BHA & BHT Free Pistachio Baklava
Flaky, golden, and drenched in fragrant honey syrup, this pistachio baklava is the kind of dessert that makes a room go quiet the moment it hits the table. The filling is a warmly spiced blend of coarsely chopped raw pistachios, cinnamon, and cardamom — nothing processed, nothing preserved, just real ingredients doing exactly what they're supposed to do. That matters more than it might seem, because many store-bought versions of this classic pastry rely on commercially processed nuts or pre-made syrups that can quietly contain synthetic antioxidant additives. Here, every component is made from scratch: the syrup is simmered from honey, water, sugar, and a touch of orange blossom water brightened with lemon peel, so you know exactly what's going into it. The technique of pouring cool syrup over hot baklava straight from the oven is what gives each piece that impossibly crisp, shatteringly flaky texture with a sticky, perfumed finish. Cutting the diamond pattern before baking lets the syrup seep all the way through, so every single piece — edge or center — is equally soaked and satisfying. It takes a little patience to let it rest and set, but the result is a showstopper that's entirely homemade and completely free of anything you didn't put there yourself.
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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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