Vegan Baklava Recipe – Vegan Richa

This vegan baklava recipe is made with layers of phyllo dough, stuffed with cinnamon-spiced peanuts, and covered in a gooey lemon syrup! No honey is needed for this amazing Middle Eastern dessert!

After all the baklava inspired recipes, I had to make the real deal. Baklava is a decadent and sweet treat. Traditional baklava is not vegan because it uses butter and honey. I changed it up with some vegan butter and a sticky lemon syrup made with maple syrup!

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

Baklava comes in many variations and flavors. I use a mixture of nuts and some lemon zest to get that decadent and refreshing flavor! If you wish, you can add some rose water to the syrup, but be careful as a little goes a long way.

The texture is flaky, soft, and buttery, with a nice crunch from the crispy filo and nuts. It's sweet, with hints of lemon and cinnamon, but nothing overpowering.

What is puff pastry?

Many people don’t know that filo dough and filo pastry are actually vegan. No eggs or dairy are used.

The number of phyllo sheets needed depends on the size of the pan. I used 8×8 inch glass dishes and needed 24 of that size. My phyllo pack comes with 18 sheets, but they are larger and I can cut them out.

More Nutty Vegan Desserts:

Baklava Inspired Desserts

Recipe card

raw material:

• Phyllo Pastry – Also known as filo pastry. This can be found in the frozen and refrigerated sections of grocery stores.
• Nuts (I used a combination of almonds, walnuts and pistachios, but you could just use walnuts (Greek style) or pistachios (Persian style)
• medjool sweet dates
• The nut filling is flavored with lemon zest and some cinnamon
  1/4 teaspoon salt
• For the syrup, we used maple syrup, a vegan alternative to honey, which has a glorious, sticky texture.
• Lemon juice, lemon slices, and orange juice give the syrup a refreshing, bright citrus flavor
• We brush the filo pieces with some oil or melted vegan butter to get a golden color. Butter/oil is necessary because the dough itself is very dry.

Tip:

• Use any nuts you like – I used a blend, but you could make this with just walnuts or pistachios
• Feel free to add a small amount of rose water or orange blossom water to the infusion syrup, but be very careful.This is very powerful stuff
• If you want to make it gluten-free, use gluten-free puff pastry dough.

How to Make Vegan Baklava

Have your phyllo slices ready, thawing them if they haven't already been. Cover them with a damp towel and let them sit on the counter for at least an hour so they separate easily and you can cut them according to the size of the pan. Keep them covered while working.

For the nuts, add all the nuts to a food processor and process until they are close to coarse meal.

Then add the dates and remaining ingredients and process again until the dates are well combined with the nuts. Transfer to a bowl and place near your workstation.

Melt the vegan butter if you haven't already. If using, mix with oil and set aside.

Prepare your workstation: Generously brush a baking sheet with butter mixture. Cut batch of sheets to pan size.I used a 9×9 inch

Then place the first sheet of phyllo on top and lightly brush it with the oil-butter mixture and place the other sheet.

Repeat for at least 6 sheets, then spread the nut filling evenly. You want a thin layer of nuts.

Then start layering with the phyllo sheets again. Spread a layer of filo slices and brush with butter. Layer another sheet. Layer at least 3-4 layers of phyllo sheets and continue until all the nuts are used. I got about 4 layers of nuts.

Then for the top phyllo layer, use 6 phyllo leaves. Brush the top with the oil and butter mixture, covering it completely.

Use a sharp knife to cut the baklava into your preferred shapes. I chose the diamond shape.

Then bake at 350 degrees F for 45-55 minutes, until top is golden brown.

Meanwhile, make the syrup: Heat maple syrup, lemon juice, and water in a saucepan until boiling.

Then add the lemon slices and continue to cook over medium heat until the mixture thickens slightly. Turn off the heat and allow to cool to warm.

You need to check the syrup at this point, even though it is hot it should be slightly thick like maple syrup. If not, reheat to thicken.

When the baklava is done baking, remove the dish from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes.

Drizzle the slightly cool (should be room temperature or slightly warm) syrup over the baklava, first over the top and then into all the cracks.

Top with some pistachios. Let these baklavas sit for at least 2 hours to soak in the syrup. Then serve.

storage

• refrigerator: This can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
• freeze: Baklava is freezer-friendly and can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 6 months. You can thaw in the refrigerator uncovered.