Walnut Baklava

Buttered phyllo alternates with nuts; syrup enters after a slow bake.

The cook pours pale syrup over the hot cut baklava, leaving every piece in the pan.
Makes
24–36 pieces · 23 × 33 cm pan
Heat
160°C conventional
Baking time
60–75 min

Simmer the syrup for 3 min first, then cool it.

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Walnut Baklava

Makes
24–36 pieces · 23 × 33 cm pan
Heat
160°C conventional
Baking time
60–75 min

Simmer the syrup for 3 min first, then cool it.

Eastern Mediterranean · walnut and honey style · Layered phyllo pastry with late syrup soak

Walnut Baklava

Buttered phyllo alternates with nuts; syrup enters after a slow bake.

Method

  1. 01 · Thaw

    Use: Phyllo

    Thaw covered overnight in refrigerator; remove 30 min before use. Keep covered while working.

    Ready when: Flexible sheets

    A cook lifts the corner of a flexible phyllo sheet from a protected rectangular stack.
    01 Thaw and protect the phylloThaw covered and keep the flexible sheets covered while working.

  2. 02 · Syrup

    Use: Syrup ingredients

    Simmer, stirring to dissolve sugar; cook 3 min and cool.

    Ready when: Sugar dissolved

    The cook lifts a spoon of clear pale syrup above a small saucepan.
    02 Cook and cool the syrupDissolve the sugar, simmer briefly, then allow the syrup to cool.

  3. 03 · Nuts

    Use: Walnuts; cinnamon

    Pulse to fine crumbs; divide into 5 portions.

    Ready when: Crumbs, not paste

    The cook portions textured walnut crumbs into five small bowls.
    03 Chop the walnutsPulse the walnuts with cinnamon into fine crumbs, keeping some texture.

  4. 04 · Layer

    Use: Phyllo; butter; nuts

    Preheat oven. Butter pan. Stack 10 sheets, buttering each; add one nut portion. Repeat 5-sheet/one-nut-portion stacks four times. Finish with 10 buttered sheets.

    Ready when: 40 sheets; 5 nut layers

    The cook brushes melted butter onto thin phyllo over a walnut layer in a rectangular pan.
    04 Build the layersAlternate buttered phyllo with the five walnut layers, finishing with buttered sheets.

  5. 05 · Cut and bake

    60–75 min

    Use: Assembled pastry

    Cut diamonds through layers. Bake until golden throughout.

    Ready when: Crisp layered pastry

    The cook sets down a full rectangular pan of golden baklava with cuts through its crisp layers.
    05 Cut diamonds and bakeCut through the layers before baking until crisp and evenly golden.

  6. 06 · Soak

    At least 6 hours

    Use: Hot baklava; cool syrup

    Pour syrup over hot pastry. Leave uncovered to absorb.

    Ready when: Syrup absorbed

    The cook pours pale syrup over the hot cut baklava, leaving every piece in the pan.
    06 Add syrup and let it absorbPour cool syrup over the hot pastry and leave uncovered to absorb.

What to look for

StageLook / feel forNeeds attention
PhylloFlexible, separated sheetsDry cracks or waterlogged pastry.
BakeGolden layers before syrupPale, underbaked base.

Troubleshooting

If you see thisLikely causeWhat to do nowNext time
Sheets tearDry or incompletely thawed.Use torn sheets inside.Keep unused sheets covered.
Soggy pastryTrapped cooling steam.Cool fully before covering.Pour cooled syrup on hot pastry.
Layers slide during cuttingUncut baked pastry shatters.Follow existing cuts gently.Cut before baking.

Nagi’s metric version credits Natasha Kravchuk; those two pages are one lineage, not independent corroboration. Sheet count and dimensions control the pastry amount.

Ingredient choices & substitutions
IngredientSpecified typeBrandStatus
PhylloPaper-thin sheets; sufficient for 40 fitted layersAntoniou FilloNagi’s Australian preference, not required
ButterUnsalted; no flavorings addedNot specifiedType required; brand not required
IngredientAlternative / ratioAdjust handlingLikely outcome
WalnutsUnsalted pistachios or almonds1:1 by weightKeep crumb size and layer allocation.Pistachio is greener and milder; almond firmer; a different nut profile.
Antoniou phylloAnother thin phyllo brand40 fitted sheets, not equal packet weightTrim sheets; use sound offcuts inside.Comparable layers if thickness matches.

Match the ingredient’s function and weight. See the flour, gluten, yeast and salt guide.

Other approaches to this recipe

Karadsheh’s family version has two mixed-nut layers and a longer-simmered syrup. The base here keeps five walnut layers. RecipeTin and Natasha are explicitly linked; they count as one origin.

Cook / recipeUseWhat differs
Nagi MaehashiRecipeTin EatsBaklavaBase · adapted
Natasha KravchukNatasha's KitchenBaklava RecipeUpstream source · not-established
Suzy KaradshehThe Mediterranean DishHow to Make BaklavaComparison · adapted

The working ingredients and method form one recipe. Different formulas are compared without averaging their quantities or rise schedules.

RecipeTin Eats

Recipe

Walnut Baklava

Buttered phyllo alternates with nuts; syrup enters after a slow bake.

How do I make it?

  1. Thaw the pastry

    Thaw the phyllo overnight in the refrigerator, keeping it covered. Take it out 30 minutes before use and keep the sheets covered while you work so they stay flexible.

    A cook lifts the corner of a flexible phyllo sheet from a protected rectangular stack.
    Thaw covered and keep the flexible sheets covered while working.

    Ready when: Flexible sheets

  2. Make the syrup

    Bring the syrup ingredients to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Cook for 3 minutes, then let it cool.

    The cook lifts a spoon of clear pale syrup above a small saucepan.
    Dissolve the sugar, simmer briefly, then allow the syrup to cool.

    Ready when: Sugar dissolved

  3. Chop the nuts

    Briefly pulse the walnuts and cinnamon into fine crumbs, stopping before they turn into a paste. Divide into 5 portions.

    The cook portions textured walnut crumbs into five small bowls.
    Pulse the walnuts with cinnamon into fine crumbs, keeping some texture.

    Ready when: Crumbs, not paste

  4. Build the layers

    Heat the oven to 160°C and butter the pan. Stack 10 sheets, buttering each, then add one nut portion; add four more stacks of 5 buttered sheets, each followed by one nut portion. Finish with 10 buttered sheets: 40 sheets and 5 nut layers in total.

    The cook brushes melted butter onto thin phyllo over a walnut layer in a rectangular pan.
    Alternate buttered phyllo with the five walnut layers, finishing with buttered sheets.

    Ready when: 40 sheets; 5 nut layers

  5. Cut and bake

    60–75 min

    Cut diamond shapes all the way through the layers. Bake for 60–75 minutes, until golden throughout and crisp.

    The cook sets down a full rectangular pan of golden baklava with cuts through its crisp layers.
    Cut through the layers before baking until crisp and evenly golden.

    Ready when: Crisp layered pastry

  6. Add syrup and rest

    At least 6 hours

    Pour the cool syrup over the hot pastry. Leave uncovered for at least 6 hours so the syrup is absorbed.

    The cook pours pale syrup over the hot cut baklava, leaving every piece in the pan.
    Pour cool syrup over the hot pastry and leave uncovered to absorb.

    Ready when: Syrup absorbed

What can go wrong, and how can I fix it?

What you noticeLikely causeWhat to do
Sheets tearDry or incompletely thawed.Use torn sheets inside. Keep unused sheets covered.
Soggy pastryTrapped cooling steam.Cool fully before covering. Pour cooled syrup on hot pastry.
Layers slide during cuttingUncut baked pastry shatters.Follow existing cuts gently. Cut before baking.
Useful recipe notes

Nagi’s metric version credits Natasha Kravchuk; those two pages are one lineage, not independent corroboration. Sheet count and dimensions control the pastry amount.

See the detailed method and ratios in , or follow ingredients through the .

Ingredient proportions & recipe details

Walnut Baklava at a glance

Makes
24–36 pieces · 23 × 33 cm pan
Heat
160°C conventional
Baking time
60–75 min