This impressive baklava cheesecake has a crust made from flaky layers of phyllo dough sweetened with honey and a creamy, rose-scented filling. It's not overly sweet, thanks to tangy yogurt and cream cheese, while pistachios in the crust & topping add a crunchy texture.
This Baklava Cheesecake is the Most Impressive Dessert I've Ever Made
Okayyy, just look how elegant this baklava cheesecake is! I took my recipe for classic baklava (made with phyllo dough, crushed nuts, and honey syrup) and combined it with my family-favorite creamy cheesecake with a generous splash of rose water added into the mix for a more authentic Middle Eastern flavor.
While it might look complicated at first glance, I used store bought phyllo dough to make this dessert much easier and faster to prepare. And I designed this recipe to be baked without a water bath, so it's great if you've never attempted a homemade cheesecake before.
Baking Tips from My Kitchen
- Room Temp: If you can start with your cream cheese, yogurt and eggs all at room temperature, your cheesecake will whip up much creamier.
- Phyllo: Allow frozen phyllo dough to defrost overnight in the fridge. You want it thawed so it's soft and pliable, but not too warm where it starts to stick to itself.
- Crust: In testing, it was important to ensure the layers of phyllo dough covered both the bottom and the sides of my pan, to form the full crust for the cheesecake & hold all the filling inside.
- Chill: Don't skip chilling the cheesecake since this step is vital to allow the cheesecake to finish setting. When I tried to slice my first cheesecake while it was still warm, it was a wet mess.
Baklava Cheesecake
developed & tested by:
This Baklava Cheesecake is incredibly impressive! The buttery, flaky phyllo dough along with the chopped pistachios and honey of the baklava form a delicious crust. And the creamy dairy free cheesecake brings the perfected balance to this delicious dessert!
Equipment
Ingredients
Baklava Crust
- 2 cups unsalted pistachios, chopped, plus extra for topping
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup honey
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 15 sheets phyllo dough (thawed in the fridge overnight)
Dairy Free Cheesecake
- 32 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 Tablespoons rose water
- 1 ⅔ cup plain Greek yogurt, at room temperature
- 4 whole eggs, at room temperature
- 2 egg yolks, at room temperature
Instructions
Baklava Crust
- Mix the chopped pistachios with the salt and honey in a mixing bowl until it's sticky and well-coated. Set aside.
- Grease a 10-inch or 11-inch springform pan. Use a pastry brush to brush melted butter on the bottom and sides of the pan.
- Gently pull apart one sheet of phyllo dough and place it in the springform pan. Use your hands to flatten it on the bottom and in the corners and up the sides, to hang over the top of the pan. Brush a little melted butter on the phyllo dough sheet, including up the sides. Repeat with 9 more sheets of phyllo dough, until you have 10 stacked, each layered with melted butter on top.
- Spread half the pistachio-honey mixture into the pan and press it in an even layer.
- Layer five more sheets of phyllo dough and melted butter. Spread the other half of the pistachio-honey mixture into the pan and press it in an even layer. Set aside.
Rose Cheesecake
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or in a large mixing bowl with an electric whisk, beat the room temperature cream cheese for 4 to 6 minutes, until it is smooth and creamy.
- Beat the granulated sugar and salt into the cream cheese for another 4 minutes, until it is smooth.
- While mixing on low speed, add the rose water. Then add the whole eggs, one at a time. Make sure each egg is fully mixed in before adding the next egg. Then add the egg yolks one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition.
- Add the Greek yogurt and continue to mix on a low speed until it's smooth, creamy and fully combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl again and give the mixture a few last stirs by hand, to ensure there are no pockets of ingredients that aren't fully mixed. Pour the cheesecake batter into the springform pan with the baklava crust.
- Bake for 30 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 250°F and bake for 1 hour. Then urn the oven off and leave the cheesecake in the hot oven with the door closed for at least 1 hour.
- Remove the cheesecake from the oven and allow it to come to room temperature, about 3 hours.
- Refrigerate the cheesecake overnight to set (at least 8 hours). When ready to serve, carefully release the walls of the springform pan. Top with chopped pistachios. Slice and enjoy!!
If there are any lumps now, you'll end up with a lumpy cheesecake. Scrape the sides of the bowl during this process, to make sure all the cream cheese gets creamed.
Notes
- Nuts: You can substitute other nuts like walnuts or almonds instead of pistachios.
- Phyllo Dough: Keep the phyllo sheets that you aren't using covered with plastic cling wrap and a damp kitchen towel to prevent them from drying out.
- Torn Phyllo: If your phyllo dough does tear, you can patch it together by brushing melted butter to seal the tear, or patch over a hole with another small piece of phyllo dough.
- Cracked Top: I designed this recipe so your cheesecake shouldn't crack while baking and cooling. If for any reason it does crack, just sprinkle extra chopped pistachios on top and no one will ever know!
- Storing: Store the baklava cheesecake in the fridge under a cake dome or wrapped loosely in plastic wrap for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 slice (of 12)Calories: 653kcalCarbohydrates: 48gProtein: 16gFat: 46gSaturated Fat: 19gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gMonounsaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 165mgSodium: 540mgPotassium: 399mgFiber: 3gSugar: 30gVitamin A: 1224IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 142mgIron: 2mg
Did you make this recipe?Leave a comment below - I love hearing from you!
Maria says
Love love love baklava! And this baklava cheesecake nailed it! I love the twist in the classic and especially that it didn’t need a water bath!
Carissa Erzen says
Yayyy thank you! Yes, throw that water bath out the window! 🙂
Cheri says
This cheesecake took me a while to bake but it was SO WORTH IT! It's such a unique and impressive cheesecake, way beyond the traditional plain cheesecake recipe. it would be nice for a special occasion, but for me it was a fun weekend bake!
MK says
I love making cheesecake at home, so when I saw this baklava cheesecake, I knew I had to give it a try. I've never made baklava before, but I have eaten it at restaurants. This mash-up of the two was utterly delicious. The baklava crust is crispy and buttery and the cheesecake is creamy and thick, as it should be. 5 out of 5 stars from me!
Mariam says
WOW! I had so much fun making this! You're right, it did take a while, especially all the layering of the filo dough sheets. But I felt so proud when I placed it on the table with my family. They were all very impressed, so thank you for this recipe!!
infinitelyadaydreamer says
I couldn't love this more, utterly divine!
Humbly Homemade says
Aww thank you my friend! 💖 This was a really special dish to make for my in-laws. 😇
Markus + Micah says
My god, this looks amazing! Last month, I was introduced by Turkish friends to Baklava and it was awesome. But I can imagine this cheesecake takes it to a new stratosphere. Wiow!
Humbly Homemade says
Thank you so much!! Baklava is so good, you really can't go wrong with it! 💖🥰
Azilde says
This looks amazing! I love baklava but have never heard of it in cheesecake form. You really think of awesome recipes to make! I can't wait to try this! â¤ï¸
Humbly Homemade says
Aww thank you! It was a lot of extra work, but it was totally worth it in the end. 🥰