How to Make Delicious Baklava

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How to Make Delicious Baklava

Baklava is a sweet treat that is great for holiday parties and potlucks. It has a nutty, lemon, honey flavor. This recipe is not vegan.

Andrea Skowronek

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Step 1 of 28

Gather your supplies. The lemon extract and cupcake papers are optional.

Step 2 of 28

Put the nuts in a bag and crush gently with a hammer. That is my husband's gross, rusty hammer. Don't use this method unless your tetanus shots are up-to-date.

Step 3 of 28

The nuts should look like this. It's okay if you have a few big chunks.

Step 4 of 28

Add cinnamon to the nuts plus a little cloves or nutmeg, if you like.

Step 5 of 28

Stir in the spices.

Step 6 of 28

Melt butter in the microwave.

Step 7 of 28

Use the butter wrapper to butter your casserole dish.

Step 8 of 28

Open the thawed phyllo package. You will only need one 8 ounce roll for this recipe.

Step 9 of 28

Unroll the phyllo gently and place a clean, damp towel over it while you're working. This will keep it from drying out and cracking.

Step 10 of 28

Arrange your assembly line: phyllo under a damp cloth, casserole dish, then nuts and melted butter.

Step 11 of 28

Preheat oven to 350F.

Step 12 of 28

Carefully place 2 sheets of phyllo into the bottom of the dish. Re-cover the phyllo stack with the damp towel.

Step 13 of 28

Brush gently with melted butter.

Step 14 of 28

Gently sprinkle a layer of nuts.

Step 15 of 28

Repeat this process about six more times: 2 sheets of phyllo, baste with butter, sprinkle with nuts. Stop when you have 6 phyllo sheets left.

Step 16 of 28

Add the last 6 sheets of phyllo.

Step 17 of 28

This is the tough part. Use a knife that is finely serrated and very sharp! Cut 3 vertical lines that reach to the bottom of the dish.

Step 18 of 28

Three lines.

Step 19 of 28

Cut diagonally about 8 times to make diamond shapes.

Step 20 of 28

Pretty.

Step 21 of 28

Put the dish in the oven at 350F and set timer for 50 minutes.

Step 22 of 28

While baklava is baking, add sugar and water to a pan on the stove set on medium.

Step 23 of 28

Zest a lemon until you have a teaspoon of zest.

Step 24 of 28

Add lemon zest to pan.

Step 25 of 28

When pan is boiling, add honey and vanilla. Add lemon extract, if you like.

Step 26 of 28

Simmer lemon syrup on low until baklava is done.

Step 27 of 28

Optional step: When baklava has 5 minutes left to bake, brush the top layer with more melted butter.

Step 28 of 28

Remove from the oven and immediately spoon the lemon syrup over each piece. You should hear a sizzle! Let cool. Put each piece into a cupcake paper. Enjoy!

You're Done

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Andrea Skowronek

Sweet and salty, hard candy shell, soft gooey center.

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½ Pounds Phyllo dough

1 Pounds Walnuts

1 Teaspoon Cinnamon

1 Cup Butter

1 Cup Sugar

1 Cup Water

½ Cups Honey

1 Teaspoon Vanilla extract

1 Teaspoon Lemon zest

1 Baking Dish

1 Ziplock bag, freezer size

1 Hammer

1 Saucepan

1 Spatula

1 Basting Brush

1 Damp cloth

1 Sharp knife

I made this tonight and it was amazing! Thanks for the recipe!!

Heather S last month

Had some at a place called Papa Cristo's for the first time today ( along with Chicken Kebab Pizza)! Everything was delicious! I hope this will turn out well, definitely gonna try! Thanks!

NahlaKing 🐯 4 months ago

Thank you for sharing Andrea, not to fond of walnuts ,can I substitute with other nuts

Don Westby 11 months ago

I love baklava, I have a friend from Turkey who makes this for special occasions. I'm gonna try to make this myself now :)

Sharona Lumos 11 months ago

Love it

Natia Diasamidze 11 months ago

Good googly-moogly! Me likey mucho!

Rebecca Adame 12 months ago

I LOVE BAKLAVA!!!!! I can not wait to try this :)

Pamela LeBaron 12 months ago

Love the simple instructions

Michael Mundy 12 months ago

This looks absolutely delicious !!!

Catherine Bennett 12 months ago

So anyway, back to the recipe...thank you! Looks yummy!

Debbi B 12 months ago

İn the wikipedi: The history of baklava is not well documented. It has been claimed by many ethnic groups, but there is strong evidence that it is of Central Asian Turkic origin, with its current form being developed in the imperial kitchens of the Topkapı Palace. Also baklava known as a Gaziantep dessert (Gaziantep is a famous city of delights in Turkey)

Ömer Evirgen 12 months ago

FYI: Assyrians in the 8th century BC came up with the basic ingredients, thin dough, chopped nuts, and honey! Modern Baklava comes from the Greeks who added phyllo (leaf in Greek) paper thin dough. Ottoman Empire spread it to the west via the western gourmet chefs who studied in Constantinople. Hope that settles it so just enjoy this great dessert. BTW: I'm Assyrian, I should know😄

Novel 12 months ago

My dad and his girlfriend made some. Is was so good!

Alyssa Hughart 12 months ago

This looks easy and been wanting to find an easy recipe for baklava! Thank u I'll have to try it out!

Amber Nixon 12 months ago

Wow I didn't know this cooky can be found in many countries. I'm Persian and we have it in Iran with the same name as well.

Alireza Khalilzadeh 12 months ago

Yes that is what i wanted to say, you cannot say it is originally greek:) i sent that link for you to see there are a lot of comments about that, i didn't want to argue, just wanted to inform. good evening!

Rumeysa Halepliler 12 months ago

I think we shouldn't ruin Andrea's nice guide with quibbling over this old argument that has no answer!! :)

Marina Gonzales Piperidis 12 months ago

If you do your research you'll see that there's no definite answer to the origin of baklava but this recipe is the Greek one.

Karma Scapillato 12 months ago

In many countries* and the recipes vary. It's originally Greek.

Karma Scapillato 12 months ago

Again, its found I many

Karma Scapillato 12 months ago

Baklava is found in plenty of countries!

Karma Scapillato 12 months ago

Marina: i will try that next time ill do baklava. just to see if there is any difference.

Ihsan Qibar 12 months ago

Our Greek Cypriot family's rule is: always pour COLD syrup over HOT baklava. Maybe it doesn't matter?

Marina Gonzales Piperidis 12 months ago

Nope it has to be hot. Then you just wait for it be be cold.

Ihsan Qibar last year

I have had Andrea's Baklava and it is wonderful!

Johanna Linnersten last year

Perfect. I need to make this for this week and couldn't find my old recipe. Thanks!

Kat K last year

This recipe looks great. I'm pretty good in the kitchen but I've never tried to make this although I love it! I think it's time...

Georgia Phillips last year

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That hammer been thru hell,,

Leap Star 3 weeks ago

Lol

Ms. Tee Some 12 months ago

Hahahaha

Karrie K. 12 months ago

Nice rusty hammer lol

Jonathan Jay-t last year

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That is very smart and resourceful!

Sherri M 3 weeks ago

Good idea :)!

Justine2707 Chimmy 12 months ago

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I have loved baklava for years. Living in a small Texas town I don't get to enjoy it often. This is so simple I now can have it whenever I want. Looks awesome!

Lisa Monroe Liddiard 12 months ago

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