Nutella Hazelnut Baklava

Ingredients

• 113 g (1/2 cup; 4 oz)unsalted butter
• 1 package, 450 g (1 lb)phyllo (filo) sheets, thawed
• 454 g (1 1/2 cups; 1 lb)Nutella
• 85 g (3/4 cup; 3 oz)hazelnuts, toasted, skinned and coarsely chopped
• 300 g (1 1/2 cups; 10 1/2 oz)granulated sugar
• 180 ml (3/4 cup)water
• A squeezelemon juice

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the syrup

   Combine the sugar, water and a squeeze of lemon juice in a small saucepan. Set over medium-high heat and stir occasionally until the sugar dissolves.

2. 2

   Simmer the syrup

   Bring the mixture to a rolling boil, then stop stirring and immediately lower the heat to medium-low. Simmer for no more than 10 minutes, until slightly thickened to a consistency like pancake syrup; set a timer so it does not become too thick to pour.

3. 3

   Cool the syrup

   Let the syrup cool to room temperature before pouring it over the baklava.

4. 4

   Heat the oven

   Set the oven rack in the lower-middle position and preheat the oven to 160°C (325°F).

5. 5

   Clarify the butter

   Melt the butter in the microwave or on the hob and leave it to cool slightly. Once the white milk solids have settled and the yellow butterfat has risen to the top, use the butterfat for the baklava and leave the solids behind.

6. 6

   Warm the Nutella

   Measure the Nutella into a microwave-safe bowl and warm it for about 30 seconds, until pourable and easy to spread. Set aside.

7. 7

   Prepare the tin

   Line a 25 cm (10-inch) round cake tin or pie dish with foil, leaving enough overhang to lift out the pie later. Alternatively, use a 33 × 23 cm (13 × 9-inch) baking dish; for that larger dish, increase the Nutella to a 750 g jar to cover the greater area of phyllo.

8. 8

   Cover the phyllo

   Unroll the phyllo onto your work surface and cover it with a slightly damp tea towel. Keep it covered as you work to prevent it drying out and cracking.

9. 9

   Build the base

   Brush the bottom of the tin generously with clarified butter. Lay in one sheet of phyllo with the edges hanging over the sides, then brush it lightly with butter, including the overhang. Add seven more sheets, brushing each and rotating them to cover the tin, for eight sheets total. Use only a thin coating of butter rather than soaking the pastry.

10. 10

    Add the first filling

    Spread 1/2 cup of Nutella over the phyllo base, covering it, then scatter over 1/4 cup of chopped hazelnuts.

11. 11

    Add four sheets

    Layer four sheets of phyllo over the Nutella and hazelnuts. Brush each sheet and its edges with clarified butter, rotating the sheets as before.

12. 12

    Add the second filling

    Spread another 1/2 cup of Nutella over the phyllo and sprinkle with 1/4 cup of chopped hazelnuts.

13. 13

    Repeat the middle

    Repeat the four-sheet phyllo layer, brushing each sheet with clarified butter, then add the final round of Nutella and hazelnuts.

14. 14

    Finish the layers

    Cover the filling with the remaining eight sheets of phyllo, brushing each with clarified butter and rotating them to cover the tin.

15. 15

    Cut and ruffle

    Use a sharp knife to cut the pie into eight wedges. Fold the overhanging phyllo up over the top to make ruffled edges, trimming any excess if needed.

16. 16

    Bake until golden

    Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, until golden brown. If the top is browning too quickly, cover it loosely with foil while it bakes.

17. 17

    Pour over syrup

    Drizzle the cooled syrup over the pie, including the edges. Leave the pie to cool in the tin so the syrup can soak in.

18. 18

    Lift from the tin

    Use the foil overhang to lift the pie onto a serving platter, then carefully tear away the foil underneath. Skip this step if serving directly from an unlined pie dish.

19. 19

    Serve the pie

    Serve warm or at room temperature.

What is baklava?

Baklava is a layered pastry associated with Middle Eastern and neighbouring food traditions, made with thin sheets of phyllo, nuts and syrup. This version takes the familiar crisp, syrup-soaked structure in a chocolate-hazelnut direction.

Pie-dish assembly gives it a ruffled edge, while separate layers of Nutella and chopped hazelnuts make the filling easy to spread and distribute.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 6300 calories, 91g protein, 844g carbs, 335g fat.

The phyllo, sugar and Nutella supply most of the carbohydrates; butter, Nutella and hazelnuts contribute much of the fat, while the hazelnuts and phyllo provide some protein. The recipe lists 1 serving, although it is cut into 8 wedges, so the estimate here treats the full recipe as that listed serving; a practical balance is to serve one wedge with fresh fruit or plain yoghurt.

Why clarify the butter?

Milk solids: when melted butter settles, the pale solids sink and the yellow butterfat stays above them. The method uses the butterfat to brush the phyllo, leaving those solids behind.

Light brushing: a thin layer on each sheet helps the pastry bake crisp without making it greasy or weighed down.

Keep phyllo covered

Dry pastry: phyllo dries and becomes brittle quickly when exposed to air. Keep the unused sheets under a slightly damp tea towel, uncovering only what you need for the next layer.

Gentle handling: if a sheet tears, continue layering and overlap the pieces; the finished stack will conceal small breaks.

Layer for an even filling

Base: the first eight sheets form a sturdy bottom and rise up the sides of the tin. Rotate each sheet so the overhang is spread around the edge.

Middle: four sheets separate each Nutella-and-hazelnut layer. Finish with the final eight sheets, then fold the overhang into loose ruffles.

Watch the syrup

Timing: simmer the syrup for no longer than 10 minutes after it reaches a rolling boil. It should thicken slightly but remain easy to pour once cooled.

Cool before using: pour room-temperature syrup over the baked pie. Letting the pie rest in its tin gives the syrup time to soak into the layers.

Check the bake

Colour: bake at 160°C for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, until the phyllo is golden brown. If the surface darkens too quickly, cover it loosely with foil.

Rest: leave the pie in the tin after adding the syrup. The pastry is delicate while hot, and the rest also allows the syrup to settle through the layers.

How to serve it

This baklava can be served warm or at room temperature, straight from the pie dish or lifted onto a platter. Cut along the wedges made before baking.

Its sweet, rich filling pairs well with unsweetened tea or coffee. For a fuller dessert plate, serve a small piece with fresh fruit or plain yoghurt.

Recipe notes & tips

• Keep the phyllo covered with a slightly damp tea towel throughout assembly.
• Brush the sheets lightly with clarified butter instead of soaking them.
• Rotate the phyllo sheets as you layer them to cover the tin evenly.
• Set a timer for the syrup so it does not simmer beyond 10 minutes.
• Use a sharp knife to cut the wedges before baking.
• Cover the pie loosely with foil if it browns too quickly.

Variations

• Use a rectangular dish: make a more traditional-shaped baklava and increase the Nutella to 750 g as directed.
• Add a warm spice: mix a little ground cinnamon into the chopped hazelnuts.
• Try other nuts: replace the hazelnuts with chopped pistachios or walnuts.
• Add orange: use a little orange zest alongside the lemon in the syrup.
• Serve with fruit: add sliced pear or berries alongside each wedge.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Leaving phyllo exposed: it dries and cracks, so keep the unused sheets under a slightly damp tea towel.
• Over-simmering the syrup: it can turn too thick to pour, so stop after no more than 10 minutes.
• Using the milk solids: they are left behind when clarifying the butter; brush with the yellow butterfat instead.
• Soaking the sheets: too much butter can weigh down the pastry, so apply only a thin coating.
• Skipping the pre-bake cuts: the layered pie is harder to portion after baking, so cut it into eight wedges beforehand.
• Pouring on hot syrup: the recipe calls for syrup cooled to room temperature before it goes over the pie.

How to store

Keep leftover baklava covered at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerate it for up to 1 week. Bring it back to room temperature before serving, or warm a piece briefly in a low oven to refresh the pastry.

Frequently asked questions