Baklava

Baklava is a favorite amongst many around the world, and this Middle Eastern version is my absolute favorite!

This is the recipe I’ve been making for years. It never fails me or stresses me out, and somehow still tastes like it came from a fancy bakery box tied up with string.

No cinnamon. No complicated layering. No brushing butter between every single sheet of phyllo (because who has the patience for that?). Instead, we stack, fill, slice… and pour warm clarified butter (ghee) right over the top before baking. It seeps down into every layer and does all the magic for you.

Once it’s golden and crisp, it gets drenched in a simple syrup — sweet, glossy, and perfectly balanced — soaking into those flaky layers without turning them soggy. Just crisp, nutty, syrupy perfection in every bite.

It’s unfussy, reliable, and way easier than baklava has any right to be. Perfect for Ramadan, Eid, holidays, or anytime you want a dessert that looks impressive but doesn’t demand your whole afternoon.

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Baklava

Course Dessert

Cuisine Middle Eastern

Keyword Baking, Dessert, Eid, Middle Eastern, Nuts, Phyllo, Ramadan, Sweets Week 2026

Servings 12 Servings

Ingredients

Clarified Butter/ Ghee

• 1 cup unsalted butter

Syrup

• 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
• ¾ cup water
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon orange blossom water

Baklava Layers

• 1 pound phyllo dough, at room temperature
• 3 cups walnuts or almonds, raw or roasted, coarsely ground

Instructions

Prepare Clarified Butter / Ghee

1. ​​Place butter in a light colored vessel over medium low heat. The butter will melt and begin to foam.
2. Stir every so often, and keep an eye on the solids beginning to gather at the bottom of the pan. The foam will slightly subside, and the solids at the bottom will begin to brown. Once the solids start changing color, remove the butter from the heat, and set it aside for a few minutes.
3. Pour the butter through a strainer lined with a paper towel into a heat-proof jar. The paper towel will separate the excess solids. Set aside.

Prepare Syrup

1. Combine sugar, water, and lemon juice in a saucepan and boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, add orange blossom water, and refrigerate. Cool completely before using.

Assemble Baklava

1. Preheat the oven to 325˚F.
2. Brush the bottom and sides of a 9”x13” pan with prepared clarified butter.
3. Trim the phyllo dough to fit the pan. Divide the dough in half and place at the bottom of the pan. Spread ground nuts over the dough evenly. Place the remaining phyllo dough on top of the nuts, making sure that the top sheet is not torn. A sheet from the center of the layer can be used if the top is torn. Brush the top layer with clarified butter.
4. Using a sharp knife, cut the baklava into diamonds by cutting six rows horizontally, and nine rows diagonally.
5. Pour the remaining melted clarified butter over the baklava and allow it to rest for 5 minutes. Bake until golden brown, about 50 to 60 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking.
6. Remove from the oven and immediately pour the cooled syrup over the hot baklava. Allow it to soak for several hours (even better if it’s overnight).

Recipe Notes

Baklava can be kept loosely covered at room temperature for two weeks.

Recipe adapted from Maureen Abood.