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.
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
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.
Store
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.
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