Deliciously heady. This recipe for Simple 4-Step Cardamom Rose Baklava blends the warm spice notes of cardamom and cinnamon with floral rose water. There are few desserts as enchanting as baklava. And although it does take a little time, this cardamom rose baklava recipe is quite easy once you know the steps.

There are as many variations of baklava as there are cultures that make it. The Greek tradition uses walnuts, cinnamon and honey, while Turkish baklava typically uses a simple syrup, pistachios and citrus. Lebanese baklawa often incorporates rose water into the syrup mixture. Some versions are wet. Some are dryer. But I have yet to find a baklava that I didn’t love.

This humble recipe simply seeks to honor this ancient and beautiful pastry tradition, while infusing some of my own favorite flavors.

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Simple 4-Step Cardamom Rose Baklava by the Numbers…

8 – 6 – 8. That’s the formula for building this recipe for Cardamom Rose Baklava. Eight sheets of of phyllo build the base. Six layers of nuts sandwiched between layers of phyllo (two sheets each) make up the middle layers of this pastry. And another eight layers of phyllo provide the flaky top to this beautiful dessert.

A single piece of Simple 4-Step Cardamom Rose Baklava sits in the center of a plate. Dried rose petals and pistachios are sprinkled on top of this layered dessert. — cardamom rose baklava

Building baklava can seem like a tricky game of counting. But once you break it down into these three distinct stages, you’re well on your way to success.

Another important mindset to get into relates to the phyllo dough itself. Phyllo is paper thin. For this reason, two sheets of phyllo constitute a “layer” in this recipe. The two sheets of phyllo provide more support and structure to this bake whereas one sheet would be more prone to tearing. Always think of a layer as two sheets of dough.

Once you’ve committed these two tricks to memory, you’re on your way to knowing how to make baklava.

Balancing flavors

Most baklava recipes consist of layers of phyllo dough, ground nuts and a flavored simple syrup. These are the basic baklava ingredients that run consistently across different cultures and baking traditions. If this recipe, cardamom and cinnamon deliver warm spice notes to this traditional pastry. Cinnamon and nuts are a tried and true flavor match. They just go well together. Cardamom brings a little extra something to the mix with its fruity, peppery notes. But it can also become somewhat astringent if over-applied. I found 1 tsp. of cardamom sufficient to introduce the flavor without overpowering the dessert.

A picture of Maria in a bee suit waving as she talks about how to choose good honey for this recipe for Easy 8-Ingredient Furikake Ginger Vinaigrette — Most fun I ever had wearing a suit

To soften the spices and earthy flavors of the nuts, I infused rose water and agave nectar into the simple syrup.

Traditional baklava is made with simple syrup and honey. As a former bee keeper and self-ascribed lover and protector of bees, I have a deep appreciation for honey. However, while developing this recipe, I found honey overpowered the rose water flavor.

I wanted a natural sweetener similar in consistency to honey. I turned to agave. The more neutral flavor of light agave nectar complimented the rose water nicely and gave the syrup that perfect consistency for clinging to the phyllo layers without turning them soggy.

As for the nuts, I cal for a blend of walnuts and pistachios, but you can use either alone. Just make sure the nuts are unsalted and toasted first. I love the pop of green that pistachios bring to this finished dessert. They just accentuate the color of the rose petals so beautifully, don’t you think?

Simple 4-Step Cardamom Rose Baklava

Recipe by Maria Ostrander Course: DessertCuisine: Lebanese AmericanDifficulty: Intermediate

Servings

1 piece

Prep time

minutes

Cooking timeminutes

Baking time

minutes

Number of pieces will vary depending on how large the pieces and if a design is cut. If cutting straight lines, expect to get seven 1 inch pieces per row cut across five columns.

Ingredients

For the flavored syrup
1 cup white granulated sugar
1 cup cold water
1 cup light agave nectar
1 Tbsp. rose water
For the baklava
2 8-oz. rolls of phyllo dough (1 package)
1 lb. unsalted nuts (walnuts and/or pistachios) – toasted and finely ground
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground cardamom
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 cup unsalted butter, clarified (see step 6 below).
2 Tbsp. dried rose petals for finishing the baklava.

Directions

Make the flavored syrup
In a small sauce pan, bring the sugar and the water to the boil over medium heat. Continue to boil until the sugar crystals have completely dissolved. Reduce to a simmer and add the agave nectar. Simmer for 15 minutes.
Remove from the heat and stir in the rose water. Cool completely and set aside until ready to finish the baklava.
Prepare the nut mixture
In a larger food processor, combine the nuts, spices and salt. Pulse until a fine nut meal is formed. Set aside until ready to assemble the baklava.
Set aside 2 Tbsp. of the nut mixture for topping the baklava after baking.
Make the baklava
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Over low heat, melt the butter in a saucepan without stirring until the milk solids have separated from the fat -approximately 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to rest 5 minutes. Skim off any foam from the top and discard. Pour off the clear butter fat and discard any milk solids that have settled on the bottom of the pan.
Prepare a 9 inch x 13 inch pan by lightly brushing the sides and bottom of the pan with butter.
Unroll the phyllo dough and divide into two piles. Cover each pile with a kitchen towel to prevent the delicate dough from drying out.
Build a base layer of phyllo dough. Place two sheets of phyllo dough on the bottom of the pan and brush with butter. Add a second layer (two more sheets of phyllo dough) and brush again with butter. You now have a total of four sheets of phyllo. Repeat the process two more times (a total of 8 sheets of phyllo dough). This is your based layer.
Build your nut layers. Spread 1/3 cup of the nut mixture evenly over the phyllo base. Lay two sheets of phyllo on top of the nut mixture. Brush with butter. Repeat this process five more times. You now have a total of 6 nut layers.
Build the top of the baklava. Just like when you built the base for the baklava, place two sheets of phyllo on top of the last nut layer and brush the top of the phyllo with butter. Add another layer (two more sheets of phyllo dough) and brush again with butter. Repeat again two more times. You now have a top layer of 8 sheets of phyllo dough and your baklava is complete.
Gently score your cut lines through the pan of baklava – but only go 1/2 way down, not all the way through to the bottom of the pan.
Bake the baklava at 350 degrees for 45 – 50 minutes until the top layers of phyllo are a lovely golden brown. Remove from the oven.
Finish and decorate
While the baklava is still hot, pour the cooled syrup over the top of the baklava and between the cut lines. Allow the syrup to soak in.
Top the baklava with the reserved nut mixture and rose petals. Allow to cool completely.
Once cooled, you can finish cutting the baklava. Store in the refrigerator uncovered or loosely tented to prevent the pastry from becoming soggy.