - 1 cup granulated sugar
11 - 1 tablespoon lemon juice
12 - 1 strip lemon zest
13 - 1 cinnamon stick

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with melted butter.
02 - Combine finely chopped walnuts, pistachios, almonds, 1/2 cup sugar, and ground cinnamon in a bowl. Set aside.
03 - Unroll phyllo dough and cover with a damp towel to prevent drying. Place one sheet in the baking dish and brush with melted butter. Repeat to layer 8 sheets, buttering each.
04 - Sprinkle one-third of the nut mixture evenly over the layered phyllo sheets.
05 - Layer 5 more phyllo sheets, brushing each with melted butter. Sprinkle another one-third of nuts on top. Repeat with 5 more sheets and the remaining nuts.
06 - Finish by layering and buttering the remaining 8 to 10 phyllo sheets evenly over the nuts.
07 - Using a sharp knife, cut the assembled layers into diamond or square shapes before baking.
08 - Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown and crisp.
09 - Combine honey, water, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and cinnamon stick in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove zest and cinnamon stick, then let syrup cool slightly.
10 - Immediately after baking, pour the warm syrup evenly over the hot baklava to ensure absorption.
11 - Allow the baklava to cool completely at room temperature for at least 4 hours before serving to let the syrup fully infuse.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The contrast of crispy, shattered phyllo against the soft, honeyed nut filling is genuinely addictive in ways store-bought versions never capture.
  • Making it at home means your kitchen smells like cinnamon and caramelizing butter for hours, and somehow that's worth the effort alone.
  • It stays fresh for days, so you can make it ahead and actually enjoy your guests instead of rushing around in an apron.
02 -
  • Phyllo dries out faster than you think, so keeping it covered is the difference between success and crumbly disappointment; I learned this the hard way on my second attempt.
  • Pouring warm syrup onto hot baklava is essential—cold syrup on cold pastry just sits on top like glaze, while the hot-on-hot method creates that perfect honeyed crumb texture.
  • Resisting the urge to cut and eat within an hour is genuinely the hardest part, but the waiting transforms the texture into something transcendent.
03 -
  • Brush butter between each phyllo sheet without skipping, even when your arm gets tired—that's where the crispness comes from, and there's no shortcut.
  • If phyllo tears slightly while layering, don't panic; just lay the next sheet over it and brush with butter, and the tear disappears into the final pastry.
  • Make the syrup while the baklava bakes so everything is ready the moment it comes out of the oven—timing is everything here.
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