Try the baklava recipe 6 times differently! It will please all palates

Are you hungry, but don’t know what to do?

Prepare a traditional baklava recipe with us and enjoy the original taste of the Middle East.

This dessert is surprisingly easy to make and if you use store-bought dough, it will take you no more than 30 minutes. But with a traditional dough, this sweet dessert will be even sweeter!

Go to sweet paradise with this treat!

Greek honey baklava

This traditional Greek recipe for a sweet dessert combines layers of crispy dough soaked in sweet syrup and a cinnamon-scented nut mixture. This treat is perfect to make the day before because it’s even better the next day!

What will we need

For Baklava and nut filling

1. 170 g shelled pistachios (coarsely chopped)
2. 170 g walnuts, (coarsely chopped)
3. 170 g hazelnuts (coarsely chopped)
4. 150 g of sugar
5. 2 tablespoons of ground cinnamon
6. A teaspoon of ground cloves
7. 450 g of baklava dough (you can buy the dough in a store or make it according to our recipe, see the last article of the text)
8. 280 g of melted butter (up to 16 tablespoons)

For honey syrup

1. 180 g of sugar
2. 250 ml of cold water
3. 250 ml of honey
4. 1 tablespoon of orange extract
5. 5 whole cloves
6. Juice of one lemon

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees
2. Let’s prepare the honey syrup
3. Put sugar and water in a saucepan and, stirring occasionally, heat the mixture on the stove until the sugar dissolves
4. Add honey, orange extract and whole cloves, mix everything together
5. Bring the mixture to a boil in the pot and then reduce the heat and let it cook for about 25 minutes
6. Remove the pot with the syrup from the heat and let it cool so that it is lukewarm
7. Then add lemon juice and remove the cloves
8. Add pistachios, walnuts and hazelnuts to the nut mixture in a food processor (with a blade as a handle)
9. Chop the nuts in several pulses (not into a powder, but roughly)
10. Transfer to a large bowl and add sugar, cinnamon and ground cloves
11. Mix everything well to combine the ingredients
12. We will prepare purchased or home-made baklava dough
13. Unwrap the thawed dough and place the sheets between two clean kitchen towels
14. This will help prevent the dough from drying out and breaking as you work with it
15. Prepare a baking pan to assemble the baklava
16. Brush the inside of the baking pan with a little melted butter
17. We take one sheet of dough and put it in the baking pan
18. Brush the top of the plate with melted butter
19. We repeat this procedure several more times until we use up about ⅓ of the dough, brushing each layer with melted butter
20. Now spread about ½ of the nut mixture evenly over the top layer of the layered dough
21. We continue to assemble the baklava, one sheet at a time
22. Again, brush each layer with a little melted butter
23. Repeat until ⅓ of the dough is used again
24. Brush the dough again with the remaining ½ of the nut mixture, which we spread evenly on top of the dough
25. Layer the remaining ⅓ of the dough in the same way as before
26. Brush the very last sheet with butter
27. Cut the baklava into 24 diamond-shaped pieces (watch the video instructions below)
28. Place the pan with the baklava in the oven on the middle rack and bake for 35-45 minutes, until the top of the baklava is golden and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
29. As soon as we take the baklava out of the oven, pour the cooled syrup over the hot baklava
30. Let the baklava rest for several hours or at least 1 hour before serving

Traditional Turkish Baklava

This Middle Eastern dessert is crunchy, soft and most importantly not too sweet. It’s basically a fluffy paradise that melts in your mouth!

What will we need

1. 450 g of baklava dough (you can buy the dough in a store or make it according to our recipe, see the last article of the text)
2. 285 g of melted butter
3. 450 g walnuts (finely chopped)
4. A teaspoon of ground cinnamon
5. 200 g of granulated sugar
6. 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
7. 185 ml of water
8. 170 ml of honey

For decoration

1. Melted chocolate chips
2. Chopped walnuts

Method

1. Thaw the dough according to the instructions on the package so that it is at room temperature during baking
2. Grease the baking pan with butter
3. Let’s prepare the honey sauce
4. In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, honey, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, and water
5. Bring the mixture to a boil and stir until the sugar dissolves
6. Then reduce the heat to low and cook for another 4 minutes without stirring
7. Remove the pot from the heat and let the syrup cool while you prepare the baklava
8. Preheat the oven to 150 degrees
9. Grind the walnuts in a food processor so that they have a fine texture
10. In a medium bowl, mix finely chopped walnuts and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
11. Place 10 sheets of dough in the baking pan, one at a time
12. Brush each sheet with butter before placing the next one on top
13. The remaining dough is constantly covered with a damp towel so that it does not dry out
14. Layer ⅕ of the nut mixture on top of the dough
15. Add another 5 buttered dough slices and then another layer of nuts
16. We repeat the procedure 4 times
17. We finish the entire baklava recipe with 10 layers of buttered dough slices
18. Spread butter on top of the last sheet
19. Cut the dough in the shape of diamonds
20. Place in the oven and bake at 150 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes until the tops are golden brown
21. Take the baklava out of the oven and immediately pour the cooled syrup evenly over it using a spoon
22. Allow the baklava to cool completely, uncovered and at room temperature
23. Garnish the baklava with finely chopped nuts or drizzle with melted chocolate.

Lebanese pistachio dessert

This traditional Lebanese baklava recipe is a popular delicacy around the world. This sweet pistachio baklava is made with only healthy ingredients without preservatives and artificial flavorings.

What will we need

For baklava

1. 200 g pistachios (finely chopped)
2. 375 g ghee (or melted butter)
3. 450 g of baklava dough (you can buy the dough in a store or make it according to our recipe, see the last article of the text)

For syrup

1. 85 g of sugar
2. 85 g of honey
3. 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
4. 2 teaspoons of lemon juice

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 150 degrees
2. Grease the baking pan with ghee
3. Mix pistachios and ½ ghee in a bowl
4. We take eight sheets of dough and layer it in a greased form, continuously brushing each sheet with melted ghee butter
5. Spread about ½ of the nut mixture over the dough
6. Cover the mixture with another 6 sheets of dough, each spread with ghee butter
7. Add the remaining nut mixture and place the remaining sheets of dough, each sheet again smeared with ghee
8. Using a knife, cut the baklava into small diamonds
9. Place in the oven and bake for 50 minutes until the top of the baklava is golden brown
10. While the baklava is baking, mix the sugar, honey, cinnamon and lemon juice in a small saucepan
11. Bring the mixture to a boil and let the sugar dissolve completely
12. Reduce the heat and let the mixture boil for 5 minutes
13. Let the syrup cool to room temperature before use
14. When the baklava is ready, take it out of the oven and let it cool
15. Once the syrup is lukewarm, drizzle it evenly over the baklava
16. Let the baklava sit for 6 to 8 hours to absorb the syrup

Cinnamon crispy rolls with nuts

A slightly unconventional presentation of baklava. This recipe for cinnamon rolls and walnuts is just as delicious as the classic baklava recipe. The only difference is the form in which it arrives on your plate. Watch the video tutorial on how to wrap the rolls correctly!

What will we need

For syrup

1. 250 g of granulated sugar
2. 150 ml of water
3. 30 g of glucose syrup
4. Cinnamon stick
5. 4 cloves (whole)
6. Juice of a small lemon

On the rolls

1. 200 g of melted ghee
2. 50 g of walnuts
3. 50 g of almonds
4. 50 g of pistachios
5. A teaspoon of ground cinnamon
6. 500 g of dough (you can buy the dough in a store or make it according to our recipe, see the last article of the text)
7. Ground pistachios (for garnish)

Method

1. In a small saucepan, combine sugar, water, glucose syrup, cinnamon stick, cloves and lemon juice
2. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat
3. Cook, stirring occasionally, to dissolve the sugar
4. As soon as the mixture boils, turn off the heat and let the syrup cool
5. We set the rack in the oven to the lowest level
6. Preheat the oven to 150 degrees
7. In a food processor, very finely chop the walnuts, almonds, pistachios and cinnamon
8. Unwrap the dough and cut it in half
9. Wrap the dough in foil and a damp kitchen towel to prevent it from drying out
10. Take one sheet of dough, place it on the work surface and spread ghee on it
11. Sprinkle a little over 2 teaspoons of the nut mixture over the entire surface of the dough
12. The roll can be wrapped around a thin stick, which we then remove before baking, or the roll can be wrapped without it
13. So we roll the dough around a wooden stick or roll it without it
14. If you are not using a stick, do not over-tighten the dough
15. We repeat the procedure with all plates in the same way
16. Place the rolls in a greased baking tray so that they touch each other
17. Spread the remaining ghee on all the rolls
18. Place in the oven and bake for 70 to 90 minutes until golden
19. Take the finished rolls out of the oven and immediately pour the cooled syrup over the hot dessert
20. Let them rest for at least 30 minutes and soak up the syrup
21. At the end, sprinkle the rolls with ground pistachios and serve

Baklava Rolls Flaky Filo Phyllo Pastry Ladies Fingers Easy Quick BEST Recipe

Vegan baklava

Come bake a vegan version of this crispy Turkish delicacy in just 30 minutes! This vegan recipe for a classic dessert can be made ahead and served to anyone with a sweet tooth!

What will we need

1. 200 g of walnuts
2. 310 g cane sugar (or coconut)
3. 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
4. 200 g coconut butter (melted)
5. 450 g of baklava dough (you can buy the dough in a store or make it according to our recipe, see the last article of the text)
6. 100 ml of water
7. 200 ml agave syrup
8. 2 tablespoons of lemon juice

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 150 degrees
2. Add walnuts, ½ of the total amount of sugar and cinnamon to the food processor
3. Pulse several times to finely chop the nuts
4. Cover the dough with a damp towel to prevent it from drying out
5. Grease the baking dish with melted coconut butter or other vegetable fat
6. Place the first sheet of dough on the bottom and spread it with coconut butter
7. Repeat until about ⅓ of the dough is used up
8. Spread approximately ⅕ of the nut mixture on the dough layer
9. Then add another 2 sheets of dough, each coated with butter
10. Then we add another layer of nuts
11. We repeat the whole process four more times or until we use up all the dough and filling
12. Brush the last sheet with butter
13. Cut the dessert into 24 square pieces with a very sharp knife
14. Place in the oven and bake for about 35-45 minutes or until golden
15. Meanwhile, add the remaining sugar, water and agave syrup to a medium saucepan
16. Bring the mixture to a boil and stir until the sugar dissolves
17. When the sugar is dissolved, reduce the heat and cook for 10-15 minutes
18. Then remove from the heat, stir in the lemon juice and leave to cool
19. Take the baklava out of the oven and while it is still hot, immediately pour the syrup over it and let it cool completely at room temperature
20. Let it sit for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight
21. Serve garnished with chopped nuts and cinnamon

Puff pastry baklava with pudding

There is no time to waste, and this also applies in the kitchen. Make this easy recipe for a crispy Middle Eastern dessert even faster with a puff pastry that’s just as crunchy as original baklava dough, but with a lot less work to assemble. However, this does not mean that the taste is worse, the dessert is just as sweet and delicious as in its traditional form!

What will we need

1. 55 g of pistachio nuts
2. 85 g of walnuts
3. 2 sheets of puff pastry
4. 20 g butter (melted)
5. A teaspoon of ground cinnamon
6. 375 ml cream
7. A teaspoon of vanilla extract
8. 270 g of powdered sugar
9. 375 ml of milk
10. 35 g of corn flour
11. 6 egg yolks
12. 60 ml of fresh lemon juice
13. 2 spoons of honey
14. 6 whole cloves
15. Cinnamon stick
16. 2 tablespoons of rose water

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees
2. Grease 2 baking trays with butter
3. Line the bottom with baking paper
4. Roughly chop half of the pistachios and walnuts
5. Transfer them to a bowl and set aside
6. Finely chop the remaining nuts and transfer to a separate bowl
7. Place one sheet of puff pastry on each tray
8. Brush the plates with butter, sprinkle with cinnamon, and then with finely chopped nuts
9. Drizzle the plates with the remaining butter
10. Place in the oven and bake for 8 minutes, until the pastry puffs up and turns a light golden color
11. We pierce the sheets of dough 2 to 3 times with a skewer and, using a baking sheet, flatten it to a thickness of 1-1.5 cm
12. Bake for another 8 minutes
13. And then let them cool completely
14. Mix cream, vanilla, 170 g of sugar and 250 ml of milk in a large saucepan
15. Heat the mixture to medium heat, and then bring the mixture to a boil
16. Remove from heat
17. Mix cornmeal, egg yolks and remaining milk in a bowl
18. Pour this mixture into the cream mixture and stir until the ingredients are well combined
19. Place the pot back on the stove and over a medium-low heat, cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until it thickens
20. Cut each sheet of dough in half and place in a tall baking sheet
21. Spread one third of the custard mixture on the first sheet
22. Place the second sheet of dough on top
23. Add the second third of the pudding and cover it again with the dough
24. We repeat the procedure with the remaining dough and pudding, when we finish the entire baklava with dough
25. Place the baklava in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours
26. Put the remaining powdered sugar in a small saucepan with lemon juice, honey, cloves, cinnamon and 80 ml of water
27. Stir over medium heat until the sugar dissolves
28. Increase the temperature and cook for 3 minutes until slightly thickened
29. Discard the cloves and cinnamon and mix in the rose water
30. Pour this syrup over the baked baklava (keep some for serving)
31. We serve the baklava sprinkled with coarsely chopped nuts and the remaining syrup

Homemade baklava dough

There is nothing better than a homemade pie made with homemade dough! Phyllo dough, as its original name sounds in Greek, means sheet or plate and is used for baking both sweet and savory cakes and desserts.

What will we need

1. 300 g plain flour
2. 5 tablespoons of olive oil
3. A spoonful of red wine vinegar
4. Teaspoon of salt
5. 130-150 ml of water

Method

1. Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl
2. Make a well in the middle of the flour and pour in the vinegar and olive oil
3. Using the kneading attachment, process the dough in a food processor for 10-15 seconds
4. First, add 130 ml of water and mix until the flour absorbs all the water
5. After mixing for a while, the dough should become an elastic ball
6. The perfect dough should be soft, malleable and smooth
7. If the dough still falls apart, we have to add a little more water
8. Add just a few drops of water and stir for a while
9. Check the consistency of the dough and add a few more drops of water if necessary
10. If we add more water than needed, the dough will be sticky
11. We can do this by adding more flour (we add it by spoonfuls)
12. When we are satisfied with the consistency of the dough, cut the dough into balls and lightly brush them with olive oil, wrap them in plastic film
13. Let the dough rest for 45-60 minutes
14. Resting is necessary to make the dough soft and easy to work with
15. With the dough prepared in this way, we can start preparing our homemade baklava

Video instructions for preparing baklava

How to Make Baklava From Scratch! Easy Turkish Walnut Baklava With Secrets You Can't Find!

How to cut baklava

How to cut baklava- how to cut baklava into diamonds

What is baklava?

Although the history of baklava is not well documented, its current form was probably developed in the kitchen of the Emperor of Constantinople. When baklava was served during Ramadan in a festive procession called Baklava Alayı that accompanied it.

The three main currents that claim this dessert are the ancient Romans, the Turks from Central Asia and the Persians. Some attribute the invention of baklava to the Assyrians, who according to them should have invented it already in the 8th century BC

Similarities with baklava can also be found in ancient Greek desserts called gastris or Turkish güllaç, which uses traditional baklava dough, only the filling differs from the modern form. This dessert should have been baked for the first time already in the 14th century.

Greeks and Turks still argue over which baklava recipe was the first. Both countries therefore claim baklava. Both Greek and Turkish cuisine were based on the cooking of the Byzantine Empire, which continued the cooking tradition of the Roman Empire. Because both cuisines and cultures are historically intertwined, it is difficult to attribute the recipe to just one side.

Baklava is a traditional dessert in modern Arab cuisines, although none of the historical cookbooks mention it. His recipe consists of small pieces of almond paste wrapped in a very thin dough and covered in syrup.

Preparing baklava

Large baking sheets are used to prepare baklava.

Baklava is usually prepared on large baking sheets. Many layers of traditional dough are placed on the baking sheet, which is smeared with melted butter and vegetable oil. A layer of chopped nuts – typically walnuts or pistachios, but hazelnuts are sometimes used – is placed on top, followed by further layers of dough.

Before baking (180 °C for 30 minutes), the dough is cut into regular pieces in the shape of diamonds, triangles or rectangles. After baking, the cooked baklava is poured with syrup, which may contain honey, rose water or orange blossom water, and left to soak.

Baklava is usually served at room temperature and is often garnished with ground nuts.

Types of baklava

There are many regional variations of baklava. In Greece , walnuts are more common than pistachios, and the dessert is often flavored with cinnamon. Greek-style baklava is supposed to be made of 33 layers of dough, referring to the years of Christ’s life.

In Iran , cardamom is added to the sweetened nut filling.

Azerbaijani baklava is a type of baklava made from yeast dough, hazelnuts, ground cloves, cardamom and saffron. Walnuts or almonds are used in the filling, it is usually cut into a diamond shape and traditionally served during spring holidays.

In Armenian cuisine, baklava is spiced with cinnamon and cloves.