Mediterranean Kitchen · Slow-Cooked
Pistachio Baklava
Layers of crisp, buttery phyllo wrapped around a sugared pistachio filling and soaked in lemon-kissed syrup. This is baklava the way it's meant to be — cut before baking, drenched hot-on-hot, and rested until every layer drinks in the syrup.
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The Recipe
Ingredients
For the phyllo
- 1000 g phyllo dough use 800–1200 g depending on tray size
- 200 g clarified butter melted
For the filling
- 150 g pistachios finely chopped
- 150 g pistachios ground
- 75 g sugar
For the syrup
- 500 g granulated sugar 2½ cups
- 600 ml water 2½ cups
- A few drops of lemon juice
For serving (optional)
- Ground pistachios for garnish
Method
Make the filling
- Mix the chopped pistachios, ground pistachios, and 75 g sugar in a bowl. Set aside.
Prep the phyllo
- Cut the phyllo sheets to fit your baking tray. Cover them with a damp kitchen towel and work with one sheet at a time so they don't dry out.
- Build the base
- Brush the bottom and sides of the tray with clarified butter. Lay down 2 sheets of phyllo and brush the top with butter. Repeat — buttering every 2 sheets — until you have 20 layers.
- Add the filling
- Spread the pistachio-sugar mixture evenly over the 20th layer.
- Build the top
- Add 2 more phyllo sheets and brush with butter. Keep layering and buttering until you have 20 layers on top.
- Cut before baking
- Turn the tray so the short side faces you. Cut straight down the center, then make parallel cuts out to each side, about 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart — turn the tray and finish any cuts that didn't go all the way through. Pour the remaining melted butter evenly over the top. Now turn the tray long-side toward you and cut from the center again — straight for squares, diagonal for diamonds. Press any phyllo edges down with a metal spatula so they don't curl, then rest 15 minutes.
- Bake
- Preheat the oven to 180°C / 355°F. Bake 40 minutes, until golden brown and crisp on top.
- Make the syrup
- While the baklava bakes, combine the 500 g sugar and 600 ml water in a medium pot. Bring to a boil over medium-low heat, then simmer 10 minutes. Add a few drops of lemon juice and simmer another 3–4 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Soak and rest
- The moment the baklava leaves the oven, slowly pour the hot syrup over the hot baklava, covering every piece. Rest at least 2 hours so the syrup soaks all the way through. Garnish with ground pistachios before serving.
Chef's Notes
Cut before you bake: Always score all the way through before it goes in the oven — once baklava is crisp, you can't get clean pieces.
Hot baklava, hot syrup: This is the pairing for perfect soaking and ideal crispness. Hot baklava with warm syrup also works and keeps the top crisp. Cold baklava with hot syrup turns soggy; cold-on-cold barely absorbs and stays dry inside.
Keep the phyllo covered: Work one sheet at a time under a damp towel. If the dough feels dry, mist lightly with water from a spray bottle.
Filling is flexible: Use all ground, all chopped, or a mix — your call on texture.
Want more height? Go 30 layers on the bottom and 30 on top instead of 20×2. More impressive to look at, but taller baklava is harder to cut and eat — presentation vs. easy serving.
Nutrition
Estimated, per serving
330
Calories
24
Servings
Total Time
Halal
Certified
The kitchen behind the recipe
This dish has been on our menu at Aladdin in Houston for nearly twenty years. Cook it at home wherever you are — and when you're in town, come taste the original.