Coconut Baklava – Layers of fillo sheets filled with an incredibly delicious honey mixture with shredded coconut and walnuts.
Bust out the Phyllo sheets, my friends! I’ve got a project for you!
You are going to make Coconut Baklava this weekend!
I can’t even begin to count how many emails I have received from my fellow countrymen/women about a recipe for Baklava. Sure, they can go to Google and ask him, but that’s no fun! You want to go straight to the horse’s, or in this case, blogger’s mouth and hear it from the expert. buahahhaha I just called me an expert! Far from it! BUT! I do make a killer Baklava, so that’s that.
WHAT IS BAKLAVA
This amazing, sweet, crunchy dessert has been claimed by many and all; Turks, Greeks, Persians, Armenians, Macedonians… the list goes on. The truth is, we all make it, but we all also have our own ways of making it. The only standard is the Phyllo sheets.
Baklava is just that; a stack of phyllo sheets filled with whatever the heck you want and drowned in a delicious simple syrup.
COCONUT BAKLAVA
Macedonian Baklava is usually filled with just walnuts, but I am not a fan of the whole honey and nuts filling; I need more. So I added shredded coconut. That was a smart move. No. It was brilliant!!
The result is pure, sweet, coconutty goodness.
ENJOY!
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TOOLS AND INGREDIENTS USED IN THIS RECIPE
- 4 cups sweetened shredded coconut
- 1-1/2 cups finely chopped walnuts
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1/4 cup honey
- 20 Phyllo Sheets , divided
- 1 stick butter , melted
- 1 cup water
- 1-1/2 cups sugar
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- Preheat oven to 400.
- Combine coconut, walnuts, vanilla, milk, and honey in a bowl, mix well and set aside.
- Lightly grease a jellyroll pan.
- Layer 10 pieces of Phyllo sheets, brushing each sheet with the melted butter before adding the next.
- Sprinkle the entire coconut mixture over the dough.
- Layer the remaining 10 sheets, brushing each sheet with butter before adding the next.
- Cut the baklava. You can cut the baklava into a diamond pattern, like I did, or squares.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden.
- Remove from oven and let completely cool.
- In the meantime, prepare the syrup.
- Combine water and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil; lower heat to a simmer, and continue to cook for 15 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice.
- Pour the hot syrup over the completely cooled baklava.
- Let stand, uncovered, for 6 hours or overnight.
WW FREESTYLE POINTS: 19
Ohh I can’t wait to make this!!! What a great idea with the coconut. I’m making this for mother’s day tomorrow.
amazing recipe, thank u so much for sharing !!!
You had me at Coconut but then you followed with baklava! Be still my heart! THIS will be for Valentine’s Day!
Hi Karen! This is our favorite way to eat baklava! ENJOY!! 🙂
Genius! Thanks!
Is it okay if I line my sheet pan with parchment paper? Thanks.
Hi Ela!
Yes, absolutely. Let me know if you loved it!! 😀
6 hours…hahaha! Seriously. Bookmarking this to make in the not too distant future 🙂
I never ate coconut baklava, definitely I’ll make this soon.
Hello,
I don’t like many food blogs, but I do enjoy 2 of them. I really like yours and “Cooking With Mr. C.” on Facebook. Between the two of you, I get so many ideas.
Keep those recipes coming.
Dale
Hi Dale! Thanks SO Much for your kind words!!
Milk and honey in the stuffing of Baklava is a global prototype. It’s to much to even call that baklava.
Almonds, walnuts, green pistachios are only acceptable – the rest are just inventions.
As for th syrup does not include honey in Greek versions and the most accomplished sweet – maker in Greece (and the great masters of baklava in turkey) use hot over hot so the sheet can absorb it and steel remain crunchy.
Hi Anastasia! Looks like you know your Baklava. 🙂
Hot syrup over cold baklava OR cold syrup over hot baklava us how I’ve been taught by both Greek and Macedonian aunts and grandmas. I am afraid to deviate from those “ancient teachings”. Lol
Wow!
That must be the torturous waiting of 6 hours, especially when the bakhlava looks this good!! I am a big fan of bakhlava, and your idea of adding coconut is genius.
I’m a big fan of baklava and my family used to buy sheets of it from a Middle Eastern bakery outside Detroit. Since I’ve moved away from the area now is the time to try homemade, and coconut does sound like a brilliant addition!
Your baklava looks amazing! I love baklava, but have never tried making it myself – thank you so much for the recipe!
Make it, Rosie! I think you’ll love it!! 🙂
I just had Baklava for the first time a few weeks ago and it was amazing! As much as this recipe looks amazing, I would probably destroy it. I’m not the world’s best baker and this looks so hard! It’s so good though
Thank you! But, I promise it’s not hard to make! Pinky swear!! 🙂
Can I use pistachios instead of walnuts? Yhanks
HI! Yes, absolutely! Pistachios go great with baklava. In fact, you can use any nut you want, but it will alter the taste.
This is a complete stroke of genius. My favorite coconut that I associate with my Indian self to the Mediterranean/Middle Eastern Baklava. How brilliant. BTW the 1st & last pics, OMG.
The syrup made the baklava too sweet.
Hi! Baklava is a very sweet dessert… but if you think it was too sweet, you can eliminate the honey from the mixture and try it that way. 🙂
I love the coconut with that sweet filling… looks heavenly. You cut them perfectly too… I don’t know if I could make such perfect diamonds. 🙂
I pried myself on making the best baklava but when I saw your addition of coconut, I knew it would be an ingredient I would try. I can’t wait to make this!
Beautiful! !!
Love baklava! Homemade is definitely on my to do list. So glad I saw this before I tried it. Coconut sounds fabulous!
This baklava is Epic!
I adore baklava, and adding coconut was sheer brilliance!!!
Kate, you have outdone yourself again! This looks sensational!!! Pinning!
This baklava rocks! I´ll add it to my soon to-do projects. I´ve been meaning to make one, and coconut sounds so much more interesting. You macedonians have so many great recipes!
I grew up eating my mom’s walnut filled baklava and I’ve found nothing better in the middle eastern bakeries I’ve visited so far but I would like to give a bite of your version a try. 🙂
I’ve never heard of using milk and honey in the filling though some syrups DO use honey and cardamom as well as the lemon juice. You learn something new every day,I guess.
Kate,
Your inspired addition of coconut sounds divine.
I’d be delighted to eat this, it looks just delicious.
I love the angle you chose for the last photo–very nice!
Oh my. I am drooling over this. I’m totally addicted to baklava and coconut…and to put them together! Eeeekk
So pretty! I’m always scared to make baklava because I’m convinced I cannot make it look that good
Come to mama!! Kate, this baklava looks amazing!! Pinned!
Holy heaven on earth!!! This baklava is outrageously amazing… I need.
I have attempted once to make Baklava and I love it!
Your baklava definitely looks killer. Love the coconut!
I’m a fan of baklava. Im sure the addition of coconut really makes it that much more delicious 🙂
Oh, my! Kate, you have outdone yourself by adding coconut to traditional Baklava. LOVE. IT! However, I do prefer the kiss of honey to my homemade Baklava. (Still love me?) You definitely will have me adding coconut! Averie already has me adding chocolate. Now, I’m thinking of adding BOTH! Pinning! xo
Kate: I love baklava… And with coconut , one of my fav ingredients, I know that I will love it even more. Wow! I so wish there would be a way to receive yours in a box for Mother’s Day. Well, enjoy it. Wishing you a very Happy Mother’s Day. xx
You rock, my friend. This is one of my most favorite desserts. And, I might add, I make a killer version as well. I’m guessing it’s because we learned to as babes, eh?
I’ve been told that Greek baklava is different than other countries versions because they use honey, not the simple syrup. I like our way better. The lemon juice really adds. My mom also taught me that you can pour hot syrup on cold baklava or cold syrup on hot baklava, but if they were both the same temperature, the baklava would get soggy. You hear that too?
Yes!! They can’t be the same temp, and my mom’s words, exactly, “Don’t you dare pour that hot syrup over the hot Baklava!!” That was a few years ago….I was trying to save time. 🙂