Greek Baklava with Walnuts and Honey
Dozens of crisp, buttery layers of filo pastry filled with cinnamon-spiced walnuts, baked golden and soaked in a honey and lemon syrup. Crunchy, sticky and irresistible.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Make the syrup first
In a saucepan, bring the sugar, water, honey, lemon peel and cinnamon stick to a boil over high heat, then lower to medium-low and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice and let the syrup cool completely to room temperature before using.
- 250 g sugar
- 250 ml water
- 150 g honey
- 1 strip lemon peel
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
✅ Done when: syrup looks clear and slightly thickened, then fully cooled
Chop the nuts
Heat the oven to 170 degrees C (340 degrees F). Pulse the walnuts in a food processor until finely chopped but not powdery, then mix with the cinnamon and sugar; set this nut mixture aside for layering.
- 400 g walnuts
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tbsp sugar
✅ Done when: nuts are evenly fine-chopped and mixed with cinnamon and sugar
Layer the bottom
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Fill
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Cut and bake
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Pour the syrup
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Make the syrup first
In a saucepan, bring the sugar, water, honey, lemon peel and cinnamon stick to a boil over high heat, then lower to medium-low and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice and let the syrup cool completely to room temperature before using.
- 250 g sugar
- 250 ml water
- 150 g honey
- 1 strip lemon peel
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
✅ Done when: syrup looks clear and slightly thickened, then fully cooled
Chop the nuts
Heat the oven to 170 degrees C (340 degrees F). Pulse the walnuts in a food processor until finely chopped but not powdery, then mix with the cinnamon and sugar; set this nut mixture aside for layering.
- 400 g walnuts
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tbsp sugar
✅ Done when: nuts are evenly fine-chopped and mixed with cinnamon and sugar
Layer the bottom
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Fill
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Cut and bake
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Pour the syrup
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The Story Behind the Dish
Baklava was perfected in the palace kitchens of the Ottoman sultans in Istanbul, where pastry chefs competed to roll the thinnest dough. On the 15th day of Ramadan, trays of baklava were given to the sultan's soldiers in a ceremony called the Baklava Procession.
Greece, Turkey and the countries of the Middle East all make it, each their own way: Greek baklava uses walnuts, cinnamon and honey syrup.
⭐ Why It's Famous
It's one of the world's great pastries, served at weddings, Easter and every celebration in Greece.
💡 Fun Fact
Greek tradition says baklava should have 33 layers of filo, one for each year of Jesus's life.
Ottoman Empire (Istanbul); beloved in Greece
41.01°N, 28.98°E
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