Gluten Free Baklava Recipe

This was my mount everest. I won't lie, if you are also making the gluten free filo pastry yourself, this will take you an entire day. But it's worth it... eventually!

Just remember, do not be shy with the butter. Gluten free filo can be a little more delicate than regular filo, so the melted butter helps separate the layers, support the pastry and give you that golden, flaky finish.

This recipe makes a lovely small tray of baklava, perfect for sharing, gifting or keeping in an airtight container for a few days when you want something sweet with coffee.

Watch video here

Ingredients

For the pastry

• 1 portion gluten free filo pastry

• 160g butter, melted

  
  

For the honey syrup

• 160ml water

• 70g sugar

• 50ml honey

• Juice of 1/4 lemon

• 1 cinnamon stick

  
  

For the nut filling

• 35g walnuts

• 60g pistachio nuts

• 35g almonds

• 30g sugar

• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

• 1/2 tsp ground cloves

  
  

To finish

• A small handful of crushed pistachios, for sprinkling

Method

1. Make the syrup. Add the water, sugar, honey, lemon juice and cinnamon stick to a small saucepan. Place over a medium heat and bring to the boil.

   
   

2. Simmer the syrup. Once boiling, reduce the heat and let it simmer for 15 minutes. The syrup should look slightly thicker and smell warm and spiced. Remove it from the heat and set aside while you make the baklava. Take out the cinnamon stick before pouring.

   
   

3. Make the nut filling. Add the walnuts, pistachios, almonds, sugar, cinnamon and ground cloves to a food processor. Blitz until the nuts are finely chopped, but not turned into a paste. You want a crumbly texture with a few tiny pieces for crunch.

   
   

4. Prepare the baking tray. Brush the base and sides of your baking tray with melted butter. This stops the pastry sticking and helps the bottom layer turn golden.

   
   

5. Start layering the filo. Place one sheet of gluten free filo pastry into the tray. Brush it generously with melted butter. Add another sheet on top and brush again with butter. Keep layering in this way until you have used about half of the pastry.

   
   

6. Add the filling. Sprinkle the nut mixture evenly over the buttered pastry layers. Spread it right to the edges so every piece gets plenty of filling.

   
   

7. Finish the pastry layers. Continue adding the remaining filo sheets one at a time, brushing each layer well with melted butter. Do not worry if a sheet tears slightly. Just place it down, butter it and carry on.

   
   

8. Butter the top. Brush the final sheet with a generous layer of melted butter. If you have a little butter left, pour or brush it over the top, especially around the edges.

   
   

9. Cut the baklava. Use a sharp knife to cut the baklava into diamonds, squares or rectangles. Make sure you cut all the way through to the bottom of the tray. This step is much easier before baking and helps the syrup reach every layer later.

   
   

10. Bake. Place the tray in the oven at 200°C and bake for 35 minutes, or until the top is deeply golden and crisp. Keep an eye on it towards the end, as gluten free pastry can colour quickly.

11. Add the syrup immediately. As soon as the baklava comes out of the oven, pour the syrup evenly over the whole tray. It should sizzle slightly as it hits the hot pastry. Try to pour some syrup along the cut lines too.

12. Finish with pistachios. Sprinkle crushed pistachios over the top while the baklava is still sticky.

13. Cool before serving. Let the baklava cool fully in the tray before eating. This gives the syrup time to soak in and helps the pieces hold their shape.

Storage

Once completely cool, keep the baklava in a sealed container for up to 5 days. Store it at room temperature if your kitchen is cool and dry.

Avoid refrigerating it if you can, as the fridge can make the pastry lose some of its crispness. If the baklava softens after a day or two, it will still taste delicious, just a little more syrupy and tender.

Final tips

Baklava does not need to be perfect to be good. The layers can be uneven, the cuts can be rustic and the syrup may pool slightly in the corners. That is all part of it.

Focus on the essentials: plenty of butter, a well-spiced nut filling, clean cuts before baking and syrup poured over the moment the tray leaves the oven. Let it cool, sprinkle with pistachios and enjoy every sticky, flaky bite.