Turkish Pistachio Baklava with Orange Blossom Syrup

A step by step guide on how to make Turkish pistachio baklava at home that is soaked in a a sweet and floral orange blossom simple syrup.

Homemade pistachio baklava is a sweet pastry made with layers of delicate phyllo dough, chopped pistachios and warm spices. Once the baklava is baked, a fragrant orange blossom syrup is poured over, which perfectly complements the nutty and crunchy baklava.

If you love the floral flavors of baklava, try my fruit tart with rose water and this shredded phyllo dessert called kanafe.

Jump to:

• 🇹🇷 Turkish Baklava and How to Eat It
• 🍑 Ingredients
• 🥜 Substitutions and Variations
• ⏲️ How to Make Homemade Baklava
• 📍 Recipe Tip
• Recipe FAQs
• More Desserts to Try
• Turkish Pistachio Baklava with Orange Blossom Simple Syrup

🇹🇷 Turkish Baklava and How to Eat It

Turkey is famous for their well beloved baklava and it wasn't until we visited Istanbul that we understood the true way to enjoy Turkish baklava.

There is an art to the way you eat baklava. Use a fork to stab your baklava, then promptly pick it up with the end facing up and take a generous bite.

As the fork enters the top layer of phyllo dough (or yufka, which is handmade all throughout Istanbul), listen for the initial "crunch" of the fork breaking through the crispy layers.

🍑 Ingredients

• Phyllo Dough: Also called filo dough, this is a very thin pastry that is stacked in layers. Phyllo can often be found in the frozen section of grocery stores near the puff pastry or pie crusts. If you have a Mediterranean market ear you, look for yufka, which has a more tender bite.
• Pistachios: Use unsalted and shelled pistachios. If you do not like pistachios, substitute with chopped walnuts or chopped almonds.
• Spices: Warm spices of cardamom and cinnamon are added to the nut mixture.
• Melted Butter: Butter is a key ingredient in baklava that has to be brushed onto each phyllo layer. Use unsalted butter to control the amount of salt. Instead of butter, you can also use ghee.
• Sugar: White sugar is used in making the simple syrup. Use double the amount of sugar to water and bring to a simmer to dissolve the sugar granules.
• Orange Blossom Water: This is a floral infused water with a citrus aroma and almost perfumed aroma and flavor. A little goes a long way so start with a small measurement at first.
• Aromatics: For the simply syrup, other aromatics are added including a cinnamon stick and lemon peel.

See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

🥜 Substitutions and Variations

• Instead of orange blossom water, substitute with rose water for another floral flavor.
• If the floral waters are not available, you can omit and make the simple syrup with cinnamon and lemon peel.
• Instead of pistachios, substitute with chopped almonds or chopped walnuts or a combination of nuts.

⏲️ How to Make Homemade Baklava

1. First make the simple syrup. Add all the ingredients to a small pot and bring to a gentle simmer until all the sugar is dissolved and it thickens slightly. When done, set aside to cool.

2. Make the Pistachio Filling. In a food processor, add the pistachios, cardamom, cinnamon and lemon zest. Pule until the pistachios are finely ground but not too powdery. Set aside.

3. Layer the phyllo. Unroll the thawed phyllo dough and place a damp towel on top as you work with it. Brush a 9 x 13 baking pan with melted butter on all sides and layer two sheets of phyllo, then brush with butter and continue until half of the sheets are used.

4. Add the pistachios. Pour the pistachio mixture onto the phyllo and reserve a few tablespoons to garnish the top of the finished baklava. Spread out the pistachios in an even layer.

5. Continue layering two sheets of phyllo and brushing with the melted butter until all of the phyllo dough is used up. Once layered, brush the top with melted butter.

6. Cut the baklava into squares before baking. Use a sharp knife to cut the baklava into 24-26 squares.

7. Bake the pistachio baklava at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 22-25 minutes, until the top is golden brown and crisp.

8. Pour the syrup over the hot baklava. Once the baklava is cooked, remove it from oven and pour the orange blossom simple syrup all over the top, while the baklava is still hot.

9. Allow the pistachio baklava to rest for at least 2-3 hours before serving so the baklava can soak up all of the syrup. Garnish the squares with the remaining ground pistachios.

Recipe FAQs

More Desserts to Try

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