Easy Vegan Baklava Recipe

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Vegan baklava is a tasty, buttery, and flaky Middle Eastern dessert. Normally saved for special occasions and holidays, you can now enjoy baklava at home anytime time! With my easy butter hack, this recipe is a time saver and so much simpler than the traditional recipe!

Where baklava originated is a bit of a contentious debate. Many countries in the Middle East and Medeterian lay claim to creating this delicious sweet treat. Over time, numerous neighboring countries adopted this delicious sweet dessert and prepared their own authentic baklava recipes.

Lebanese baklava has crisp layers of phyllo dough that are packed with nuts. It has a buttery flavor and is soaked in flower water syrup. The Greek version is made with honey. My own vegan version lies in between the two.

The delicious vegan recipe can be easily made at home in less time. Making baklava a favorite common special treat instead of a special occasion treat.

Make it an Arabic dinner with my other Lebanese recipes taboule and hummus!

Jump to:

• What is Baklava?
• What You Will Love About This Recipe 
• What is Traditional Baklava made of? 
• How Did You Make it Vegan?
• Equipment
• Ingredients
• Watch how to Make Vegan Baklava
• Easy Melted Butter Hack! 
• Variations
• Baklawa vs. Baklava
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Make-Ahead/Freezing
• Great British Baking Show Bake
• Recipe

What is Baklava?

Baklavas are a mouthwatering dessert of layered golden phyllo sheets, with a drizzle of sugar syrup and a filling of cinnamon-scented crushed nuts. After the Baklava is baked, the syrup is drizzled over it for the phyllo to absorb. This dessert can be too sweet for some people, but if you make a syrup with high-quality ingredients then you will experience the brilliant crunchiness of this delicious dessert.

The iconic Arabic Baklava Recipe uses a pistachio filling, but there are many variations. Fillings include hazelnuts, walnuts, and a combination of nuts as well. My recipe uses walnuts and is topped with pistachios.

The best thing about this Baklava Easy Recipe is how long it can be stored at room temperature or in the freezer. At room temperature, a batch of Baklava can be stored for a week. In the fridge, Baklava Desserts don’t go bad for at least 2 weeks. However, for people who love the crunchy texture, preparing fresh Baklava is a good option. Storing it will deteriorate its texture and the dough will be dry.

What You Will Love About This Recipe 

• You will love it if you have a sweet tooth because Baklava is simply mouthwatering.
• This Baklava Easy Recipe is fun to make at home and you will save so much time with my easy hack!
• My Arabic Baklava Recipe is a sweet treat that you can quickly make at home instead of buying at Middle Eastern restaurants.

What is Traditional Baklava made of? 

Baklava is a mystery yet delicious dessert with a sweetened nut and syrup mixture that is sandwiched in layers of flaky phyllo dough. It is then baked till the dough is golden brown.  

In ancient times, the procedure of making baklava was long, which made this an expensive dessert. Moreover, the expensive baklava ingredients in this Lebanese dessert restricted it to the famous and the rich. It was also confined to special occasions such as weddings. 

How Did You Make it Vegan?

With more and more of the population going vegan, it is only natural to design a recipe using vegan ingredients that is as delicious as the original one. Traditionally, the recipe for Baklava uses honey and butter. 

You can make a similar-tasting Baklawa in the form of a vegan option. The phyllo dough is already vegan because it does not include any eggs or dairy. For a vegan Baklava, there are only two changes needed. Between you and me, the vegan version tastes better than the traditional one!

• Use plant-based butter instead of animal butter.
• Use agave syrup or maple syrup instead of honey.  (I used my cousin's maple syrup, and it truly is the best. Check out this endorsement from the NYT about it.

This Baklava Easy Recipe looks fancy, however, it is one of the easiest recipes you’ll ever make! 

Equipment

There are a few must-haves when making vegan baklawa at home.

Sharp Knife - To cut through all the sheets of phyllo dough, you will need a sharp knife. I find it is best to cut with the tip going straight down as opposed to an angle.

Food Processor - A cup of pureed nut mixture is needed for this recipe. To get the size just right, you will need a food processor.

Baking Dish - Just about any baking dish will do. I use a glass casserole dish that is a little smaller than the traditional 9x13. I find the rectangle shape is easier to cut into the traditional diamond shape. However, there are many bakers that use a round cake pan to bake homemade baklava.

Ingredients

Phylo Dough Sheets - Phyllo dough is naturally vegan, yea!!! You will need one box of dough for this recipe.

Plant-Based Butter - Traditional baklava is made with melted animal products such as traditional butter or ghee. For my recipe, I use melted plant-based butter.

Walnuts - For the nut filling I use walnuts. You can use any nut, but walnuts taste great and they are more economical. I purchase the pieces and halves and then use a food processor to break them into smaller pieces perfect for this recipe.

Maple Syrup - I used maple syrup instead of honey syrup to create the traditional baklava syrup that is poured on top of the dough. For best results, always pour cooled syrup on hot baklava. Agave nectar also tastes great as a sweet syrup substitution!

Watch how to Make Vegan Baklava

Easy Melted Butter Hack! 

The traditional way of making a Baklava involves brushing each phyllo layer with butter. This method is an extremely time-consuming process and why people shy away from making baklawa. Instead, this recipe below offers a quick hack to butter all those layers of phyllo dough.  I find this hack is the best way to make baklawa and takes the preparation time from an hour down to 15 minutes! In other words, set your pastry brush aside, you won't be needing it!

Variations

Chocolate Baklava - Chocolate Baklava is an Americanized version and is gaining popularity amongst tourists. To me, it is the perfect fusion of flavors, but then again I am an American of Lebanese descent.

Different Nuts - With the adoption of Baklavas, the ingredients and the processes have altered. As a result, each country offers its unique flavors. Even though the most common nuts are walnuts and pistachios, people all over the world also use other alternatives including hazelnuts, almonds, cashews, cream, chocolate-flavored nuts, etc.    

Baklawa vs. Baklava

I feel as though I am steering into contentious waters here given how fierce this debate can be. Here is my understanding of the two (yes, that was a disclaimer!)

Baklawa and Baklava are generally the same. In many places, the terms are used interchangeably. My family always said baklava, but my friends who were native to the region often said baklawa.

With that said, generally speaking, Baklava is the classic Greek version whereas Baklawa is the generally accepted term in the Middle East. Even though, the main concept of the dessert is the same; the flavor is vastly different because of the syrup. In the Middle East, bakers tend to use orange blossom water or rose water sugar syrup, which is known as atter. While the Greek version uses a honey-based syrup and adds some spices to give it a kick.

Frequently Asked Questions

Make-Ahead/Freezing

Make-Ahead Instructions: After preparing baklava, you will need to cool it down till it reaches room temperature. Cut it into individual pieces and place in a container. Store ahead on the counter for one week or in the refrigerator for 2 weeks.

Freezer Instructions: That’s the grace of this delicious recipe. You can make it ahead of time and freeze this Lebanese Baklava for a maximum of 3 months. However, you will need to place the baklava in a freezer-safe ziplock bag or wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. Once wrapped, I recommend placing it in a freezer-safe storage container. This will prevent anything from bumping into it and cracking the delicate sheets. Before serving, make sure you thaw it at room temperature.

Great British Baking Show Bake

Season 5, Episode 9, Signature - Patisserie Baklava

This is part of my personal challenge to bake my way through the Great British Baking Show.

Count: 33 down, 247 to go!

Recipe