Walnut Pistachio Baklava Recipe

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I’ve been making baklava for over ten years, and this is the version I love. It’s inspired by Greek-style baklava with a honey-citrus syrup and layers of buttery phyllo and walnuts. I add pistachios and a little orange blossom water to the syrup in a kind of Turkish twist. The result is my own recipe rather than an authentic regional version, but it’s the baklava I like to make and eat.

This baklava has crisp, buttery layers of phyllo with a lightly spiced walnut and pistachio filling. The syrup is sweetened with both honey and sugar, and flavored with Cara Cara orange, orange blossom water, and a little bit of lemon juice.

I’ve made baklava and spanakopita enough times to know that phyllo is usually the part that makes new bakers nervous. But the thing is, it doesn’t need to be perfect. A torn sheet or two won’t ruin your baklava, and once you know how to keep the phyllo from drying out, layering the ingredients for baklava will be much easier.

Ingredients

See the recipe card for exact amounts.

For the baklava

• Phyllo dough: The thin pastry sheets create the crisp, flaky layers. I use a 454-gram package containing 16 large sheets.
• Nuts: Walnuts as a base for a rich, earthy flavor, and pistachios to add some sweetness and color.
• Unsalted butter: Melted butter coats the phyllo and helps each layer bake into a crisp, golden sheet.
• Spices: Cinnamon and nutmeg for warmth in the nut filling. Plus sugar to sweeten it.

For the syrup

• Honey: Honey gives the syrup its traditional rich sweetness and flavor.
• Granulated sugar: Sugar adds sweetness and helps give the syrup its final consistency.
• Ground cinnamon and nutmeg: Adds warmth and ties the syrup to the spiced nut filling.
• Orange blossom water: A small amount adds a subtle floral citrus note to the syrup.
• Orange peel: Strips of Cara Cara orange peel infuse the syrup with fresh citrus flavor. Use as little white pith as possible to avoid bitterness.
• Lemon juice: Adds acidity to balance the sweetness of the syrup.

How to work with phyllo dough

Phyllo dough is much thinner than regular pastry dough, so it can dry out and tear easily. That is normal. You’re going to use many sheets together, so a small tear here and there won’t affect the finished baklava.

The most important thing is to keep the phyllo covered while you work. Once exposed to air, the sheets begin to dry out and become increasingly brittle.

Keep the stack covered with a clean kitchen towel while assembling the baklava. Take out one sheet at a time, brush it with butter, and then add next sheet.

Make sure your phyllo is completely thawed before you start. Partially frozen phyllo is particularly difficult to separate without cracking.

If a sheet tears, don’t throw it away. Put it in the dish and butter it as usual. Once all the layers are stacked, no one will know!

Tips for Making Baklava

• Keep the phyllo covered: This is the biggest thing that makes working with phyllo easier. Exposed phyllo dries quickly, making it brittle and difficult to separate.
• Don’t panic over torn phyllo: Small tears are completely fine. Layer the pieces into the baklava just as you would an intact sheet.
• Butter every sheet: The butter is what gives baklava its crisp, flaky layers. Make sure you brush each sheet before adding the next.
• Use a sharp knife: A sharp knife makes much cleaner cuts through the uncooked layers.
• Cut before baking: Baked phyllo is fragile and can shatter under a knife.
• Cool the syrup: The syrup should be cooled before you pour it over the hot baklava. The contrast between the cool syrup and hot pastry helps the syrup soak into the layers.
• Let it rest: Baklava gets better as it sits. The syrup has time to soak through the layers and thicken.

How to Make Baklava

Make the syrup

Add the water and sugar to a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar has dissolved.

Add the honey, orange peel, orange blossom water, cinnamon and nutmeg. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 25 minutes.

Remove the syrup from the heat and let it cool. Remove and discard the orange peel, then stir in the lemon juice.

The syrup will still be fairly fluid at this point, but thicker than when you started. It thickens slightly as it cools and continues to thicken as the baklava sits.

Prepare the nut filling

Add the walnuts and pistachios to a food processor and pulse until chopped. You want small pieces, not powder.

Mix the chopped nuts with the sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Layer the phyllo

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Butter a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.

Unroll the thawed phyllo and keep the stack covered while you work.

For my 454-gram package of 16 large sheets, I use the layers like this:

• 5 sheets of phyllo
• Half of the nut mixture
• 5 sheets of phyllo
• Remaining nut mixture
• 6 sheets of phyllo

Place one sheet of phyllo in the baking dish and brush it with melted butter. Add the next sheet and butter it. Continue until you have used the first 5 sheets.

Spread half of the nut mixture evenly over the phyllo.

Add 5 more sheets of phyllo, brushing each sheet with butter before adding the next.

Add the remaining nut mixture.

Finish with the remaining 6 sheets, adding them one at a time and brushing each with butter. Brush the top generously with butter.

Don’t worry if your phyllo doesn’t fit the dish perfectly. The sheets can be gently folded or trimmed to fit.

Cut the baklava

Use a very sharp knife to cut the baklava into diamond shapes.

Cut the baklava before baking. Once the phyllo is baked, it becomes crisp and brittle and is much more likely to shatter when you try to cut it.

Cutting it before baking also gives the syrup a way to soak into the layers.

Bake

Bake at 350°F for about 40 minutes, or until the baklava is deeply golden brown and the nuts are sizzling.

Add the syrup

Remove the hot baklava from the oven and immediately pour the cooled syrup evenly over the top.

The hot pastry will absorb the syrup as it cools. You should hear some sizzling as the cool syrup hits the hot baklava.

Let the baklava cool completely before serving. The syrup will continue to thicken as it sits.

Storage

Let the baklava cool completely before storing it.

Store it in an airtight container at room temperature for several days. I prefer storing baklava at room temperature because refrigeration can soften the crisp phyllo.

If you’re making it ahead, don’t cover it while it’s still warm. Trapped condensation can make the top layers soft.

Baklava is actually a great make-ahead dessert. Making it several hours before serving gives the syrup time to settle into the pastry.

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