Greek Baklava with Honey Syrup (Printable)

Crispy phyllo layers with spiced nuts and fragrant honey syrup

# What You'll Need:

→ Nut Filling

01 - 7 ounces walnuts, finely chopped
02 - 3.5 ounces pistachios, finely chopped
03 - 1.75 ounces almonds, finely chopped
04 - 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
05 - 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
06 - 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

→ Pastry Layers

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

→ Honey Syrup

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

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 340°F. Generously grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with melted butter.
02 - Combine walnuts, pistachios, almonds, cinnamon, cloves, and sugar in a bowl. Mix thoroughly to distribute spices evenly.
03 - Unroll phyllo dough and cover immediately with a lightly damp towel to prevent drying and cracking during assembly.
04 - Place one phyllo sheet in the prepared dish. Brush lightly with melted butter. Repeat with 7 more sheets, brushing each layer with butter for a total of 8 bottom sheets.
05 - Sprinkle 1/3 of the nut mixture evenly across the buttered phyllo surface.
06 - Add 4 more phyllo sheets, brushing each with butter. Sprinkle another 1/3 of the nut mixture over the surface.
07 - Add another 4 phyllo sheets, brushing each with butter. Sprinkle the remaining nut mixture evenly over the dough.
08 - Top with the remaining 4 phyllo sheets, brushing each with butter. Generously brush the top surface with additional butter.
09 - Using a sharp knife, carefully cut the assembled baklava into diamond or square shapes before baking. This ensures clean cuts and allows syrup to penetrate.
10 - Bake for 45-50 minutes until the phyllo turns golden brown and crisp. Watch carefully during the last 10 minutes to prevent over-browning.
11 - While baklava bakes, combine sugar, water, honey, cinnamon stick, and lemon peel in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes until slightly thickened. Remove from heat, discard cinnamon stick and lemon peel, and let cool until warm.
12 - Immediately pour the warm syrup slowly and evenly over the hot baklava. Allow to cool completely in the dish before serving to let the syrup fully absorb.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • The contrast between shatter crisp phyllo and velvety honey soaked nuts creates pure magic in every bite
  • It tastes even better on day two when the syrup has fully worked its way through every layer
  • Your entire kitchen will smell like warm honey and cinnamon which is basically free aromatherapy
02 -
  • Cutting the baklava before baking is essential, once it cools the phyllo becomes too fragile to cut cleanly
  • The syrup must be warm not boiling when you pour it, or it will make the phyllo soggy instead of perfectly soaked
  • Room temperature syrup onto hot pastry, or cool syrup onto room temperature baklava, never the opposite
03 -
  • Add a teaspoon of orange blossom water or rose water to the syrup for an authentic Greek touch
  • The baklava actually tastes better on day two when the syrup has fully penetrated every layer

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