Fıstıklı Baklava (Turkish Pistachio Baklava)

A recipe for Fıstıklı Baklava (Turkish Pistachio Baklava)! Layers of phyllo and pistachios are baked until golden and soaked in a lemony sweet syrup.

Baklava is a type of layered phyllo pastry found throughout the Middle East and Eastern Europe. The type of nut filling, flavors, and exact ingredients vary based on region and family.

For this Fıstıklı Baklava, finely chopped pistachios are arranged in layers between buttered phyllo sheets. The pastry is cut into individual squares (rectangles or diamonds), then baked until golden.

Immediately after removing from the oven, a cooled sweet lemon syrup is gently poured over the squares. Allow the baklava to soak up the syrup and cool to room temperature before serving alongside Turkish tea.

A Few Tips

Prepare the lemon-scented syrup before assembling the baklava. This will give the syrup a chance to cool fully by the time the baklava finishes baking.

I used a food processor to quickly pulse the shelled pistachios until they were finely chopped. If doing this, take care to keep some texture in the pistachios. Don’t pulse so much that they turn into a powder or paste.

Make sure everything is prepared before removing the phyllo from the package. It dries out quickly. Cover any filo you aren’t currently using with a lightly damp towel. Work carefully and brush the butter lightly, but a small tear here or there isn’t a big issue. Just try to gently press it back together.

If the phyllo sheets are larger than your pan, trim them to fit using a sharp knife. Save the best looking filo sheets for the top layer of the baklava.

Cut the pistachio baklava into squares, rectangles, or diamonds before baking using a sharp knife. If you try to cut it after, the crispy layers will crack and fall apart.

Take care when pouring the cooled syrup over the hot phyllo. It may sizzle and splatter a bit.

Store the Fıstıklı Baklava in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. Don’t cover the container until it has completely cooled to room temperature.

Notable Ingredients

I used store-bought phyllo sheets found in the freezer section of larger grocery stores. I haven’t personally tried it yet, but the Baklava would be even better with a homemade dough. Turkish Food Travel has a recipe on making the phyllo sheet dough from scratch.

If using store-bought frozen phyllo, make sure it is completely thawed before removing from the package and unrolling. I usually put the box in the refrigerator the night before or on the counter at room temperature for a couple of hours. Don’t thaw the phyllo longer than a day or they will become too sticky to separate and handle.

Ghee is a clarified butter used in Middle Eastern and South Asian cuisine. It is available near the oil in larger grocery stores or specialty markets. You can make your own (recipe from J Cooking Odyssey).

Looking for more Turkish recipes?

Try my:

• Çılbır (Turkish Poached Eggs with Yogurt)
• Künefe (Turkish Sweet Cheese Pastry)
• Kıymalı Tepsi Böreği (Turkish Phyllo Pastry with Beef)

This recipe was originally published in May 2013 and updated March 2022.

Fıstıklı Baklava (Turkish Pistachio Baklava) Recipe

Adapted from Turkish Food Passion

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5 from 4 votes

Fıstıklı Baklava (Turkish Pistachio Baklava)

A recipe for Fıstıklı Baklava (Turkish Pistachio Baklava)! Layers of phyllo and pistachios are baked until golden and soaked in a lemony sweet syrup.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Turkish

Keyword baklava, dessert, filo, nut, phyllo, pistachio, Turkey, Turkish

Prep Time 40 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Resting Time: 2 hours hours

Total Time 3 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Servings 1 (9×13 inch) Pan

Ingredients

Syrup:

• 2 1/2 cups (500 grams) granulated sugar
• 2 cups (470 milliliters) water
• 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) fresh lemon juice

Baklava:

• 9 ounces (255 grams) ghee clarified butter, melted
• 1 pound (450 grams) Phyllo thawed
• 1 pound (450 grams) unsalted pistachios shelled and finely chopped, plus more for topping

Instructions

To prepare the syrup:

• In a medium saucepan, bring the sugar and water to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the sugar is dissolved and the liquid is starting to thicken slightly, about 15-20 minutes.
• Stir in the lemon juice and simmer for another 1-2 minutes to blend the flavors.
• Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.

To prepare the Baklava:

• Preheat oven to 350˚F (180˚C).
• Lightly brush the bottom and sides of a 9×13 inch (23×33 centimeter) baking dish with the melted butter.
• Arrange the phyllo sheets in a single layer on work surface. If needed, trim the edges with a sharp knife to fit the bottom of the baking dish. Cover the phyllo sheets with a large towel when not in use to keep them from drying out.
• Carefully place one phyllo sheet on the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Brush the sheet lightly with the melted butter.
• Repeat adding phyllo sheets and brushing with butter to create a bottom layer with 8-10 sheets.
• Spread about 1/2 of the finely chopped pistachios evenly across the top of the phyllo.
• Place another sheet of phyllo over the pistachios and brush with butter.
• Repeat again by adding phyllo sheets and brushing with butter to create a second phyllo layer with 8-10 sheets.
• Spread the remaining 1/2 of the finely chopped pistachios evenly across the top of the phyllo.
• Place another sheet of phyllo over the pistachios and brush with butter.
• Repeat again by adding phyllo sheets and brushing with butter to create a final top phyllo layer with 8-10 sheets.
• Brush the top sheet of phyllo with butter.
• Use a sharp knife to cut through the layers and create individual squares, rectangles, or diamonds.
• Place in the preheated oven and bake until the top is golden, 35-45 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and immediately cover evenly with the cooled syrup.
• Allow the Baklava to cool to room temperature and absorb the syrup before serving, at least 2 hours to overnight.
• Serve the squares topped with an additional sprinkling of finely chopped pistachios if desired.
• Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.