Homemade Pistachio Baklava (Pistachio Baklawa)

How to make pistachio baklava; a delicious homemade pistachio pastry combining crispy layers of butter-basted filo (phyllo) pastry with pistachios and a sweet and fragrant soaking syrup. This baklava recipe is simple to follow and can be made gluten-free and vegan!

Homemade pistachio baklava (sometimes called pistachio baklawa) is the ultimate pistachio pastry for any sweet tooth. This dessert baklava is the perfect treat for eating as a desert alone or alongside cream/ice cream or having with a cup of chai/coffee.

While the process of making homemade baklava may seem tricky and time-consuming, it’s simpler than it looks, and the time taken to assemble this dessert is more than worth the final result – trust me! Biting into a piece of pistachio baklava hits you with crisp pastry, rich pistachios, and oozing, sweet syrup with every single bite.

And while I’ve used pistachios to make pistachio butter (and pistachio thumbprint cookies using the butter), pistachio milk, and used them within crusts like this strawberry and rose tart with a pistachio crust, this is actually the first pistachio pastry on the blog!

What Is Baklava?

Baklava is a pastry usually comprising of chopped nuts in amongst layers of filo pastry, brushed with oil or butter, and soaked in a sweetened syrup/honey mixture.

There are several variations of the pastry using different nuts and nut combinations and variations on the syrup and even the shape of the baklava pieces. There are also several countries claiming its origin. Though currently, we know it to be a common dessert in Turkey, Iran, and several Arab countries along with the Balkans.

In fact, depending on where you’re based tends to influence the baklava ingredients. For example, in Greece, walnuts are said to be the usual main ingredients. Depending on where you’re based, different spices are also added – cinnamon, cardamom, rose water, orange blossom, etc.

I think this pistachio baklava recipe is closest to Turkish baklava. However, I heard from one friend that the inclusion of honey is more in keeping with Greek baklava, so – I’m not 100% sure. Instead, let’s just focus on how delicious this pistachio dessert is and thank every country that had a part in its origin!

All you need is just 4 elements and some layering skills to get you on your way to a moreish and frankly quite addictive pastry treat!

The Pistachio Baklava Ingredients

• Filo Pastry (also called phyllo): while it’s possible to make this dough at home unless you live somewhere where store-bought isn’t an option, it’s easiest to buy it ready-prepared in sheets (it’ll save you TONS of time, believe me!). Use gluten-free if needed!
• Pistachios: yes, they’re expensive, but they also taste delicious. Choose fresh, green pistachios and buy them pre-shelled unless you want to spend half a day de-shelling them (ouch for your fingers!). Buying in bulk and from markets will help you get the best prices – just make sure they’re high quality too.
• Butter: you can use butter or even ghee to brush over the pastry layers. In fact, ghee may be preferred as it will evenly brown, and there’s less risk of burning. However, I used butter this time around.
• The syrup: while it’s possible to use simple syrup, I prefer to have a little extra flavor, so for this syrup, I combine the sugar and water base with some honey, lemon, orange blossom water, cardamom, and a vanilla bean.

Variations

• Other nuts: the recipe will be almost identical when using different nuts such as walnuts, a combination of the two, or even almonds.
• Cinnamon: you could add a little cinnamon with the nuts (especially if using walnuts). I didn’t as I made a flavored syrup, instead.
• Rose water: instead of orange blossom, you could add rose water to the baklava syrup.
• Vegan baklava: omit the honey from the syrup and use vegan butter. Otherwise, all the ingredients are naturally vegan.

How to Make Baklava

Step 1: Prepare the syrup

First, add the sugar and water to a large pot and heat over medium, often stirring, to help the sugar melt.

Add the cardamom (lightly crushed to release more flavor), the vanilla pod (chopped in half), and the squeeze of lemon. Bring the mixture to a soft boil, stirring until the sugar has completely dissolved.

Then remove the syrup from the heat and add in the honey and orange blossom. Stir well to combine.

The longer you simmer the mixture, the thicker the syrup will become. We don’t want it to be too thick, though, as it will be poured all over the baklava. You’re looking for a texture like maple syrup.

Once it’s ready, allow it to cool for a few minutes before sieving the mixture to remove the cardamom and vanilla pod.

Note* This step could also be done while the baklava is baking instead, but I like to prepare it in advance and allow it to cool.

Step 2: Prepare the pistachio filling and butter

To prepare the pistachios, use a food processor or blender to process them into a chunky crumb consistency.

At the same time, melt your butter. You can do this on the stovetop or in the microwave.

Step 3: Assemble the pistachio baklava

First, make sure to cut the phyllo dough into layers to fit your pan. You’ll need 33 layers in total! I used a 9×13-inch baking pan (23x33m), but you could use a round pan instead.

Now it’s time to get into the serious business, assembling your homemade baklava.

Start by using a pastry brush to brush a little butter onto the bottom of the baking dish, then add your first layer of phyllo and butter that lightly too. Continue this with 7 more layers of phyllo (so you have 8 in total).

While working, keep the remaining dough/sheets under a damp kitchen towel to prevent them from drying out. Be careful when handling them, too, as they’re pretty fragile.

For this pistachio baklava, I decided to go with a multi-layered filling approach, rather than just a single thicker layer of filling in the middle (check the notes for the latter).

Next, add ½ cup of the pistachios, then follow that with 3 more layers of buttered phyllo and repeat the process until you’ve used up all the filling and pastry. My complete pistachio pastry was:

• 8 buttered phyllo sheets, 1/2 cup pistachios,
• 3 buttered phyllo sheets, 1/2 cup pistachios,
• 3 buttered phyllo sheets, 1/2 cup pistachios,
• 3 buttered phyllo sheets, 1/2 cup pistachios,
• 3 buttered phyllo sheets, 1/2 cup pistachios,
• 3 buttered phyllo sheets, 1/2 cup pistachios,
• 3 buttered phyllo sheets, 1/2 cup pistachios,
• 3 buttered phyllo sheets, 1/2 cup pistachios
• 4 buttered phyllo sheets.

Make sure to butter the top layer of the pastry too.

Step 4: Score and bake the baklava

Preheat the oven to 325ºF/165ºC fan assisted.

Then it’s time to cut the baklava. It’s essential to do this step before baking as afterward, the pastry will have crisped up and will break if you attempt to cut it.

You can cut it into rectangles (squares or diamonds) or triangles. I did this free-hand, but for more precise cutting then you can use a ruler or something to help you cut even-sized pieces. Be careful while doing this, and make sure to use a sharp knife.

Then bake the baklava on the middle shelf in the oven for around one hour or until the pastry is golden brown and crisp. I recommend checking on it after 30 minutes – if you find that the top is browning up too quickly, you can cover the pan with some foil or place a baking tray on the shelf above to reduce the browning slightly.

Step 5: Pour the syrup over the pistachio baklava

As soon as you remove the baklava from the oven, pour the syrup over the pastry and allow it to cool down, and absorb the syrup for around 6 hours (or overnight).

Optionally garnish with some more crushed pistachio – then enjoy!

As you pour the syrup over the baklava, it should sizzle and will seem like A LOT as it settles over the top before soaking in. Don’t worry, keep going. And please don’t skip the resting step – I know it requires a lot of patience, but it really does need this time to fully absorb the syrup and allow all the flavors to meld.

How to serve

Serve the baklava alone or topped with some clotted cream or a scoop of ice cream. I love to have a piece after dinner. Pistachio Baklava is perfect for serving alongside tea or coffee too!

How to Store Baklava

One of the best things about homemade baklava is that it’s got a great shelf life, too, making the effort of making the pastry even more worth it.

Room temperature: Storing the baklava at room temperature will help it maintain its crispness, and you can do so for up to a week in an airtight container. After that, I’d transfer it to the fridge for longer storage.

Fridge: You can store the baklava in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks. Baklava in the refrigerator will tend to be slightly harder and chewier.

FAQs

Other Recipe Notes

• Using store-bought phyllo: Store-bought phyllo tends to come in sheets that are around 14×18-inches. As I used a 13×9-inch pan, you can simply cut each sheet in half and trim the longer side to fit the pan. If you buy a box of 18 sheets, you’ll have 36 layers. Feel free to add an extra couple to the baklava base and one to the top to use it all up in one go.
• Make sure to cover the sheets: Phyllo sheets are fragile, so they can dry out quickly. Make sure to cover them with a clean kitchen towel to avoid them drying out.
• When to make the syrup? As you’ll notice, I made the syrup as the first step in the recipe. You can alternatively do this while the baklava bakes (meaning less time overall preparing the dessert); I just like to give it plenty of time to cool down. Feel free to do it either way, though. Just make sure the syrup is around room temperature when you do this – if it’s hot, the pastry will become soggy!
• Don’t skip the ‘resting’ step at the end: It’s what transforms this pistachio pastry into perfection, allowing the syrup to soak in and all the flavor to meld rather than being a goopy, gloopy mess.
• If your baklava is too dry or too soggy: Dryness usually means you haven’t used enough syrup, and sogginess is likely due to pouring over the syrup when it wasn’t at room temperature.

Other Pastry Recipes

• Delicious Chocolate Pastry ‘Tarte Soleil’
• Puff Pastry Spinach Ricotta Pie ‘Tarte Soleil’
• How To Make Choux Pastry (Pâte à Choux)
• Spinach Fatayer (Lebanese spinach pie)

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If you try this homemade pistachio baklava recipe, I’d love to hear your thoughts/questions below. Also, I’d really appreciate a recipe card rating below, and feel free to tag me in your recipe recreations on Instagram @Alphafoodie!