This baklava recipe isn’t a veganized version of classic baklava—it’s actually a traditional vegan baklava! Lots of Assyrians spend a big chunk of the year fasting from animal products. So during certain months (Lent, advent, and a few other fasting days), we sub out our clarified butter for extra virgin olive oil. So this is exactly how we make our baklava for the vegan times of the year, and how we’ve done so for centuries.
Strangely, extra virgin olive oil tastes more buttery than butter itself. And while clarified butter isn’t quite as high-maintenance as it might seem, there’s nothing easier than opening a bottle of olive oil. So these days, my baklava is vegan more often than not!
what makes this vegan baklava so easy
1) Slice and pour instead of brushing each layer individually.
My grandmother has been making her baklava this way forever, and it turns out perfectly every time. Just stack, slice, and pour. The olive oil seeps into each layer, and it ends up super flaky and rich. See the video above or the recipe below to see this technique in action:
2) Just pop open a bottle of olive oil!
Literally, just open the bottle, measure, and pour! No need to fuss with clarifying butter (or vegan butter substitute).
3) Use a food processor to chop the nuts.
I’m gonna be really embarrassed if my grandmother reads this one (😬), but here’s my secret: Use a food processor to chop everything! Just make sure you stop short of turning the walnuts into walnut butter. Once they’re finely chopped, stop pulverizing them. Do the pistachios first, remove from the food processor and set aside for later, then move onto the walnut mixture without washing it between.
4) Start with the right proportions for a fail-proof syrup.
To make a simple syrup with the perfect consistency, you need to do one of two things: use a candy thermometer, or start with the exact right amount of sugar and water, boil it just until it dissolves, and then continue to let it simmer for a couple minutes with the lid on to prevent crystal formation.
Many recipes have you start with excess water, and then boil it down for a certain number of minutes, but this will result in a wide range of consistencies if you’re not using a thermometer. Depending on how wide your pan is, more or less water will boil off in the amount of time. And it’s very tricky to determine whether it’s the right consistency while it’s simmering (unless you’re already a pro).
This recipe uses the exact right amount of both water and sugar, for a syrup with the perfect consistency no matter what. Just make sure you don’t let it continue to boil uncovered, or it will reduce and turn into hard candy.
Also note that this syrup may crystalize a little as it cools, which is completely fine and won’t affect the final product. This is a side effect of not starting with more water and cooking it down, but a small price to pay if you’re not working with a candy thermometer (which I realize most folks don’t have on hand). If, on the other hand, you get crystallization while the syrup is cooking, it’s because a little bit of sugar stuck to the side of the pot and fell back in, which is just a mistake that can happen when making any syrup. In that case, you should start over, because it probably won’t be very pourable.
authentic vegan baklava (the easy way)
Ingredients
For the syrup:
- 2½ cups [500 g] granulated sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 cup [235 g] water
- 1 tablespoon [15 g] rosewater
For the baklava:
- 16 oz [455 g] unopened container filo dough sheets
- 16 oz [455 g] walnuts
- 2 teaspoons [4 g] ground cardamom
- 2 teaspoons [4 g] ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon [1 g] ground cloves
- 1 cup [210 g] extra virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing
To decorate: Optionally use 1/3 cup [55 g] finely ground pistachios and/or a sprinkling of edible dried rose petals, or just leave it plain.
Instructions
- Make the syrup the night before (or a couple hours before): Place the sugar and salt in a small saucepan. Shake out into an even layer. Pour on the water so the sugar is evenly covered. Make sure there are no sugar granules sticking to the side of the pot.
- Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, uncovered and without stirring. It will simmer around the edges for a few minutes, and then will begin to boil throughout. Once it comes to a boil, let it bubble away for about 1½ minutes without stirring, just until the sugar dissolves completely.
- As soon as the sugar dissolves completely, add the rosewater, cover tightly with a lid, reduce the heat to low, and let it simmer for 2 more minutes (this will prevent crystallization, but won’t change the consistency of the syrup).
- Let it cool down at room temperature for a little while, cover, and chill completely in the refrigerator. Once fully chilled, it should be about the consistency of honey.
- Place your filo in the refrigerator overnight to thaw.
- A few hours before you’re ready to bake, move your filo from the fridge to the counter to let it come to room temperature before opening.
- Once you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F [180°C].
- Place the walnuts, cardamom, cinnamon, and cloves in a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Pulse several times, just until the walnuts are finely chopped (do not over-process, or they will become a paste). Set aside.
- Grease a rimmed sheet pan with about a teaspoon of olive oil.
- Open your filo dough package, and divide the dough into two stacks. Place the first stack on the sheet pan. Top with the walnut mixture, and spread out into an even layer. Top with the second stack of filo dough.
- Slice as in the video below the recipe (slice across in one direction, then diagonally in another direction).
- Evenly drizzle the cup of olive oil over the surface of the filo.
- Bake for about 30 minutes, until very lightly golden brown on top.*
- As soon as it comes out of the oven, pour the cooled syrup slowly and evenly over the surface. If any liquid runs off to the side, spoon it back over the surface until it stops running. Immediately sprinkle with pistachios and rose petals, if using.
- Let it sit** for at least a few hours, then slice through again, and serve. Store at room temperature for a few days, and freeze whatever you don’t plan to eat in the first few days.
Notes
* Note: If your pistachios are not already ground, throw them in the food processor before washing it while your baklava bakes. Pulse them until they’re finely ground, but before they turn into a paste.
** If the kitchen is a little on the warm side, feel free to place them in the fridge to help them set more firmly.
Thank you for posting this recipe and the video! This is the best batch of baklava I’ve ever made. I don’t make it often. A long time ago, I switched from using phyllo sheets to using puff pastry sheets as the latter was simpler and easier to assemble. But this method of yours, pouring olive oil over the top rather than brushing each later, is just as easy and makes the baklava taste ten times better than with puff pastry. The syrup instructions are nice and easy too.
I am so glad to hear that!! 😀
Made this recipe in about 1.5 hours. I started the recipe before reading the instructions, to make the syrup the day before. I quickly cooled the syrup outside since it was a cold day and poured it over while it was still warm. I used an avocado/coconut oil blend. Turned out great! My husband can’t have dairy due to allergy so it was a delight to find a vegan recipe. 100% better than the vegan baklava we had on vacation, $4 per 1″ square. Just as good as a butter based recipe. So glad I found it!
That’s so great to hear! And same here—we don’t do much dairy these days, so this particular recipe has become my go-to!
First time making Baklava. Made it for an Iftari on the first day of Ramadan. Myself and everyone was BLOWN away – it was incredible !! Thank you for sharing this recipe ! Everyone thought I bought it from a store — Only question I had was about the baklava seperating in the middle, walnut layer as people were picking it up sometimes – Is there anyway to prevent that? Regardless – excellent recipe and minor hiccup!
aw I am so glad to hear it! Honestly, that’s a bit of a symptom of the easier method of layering and then cutting instead of brushing each layer individually and dispersing the nuts throughout. But I’ll let you know if I ever come up with a way to get the best of both worlds!
If using a candy thermometer what degrees F?
I tested this recipe without a candy thermometer to make it easier for folks who don’t have one, so I would have to go back and test it with one if I were to provide a precise number, so unfortunately I’m not sure!
It tastes really good. I might try it with a little bit less sugar next time.
I’m glad you enjoyed it!! If you want to use less sugar, just make sure you cut back on the amount of syrup, rather than the amount of sugar. If you use less sugar and the same amount of water, it will end up soggy because the syrup will be too thin. And also be careful not to cut back *too* much because the sugar is an important structural part of the recipe (it holds together all the layers).
As someone who cannot tolerate dairy products and with a daughter who is vegan, I was intrigued when I saw this recipe. I have now made it exactly as written for 2 different events where it was served to dozens of people and I didn’t tell anyone it was vegan, since that tends to scare people away 🙂 Everyone said it was the best baklava they’ve ever had and more than one person said the vegan baklava is “to die for”. Others who have made and eaten a fair amount of baklava really enjoyed the cardamom and cloves, which was a new spice profile for them. I love how simple it is and how many people it serves because of baklava’s richness. Did I mention you can bake it at least a day ahead of time and that it freezes well? Needless to say, I’ll be making this regularly.
Aw your comment totally made my day! I’m so glad you, your daughter, and your friends have been enjoying it. It’s totally my default way to make baklava these days too <3
Wonderfully easy and delicious. I bought a large rimmed sheet pan specially in order to make this recipe. The nuts were more strongly spiced than I was used to, but that was a pleasant surprise. The syrup was very good. The quantity made was twice as much as I needed for this baklawa, but I didn’t mind at all, since I could use the syrup on other dishes. My guests were delighted. Thank you, Kathryn!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!! 😀
We loved the ease of making this recipe however the top layer of filo dough didn’t stick to the nut mixture. Any suggestions/thoughts on what we did wrong or could change?
That is such a great question, and I have a couple thoughts!
The first factor could be how much water you cooked out of the syrup, affecting the consistency. If it’s too thin, it won’t hold together enough. If it’s too thick, you might have trouble getting it to permeate every layer. This recipe was developed for kitchens without a candy thermometer, but unfortunately that introduces an element of imprecision with the final consistency of the syrup. It’s hard to find a baklava recipe that includes precise temperatures—I should really develop one one of these days! But anyway, that’s one factor!
The second factor could be the temperature of the syrup, also affecting the consistency. If it’s too warm, it will run out of the baklava before it has a chance to set.
The third factor could be the temperature of the baklava when you pour it on. Pouring cold syrup over hot baklava is the best way to make sure it sticks together.
To troubleshoot, I would pay even closer attention to the consistency when the syrup comes out of the fridge. If it’s the consistency of honey, you’re good to go. If it’s too thin, let it chill completely (or re-start and cook it down more). Make sure you wait to bake the baklava until the syrup is completely chilled and ready to go.
I hope that helps! And apologies if that’s all stuff you’ve already tried. It’s such a notoriously tricky recipe, and if you find something else that works well for you, please do let me know!!
Loved it! So easy and delicious. Thank you!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! 😀
I really like this recipe, its super easy to make and lighter than other balkava recipes
So glad you’ve been enjoying it!
I’d love to try this recipe, but the only phyllo dough I could find has 15 sheets in a 16 oz package. Will this work? Thanks so much!
Any 16 oz container of phyllo should work great. Depending on the size of your sheets, you might end up with a thinner or thicker stack of baklava, which is totally fine and just affects the bake time a bit. But baklava isn’t quite as precise as a cake, so feel free to go with it, and just adjust the bake time accordingly.
Thank you so much for the quick response Kathryn! I appreciate it! Sounds great. I’m not sure the size of the sheets so I will give it a try!
Hope it goes great!!
I’ve made it twice now, total fan. Easy to make and delicious. I used lemon juice instead of rose water which also worked well. Thank you for the great recipe!
I’m so, so glad you’ve been enjoying it!! I’ve been eating more plant-based stuff lately, and this is actually the main way I make baklava these days, so I’ve been enjoying this one a lot too haha