1-Gathering your ingredients: Gathering your ingredients is the first fun step in making this baklava recipe, and I promise it’s easier than it sounds. Preheat your oven to 325˚F and thaw the phyllo dough overnight in the fridge, then let it sit at room temperature for an hour. This ensures everything goes smoothly from the start.

2-Make the syrup: Start by combining the sugar, honey, lemon juice, and water in a saucepan to make the syrup. Bring it to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves, then lower the heat and let it boil for 4 minutes without stirring. Let this cool completely while you move on to the rest.

3-Prepare the nut mixture and phyllo layers: Now, pulse the walnuts in a food processor until they’re coarsely ground and mix them with the cinnamon. Butter a 13×9 inch non-stick baking pan and layer in 10 sheets of phyllo, brushing each with melted butter as you go. Spread about 3/4 cup of the nut mixture over the top, then add 5 more buttered phyllo sheets and repeat the nut layer. Keep going with this sequence four times, ending with 10 buttered phyllo sheets on top.

4-Cutting and Baking Steps: Once layered, cut the pastry into 1 1/2 inch wide strips and then diagonally to form diamond shapes. This is where the magic happens, as it helps the syrup soak in evenly. Bake it for 1 hour and 15 minutes until it’s golden brown and smells amazing.

5-Finish with syrup and cooling: Right after baking, spoon the cooled syrup evenly over the hot baklava. Let it cool uncovered at room temperature for 4-6 hours or overnight so the flavors blend and the layers soften. For adaptations, swap in vegan butter or gluten-free sheets as needed to keep it accessible for everyone.