Vegan Baklava
This scrumptious vegan baklava is sweet, crispy, nutty, and so delicious! It looks impressive, but it's secretly simple to make!
Ingredients
Vegan Baklava
- 2 cups unsalted pistachios
- 1 cup walnuts
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup vegan butter
- 16 ounces frozen phyllo dough, thawed to room temperature (one package)
Maple & Rose Syrup
- ¾ cup water
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon rose water (optional)
Instructions
Make the Baklava
- In a food processor*, combine the pistachios**, walnuts, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Pulse about 10 times, so some pieces are still large enough to provide a crunchy texture. Set aside.
- Gently roll out your thawed phyllo dough so it lays flat on the counter. Keep any sheets you aren't using covered with plastic wrap and a damp kitchen towel so they don't dry out and turn brittle.Use a 9-inch by 13-inch baking pan as a guide to trim the phyllo dough sheets to fit in the baking dish bottom.***
- Melt the butter in the microwave on 15 second intervals. Use a pastry brush to brush the baking pan with melted butter.Place one sheet of phyllo on the bottom of the prepared baking pan. Brush the phyllo with more melted butter.Place another sheet of phyllo on top.Repeat with 8 more sheets, for a total of 10 phyllo sheets on the bottom.
- Sprinkle one heaping cup (about one third) of the nut mixture evenly on the buttered phyllo sheet. Drizzle a little butter on top of the nuts. Add 5 more phyllo sheets and melted butter.
- Sprinkle another one heaping cup of the nut mixture, drizzle with a little melted butter, and layer 5 more phyllo sheets with melted butter.
- Sprinkle the final heaping cup of the nut mixture, reserving a couple tablespoons to spoon on top. Drizzle with a little melted butter and layer 5 more phyllo sheets and melted butter. Brush the top generously with melted butter.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Use a sharp knife to cut the baklava all the way to the bottom in 12 squares, then cut each square on the diagonal.
- Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the top is dark golden brown and crispy.
- While the baklava is baking, prepare the syrup so it's cooled and ready to pour once the baklava comes out of the oven.
Make the Maple Syrup
- In a medium sauce pan, combine the water, granulated sugar, maple syrup, and optional rose water. Bring to a boil, then simmer on medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until slightly thickened. Stir occasionally and keep the lid off so water can evaporate out. Set aside to cool while the baklava finishes baking.
- As soon as the hot baklava comes out of the oven, slowly pour the syrup over it. Make sure it gets all over, into the corners and onto all the slices. Immediately sprinkle the reserved chopped nuts on top, so they stick to the syrup.
- Let cool at room temperature for at least 3 hours. This allows time for the syrup to soak into all the layers. Enjoy!!
Notes
* If you don't have a food processor, finely chop the nuts on a cutting board, then mix them in a bowl with the sugar, cinnamon and salt.
** You can use any type of nuts; pistachios are the most traditional.
*** If you don't have enough phyllo sheets to make all the layers, use the parts that were trimmed off together to form a full layer. Use this method for the middle layers, so the top and bottom layers look the best.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 pieceCalories: 246kcalCarbohydrates: 25gProtein: 4gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.04gSodium: 178mgPotassium: 152mgFiber: 2gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 387IUVitamin C: 0.4mgCalcium: 23mgIron: 1mg
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