Homemade Baklava – Recipe from Yummiest Food Cookbook (2024)

Save Print

Ingredients

• 1 (16 oz) pkg phyllo dough, thawed according to package instructions (40 sheets)
• 1¼ cup butter (2½ sticks butter)
• 4 cup walnuts, finely chopped (or pecans)
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon

Honey lemon syrup:

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup honey
• 3 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 cup water

For garnish:

• Chopped walnuts and melted chocolate chips

Follow Yummiest Food on Pinterest

Instructions

To make syrup:

1. In a medium pan, combine granulated sugar, honey, lemon juice and water
2. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved, then reduce to medium low and boil for another 3-4 minutes
3. Remove from heat and let syrup cool while preparing baklava
4. Preheat oven to 350 F

To make baklava:

1. Assemble your ingredients before you start
2. Pulse walnuts in food processor until very finely chopped about fifteen 1-second pulses; transfer to bowl
3. In a medium bowl, stir together finely chopped walnuts and cinnamon
4. Place melted butter in a bowl and have a pastry brush for brushing it on the phyllo.
5. Butter the bottom and sides of a 13x9 non-stick baking pan
6. Thaw phyllo dough by package instructions
7. Unwrap your roll of phyllo dough
8. Trim phyllo dough to fit your baking dish
9. Cover the phyllo dough with a layer of plastic wrap and place a damp kitchen towel over the top.

For the assembly:

Step 1:

1. Add one sheet of the phyllo dough to the baking pan and brush with melted butter. Repeat process with another 9 phyllo sheets. Until you have a stack of 10 buttered phyllo sheets. Top with ¾ cup of the chopped cinnamon walnuts

Step 2:

1. Top walnut layer with another phyllo sheet, butter and repeat until you have a stack of 5 buttered phyllo sheets. Top with another ¾ cup of the chopped cinnamon walnuts

Repeat Step 2, 3 more times

Step 3:

1. Add another 10 phyllo sheets, buttering each sheet between layering and spreading the remaining butter on top.
2. Using a sharp knife, cut your baklava into 1½″ wide strips, then cut diagonally to form diamond shapes
3. Bake about 40-50 minutes, until the baklava is golden brown.
4. When the baklava comes out of the oven, immediately spoon the cooled honey lemon syrup evenly over the hot baklava, being sure to get it in all the cuts. Let cool completely, uncovered, for several hours
5. Garnish baklava with finely chopped walnuts and drizzle with melted chocolate chips
6. Baklava can be wrapped tightly in foil and kept at room temperature up to 10 days