Turkish Baklava Recipe

This Turkish Baklava is a family recipe I have been making for years. It has crisp, buttery filo pastry, plenty of finely chopped pistachios, and a syrup made from sugar, water, and lemon juice. It is sweet and nutty, and makes a special dessert for family gatherings, Eid, Christmas, or when I want something special to serve after dinner.

Jump to:

• Turkish Baklava with Pistachios
• Why This Recipe Works
• Ingredients You'll Need
• How to Make Turkish Pistachio Baklava
• Recipe Tips From the Chef
• Serving Suggestions
• Make Ahead, Storage, and Freezing
• Recipe FAQs
• Related Recipes
• Turkish Pistachio Baklava Recipe

It takes a little time to prepare, but the steps are straightforward, and the video in the recipe card shows you each stage. The baklava is best left overnight before serving, which means you can get much of the work done the day before. My favorite way to serve this make-ahead dessert is with Turkish Coffee or strong tea.

A lovely comment from a reader"

“I can’t believe how easy and fun this was to make. The notes within the recipe also helped keep this fun and stress-free. I will definitely be referring back to this recipe next time as well.”
Christie

Turkish Baklava with Pistachios

Baklava is made in many countries across the Middle East, Mediterranean, Balkans, and Central Asia. Every region has its own way of preparing it.

This recipe follows the Turkish style of pistachio baklava, called Fıstıklı Baklava in Turkish. It has thin filo pastry, clarified butter, pistachios, and a simple sugar syrup with a few drops of lemon juice.

Greek baklava often includes a mixture of nuts, cinnamon, or honey syrup. Turkish baklava is usually made with pistachios or walnuts and a simple syrup. There are many regional and family variations, so recipes can look quite different from each other.

For a walnut version made from scratch, see my Authentic Walnut Baklava recipe.

Why This Recipe Works

• Uses ready-made filo pastry, so you do not need to make and roll thin pastry sheets from scratch.

• The clarified butter and oil mixture gives the filo crisp, even layers and is easier to drizzle than brush.

• Finely chopped pistachios give the baklava its rich, nutty flavor.

• Cutting the tray before baking makes the pieces neat and easy to serve.

• The step-by-step video in the recipe card shows the layering, cutting, baking, and syrup stages.

• Leaving the baklava overnight gives the syrup time to settle before serving.

Ingredients You'll Need

Please scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredients list with measurements, complete recipe method, recipe notes, and nutritional information.

• Filo pastry - Use thin, paper like filo pastry sheets for this recipe. The pastry needs to be thin enough to create lots of crisp layers once baked. Frozen filo pastry also works. Thaw it in the refrigerator overnight, then leave it at room temperature for around 30 minutes before opening the pack.

• Clarified butter and vegetable oil - Clarified butter is important for baklava because the milk solids have been removed. Regular melted butter can leave dark marks on the pastry while it bakes. The recipe uses clarified butter mixed with vegetable or sunflower oil. You can also use melted ghee.

• Pistachio - Use good quality pistachios and chop or blitz them finely. Do not turn them into a powder or paste. I lightly roast the pistachios at 150°C, or 300°F, for 20 minutes before chopping them. This brings out more of their flavor. You can use walnuts or hazelnuts instead, but pistachios are traditional for this version.

• Sugar, water, and lemon juice - The syrup is made with water, sugar, and a few drops of lemon juice. The lemon helps stop the syrup from crystallizing. Do not add too much lemon juice, as it can take over the flavor.

How to Make Turkish Pistachio Baklava

Make the Syrup

Start with the syrup so it can cool while you prepare the baklava.

Place the water and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar has dissolved, bring it to a boil, then lower the heat and let it simmer gently for 15 to 20 minutes.

Add a few drops of lemon juice and simmer for a few more minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and leave the syrup to cool. 

Layer the Baklava

Preheat your oven to 175°C, or 350°F.

Trim the filo pastry sheets to fit a 35 cm x 24 cm, or 14 inch x 9.5 inch, baking tray.

Trim only one pack at a time and cover the sheets with a damp kitchen towel while you work. This stops the filo from drying out and cracking.

Mix the melted clarified butter and vegetable oil in a bowl.

Place one filo sheet in the tray and drizzle a spoonful of the butter mixture over it. You do not need to brush every layer thoroughly.

Continue layering and buttering until you have used the first pack of filo. You should have around 28 to 30 layers.

Spread the chopped pistachios over the pastry and press them down lightly.

Trim the second pack of filo pastry sheets and continue layering them over the pistachios. Drizzle butter over each layer as you go.

Cut the Baklava

Use a very sharp knife to cut the unbaked baklava into diamond shapes or squares.

For diamond shapes, cut diagonal strips across the tray first. Cut in the other direction to create the diamonds. Make sure your knife reaches all the way to the bottom layer.

I usually cut the pieces around 4 cm, or 1½ inches, and get around 70 pieces from one tray.

Pour the remaining clarified butter and vegetable oil mixture evenly on top of the baklava. Reheat it in a microwave or in a small pan if necessary.

Bake the Baklava and Soak it Overnight

Bake the baklava at 175°C, or 350°F fan oven, for 15 minutes.

Lower the oven to 160°C, or 320°F, and bake for another 45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Check that the lower pastry layers are baked through as well.

Remove the tray from the oven and leave it for 5 minutes. Slowly pour the cooled syrup over the hot baklava.

Leave the baklava to soak in the syrup overnight before serving.

Recipe Tips From the Chef

• Keep the filo pastry covered with a damp kitchen towel while you work. It dries out very quickly and becomes harder to handle.

• Use clarified butter or ghee instead of ordinary melted butter. It helps the pastry bake without dark burnt marks on top.

• Do not worry about brushing every filo sheet perfectly. Drizzling a spoonful of the butter and oil mixture over each layer is enough.

• Make the syrup before you start layering the pastry. It should be at room temperature when you pour it over the hot baklava.

• Cut the baklava before baking it. Once the filo pastry is crisp and baked, it breaks easily and is difficult to cut neatly.

• Chop the pistachios finely, but stop before they turn into a paste. You want a nutty layer with texture.

• Leave the tray overnight after adding the syrup. The pastry needs time to absorb the syrup properly.

Serving Suggestions

Turkish baklava is usually served in small pieces at room temperature.

Turkish coffee is a classic choice because its bitterness works well with the sweetness of the baklava. Turkish Tea is another good option when you are serving a tray to family or friends.

For a more generous dessert, serve it with Homemade Turkish Ice Cream - Maras Dondurma, or a dollop of Turkish Kaymak

Make Ahead, Storage, and Freezing

Baklava is best made a day before you plan to serve it because it needs to rest overnight after the syrup is added.

Keep leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can also keep them in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Freeze baklava in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 5 months. Let the pieces thaw at room temperature before serving.

Do not thaw baklava in the microwave, as it can soften the pastry.

Recipe FAQs

Related Recipes

For more delicious Turkish Dessert recipes why not try:

Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.

I hope you enjoy the process of making this easy and scrumptious Turkish Pistachio Baklava (Fıstıklı Baklava) recipe as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂