This super delicious pistachio baklava is buttery, sweet, flakey, nutty, gooey, and surprisingly easy to make!
This easy and delish pistachio baklava is surprisingly easy to make and will turn into your new dessert to make for a crowd that is always a crowd pleaser!
This post has everything you need in order to make the most perfect homemade baklava with step-by-step images, FAQs, and expert tips for this homemade flakey and nutty goodness.
I was really surprised by how easy it is to make this impressive dessert that is always a crowd-pleaser.
For more pistachio desserts, check out my pistachio cake, pistachio cheesecake, chewy pistachio cookies, and pistachio muffins with pistachio crumble.
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Why this recipe works
- Simple: This baklava recipe is made with simple ingredients! You can find these ingredients in every grocery store!
- Ease: This recipe is easy to follow and is actually super easy to make.
- Texture: The texture of this delicious baklava is what dreams are made of. It's flakey, crunchy, gooey, and just delicious.
- Taste: the flavor of this baklava is nutty, sweet, delicate, and simply scrumptious.
- Middle Eastern dessert: I love making authentic desserts and finding out about new cultures! For more middle eastern desserts, check out my moist honey cake, rolled date cookies, and sufganiyot.
What is baklava?
Baklava (also spelled baklawa, backlawa, or backlava) is a traditional layered pastry dessert made by layering layers of phyllo pastry that are filled with a mixture of nuts and cinnamon (usually using pistachios) and sweetened with syrup or honey.
This is a middle eastern dessert that is filled with different types of nuts like pistachios, pecans, and walnuts.
Ingredients
Before you start to make this baklava pistachio recipe, measure and prepare your ingredients so the cooking process will go smoothly and efficiently.
Full measurements are in the recipe card below.
Pistachios- we added pistachios to the filling. You will need to ground the pistachios until fine crumbs form. I used a blender, you can use a food processor as well.
Butter- use unsalted butter for this recipe. Only butter will work for this recipe, no margarine, and no coconut oil. Margarine has a weird taste and can ruin the flavor of this delicious dessert.
Cinnamon– You will need 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon for the filling.
Phyllo dough- use your favorite brand of phyllo dough for this recipe. You will need 500 grams of phyllo dough for this.
For the honey syrup
Honey- use your favorite brand of honey for this. Make sure you use high-quality honey for the best flavor.
Sugar- we used granulated sugar for this recipe. You can use caster sugar as well.
Vanilla extract- adds extra flavor. You can use regular vanilla extract or vanilla bean extract.
Lemon juice- use fresh lemon juice for this recipe. Fresh lemon will give you the best result. We don't recommend using store-bought lemon juice. This will make the flavor pop!
Instructions
Preheat an oven to 160c (320f) and prepare a 9 by 13 inch baking pan with softened butter.
Thaw phyllo dough according to the package instructions. My favorite way is thawing it in the fridge overnight.
In a medium mixing bowl, add the ground pistachios and the cinnamon. Mix until well combined. You can ground the pistachios in a food processor or in a blender until fine mixture forms.
Trim the phyllo dough to fit in your baking pan. Add 7 sheets of phyllo dough into the pan, and brush every sheet of dough with melted butter.
Sprinkle ⅕ of the pistachio mixture on top of the buttered phyllo and spread it evenly. Top the pistachio mixture with another 5 sheets of phyllo sheets, buttering every sheet with melted butter.
Repeat four times until you run out of pistachios. Top the last batch of pistachios with more 5 sheets of phyllo and brush with butter.
Use a sharp knife to cut the baklava into 4 rows lengthwise, and then cut diagonally so that each piece of baklava is in the shape of a diamond.
Bake in a 160c (320f) preheated oven for 1 hour or until the baklava is golden brown.
In a medium saucepan, add the sugar, honey, water, vanilla extract, and lemon juice and cook over medium-high heat mixing constantly until the sugar melts.
Then reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for another 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it cool.
Remove the baklava from the oven and immediately drizzle the honey and sugar syrup over the baklava.
This will ensure your baklava stays crispy and does not get soggy. Let it cool at room temperature for at least 4 hours and let the baklava soak the syrup.
Expert Tips
- Use the best quality pistachio that you can find! Do not use salted pistachios. They will affect the flavor and make your dessert too salty. You can use natural toasted or untoasted pistachios.
- Use thin phyllo dough for this recipe! Don't use thick phyllo sheets for this.
- Trim your dough to the size of the pan. Every company has different sizes of phyllo dough, so it's important that you do this to make your pastry even.
- Let the phyllo dough defrost in the fridge overnight. This will make sure that your phyllo dough is fully defrosted.
- When you are buttering the phyllo dough sheets, make sure that you are super careful and gently butter it to prevent it from ripping.
- Divide your pistachio mixture before you start to assemble the baklava to ensure that you will get even layers.
- It is very important that you use a sharp knife to cut the baklava to get even and clean cuts.
- Cover the phyllo dough with a damp kitchen towel as you work your way through them to prevent them from drying out. This will prevent your sheets to crack as you lift them to transfer to the pan.
Faq's
A traditional Turkish baklava is made with phyllo pastry, finely crushed pistachios, melted butter, and simple syrup that is often made with honey.
Through the years, various countries have feuded over who “invented” baklava. Most people side with either Greece or Turkey.
Turkish baklava usually uses pistachios while greek baklava usually uses a mixture or walnuts and almonds. Greek baklava is usually sweeted and uses a thicker syrup than Turkish baklava.
This baklava will last for up to a week stored at room temperature.
Let your baklava cool at room temperature without it being covered with anything. If you cover it with plastic wrap while it's cooling, the steam will make your baklava soggy and lose its crispiness.
Storing
Store the baklava at room temperature in an airtight container to prevent it from drying out. This will last for up to a week at room temperature. You can store it in the fridge as well.
Freezing
There are two ways to freeze this baklava. Baked and not baked.
Baked- let the baklava cool to room temperature and cover it with a few layers of plastic wrap. Freeze in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature for a few hours or in the fridge overnight.
Not baked- prepare the baklava according to the instructions, and before baking, wrap it with a few layers of plastic wrap and freeze in a freezer-friendly container for up to 2 months. When you are ready to bake, let the baklava come to room temperature and bake according to the instructions.
Make it ahead of time
This baklava is really easy to make ahead of time. You can prepare it days in advance. After you layer the baklava, cover it with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for up to 4 days.
When you are ready to bake, bake it according to the instructions written on the recipe card.
Serving tips
There are plenty of ways to serve baklava. Here are some of my favorites:
Ice cream- scoop a large scoop of vanilla ice cream and serve it next to a piece of the baklava.
Coffee/tea- serve this delicious dessert next to your coffee or tea for a perfect snack or breakfast.
Chocolate- drizzle melted chocolate over the baklava for a chocolaty bite.
Substitutions
Honey- you can swap the honey with natural maple syrup if you don't consume honey or don't have it available.
Dairy free- to make this recipe dairy free, you can use ghee or vegan butter instead of dairy butter.
Variations
Nuts- you can swap the pistachios with your favorite nuts. Popular options are using walnuts, almonds, or pecans!
More pistachio recipes
Chewy pistachio cookies- These pistachio cookies are made with a chocolate chip cookie base filled with chopped pistachios and chocolate chunks and topped with flakey salt!
Pistachio muffins with pistachio crumble topping- These pistachio muffins are loaded with real pistachios and pistachio flavor! They are fluffy and moist and are topped with a pistachio crumble topping.
Pistachio cheesecake with pistachio topping- This pistachio cheesecake is luxurious, rich, creamy, made with plenty of real pistachios, and made without a water bath!
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📖 Recipe
The BEST Pistachio Baklava
Ingredients
- 500 g Phyllo dough thawed
- 3 cups Pistachios ground
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- 230 g Butter melted
Honey syrup
- 1 cup Honey
- 1 ⅓ cups Water
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 1 cup Granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoon Lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat an oven to 160c (320f) and prepare a 9 by 13 inch baking pan with softened butter.
- Thaw phyllo dough according to the package instructions. My favorite way is thawing it in the fridge overnight.
- In a medium mixing bowl, add the ground pistachios and the cinnamon. Mix until well combined. You can ground the pistachios in a food processor or in a blender until fine mixture forms.
- Trim the phyllo dough to fit in your baking pan. Add 7 sheets of phyllo dough into the pan, and brush every sheet of dough with melted butter.
- Sprinkle ⅕ of the pistachio mixture on top of the buttered phyllo and spread it evenly. Top the pistachio mixture with another 5 sheets of phyllo sheets, buttering every sheet with melted butter.
- Repeat four times until you run out of pistachios. Top the last batch of pistachios with more 5 sheets of phyllo and brush with butter.
- Use a sharp knife to cut the baklava into 4 rows lengthwise, and then cut diagonally so that each piece of baklava is in the shape of a diamond.
- Bake in a 160c (320f) preheated oven for 1 hour or until the baklava is golden brown.
- In a medium saucepan, add the sugar, honey, water, vanilla extract, and lemon juice and cook over medium-high heat mixing constantly until the sugar melts.
- Then reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for another 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it cool.
- Remove the baklava from the oven and immediately drizzle the honey syrup all over the baklava.
- This will ensure your baklava stays crispy and does not get soggy. Let it cool at room temperature for at least 4 hours and let the baklava soak the syrup.
Notes
- Use the best quality pistachio that you can find! Do not use salted pistachios. They will affect the flavor and make your dessert too salty. You can use natural toasted or untoasted pistachios.
- Use thin phyllo dough for this recipe! Don't use thick phyllo sheets for this.
- Trim your dough to the size of the pan. Every company has different sizes of phyllo dough, so it's important that you do this to make your pastry even.
- Let the phyllo dough defrost in the fridge overnight. This will make sure that your phyllo dough is fully defrosted.
- When you are buttering the phyllo dough sheets, make sure that you are super careful and gently butter it to prevent it from ripping.
- Divide your pistachio mixture before you start to assemble the baklava to ensure that you will get even layers.
- It is very important that you use a sharp knife to cut the baklava to get even and clean cuts.
- Cover the phyllo dough with a damp towel as you work your way through them to prevent them from drying out. This will prevent your sheets to crack as you lift them to transfer to the pan.
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