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Vegan Baklava (Pistachio and Walnut)

Dairy-free baklava without honey! Layers of crispy filo pastry with a lightly spiced, nutty filling and sweet syrup topping.

Course Dessert
Cuisine vegan
Keyword vegan baklava
Prep Time 50 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Resting time 5 hours
Servings 24 pieces
Calories 201 kcal

Ingredients

  • 250 g Ready-rolled filo pastry dough (~9oz) left out at room temperature for at least 2 hours beforehand
  • 150 g Dairy-free butter (½ cup + 2 tablespoons) I recommend a block-style vegan butter, not a margarine.

Filling:

  • 350 g Nuts (12oz) I used a mixture of pistachios and walnuts
  • 2 Teaspoons Cinnamon

Syrup:

  • 180 ml Cold water (¾ cup)
  • 180 g Caster sugar (¾ cup + 2 tablespoons)
  • 150 g Agave nectar (~½ a cup)
  • 1 Teaspoon Vanilla extract

Instructions

Filling:

  1. Add the nuts to a food processor or blender and pulse until fine. Place them in a large bowl with the cinnamon and mix well. Set aside.

  2. Preheat your oven to 180°C/350°F (or 160°C/325°F if you're using a fan or convection oven).

Syrup:

  1. While the oven is preheating, prepare your syrup. Add the water, sugar, agave nectar and vanilla extract to a saucepan. Heat on medium-high until the mixture is boiling and the sugar has dissolved.

  2. Turn down the heat to medium and leave the mixture on a gentle simmer for 20 minutes.

  3. Remove it from the heat and set aside to cool. It'll look a bit runny but will become gooey as it cools.

Assembly:

  1. Dampen a clean dish cloth and wring out excess water (it should be lightly damp, not wet). Unwrap the filo dough and cut it to fit an 8x10-inch tin. I cut mine in half then cut a little extra from the edges.

  2. Place the filo sheets under the damp cloth, which will prevent them from drying out as you work.

  3. Melt the dairy-free butter and let it sit for a minute or two until it's cooled slightly. Use a pastry brush to brush some butter over the bottom of your tin.

  4. Add one sheet of filo dough to your tin and lightly brush with melted butter. Repeat with 9 more sheets of dough, brushing each one with butter as you go. You'll have 10 sheets total in the tin.

  5. Sprinkle half of the filling over the dough and spread it out evenly.

  6. Add 10 more sheets of filo dough on top of the filling, brushing each one with butter.

  7. Sprinkle over the remaining filling and top with 10 more buttered filo sheets. Brush the top one with butter too.

  8. Use a sharp knife to cut the baklava into diamond-shaped slices, then bake for 50-55 minutes. You'll know it's ready when it's golden brown all over.

  9. As soon as the baklava comes out of the oven, pour the syrup on top. Sprinkle over some extra nuts if desired.

  10. Let it sit at room temperature uncovered overnight, or for at least 5 hours, before enjoying. This will give the pastry time to absorb the syrup properly.

Recipe Notes

  • Store cooled baklava in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 10 days.
  • Ready-rolled filo pastry is almost always vegan but make sure to double check before buying.
  • Syrup adapted from this recipe.
Nutrition Facts
Vegan Baklava (Pistachio and Walnut)
Amount Per Serving (1 slice)
Calories 201 Calories from Fat 99
% Daily Value*
Fat 11g17%
Sodium 36mg2%
Carbohydrates 22g7%
Sugar 13g14%
Protein 4g8%
* All values are an estimate only and will vary depending on the food brands used.