Hazelnut Free Pistachio Baklava
Baklava is one of those desserts that looks impossibly impressive but rewards patient, methodical work in the kitchen. This version leans entirely on pistachios — coarsely chopped and warmly spiced with cinnamon and cardamom — so anyone navigating a tree nut allergy specific to hazelnuts can dig in without a second thought. The filling is layered between sheets of buttered phyllo dough in a classic 9x13 setup, building up that signature crunch one translucent sheet at a time. What really sets this recipe apart is the syrup: honey, sugar, and water simmered with a strip of lemon peel and finished with orange blossom water, then cooled completely before it hits the hot pan fresh from the oven. That temperature contrast is the secret to the shatteringly crisp, lacquered texture that makes baklava so addictive. Cutting the pieces before baking lets the syrup seep all the way down into every diamond or square, so each bite is sticky, floral, and deeply nutty from edge to center. A final scatter of finely chopped pistachios on top makes it look like something from a bakery case — no one needs to know how straightforward it actually was.
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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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