Baklava - How to Make Baklawa

By
Saad Fayed
Saad Fayed
A restaurateur and food writer, Saad Fayed has published hundreds of recipes and articles about Middle Eastern cuisine.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 04/18/22
Baklava
Carin Krasner/Stockbyte/Getty Images
Prep: 25 mins
Cook: 75 mins
Total: 100 mins
Servings: 24 servings
Yield: 24 pieces

Baklava takes a lot of time to make. It's sticky and gooey. You will get messy—that's a given. But it is worth it. Baklava is such a dessert of passion. The passion it takes to make it, enjoying the sweet taste with each bite, makes it a dessert that is one of a kind.

Ingredients

  • 4 1/2 cups sugar, divided

  • 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

  • 2 cups water

  • 2 teaspoons rose water

  • 2 1/2 cups walnuts, or pistachios

  • Ground cinnamon, to taste, if using walnuts

  • 1 pound (2 cups) unsalted butter, softened

  • 1 (16-ounce package) frozen filo dough, thawed according to package directions

Steps to Make It

Prepare the Syrup

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Combine 4 cups sugar, lemon juice, and water in a medium saucepan.

  3. Bring to a boil, and allow to boil for 10 minutes.

  4. Add rosewater and bring to a boil. Remove from heat immediately.

  5. Allow to cool. 

Prepare the Dough and Filling

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Combine 1/2 cup sugar and nuts in a bowl. If using walnuts, add cinnamon.

  3. Preheat oven to 300 F.

  4. Unroll dough and cut into 9 x 12 pieces to fit into a dish.

  5. Grease bottom of 9 x 12 pan with butter.

  6. Place 2 sheets of dough in the baking dish.

  7. Brush dough with butter and repeat until half of the filo dough is used.

  8. Spread about 1 cup of the nut mixture over the last layer of dough.

  9. Place two sheets of filo dough and brush with butter.

  10. Repeat until nut mixture is used.

  11. On the final layer of filo dough, be sure to brush with butter.

  12. Cut into 3-inch squares.

  13. Then, cut each square in half diagonally to make triangles.

  14. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until golden brown.

  15. Remove from oven and pour syrup over the top of baklava and allow to seep and saturate it well.

  16. Serve and enjoy.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
339 Calories
17g Fat
47g Carbs
2g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 24
Amount per serving
Calories 339
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 17g 21%
Saturated Fat 10g 50%
Cholesterol 41mg 14%
Sodium 214mg 9%
Total Carbohydrate 47g 17%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 37g
Protein 2g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 8mg 1%
Iron 1mg 4%
Potassium 21mg 0%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)