Pecan Free Baklava with Walnuts and Honey Syrup
Flaky, golden, and drenched in fragrant honey syrup, this is the kind of dessert that stops conversation the moment it hits the table. The filling is built entirely on walnuts — coarsely chopped and seasoned with cinnamon, cardamom, and a pinch of salt — so anyone avoiding tree nuts from the pecan family can dig in without a second thought. The syrup is a beautifully spiced blend of honey, water, sugar, a cinnamon stick, and whole cloves, finished with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice that keeps it from tasting flat or overly sweet. One of the most important tricks here is pouring the fully cooled syrup over the piping-hot baklava straight out of the oven — that sizzling contrast is exactly what gives each piece its signature crisp-yet-sticky texture. Cutting the diamond or square pattern before baking is another non-negotiable step, since the delicate phyllo layers will shatter if you try to slice through them after they've crisped up. The whole thing needs at least four hours to rest so the syrup soaks in and the layers settle into that iconic, pull-apart structure. It's a showstopper that rewards a little patience and technique with results that taste genuinely bakery-worthy.
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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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