Turkish Baklava with Honey (Printable)

Crisp phyllo layers filled with nuts and drizzled with aromatic honey syrup for a sweet Turkish treat.

# What You Need:

→ Nuts Filling

01 - 1 1/2 cups finely chopped walnuts
02 - 1 cup finely chopped pistachios
03 - 1/2 cup finely chopped almonds
04 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
05 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

→ Phyllo & Butter

06 - 1 pound phyllo dough, thawed
07 - 1 cup unsalted butter, melted

→ Honey Syrup

08 - 1 cup honey
09 - 1 cup water
10 - 1 cup granulated sugar
11 - 1 tablespoon lemon juice
12 - 1 strip lemon zest
13 - 1 cinnamon stick

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish with melted butter.
02 - In a bowl, mix walnuts, pistachios, almonds, 1/2 cup sugar, and cinnamon until well blended.
03 - Unroll phyllo dough and keep covered with a damp towel to prevent drying.
04 - Place one sheet of phyllo in the dish, brush with melted butter. Repeat to layer 8 sheets, buttering each.
05 - Evenly sprinkle one third of the nut mixture over the phyllo base.
06 - Add and butter 5 more phyllo sheets on top of nuts.
07 - Sprinkle next third of the nut mixture evenly over the phyllo layers.
08 - Layer and butter 5 more phyllo sheets, then scatter the remaining nut mixture.
09 - Complete with 8 to 10 phyllo sheets, each brushed with butter.
10 - Using a sharp knife, cut the assembled layers into diamond or square pieces.
11 - Bake for 45 minutes until golden brown and crisp.
12 - Combine honey, water, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and cinnamon stick in a saucepan. Bring to boil, then simmer 10 minutes. Remove zest and cinnamon stick, let cool slightly.
13 - Pour warm syrup slowly and evenly over hot baklava immediately after baking.
14 - Allow baklava to cool completely at room temperature for at least 4 hours to absorb syrup before serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The contrast between shatteringly crisp pastry and silky-soft, honey-soaked layers happens in every single bite.
  • It tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen, but the actual hands-on work is surprisingly manageable.
  • You'll have enough to share, freeze, or admit you ate more than you intended.
02 -
  • Thaw phyllo slowly and keep it covered—rushing this step or leaving it exposed is the number one reason baklava cracks and falls apart during layering.
  • Pour the syrup over hot pastry straight from the oven, not cold pastry, because temperature difference is what creates that magical absorption that makes every layer taste sweet and soaked.
  • Resist eating it right away; the real payoff happens after four hours of resting when the layers have unified and the syrup has reached every corner.
03 -
  • If phyllo tears while you're layering, don't panic—patch it with a small piece of phyllo brushed with butter from a scrap, and no one will ever know.
  • Toast your nuts very lightly before chopping them; it deepens their flavor without adding time or complexity to the recipe.
  • Make extra syrup and keep it in a jar—it's perfect for drizzling over yogurt, ice cream, or even warm bread.
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