Recipe for baklava Greek style, and how it differs from others

A recipe for baklava Greek style uses about 20 to 30 sheets of buttered phyllo, a filling of chopped walnuts with cinnamon, and a honey and lemon syrup poured over the baked pastry. This guide gives a full Greek baklava method, then shows how Turkish and Levantine baklava differ.

What is Greek baklava?

Greek baklava is a pastry of many thin phyllo layers filled with chopped walnuts and cinnamon, baked until golden and soaked in syrup. The Greek version is usually sweetened with honey, scented with cinnamon, and often includes a little clove.

Baklava belongs to a wider family of Ottoman-era and regional sweets, and its exact origin is debated, so the next sections describe the Greek style without claiming it is the first. A separate guide on this site looks at where baklava comes from.

What ingredients do you need?

For a standard 23 by 33 centimetre tray, you need phyllo, nuts, butter and a syrup. Quantities below make about 24 pieces.

• 450 grams phyllo pastry, thawed overnight in the fridge
• 400 grams walnuts, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus a pinch of ground cloves
• 225 grams butter, melted
• For the syrup: 250 grams sugar, 250 millilitres water, 120 grams honey, a strip of lemon peel and a cinnamon stick

Unsalted butter gives the most control over seasoning. Some cooks use clarified butter for a crisper finish.

How do you assemble baklava?

Brush a tray with butter, lay phyllo sheets one at a time with butter between them, add the nut mixture, then finish with more buttered layers. Work quickly and keep unused phyllo under a damp towel so it does not dry out.

1. Preheat the oven to 175 °C and butter the tray.
2. Layer 10 to 12 phyllo sheets on the bottom, brushing each with butter.
3. Spread half of the nut and cinnamon mixture over the layers.
4. Add 4 or 5 more buttered sheets, then the rest of the nuts.
5. Finish with 10 to 12 buttered sheets and brush the top generously.

Trim the sheets to the tray first. Torn phyllo is fine inside the stack, and only the top layers need to look neat.

How do you cut and bake baklava?

Cut the unbaked pastry into diamonds or squares with a sharp knife, all the way through, then bake for 45 to 55 minutes. Cutting first stops the crisp layers from shattering later.

To make diamonds, cut parallel lines along the tray, then cut diagonal lines across them. Bake at 175 °C until deep golden. If the top browns too fast, loosely cover it with foil for the last 10 minutes.

How do you make the syrup and add it?

Boil the sugar, water, honey, lemon peel and cinnamon stick for about 10 minutes, then cool the syrup completely. Pour it over the baklava as soon as the pastry comes out of the oven.

The contrast of cool syrup on hot pastry is what keeps baklava crisp. Pour slowly across the cuts so it reaches the bottom layers. Let the tray stand uncovered for several hours before serving, since the syrup needs time to soak in.

How is Greek baklava different from Turkish and Levantine baklava?

Greek baklava typically uses walnuts and a honey syrup with cinnamon, while Turkish baklava often uses pistachios or walnuts with a sugar syrup. Levantine and Arab versions frequently use pistachios, walnuts or cashews and add rose water or orange blossom water to the syrup.

These are patterns, not rules. Bakers vary the nuts and syrup inside each tradition.

Why does baklava turn out soggy or dry?

Soggy baklava usually comes from syrup that was too hot, too much syrup or not enough butter. Dry baklava usually has too little syrup or phyllo that dried out while assembling.

Fixes that help:

• Cool the syrup fully before pouring.
• Brush every sheet with butter, edge to edge.
• Rest the baklava for at least four hours before serving.
• Keep phyllo covered with a damp towel during assembly.

What can you do with leftover phyllo and nut mixture?

Leftover phyllo can be buttered, stacked and baked as crisp sheets to serve with ice cream or yoghurt, and leftover chopped nuts can go into a second small tray, a cookie dough or a breakfast bowl. Unopened phyllo keeps in the fridge for a couple of weeks and freezes well, but once thawed it should not be refrozen.

Syrup that was not used keeps in a clean jar in the fridge for a few weeks. It works on pancakes, yoghurt or a plain cake, and a spoonful can sweeten tea.

Can you adjust the recipe for a smaller or lighter baklava?

Yes. Halve the quantities and use a 20 centimetre square tin, cutting the phyllo to fit. For a lighter result, reduce the butter slightly and use fewer sheets, though the layers will be less crisp.

For a less sweet baklava, use 200 grams of sugar instead of 250 in the syrup and skip the honey. Add the juice of half a lemon to keep the syrup from crystallising. Taste the syrup before cooling it, because the nuts and the pastry already add richness.

Is baklava on the Kahwa Raw Cafe menu?

Yes. Kahwa Raw Cafe’s Uber Eats menu lists Classic Baklava at $8.95, described as flaky phyllo layers with crushed nuts and syrup, and a Baklava Cheesecake at $10.00, which combines cheesecake with baklava layers.

All prices are from Uber Eats, read 14 November 2026. The nuts, syrup and style used by the cafe are not stated, so this guide makes no claim about them. See the menu page for the full dessert list and the hours and location page for the address.

How do you store and serve baklava?

Store baklava at room temperature, loosely covered, for up to several days. Serve it at room temperature in small pieces, often with strong tea or coffee that balances the sweetness.

Avoid sealing it in an airtight box while still warm, since trapped steam softens the top. A day-old baklava often tastes better than a fresh one because the syrup has spread through the layers.

Common questions

This page is part of the independent guide to Kahwa Raw Cafe, which has the address, hours and menu.

This article is general information from an independent guide, not from Kahwa Raw Cafe itself. For the store’s current details see hours and location.