Ginger Free Baklava with Walnuts and Honey Syrup
Few desserts hit the way a tray of freshly made baklava does — shatteringly crisp layers of buttered phyllo, a fragrant walnut filling, and a glossy honey syrup that soaks into every crevice as it cools. The filling here is spiced with ground cinnamon and cardamom, keeping the flavor warm and aromatic without any ginger in sight, which makes it a genuinely safe choice for anyone who needs to avoid that particular spice. The honey syrup is built from simple pantry staples — honey, water, sugar, a cinnamon stick, whole cloves, and a squeeze of lemon — so there's no guesswork about hidden ingredients. One of the smartest moves in this recipe is making the syrup first and letting it cool completely, then pouring it over the piping-hot pastry straight from the oven; that temperature contrast is exactly what gives baklava its iconic crisp-yet-sticky texture. Cutting the diamond or square pattern before baking is another non-negotiable step that keeps those gorgeous layers intact. After a long rest — ideally overnight — the syrup absorbs fully and the whole thing sets into something truly spectacular. This is the kind of recipe you bring to a gathering and watch disappear in minutes.
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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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