Baklava Cheesecake
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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
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