Easy Baklava

Name: Easy Baklava
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 80 min
Yield: 15
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: 1 cup butter, melted; 1 tsp ground cinnamon; ½ cup honey; 1 tsp lemon zest, grated; 1 lb mixed nuts, chopped; 16 oz phyllo dough sheets; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 1 cup water; 1 cup white sugar

Recipe GLPRd2c348f6c4f1b8

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Middle Eastern

Dessert

80 min

470 cal

Servings: 15

Oven

SNAP eligible

A delicious and simple baklava featuring crispy phyllo dough layers, fragrant cinnamon-spiced nuts, and a sweet honey syrup infused with vanilla and lemon zest. Perfect for a Middle Eastern-inspired dessert that impresses with minimal effort.

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Ingredients

1 cup butter, melted

1 tsp ground cinnamon

½ cup honey

1 tsp lemon zest, grated

1 lb mixed nuts, chopped

16 oz phyllo dough sheets

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup water

1 cup white sugar

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish thoroughly. In a small bowl, combine the ground cinnamon with the chopped mixed nuts and set aside. Unroll the phyllo dough and cut the entire stack in half to fit the baking dish. Place a damp cloth over the cut phyllo to prevent it from drying out during assembly.
Layer two sheets of phyllo dough on the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
Brush the phyllo sheets generously with melted butter.
Sprinkle 2 to 3 tablespoons of the cinnamon-nut mixture evenly over the buttered phyllo. Continue alternating layers of two phyllo sheets, butter, and nut mixture until all ingredients are used, ending with approximately 6 sheets of phyllo on top. Using a sharp knife, cut through all layers down to the bottom of the dish to score four long rows lengthwise, then cut diagonally nine times to create 36 diamond-shaped pieces.
Place the baklava in the preheated oven and bake for 50 minutes until golden brown and crisp. Meanwhile, combine the white sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then stir in the honey, vanilla extract, and grated lemon zest. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes.
Remove the baked baklava from the oven and immediately pour the warm honey syrup evenly over the hot pastry. Allow to cool before serving.

Comments

Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff4

Phyllo dough is the real hurdle here, found reliably at Harris Teeter and Kroger but not always at Food Lion, Walmart, or ALDI, so plan ahead or budget a second stop. The ingredient list is straightforward and costs roughly $1.50 to $2 per serving—mostly butter, nuts, and honey—but the 80-minute time is optimistic if you include thawing phyllo (30 minutes) and waiting for the syrup to cool before assembly; call it 2 hours hands-on and passive. The payoff is strong: baklava keeps for days, reheats beautifully, and makes an impressive weeknight or weekend dessert for a crowd without fussy technique once the phyllo is ready.