Celery Free Pistachio Baklava
Few desserts command a room the way a tray of golden, honey-soaked baklava does, and this pistachio version is the kind of thing people ask you to bring to every gathering from the moment they try it. Layer after layer of buttered phyllo bakes up impossibly crisp and flaky, while the filling of coarsely chopped pistachios seasoned with cinnamon and cardamom delivers a warm, aromatic richness in every bite. The honey syrup — brightened with orange blossom water and a strip of lemon peel — gets made first so it can cool completely, and that temperature contrast when it hits the hot pan straight from the oven is exactly what gives baklava its signature crackle. For anyone navigating a diet that rules out certain vegetables or plant stalks, this recipe is naturally a worry-free fit — every ingredient here is a nut, a spice, a sweetener, or a dough, with nothing hidden in the filling or the syrup. The technique is more methodical than difficult: keep the phyllo covered with a damp towel, butter every single sheet generously, and cut all the way through before baking so the syrup can seep into each piece. After a couple of hours of resting, the layers settle into something that is simultaneously crisp, chewy, floral, and nutty. A final scatter of finely chopped pistachios on top makes it look like it came straight out of a pastry shop window.
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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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