Baklava is an enticing Middle Eastern dessert. Delicate layers of golden filo pastry sandwich a filling of nuts and all of it is doused in an exquisitely flavored sugar syrup. This vegan baklava has all of that allure and then some more!
Who doesn't love baklava? This delicious pastry has it all: it's crispy, juicy, sweet and it has delicious nuts. It's so beloved, in fact, that it has nations, particularly Greece and Turkey, fighting to lay claim to its origins.
To me, one of the best things about baklava, besides that exquisite deliciousness, is the ease of veganizing it -- and making it.
Yes, you read that right. This really is a pretty simple recipe, especially if you have some experience handling filo pastry dough. And it takes barely minutes to put together. In fact, this was the very first veganized dessert I shared on the blog all the way back in 2007, and I can't believe it's taken me this long to update it.
The only reason why this recipe could be daunting to a beginner cook is the difficulty of handling filo pastry sheets, which are paper-thin and tear easily. But filo can also be very forgiving because you are piling so many sheets on top of each other and a tear or two will not break your recipe.
One more caveat is that you need to work quickly with the filo sheets, which tend to dry out once you get them out of the packet. Keep those two tips in mind and you are well on your way to making an amazing baklava--amazing those who will be lucky enough to eat it!
Why you will love this recipe
- Delicious. Cardamom and rose water make this delicate dessert even more alluring. There really is no gastronomic experience that comes close to biting into the layers of crispy but juicy puff pastry and into the nutty filling.
- Simple. Prep for this vegan baklava recipe is so simple--give the nuts a turn in the food processor and unwrap store bought sheets of phyllo dough. After that it really is all about layering the pastry sheets in a baking pan and brushing them with vegan butter or olive oil.
- Everyone will love it. I don't know anyone that doesn't love baklava and I can't imagine there is anyone who wouldn't. This is an especially kid-friendly dessert.
Ingredients
- Nuts. You can use any nuts of your choice here. I used walnuts and sliced almonds this time, but I've also used pistachios and pecans in the past and they are all wonderful in this vegan baklava.
- Sugar. Use any granulated sugar of your choice. You will need just a little bit for the nut filling and more for the sugar syrup. In the Middle East honey is often used in baklava and you can use maple syrup or agave nectar, but I think it's a bit of a waste in this recipe where you want the cardamom and rose water to shine.
- Spices: Cinnamon is more commonly found in baklava recipes but I love, love, love cardamom in my baklava--it adds an amazing aroma and flavor to this already delicious recipe. I also add in some nutmeg and ground cloves. You can keep it simple and use only cardamom. Or use ground cinnamon.
- Filo pastry sheets (also called fillo pastry or phyllo dough). You can make your own filo pastry but it's a long and difficult process and why bother when you can easily buy vegan filo pastry off the shelves of most supermarkets?
- Vegan butter or extra virgin olive oil. While most baklava recipes out there use butter, there are types of baklava made in Middle Eastern countries that use only olive oil and are naturally dairy-free. I make baklava with either vegan butter or olive oil, and this time I used melted vegan butter.
- Lemon juice. This cuts a bit through the intense sweetness so don't skip it. You can also add the lemon zest to the syrup.
- Rose water (optional). Adding a dash of rose water to the sugar syrup adds some extra allure and aroma to this dessert. You can skip it.
Variations for special diets
- Nut-free. Use pumpkin seeds and/or melon seeds for the filling and chop them in a food processor, as you would the nuts. You can also add dry fruits, including dates and apricots, to the filling.
- Gluten-free. You can buy gluten-free phyllo pastry sheets, made with rice starch and rice flour, at many U.S. supermarkets.
- Sugar-free. Make the sugar syrup with stevia. If using a cup-by-cup replacer like Stevia in the Raw you can simply replace the sugar with the same quantity of stevia. If using other types of stevia follow package directions for the correct substitution amounts.
How to make vegan baklava
1. Place nuts in the food processor and pulse until finely chopped but not powdery. Add the sugar and ground spices and pulse a couple more times to mix.
2. Brush the bottom and sides of a 12 X 9 inch baking pan with vegan butter or olive oil. Carefully layer one filo pastry sheet in the bottom of the baking pan and brush it with butter. Continue layering and brushing with melted butter or oil until you've used up a third of the sheets (approximately 14 sheets, after cutting the phyllo sheets in half).
3. Layer half the nut mixture over the filo sheet. Continue layering another 14 sheets, brushing each layer with butter. Sprinkle the remaining nuts over the top in an even layer.
4. Layer on the final third of filo sheets, brushing each with vegan butter or oil. Use a sharp knife to carefully cut diamond shapes in the layered baklava, cutting all the way to the bottom. Bake in a preheated 400-degree oven for 50 minutes or until golden-brown on top.
5. About 25 minutes before the baklava is done, place the ingredients for the sugar syrup in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Once the syrup boils lower heat to a simmer and let it cook 20 minutes.
6. As soon as the baklava comes out of the oven pour the hot sugar syrup evenly over it. If you hand-pound the spices, the way I did, you can use a strainer to strain them out--they've already added all their flavor to the syrup.
7. Immediately after pouring the syrup over the baklava, you can optionally top it with more nuts and rose petals for a pretty look. Let the baklava cool to room temperature, then run the knife once more along the cuts you made earlier and remove each piece carefully.
Helpful tips
- Cover filo pastry sheets with a damp kitchen towel once they are out of the package. Keep remaining sheets covered as you layer them on. This will keep the filo from drying out and tearing.
- Lift the sheets carefully by their edges to prevent tears. But if the filo does tear when you pick it up, don't panic. Just layer it on as best as you can, brush with oil or butter, and layer on the next sheet.
- Make sure you pour the sugar syrup evenly over the baked baklava, taking care to cover all corners and the center. Let it cool thoroughly before eating.
Storage instructions
- Refrigerate: Store baklava in the fridge for up to two weeks.
- Freeze: Store baklava in an airtight container in the freezer up to four months. Thaw before eating.
More delicious vegan dessert recipes
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Vegan Baklava
Equipment
-
12 X 9 inch baking dish
-
Small saucepan
Ingredients
- 16 oz filo pastry sheets (cut sheets in half to fit baking dish. To do this, fold the stack of filo sheets in half, then run a sharp knife carefully along the inside of the fold to cut. You can also do this with scissors, although I find it easier to use a knife).
- 6 tablespoons vegan butter (melted. Or use olive oil or any other oil of choice).
- 2 cups nuts (I used walnuts and sliced almonds. You can also use pecans or pistachios).
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cardamom (green cardamom)
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
For sugar syrup
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoons rose water
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
Instructions
-
Place nuts in the food processor and pulse until finely chopped but not powdery. Add the sugar and ground spices and pulse a couple more times to mix.
-
Brush the bottom and sides of a 12 X 9 inch baking pan with vegan butter or olive oil. Carefully layer one filo pastry sheet in the bottom of the baking pan and brush it with butter. Continue layering and brushing with vegan butter or oil until you've used up a third of the sheets. (A package of filo pastry typically yields 21 9' X 24' sheets, so you will have around 14 half-sheets in each layer.)
-
Layer half the nuts over the final layer of filo. Continue layering another 14 sheets, brushing each layer with butter. Sprinkle the remaining nuts over the top in an even layer.
-
Layer on the final third of filo sheets, brushing each with vegan butter or oil. Use a sharp knife to carefully cut diamond shapes in the layered baklava, cutting all the way to the bottom. Bake in a preheated 400-degree oven for 50 minutes.
-
About 25 minutes before the baklava is done, place the ingredients for the sugar syrup in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Once the syrup boils lower heat to a simmer and let it cook 20 minutes.
-
As soon as the baklava comes out of the oven pour the hot sugar syrup evenly over it. If you hand-pound the spices, as I did, you can use a strainer to strain them out--they've already added all their flavor to the syrup.
-
After pouring the syrup over the baklava, you can optionally top it with more nuts and rose petals for a pretty look. Let the baklava cool to room temperature, then run the knife once more along the cuts you made earlier and remove each piece carefully.
-
Immediately after pouring the syrup over the baklava, you can optionally top it with more nuts and rose petals for a pretty look.
Notes
- Cover filo pastry sheets with a damp kitchen towel once they are out of the package. Keep remaining sheets covered as you layer them on. This will keep the filo from drying out and tearing.
- Lift the sheets carefully by their edges to prevent tears. But if the filo does tear when you pick it up, don't panic. Just layer it on as best as you can, brush with oil or butter, and layer on the next sheet.
- Make sure you pour the sugar syrup evenly over the baked baklava, taking care to cover all corners and the center. Let it cool thoroughly before eating.
- Nut-free. Use pumpkin seeds and/or melon seeds for the filling and chop them in a food processor, as you would the nuts. You can also add dry fruits, including dates and apricots, to the filling.
- Gluten-free. You can buy gluten-free phyllo pastry sheets, made with rice starch and rice flour, at many U.S. supermarkets.
- Sugar-free. Make the sugar syrup with stevia. If using a cup-by-cup replacer like Stevia in the Raw you can simply replace the sugar with the same quantity of stevia. If using other types of stevia follow package directions for the correct substitution amounts.
- Refrigerate: Store baklava in the fridge for up to two weeks.
- Freeze: Place baklava in an airtight container and freeze up to four months. Thaw before eating.
Nutrition
The post Vegan Baklava appeared first on Holy Cow Vegan.
The post Vegan Baklava appeared first on Holy Cow Vegan.
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