Nightshade Free Baklava with Walnuts and Honey Syrup
Flaky, golden, and dripping with spiced honey syrup, this is the kind of dessert that makes a whole room go quiet the moment it hits the table. Nightshades have absolutely no business showing up in a classic pastry like this, and sure enough, every ingredient here — buttery phyllo, toasted walnuts, warm cinnamon, cardamom, and a fragrant honey syrup — is naturally free of peppers, tomatoes, and their relatives. The technique is more straightforward than it looks: layer, butter, fill, repeat, then score before baking so the pastry cuts cleanly instead of shattering. That final step of pouring cool syrup over piping-hot baklava is the real magic move — the sizzle you hear is the layers absorbing everything they need to turn crisp and sticky all at once. Patience is the only hard part, since the baklava needs several hours to rest and let the syrup fully soak in before you can serve it. Once it sets, each diamond-cut piece delivers that perfect contrast of shatteringly crisp phyllo and rich, nutty filling that makes baklava so irresistible. Make it the night before and it will be even better by morning.
About FigFig is a food discovery app that helps you find foods and recipes that fit your dietary needs. Whether you have food allergies, intolerances, or follow a specific diet, Fig makes it easy to eat with confidence.
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.
Want the full recipe?
Create a Fig account for step-by-step instructions, access to our full recipe library, and more!