Greek Baklava with Honey Syrup (Printable version)

Layers of crisp phyllo pastry filled with spiced walnuts and pistachios, soaked in sweet honey syrup for a classic Greek dessert.

# Ingredient List:

→ Nut Filling

01 - 7 oz walnuts, finely chopped
02 - 3.5 oz pistachios, finely chopped
03 - 1.75 oz almonds, finely chopped
04 - 2 tsp ground cinnamon
05 - 1/4 tsp ground cloves
06 - 2 tbsp granulated sugar

→ Pastry

07 - 14 oz phyllo dough (about 20 sheets), thawed if frozen
08 - 7 oz unsalted butter, melted

→ Honey Syrup

09 - 9 oz granulated sugar
10 - 3/4 cup water
11 - 6.5 oz honey
12 - 1 cinnamon stick
13 - 3 strips lemon peel

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat the oven to 340°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with a little melted butter.
02 - In a bowl, combine all ingredients for the nut filling: walnuts, pistachios, almonds, cinnamon, cloves, and sugar. Mix well.
03 - Unroll the phyllo dough and cover with a lightly damp cloth to prevent drying out.
04 - Place one sheet of phyllo in the baking dish and brush lightly with melted butter. Repeat with 7 more sheets, brushing each layer with butter (total 8 sheets).
05 - Sprinkle 1/3 of the nut mixture evenly over the phyllo.
06 - Add 4 more sheets of phyllo, brushing each with butter. Sprinkle another 1/3 of the nut mixture.
07 - Add another 4 sheets of phyllo, each brushed with butter. Sprinkle remaining nut mixture.
08 - Finish with the remaining 4 sheets of phyllo, each brushed with butter. Brush the top generously.
09 - Using a sharp knife, cut the assembled baklava into diamond or square shapes.
10 - Bake for 45-50 minutes, until golden and crisp.
11 - While baklava bakes, prepare the syrup: Combine sugar, water, honey, cinnamon stick, and lemon peel in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly; discard cinnamon stick and lemon peel.
12 - As soon as baklava comes out of the oven, slowly pour the warm syrup evenly over it. Allow to cool completely before serving.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The contrast between impossibly crisp layers and syrup soaked nuts is absolutely addictive
  • It tastes like you spent hours at it, but the technique is actually quite forgiving once you get the rhythm
  • Something magical happens overnight as the syrup works its way through every single layer
02 -
  • Hot baklava needs warm syrup - if either is too hot or too cold, you'll end up with soggy layers instead of perfectly soaked ones
  • Cutting through all layers before baking is non-negotiable - trying to cut after baking will shatter those beautiful diamond shapes you worked so hard on
  • The syrup needs to cool slightly but still be warm when pouring - too cold and it won't absorb properly, too hot and it'll make everything soggy
03 -
  • Add a teaspoon of orange blossom water or rose water to the syrup for that authentic Greek bakery flavor everyone tries to identify
  • Brush butter all the way to the edges - those corner pieces are everyone's favorite because they're the most buttery and caramelized
  • Use a pastry brush with natural bristles rather than silicone - they hold more butter and distribute it more evenly across those delicate sheets

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