Artificial Food Coloring Free Pistachio Baklava
Flaky, golden, and soaked in fragrant honey syrup, this pistachio baklava is the kind of showstopper that looks like it came from a specialty bakery — but every single ingredient is something you control. That matters more than it might seem, because store-bought baklava and packaged sweets often sneak in artificial dyes, whether in the filling, the decorative garnish, or the syrup itself. Here, the gorgeous amber color comes entirely from honey, butter, and toasted phyllo doing their natural thing in the oven. The filling is nothing but coarsely chopped raw pistachios, warm spices, and a little sugar, while the syrup gets its floral depth from orange blossom water and a strip of lemon peel — no shortcuts, no additives. Pouring the cooled syrup over the hot pan straight from the oven creates that signature crisp-yet-sticky texture that makes baklava so irresistible. A final scatter of fresh chopped pistachios on top keeps the presentation just as beautiful as anything you'd find behind a bakery counter, with zero mystery ingredients to worry about.
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Learn more →Ingredients
24 servings
For the baklava
- 1 lb phyllo dough, thawed
- 1 cup unsalted butter, melted
For the filling
- 3 cups raw shelled pistachios
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground cardamom
For the syrup
- 1 cup honey
- ¾ cup water
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp orange blossom water
- 1 strip lemon peel (about 2 inches)
For serving
- 2 tbsp finely chopped pistachios (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Make the syrup first so it has time to cool completely before the baklava comes out of the oven. Combine the honey, water, 1/2 cup sugar, and lemon peel strip in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, until slightly thickened and the syrup coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat, stir in the orange blossom water, and discard the lemon peel. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
- 2
Pulse the pistachios in a food processor until coarsely chopped — pieces should be roughly the size of a small pea, not a fine powder. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the 2 tbsp sugar, cinnamon, and cardamom until evenly combined.
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