Honey Walnut Baklava

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Published March 7, 2023  ·  ⭐ 4.0 (10 reviews)

Prep	Cook	Total	Yield
45 min	35 min	1 hr 30 min	24 pieces

Difficulty: Medium

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Ingredients

Phyllo & Nuts

• 500 g walnut pieces, finely chopped
• 100 g blanched almonds, finely chopped
• 60 g caster sugar
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground cloves
• 450 g unsalted butter, melted and clarified
• 400 g (about 20 sheets) phyllo pastry, thawed

Honey Syrup

• 300 g caster sugar
• 240 ml water
• 180 g honey (preferably orange-blossom)
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 4 cloves
• 2 strips lemon zest
• 1 tbsp lemon juice

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Steps Overview

1. Make the syrup and cool completely
2. Mix walnut filling with sugar and spices
3. Layer phyllo sheets with butter, adding filling at the halfway point
4. Score into diamonds and bake until deep gold
5. Pour cold syrup over hot baklava and rest 4 hours

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Step-by-Step

1. Make the syrup first

Combine sugar, water, honey, cinnamon stick, cloves, and lemon zest in a saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves, then bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes without stirring. Remove aromatics, add lemon juice, and set aside to cool completely. The syrup must be cold when it hits the hot baklava.

2. Prepare the filling

Pulse walnuts and almonds in a food processor until finely chopped but not paste. Mix with sugar, cinnamon, and cloves in a bowl. Set aside.

3. Butter the pan

Brush a 33 × 23 cm baking dish generously with clarified butter. Preheat the oven to 160 °C fan.

4. Layer the phyllo

Lay one sheet of phyllo in the dish, letting the edges hang over the sides. Brush thoroughly with butter. Repeat with 9 more sheets, buttering each one. Spread the nut filling evenly over the phyllo. Layer the remaining 10 sheets on top, buttering each generously. Fold in any overhanging edges and butter them.

5. Score and bake

Using a sharp knife, cut through all layers in a diamond pattern: make parallel cuts 4 cm apart diagonally, then repeat in the other direction. Bake for 30–35 minutes until deep golden brown and the layers are crisp.

6. Soak with syrup

Remove from the oven and immediately pour the cold syrup evenly over the hot baklava. You will hear a satisfying sizzle. Leave uncovered at room temperature for at least 4 hours before serving. Do not refrigerate.

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Notes

• Cold syrup on hot baklava (or vice versa) is the golden rule — this prevents the pastry going soggy.
• Baklava keeps at room temperature for up to 5 days, covered loosely.
• Pistachios can replace half the walnuts for a greener, more Middle-Eastern style.
• Use good-quality honey — it's the dominant flavour in the syrup.