Levantine baklava of thin phyllo dough layers filled with pistachios and walnuts and soaked in rose-water-scented syrup
We make baklava the way it is made in the pastry shops of the Levant, layers of thin phyllo dough interleaved with a pistachio and walnut filling, then drenched in rose-water-scented syrup.
It is the sweet of feasts and celebrations, served in small dishes with coffee, and the households of Damascus, Aleppo, and Beirut have passed it down generation after generation.
We boil the sugar with the water and lemon juice until the sugar dissolves and it thickens slightly, about ten minutes, then we turn off the heat, add the honey and rose water, and leave it to cool completely, for cold syrup on hot baklava is the secret to its crispness.
We grind the pistachios and walnuts coarsely rather than finely, then mix them with the caster sugar, cinnamon, and cardamom until the flavor is evenly distributed.
We grease a tray with ghee and lay down half the phyllo sheets one by one, brushing each sheet with ghee before placing the next, and cover the remaining sheets with a damp towel so they do not dry out.
We spread the nut mixture evenly over the first layer, then cover it with the remaining phyllo sheets, each brushed with ghee one after another.
We cut the baklava with a sharp knife into diamonds or squares before baking, for this opens a path through which the syrup will later seep into every piece.
We bake in an oven preheated to 175 degrees Celsius for about forty minutes until the layers turn golden and puff up and the surface becomes golden.
We take out the tray and pour the cold syrup directly over the hot baklava along the cutting lines, then sprinkle ground pistachios and leave it to cool and absorb before serving.
The glycemic index (GI) measures how quickly a food raises blood sugar, while the glycemic load (GL) measures how much a full serving raises it. Together they give the complete picture.
A low value (≤55) means a gradual rise in blood sugar — the most suitable range for diabetes and insulin resistance.
Glycemic load reflects the impact of the full serving. To lower it: take half a serving, or pair the recipe with a source of protein and fiber.
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet per FDA food-label reference values — your daily needs may be higher or lower. Values are derived from the recipe's ingredients via the USDA database.
The most common problems when preparing Pistachio and Walnut Baklava (Baklawa), and how to fix them:
We make sure the syrup is cold and the baklava hot when pouring, and we do not drown it in more syrup than it needs.
We brush every phyllo sheet with ghee and do not leave the dough exposed, covering it with a damp towel while working.
We cut the baklava before baking so the cutting lines open a path for the syrup into every piece.
We keep it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days, and the tight seal preserves its crispness.
It can be frozen before pouring the syrup for up to a month, then baked and topped with fresh syrup when needed.
| Original Ingredient | Tested Substitute | Ratio | Flavor Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| ghee | butter | same weight, 150 g | Butter is lighter in flavor and ghee is closer to the traditional taste |
| walnuts | ground almonds | same weight, 100 g | Almonds are a common substitute in some Levantine households |
| rose water | orange blossom water | same amount, 10 ml | Orange blossom water gives a different aroma but is authentic too |
| Aleppo pistachios | cashews | same weight, 200 g | The flavor differs and pistachios remain the finest |
| Ingredient | Half the quantity | The quantity (base) | Double |
|---|---|---|---|
| phyllo dough | 200 g | 400 g | 800 g |
| Ground Aleppo pistachios | 100 g | 200 g | 400 g |
| ground walnuts | 50 g | 100 g | 200 g |
| melted ghee | 75 g | 150 g | 300 g |
| sugar for the syrup | 150 g | 300 g | 600 g |
| honey | 15 g | 30 g | 60 g |
The golden rule is that one must be cold and the other hot, so we pour the cold syrup over the hot baklava the moment it comes out of the oven so it stays crisp and does not soften.
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