Vegan Baklava Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is vegan baklava made of? ›

This vegan version of baklava is made with layers of sweet filo and chopped nuts, all covered in a sweet syrup! we also add dates to the nut filling since our syrup is not very sweet. We add less sweetener than in traditional baklava recipes. This is a simple yet showstopping dessert guaranteed to impress!

"There are many, many variations of baklava recipes out there. Most of them call for some variation of a sugar water syrup. This recipe is a bit different because it only uses pure honey over the top of the baklava. This makes for a much crispier, flakier baklava that the baklava that is readily available.

Make sure that you either pour hot syrup over cold baklava, or cold syrup over hot baklava. This ensures that the baklava will absorb the syrup. If you pour hot syrup on hot baklava it will become soggy.

As stated before, baklava mostly gets hard to chew and brittle, falling apart easily. For those who use a lot of honey or sugar syrup on their baklava, it can start to go bad when it gets too soggy to hold. Other signs to look out for is if it starts to fade in color or discolor altogether.

Baklava is originally from Turkey, Greece, and the Middle East, but it was brought to Hungary by Turkish invaders during the 16th century. Hungary revised it and made it part of their culture as the strudel. 2.

Many Muslims eat this delicious dessert daily after iftar. From its Mediterranean roots, baklava has spread globally. This pastry is a top choice snack for many, alongside other Middle Eastern pastries like pita bread.

History of baklava

It is often served at Christian holidays, such as Christmas and Easter, when it is made with 40 sheets of phyllo dough to represent the 40 days of Lent. In Greece, it is traditionally made with 33 layers to symbolize each year of the life of Christ.

The secret to good crispy baklava is baking it on low heat for a long time. Most people put it on a higher heat for about 30 minutes so no matter what you do it is going to be soggy. 250° for an hour and a half to two hours. No matter what happens it will be crispy.

The baklava Greek region has a much softer texture due to the thick syrup. On the other hand, the Turkish baklava, with its thicker, heavier dough and filling entirely with pistachios, has a more substantial, chewy texture and a rich, nutty flavor.

While the syrup is cooking, run your knife through the baklava to be sure the pieces are cut all the way through.

How to tell if baklava is done? ›

Bake: Place the baking dish on the middle rack of your heated oven. Bake anywhere from 35 to 45 minutes or until the top of the baklava turns golden and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. (IMPORTANT…Because ovens vary, be sure to check your baklava half-way through baking).

Water, Sugar, Vanilla, and Honey

A sweet syrup — made from water, sugar, vanilla extract, and honey — is poured over the baked baklava layers, bringing the delicious dessert together.

Clarified Butter or Ghee: While you might be tempted to just use butter, clarified butter is best in this case because it's essentially the fat component of butter without the liquid part that can create a soggy baklava. You'll get a more golden color and more crisp texture.

Baklava is made out of sugar (şerbet), yufka (sort of a flat layered dough) and antep fıstığı (pistachio). These three ingridients are very expensive in Turkey due to the shortages of production and current currency crisis.

“Take the baklava with your hand and turn it over. Upside down,” he says. The fragrant ground nuts and syrup imbibe the bottom layers of phyllo while the pastry is baking and resting, and when you flip it over, the aromas hit your nose for a complete taste-scent symphony. “It starts with the nose,” Ugur says.

Baklava is a sweet dessert made of layers of flaky phyllo pastry filled with crushed nuts and sweetened with honey syrup.

Baklava is rich in antioxidants

The nuts and honey in Baklava don't just make it delicious – they're also packed with antioxidants. These compounds combat oxidative stress in the body, promoting overall health. Regular consumption of foods rich in antioxidants is linked to a reduced risk of chronic diseases.

Like most bakery items, eggs are used to help bake the baklava in some recipes. Some recipes don't require eggs or the egg wash mentioned earlier, so be sure to ask wherever you want to order your baklava.

Unfortunately quite a lot of traditional baklava recipes aren't suitable for vegans; this is because honey is one of the key ingredients. Many variations include various sweet syrups insead of honey, so in general these will be vegan-friendly.