persian baklava

This heavenly baklava features flaky phyllo, toasted nuts, aromatic ghee and a fragrant syrup infused with rose water, and cardamom. It&#39;s uniquely flavored and not overly sweet. I&#39;ll also share a quicker method in the recipe notes section.

Baklava Recipe (Persian Style)

phyllo dough (thawed, follow package instructions)

ghee

⅔ lb walnuts (finely chopped)

⅔ lb almonds (pistachios, or both, finely chopped)

sugar

cardamom (freshly ground from seeds)

water

lemon juice

honey

rosewater

Thaw

Thaw phyllo dough according to package instructions. I thaw it overnight in the fridge, then leave it on the counter for 2 hours to reach room temperature.

Phyllo dough

My phyllo dough had 28 sheets that measured 17 x 12, which can fit a 17 x 12-inch baking sheet or be trimmed to fit. If using 9 x 14 sheets, just make more layers in a 9 x 13-inch pan, and avoid using deep baking dishes.

Prepare Phyllo

Syrup

In a medium saucepan, combine 1½ cups sugar, 1 cup water, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to low-medium and simmer for 5 minutes, without stirring. Add honey and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat, add rose water, and cool to room temperature. The consistency of cooled syrup should be between that of honey and maple syrup.

Make Syrup

Tips

Keep the ghee melted at all times, and warm it up gently if it thickens. Unroll the phyllo dough and place the stack of sheets between two kitchen towels. We will layer baklava in the following order: 10 sheets at the bottom, ½ of the nut mixture, 6 sheets in the middle, ½ of the nut mixture, and 12 sheets on top.

Pre-Assembly Tips

Preheat

Nut filling

In a food processor, pulse walnuts a few times, until finely chopped. Repeat with almonds. Chop larger pieces by hand. In a mixing bowl, combine chopped nuts with ¼ cup sugar and 2 teaspoons ground cardamom.

Bottom layers

Brush the bottom and sides of the baking sheet with melted ghee. Place one phyllo sheet in the pan and brush with ghee evenly. Repeat this process with 9 more phyllo sheets. Spread half the nut filling evenly over the phyllo sheets.

Top layers

Add 6 more phyllo sheets, gently pressing down each sheet and then brushing with ghee. Spread the remaining nut mixture evenly. Top with remaining 12 phyllo sheets, gently pressing down and brushing each with ghee.

Using a sharp knife, cut the pastry into 2-inch strips, and then cut across diagonally to create diamonds shapes. Drizzle extra ghee on top.

Assemble the Baklava (Quicker Method In Notes)

Bake

Bake the baklava in center of the oven at 325°F for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until golden brown on top.

Remove from the oven and pour cooled syrup evenly over hot baklava, and let it soak uncovered at room temperature until completely cool. Let rest for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Decorate

Garnish with ground pistachios and cut again before serving. Store at room temperature, lightly covered with a lid ajar.

Bake and Serve

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This Baklava is heavenly! It features flaky layers of pastry with toasted nuts, soaked in juicy syrup and infused with fragrant aromas of rose water, cardamom, and ghee. It's not overly sweet and has a unique flavor. This Persian style recipe uses almonds, walnuts and honey. Including options for easy version, light baklava, vegan, nut free, gluten free and dairy free.

This Persian Baklava is a crispy and flaky pastry layered with finely ground nuts, infused with warm spices, and drenched in a fragrant rosewater and saffron honey syrup. This delicate dessert is a staple in most Middle Eastern cuisines, often served during special occasions and celebrations. The best part is that it is surprisingly easy to make! Whether you’re making it for Nowruz or simply indulging in a homemade treat, Persian bakhlava is sure to impress.

Persian Baklava

butter, melted

walnuts,

almonds,

pistachios,

cardamom

cinnamon

rose water

cup honey

saffron threads (optional)

pistachio, chopped

rose petals, chopped

Unroll the thawed phyllo pastry and trim it to fit a 9x13-inch baking pan (Depending on the brand you use, you may need to just cut it in half for a perfect fit, or trim the edges). Cover the phyllo with a damp cloth, to keep it from drying out.

Use a silicone brush to brush some melted butter on the bottom and sides of a 9x13-inch baking pan. Set aside.

Prep phyllo dough: 

In a food processor or small blender, add the walnuts, almonds, and pistachios. Pulse mix for 1 minute until coarsely ground.

Transfer the crushed nuts to a medium mixing bowl. Add sugar, cardamon, and cinnamon, and stir until evenly combined.

Make filling:

Layer 1: Phyllo

. Take one sheet of phyllo dough and place on the lightly greased pan. Generously apply the butter mixture on top until evenly covered. Repeat until you have placed about 1/3 of the phyllo sheets (about 12 sheets), applying the butter mixture in between each layer.

Layer 2: Filling

. Add 1/3 of the nut mixture evenly over the dough layer.

Layer 3: Phyllo

. Add a layer of 6 sheets of phyllo dough (again each sheet is coated with butter mixture).

Layer 4: Filling

Layer 5: Phyllo

Repeat one more time. Add another layer of 6 sheets of phyllo dough (again each sheet is coated with butter mixture). 

Layer 6: Filling. 

Layer 7: Phyllo

 Top with remaining phyllo sheets (all coated in butter). Brush the top sheet with butter.

Assemble the baklava:

Use a sharp knife and cut the baklava into 4 long rows about 1.5 inches thick, then cut diagonally 9 times to form 36 diamond shapes. Be sure to cut all the way through to the bottom layers.

Bake the baklava until golden brown on top, about 40-45 minutes.

Bake the baklava:

While the baklava is baking, make the syrup mixture by adding sugar, water, rose water, and lemon juice to a saucepan. Bring it to a boil over high heat and stir until the sugar dissolves. Then, reduce heat to low and allow the mixture to simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the honey and saffron. Let cool completely.

Remove baklava from the oven and immediately spoon the syrup over it. Let cool completely (uncovered at room temperature). Allow the baklava to sit at room temperature for a few hours before serving.

Cut through the same lines you made before. Garnish with finely chopped pistachio and serve. You can also garnish with dried rose petals, if desired.

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Baklava Recipe (Persian Style)

Persian Baklava

Top 2 persian baklava recipes from across the web

The most viewed persian baklava recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

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Baklava Recipe (Persian Style)

Persian Baklava

The most viewed persian baklava recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine