This simple honey walnut baklava recipe was created specifically for yours truly by my husband who knows all too well what it’s like when a southerner is deprived of sugar for too long. You see, I looove baklava but my allergy to almonds means I can almost never eat it.
Couple that with the fact that we’re also beekeepers with an excess (*coughunderstatement) of honey at our house and this baklava recipe is a long time coming.
At the bottom of this post is a printable recipe card for you to keep. It covers the ingredients and basic steps to make this simple honey walnut baklava recipe but check back to this post for all the details.
Simple honey walnut baklava recipe
To be honest, we put off making baklava for so long because it merely seemed like it would be hard to make. Those layers are so thin! What concentration and delicacy it must require! As it turns out, working with phyllo dough is actually way easier than you might think.
Fun fact
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I include this recipe in my Turkey posts but the truth is that this recipe is more along the lines of Greek baklava than it is Turkish.
Turkish baklava utilizes pistachios and a sugar syrup + lemon juice while Greek uses more walnuts and honey. I did a side-by-side taste test in Istanbul and Greek-style baklava still won.
This recipe makes 24 pieces, only takes about 45 minutes to prepare, and 75 minutes to cook.
Tools you’ll need
- Oven
- Measuring cups and spoons
- 9″ x 13″ baking dish
- Knife
- Basting brush
- Grater, with an option for “fine”
- Food processor – optional
- Bizarre squirrel nut crusher – extremely optional but kinda badass let’s be honest (there’s also this less-awesome version on Amazon.)
Ingredients
- 1 (1 pound) package of phyllo dough
- 1 pound of walnuts
- 2.5 sticks of butter (1 1/4 cups)
- 2 tbsp ground cinnamon (if you don’t love cinnamon, anything between 1 and 2 tbsp is fine)
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 cup honey
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/2 tsp grated lemon peel
How to make this simple honey walnut baklava
Prep the dough
Step 1: Remove your phyllo dough from the freezer and thaw in the refrigerator overnight. (in the package is fine)
Step 2: Unroll the stack of phyllo dough sheets onto a clean surface. Trim the stack of sheets to the size of your baking dish, so… 9 inches by 13 inches.
Some packages come in 9″ x 14″ inch sheets so you’ll only need to cut off about an inch. The brand we use comes in 18 sheets of 13″ x 17″ so we just cut ours in half.
Make the walnut filling
Step 3: Chop the walnuts. Yes, you can buy “chopped walnuts.” But even if you do, there’s a good chance you’ll still need to chop them up some more. Baklava requires very finely chopped nuts.
I buy my walnuts in halves (they’re actually cheaper that way too!) and use this crazy squirrel-shaped nut chopper. However, you can also use a food processor if you don’t have such a kitschy kitchen.
Step 4: Add 1/4 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons of ground cinnamon to the chopped walnuts and mix together.
Assemble the baklava
Step 5: Melt the 2.5 sticks of butter. Use whichever method you prefer.
Step 6: Using a basting brush, butter the sides and bottom of your baking dish.
Step 7: Start by adding a single sheet of phyllo dough to the bottom of your pan. Then, using your brush, cover that sheet in a thin layer of butter. Repeat 9 more times.
The bottom layer of your baklava should consist of 10 sheets of phyllo dough, buttered in between each one.
Step 8: Spread a single layer of the nut mix over the dough (about 3/4 cup nut mixture)
Step 9: On top of the nuts, add another 5 sheets of phyllo dough, buttered in between each one.
Repeat step 8 three more times, then repeat step 7. Brush the very top of your baklava with whatever butter you have left.
In total, your baklava should look like:
- 10 sheets of dough, buttered in between and on top
- walnut mixture
- 5 sheets of dough, buttered in between each one
- walnut mixture
- 5 sheets of dough, buttered in between each one
- walnut mixture
- 5 sheets of dough, buttered in between each one
- walnut mixture
- 5 sheets of dough, buttered in between each one
- walnut mixture
- 10 sheets of dough, buttered in between and underneath
Need to know
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How many sheets will be in your package of phyllo dough may vary somewhere between 32-40 sheets. Count them beforehand to see if you may need to do 8-4-4-4-4-8 instead.
Step 10: After you’ve assembled your entire pan of baklava, use a sharp knife to cut it into servings. For that signature baklava diamond shape, cut straight lines vertically, then again diagonally.
Bake your baklava
Step 11: Bake at 325°F for 1 hour and 15 minutes… or until the top is golden brown. Ovens vary, check it after an hour just in case.
Prepare the sauce
Step 12: While the baklava is in the oven, combine 1 cup of honey, 3/4 cup of water, and 1/2 a teaspoon of grated lemon peel in a medium saucepan.
Bring to a boil while stirring then reduce heat to medium/low and simmer for 4 minutes without stirring.
Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
Step 13: Remove the baklava from the oven once it’s done and immediately spoon the honey syrup over the hot baklava.
Wait for it… then enjoy!
Step 14: The most difficult step of this easy honey walnut baklava recipe… do not devour immediately!
Let the baklava sit overnight, uncovered at room temperature. (If you live in a lair of pet hair, covering with a thin kitchen towel may be necessary.) This allows the honey mixture to soak into all the layers so the baklava can reach its full delicious potential.
Note: This recipe makes 24 pieces. If you’re making this for a party, I’m sorry to say this will be gone immediately. If you’ve made this big pan’s worth of baklava and you’re just a 2-person household, it’ll last a big longer. (< highly recommend this last one)
You might like
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Looking to cook up more awesomeness? Check out this post on how to recreate a Turkish bath at home. Good news: it ends in baklava!
How to store baklava
This baklava will keep at room temperature in whatever kind of container you so choose, but you can also freeze it. Thaw at room temperature for a couple of hours when you’re ready to eat it then keep what’s left at room temperature.
Simple Honey Walnut Baklava Recipe
This Greek-style baklava recipe uses just a few ingredients, is super easy to make, and is absolutely delicious.
Ingredients
- 1 (16 oz.) package of phyllo dough
- 1 pounds of walnuts
- 2.5 sticks of unsalted butter (or 1.25 cups)
- 2 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 cup honey
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/2 tsp grated lemon peel
Instructions
- Remove phyllo dough from freezer and thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
- Unroll phyllo dough out onto a clean surface and trim to the size of your baking dish.
- Finely chop the walnuts if they aren't already.
- Add 1/4 cup sugar and 2 tbsp cinnamon to the chopped nuts and mix together.
- Melt 2.5 sticks of butter.
- Use a basting brush to butter the sides and bottom of your baking dish.
- Assemble your baklava by starting with 10 layers of phyllo dough with a thin layer of butter between each one.
- Spread a layer of the nut mixture (about 3/4 cup) over the dough.
- Repeat the layering process so that your baklava follows this format:
10 sheets of dough, buttered in between each one
Nut mixture
5 sheets of dough, buttered in between each one
Nut mixture
5 sheets of dough, buttered in between each one
Nut mixture
5 sheets of dough, buttered in between each one
Nut mixture
5 sheets of dough, buttered in between each one
Nut mixture
10 sheets of dough, buttered in between each one - Use a sharp knife to cut the baklava into its signature diamond-shaped pieces.
- Bake at 325°F for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.
- While the baklava is in the oven, combine 1 cup of honey, 3/4 cup water, 1/2 tsp grated lemon peel in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil while stirring, then reduce heat to med/low and continue to simmer for 4 minutes without stirring. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
- Remove baklava from the oven and immediately spoon the honey syrup over the hot baklava.
- Let baklava sit overnight, uncovered at room temperature.
- Enjoy!
Notes
This baklava will keep at room temperature in whatever kind of container you so choose, but you can also freeze it. Thaw for a couple of hours when you’re ready to eat it then keep what’s left at room temperature.
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