Classic Greek Baklava
Layered with filo, nuts, and an orange flower water flavored syrup, once you taste this Classic Greek Baklava, you’ll never forget this heavenly dessert! Nothing held my mom back in the kitchen and this baklava dessert was one of the most delicious, memorable treats she made for our family!
If you’ve never baked with filo, fillo, or phyllo dough, scroll down and read my tips for working with these extremely thin pastry sheets. Once mastered, this Baklava Recipe will become a new favorite dessert!
Why You’ll Love this Baklava Dessert
- Your friends and family will be in awe when you tell them you made baklava!
- It’s easier than it looks. If you haven’t worked with filo, I’ve included some tips below.
- If you’re a nut lover, you must make a batch!!
I was blessed to spend most of my childhood in a small, Midwest university town. Basically, Ames, Iowa, was in the middle of nowhere, but the college brought many benefits. We’d attend the symphony, theater, and football games. So what if all the key players were university students! My parents became friends with folks from all over the world and with that, we were exposed to new cuisines.
After chatting with my Greek friend, Eleni, I learned that a Baklava Recipe can vary depending on the family and area it is made. Many have honey, cloves, cinnamon, and bread crumbs. My mother’s classic Greek Baklava is lacking all of those ingredients, but she did reassure me that sugar syrup and orange blossom water were also traditional.
Easy Baklava Recipe
Down the street lived the Adamantios family, and Marcia and my mom became fast friends. Through this friendship, my mom acquired recipes for Greek lemon soup, moussaka, and, our favorite, this baklava dessert. The only tricky part is working with the filo dough, but it’s very forgiving, so don’t worry if it tears.
Thanks to an international grocery store on campus, we had access to filo dough, quite exotic for Iowa in the 1970s! I remember painting melted butter over the thin, fragile pastry sheets with my mom at my side. No other baklava recipe tastes as wonderful as this version made with love by my mother. Keep reading and I’ll share how to make baklava at home!
Tips for Working with Filo Dough:
- Filo dough is usually found in your grocer’s freezer case. Follow the instructions on the box for defrosting. A slow overnight defrosting in the refrigerator is usually the best option.
- Do not remove the filo from the plastic wrapping until all your other ingredients are prepped and ready to go.
- PRO-Tip: When you’re ready to start layering, remove the filo from its packaging, unroll, and place it on a clean work surface. Cover with a sheet of plastic wrap, then a damp towel.
- Work quickly, uncovering the filo just to remove a sheet. Make sure to cover it again as soon as possible. If the filo dries out, it will shatter into many pieces when you try to move it.
- Brush your pastry with oil or melted butter as directed in your recipe. Since the exterior edges are more likely to dry out first, brush around the perimeter first. Using a soft pastry brush will minimize any tearing.
- Don’t worry too much if you have sheets tear. I use these in the middle of my baklava. No one will be the wiser as there most likely are intact layers above and below.
- Wrap any leftover filo well and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is Baklava?
Baklava is a sweet dessert pastry made of layers of filo dough, nuts, and sweet syrup to hold it all together. The nuts, syrup, and flavorings vary depending on the baker.
What is the Origin of Baklava?
Baklava hails from the Middle East and the Mediterranean including the Levant, South Caucasus, Southeast Europe (Greece), Maghreb, and Central Asia. The Ottoman Empire is considered baklava’s place of origin.
What is Filo?
Filo or phyllo dough is a paper-thin pastry that is used in Mediterranean cuisine. Due to its thin nature, filo dries out quickly and becomes extremely fragile when exposed to air.
Therefore, extra care is needed when you’re using filo in your baking like with this classic Greek baklava recipe, börek, spanakopita, strudel, tiropita, and more! Once you’ve worked with filo, you’ll find this is truly an easy baklava recipe!
How Do You Store Baklava?
It can be stored at room temperature if your kitchen is not too warm for up to 2 weeks. In the summer, it’s best to keep it in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Make sure it’s in an airtight container.
Baklava may also be frozen. Make sure it’s cool, then place in an airtight container, separating any layers with wax or parchment paper. It freezes well for up to 4 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator.
How to Make Baklava
Baklava is not a difficult recipe, once you know a few tricks. First, get all your ingredients ready. Nuts should be chopped, filo defrosted, and in the refrigerator, and damp towel ready to cover the filo while you’re layering. The sugar syrup should be made and chilled before you start your assembly. Here’s how to make baklava:
- Melt the butter and grease your baking pan with a pastry brush.
- Mix together the nuts and sugar and set aside.
- PRO-Tip: Open your filo and cover with the plastic or parchment from the box, then a damp towel to keep the pastry from getting dry and brittle.
- Layer half the filo dough, brushing each layer with butter, into the prepared pan.
- After the first half of the filo is in the pan, spread the nut mixture over the surface.
- Continue layering and buttering the rest of the filo over the nuts.
- Cut the baklava on the diagonal in one direction, then the other to form lozenge (or thin rhombus) shapes, then bake as directed.
- As soon as the baklava comes out of the oven, evenly pour over the cold sugar syrup. Let the baklava cool to room temperature, then dig in!
Baklava Ingredients:
- Filo or phyllo dough is a given. If you’re not familiar with filo, it is a paper-thin pastry dough that is buttered and layered to make flaky layers for desserts, appetizers, and entrees. It provides the distinctive baklava layers.
- Nuts are not optional either, but the variety can vary. My recipe uses walnuts, but pistachios and even hazelnuts or almonds are utilized.
- Sugar syrup is needed to help the dessert come together. Often made with honey, the Turkish versions tend to leave that out. I do, too. Mine is flavored with orange flower (or orange blossom) water for a subtle, but distinctive taste I adore.
- Butter (or olive oil) to brush between the filo layers.
You May Also Like:
- Cardamom Pistachio Baklava from Foodie with Family
- Double Chocolate Nutella Toffee Skillet Brownie from Country Cleaver
- Pecan Tassies
- Old Fashioned Pecan Pie
- Toffee Cookies with Walnuts
- White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
- Plus, you must check out my Dessert Recipes and Bar Cookie Recipes for more inspiration!
This recipe was originally shared in May 2016. The text was updated in 2020.
Classic Baklava Recipe
A traditional Greek dessert that you can now make at home!
Ingredients
Syrup:
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon orange blossom water
- 1 pound filo dough
Baklava:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 6-8 ounces chopped walnuts, coarsely chopped
- 2 tablespoons sugar
Instructions
- Make syrup by dissolving sugar in water and simmer till thick enough to coat a spoon, then add lemon and orange blossom water and simmer for 2 more minutes. Cool to room temperature in the refrigerator.
- Brush a 9 x 13 pan with butter. Place half of the filo in the pan, one sheet at a time, brushing each layer with butter. Keep the filo covered with a damp towel while brushing the layers to prevent it from drying out. Don't worry if it tears, though, it will still look and taste fine.
- Mix nuts and sugar and spread over the filo layers. Cover with remaining filo, brushing each layer with butter as before.
- Cut diagonally into lozenge shapes. Bake at 350º for 30 minutes, then increase the temperature to 450º for 15 minutes or less till puffed and golden.
- Remove from oven and quickly pour cold syrup over baklava. Cool.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
24Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 559Total Fat: 49gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 37gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 80mgCarbohydrates: 27gFiber: 4gSugar: 11gProtein: 9g
49 Comments on “Classic Greek Baklava”
I grew up eating Baklava, this looks just like my moms!
Everyone at my house was really impressed! It was so good!
Your tips for working with the dough are really helpful. That kiss of orange sounds amazing!
Yum! What a great recipe! This is delicious, and full of flavor.
I am obsessed with this baklava! I love recipes with a history attached, I swear they even taste better!
Thanks for the delicious recipe! This was such an impressive dessert that everyone raved over!
I LOVE Baklava! I’ve always been afraid to make it myself but I’m definitely going to try this recipe soon!
Such a classic dessert and this is a great version!
I am a sucker for Baklava! This looks so tasty!
Beautifully made! I have to try this now!
This reminds me a bit of the nut rolls my aunt used to make around Christmas time. Love that flaky filo and sweet walnut mixture.
I love how you cut it into diamonds – so pretty!
Where do you find orange blossom water? I don’t think I’ve ever seen that! Can you make it?
Ann, I have found it at gourmet food stores as well as Middle Eastern/global markets. I left an Amazon link on the post b/c I had a heck of a time finding it the last time! I don’t think you can make it as it has a very subtle, unique flavor!
wow this looks bakery perfect!
I had never heard of Baklava until I moved to St. Louis. YUM upon first bite. I’ve never even attempted to make it either. But it is such a classic Greek treat! I’m sure your mother’s recipe is divine!
I love baklava and the best part of this recipe is that it was your mom’s <3 so special!
looooove baklava. I have to make this
What a great recipe Liz! It looks AMAZING!
First of all, your pictures have me drooling! This looks wonderful, I have never made baklava!
How fortunate you were to be surrounded by culture and arts. This baklava, though different from what I’m used to, sounds amazing.