Pistachio Baklava

Ingredients

• 350 g (1¾ cups)granulated sugar
• 180 ml (¾ cup)water
• 28 g (1½ tablespoons; 1 oz), optional but recommendedglucose syrup
• A squeezelemon juice
• ⅛ teaspoontable salt
• 15 ml (1 tablespoon), or to tasteorange blossom water
• 340 g (3 cups), plus extra for garnishshelled, raw, unsalted pistachios
• 2 packages (500 g/8 oz each), 30 sheets total, thawedphyllo dough
• 255 g (1⅛ cups; 9 oz) clarified, melted ghee; alternatively, 340 g (1½ cups; 12 oz) unsalted butter, clarified as describedghee or unsalted butter

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the syrup

   Combine the sugar, water, glucose syrup if using, lemon juice and salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a full boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat and stir in the orange blossom water.

2. 2

   Cool the syrup

   Pour the syrup into a spouted measuring jug or gravy boat and leave it to cool completely. It can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days; bring it back to room temperature before using.

3. 3

   Heat the oven

   Set a rack in the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 150°C (300°F).

4. 4

   Chop the pistachios

   Pulse the pistachios in a food processor until very finely chopped, using about fifteen 1-second pulses. Transfer them to a bowl.

5. 5

   Prepare the pastry

   Brush a 33 × 23 cm (13 × 9-inch) baking pan with ghee or clarified butter. Unwrap and unfold the phyllo on a large chopping board, flatten it gently with your hands, then trim it to fit the pan. Keep the pastry covered with plastic wrap and a damp kitchen towel while you work.

6. 6

   Build the base

   Lay 1 sheet of phyllo in the pan and brush it all over with ghee or clarified butter. Add 7 more sheets, brushing each one, to make 8 layers. Spread 1 cup of the chopped pistachios evenly over the top.

7. 7

   Add the filling

   Add 6 more sheets of phyllo, brushing each with ghee or clarified butter, then spread another 1 cup of pistachios over them. Repeat with 6 more sheets, more ghee or butter and the remaining cup of pistachios.

8. 8

   Finish and cut

   Layer the remaining 10 sheets of phyllo on top, choosing the most intact sheets for this layer and brushing each sheet except the last with ghee or clarified butter. Starting at the centre and moving outwards, press the layers down gently with your palms to remove air pockets. Cut the pastry into diamonds with a sharp knife, making 5 vertical cuts and about 8 diagonal cuts. Brush the remaining ghee or clarified butter, about 4 tablespoons, over the surface.

9. 9

   Bake until crisp

   Bake for 1½ to 1¾ hours, until golden and crisp, rotating the pan halfway through.

10. 10

    Add the syrup

    As soon as the pan comes out of the oven, pour the cooled syrup along the cut lines, leaving about 2 tablespoons behind; it will sizzle against the hot pan. Drizzle the remaining syrup over the surface and garnish the centre of each piece with a pinch of ground pistachios.

11. 11

    Cool and rest

    Cool on a wire rack to room temperature, about 3 hours. Cover with foil and leave to stand for at least 8 hours before serving; the flavour and texture improve as it rests. Once cool, it can be wrapped tightly in foil and kept at room temperature for up to 10 days.

12. 12

    Clarify the butter

    If using butter instead of ghee, slowly melt 340 g (1½ cups; 12 oz) unsalted butter over medium-low heat until the milk solids separate and collect at the bottom of the pan. Remove from the heat and leave it to settle for 10 minutes, then skim the surface foam with a spoon. Slowly pour the clear butterfat into a bowl, leaving the milk solids in the pan; you should have about 255 g (1⅛ cups; 9 oz) clarified butter.

What is pistachio baklava?

Baklava is a pastry found across the Middle East and neighbouring regions, made by layering thin pastry with nuts and sweet syrup. This version uses pistachios and orange blossom water for a fragrant, nut-forward finish.

A generous stack of phyllo creates crisp layers, while syrup poured over the pastry after baking seeps into the cuts. The long rest is part of the recipe: it gives the pastry time to absorb the syrup without losing all its texture.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 210 calories, 3g protein, 25g carbs, 11g fat.

The sugar, phyllo and pistachios supply most of the carbohydrates, while the ghee or clarified butter and pistachios contribute much of the fat. Pistachios also provide the main protein in each piece. Pair a serving with a meal built around vegetables and a protein-rich food for a more balanced plate.

Choose and handle the phyllo

Thaw the phyllo fully in the refrigerator overnight or on the counter for 4–5 hours. Do not microwave it, as uneven warming can make the sheets difficult to separate.

Keep unused sheets covered with plastic wrap and a damp towel. Save the most intact sheets for the base and top, where their appearance matters most; torn sheets can go in the middle.

Make the syrup ahead

Syrup first: bring the sugar, water, glucose syrup if using, lemon and salt to a full boil, then stir in the orange blossom water off the heat. Let it cool completely before it meets the hot pastry.

Glucose syrup: it is optional, but the recipe recommends it. Orange blossom water can be adjusted to taste, so add the stated amount or a little less if you prefer a subtler floral note.

Layer for an even filling

Butter each sheet: brush the phyllo thoroughly as you build the layers so the pastry can bake up crisp and separate. Work steadily, but keep the remaining sheets covered between uses.

Divide the nuts: the recipe spreads the pistachios in three layers, with sheets of phyllo between them. Press the assembled layers gently from the centre outwards to remove air pockets before cutting.

Cut before baking

Use a sharp knife to cut the baklava into diamonds before it goes into the oven. Cutting while the pastry is still unbaked makes it easier to portion cleanly than cutting through the crisp finished layers.

Make the vertical and diagonal cuts carefully, then brush the remaining fat over the top. Take care not to shift the layered sheets as you cut.

Look for golden, crisp pastry

Bake at 150°C (300°F) for 1½ to 1¾ hours, turning the pan halfway through. The visual cues in the recipe are a golden colour and a crisp finish; the stated timing is a guide for reaching them.

Pour the cool syrup over the pastry as soon as it comes out of the oven. It should sizzle on contact, and directing most of it into the cut lines helps it reach the layers.

Give it time to rest

Allow about 3 hours for the pan to cool to room temperature, then cover it with foil and leave it for at least 8 hours. The pastry can be served once cool, but resting gives the syrup more time to settle through the layers.

Because the cooling and resting take several hours, make this ahead of when you plan to serve it. The syrup itself can also be prepared and refrigerated up to 4 days in advance.

Serving ideas

Serve the pieces as a small sweet finish after a meal, or set them out with tea or coffee. Their richness and sweetness pair well with unsweetened drinks.

For a more balanced plate, serve a piece after a meal that includes vegetables and a source of protein rather than treating the pastry as the whole meal.

Recipe notes & tips

• Thaw the phyllo completely before opening and layering it.
• Keep the sheets you are not using covered with plastic wrap and a damp towel.
• Use the least-torn phyllo sheets for the top and bottom layers.
• Chop the pistachios finely so they spread evenly between the pastry layers.
• Pour the syrup over the baklava immediately after baking while it is still hot.
• Plan for the full cooling and resting time before serving.

Variations

• Adjust the floral note: use a little less orange blossom water for a more restrained aroma.
• Use ghee: choose the stated amount of ghee instead of clarifying unsalted butter.
• Clarify butter: follow the separate method in the final step if starting with unsalted butter.
• Change the garnish: finish each piece with a pinch of the finely ground pistachios.
• Make ahead: prepare the syrup up to 4 days before assembling the baklava.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Partly frozen phyllo: thaw it fully in the refrigerator overnight or on the counter for 4–5 hours, not in the microwave.
• Uncovered sheets: keep unused phyllo under plastic wrap and a damp towel so it does not dry out.
• Torn top layers: reserve the most intact sheets for the bottom and top, and use imperfect ones inside.
• Warm syrup: cool it completely before pouring it over the freshly baked pastry.
• Skipping the rest: allow about 3 hours to cool, then at least 8 hours covered before serving.
• Rough cutting: use a sharp knife and cut the diamonds before baking.

How to store

Once cooled, wrap the baklava tightly in foil and keep it at room temperature for up to 10 days. The cooled syrup can be stored separately in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days; bring it back to room temperature before using.

Frequently asked questions