Artificial Flavors Free Baklava with Walnuts and Honey Syrup
Baklava is one of those desserts that feels impossibly luxurious, with its shatteringly crisp layers of buttered phyllo, fragrant walnut filling, and glossy honey syrup soaking into every crevice. The beauty of making it from scratch is knowing exactly what went into it — real honey, whole spices like cinnamon sticks and cloves, fresh lemon juice, and nothing else. Store-bought versions and even some restaurant preparations can quietly rely on artificial flavorings to mimic that warm, spiced depth, but here every bit of that complexity comes straight from the ingredients themselves. The syrup is built low and slow on the stovetop, infused with whole cinnamon and cloves before they're fished out, so the flavor is clean and genuinely aromatic. Pouring that cooled syrup over the hot-from-the-oven pastry is the magic moment — it sizzles on contact and creates that iconic texture that's crisp on top and tender all the way through. Patience is the only real secret here: letting it rest for several hours allows the syrup to fully absorb and the layers to settle into something truly special. This is the kind of recipe you make once and then feel compelled to make for every gathering afterward.
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Learn more →Ingredients
24 servings
For the baklava
- 1 lb (about 40 sheets) phyllo dough, thawed
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
For the walnut filling
- 4 cups walnut halves
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground cardamom
- ⅛ tsp fine salt
For the honey syrup
- 1 cup honey
- ¾ cup water
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 3 whole cloves
- 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- 1
Make the syrup first so it has time to cool completely before use. Combine the honey, water, sugar, cinnamon stick, and whole cloves in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, until slightly thickened. Remove from the heat, stir in the lemon juice, and let the syrup cool to room temperature. Remove and discard the cinnamon stick and cloves.
- 2
Pulse the walnut halves in a food processor 8–10 times until coarsely chopped — pieces should be roughly the size of a pea, not a fine powder. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the sugar, ground cinnamon, cardamom, and salt until evenly combined.
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