This Honey Baklava Cheesecake recipe is one of my favorite cheesecake recipes because it combines a traditional baklava recipe with a rich honey-sweetened cheesecake. The result is the perfect combination of two classic desserts in one bite. I love serving this honey baklava cheesecake during Easter, especially since it is the perfect way to welcome Spring. If you’re growing bored with normal cheesecake recipes, try this delicious baklava cheesecake recipe.
*This recipe is updated from the original I published in April 2020. I’ve made the crust less wasteful and amped up the honey flavor in the cheesecake.*
What Is Baklava?
Baklava is an Ottoman Turkish recipe that originated in the Middle East; it is also popular in parts of the Mediterranean and Balkans.
The classic baklava recipe is a sweet dessert pastry made with sheets of phyllo dough brushed with melted butter and sprinkled with crushed nuts. The baklava layers are then scored with a sharp knife and saturated with hot syrup, occasionally flavored with rose water, orange blossom water, or lemon juice. The pastry is then baked until golden and flaky.
In some countries where phyllo sheets are made by hand, baklava is a special occasion pastry. But, where bakeries produce the pastry in volume, it is often an everyday pastry served to loved ones or guests who stop by. In my home, we have to have baklava at least once a month, and this tangy cheesecake with its traditional baklava crust is one of the ways we love to enjoy it.
What Is Phyllo Dough?
Phyllo pastry sheets (filo sheets) are paper-thin sheets of unleavened wheat dough that form baklava’s base.
Phyllo is a very thin sheet of dough that requires patience and skill. So much patience is needed to make phyllo that I’ve only made it once in my 4 decades on this earth. The last time I made it was for a culinary school exam that traumatized me so much that I have no desire to ever attempt it again. You must stretch the dough over a floured sheet until it is thin enough to read through. Every hole I punctured into the sheet equaled the points I was docked on this exam. I ended up with a B-, which wasn’t horrible, but between the stress and endurance it took, I have no desire to ever again make phyllo by hand.
I recommend you purchase phyllo from the frozen dessert section of your grocery store and call it a day.
Can I Substitute The Walnuts And/Or Pistachios In This Honey Baklava Cheesecake Recipe?
For the phyllo crust, you need a package of Athens Phyllo Dough, crushed pistachios and walnuts, ground cinnamon, ground cardamom, and melted unsalted butter.
You only need half a box of phyllo for this recipe, which means you have leftover dough to make a second cheesecake. You’re welcome. Boxes of phyllo usually contain two plastic sleeves with the phyllo sheets rolled in them. Remove one of these sleeves from the box and return the box to the freezer for later use. Thaw the phyllo in the fridge overnight or for 6 hours before making the crust.
I mix my crushed nuts to create a combination of nutty flavors between the sheets of phyllo. You can do the same or sprinkle on a pistachio layer and a walnut layer. You can also substitute your favorite nuts in this recipe. I recommend cashews, hazelnuts (filberts), or almonds. If you can’t find crushed nuts in the grocery store’s baking aisle, pulse the shelled nuts 15-20 times in a food processor.
Although this recipe has three stages, they’re all quick and easy, and some can be done concurrently.
How Do I Assemble The Baklava Crust?
Use your hand or a large spoon to mix the crushed pistachios, walnuts, ground cinnamon, and cardamom in a small bowl. Set the bowl aside.
Working fast and keeping each sheet of filo pastry covered is of the utmost importance. Because of how thin phyllo is, it dries out very quickly. Keep the dough covered with a piece of plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out while you work with it. I don’t recommend covering the dough with a damp towel because it will cause the thin layers to stick together.
Remove the phyllo dough from the plastic and unroll it onto a clean countertop.
Use a pastry brush to brush the inside of a 9″ springform pan with a thin layer of melted butter. Lay a phyllo dough sheet across the inside of the cheesecake pan, gently pressing it onto the bottom and up the sides of the pan. The sheet should stick to the buttered insides. Gently brush the top of this sheet with a thin layer of butter, ensuring you brush the sides and corners of the pastry in the pan. Place a second layer of dough across the first to form a “T,” and brush the top of this layer with more butter.
Repeat this process with the 3rd, 4th, and 5th layers of dough. Overlap the sheets to completely cover the inside of the spring form pan. It’s okay if the phyllo sheets are ruffled on the sides of the pan. This gives the baklava cheesecake a beautifully rustic appearance.
Brush the 5th layer of phyllo with another layer of butter. Sprinkle a generous handful of nuts (about a 1/2 cup) on top of the fifth layer. Use your fingers to spread the nuts evenly over the dough.
How Long Do I Have To Bake The Baklava Crust?
Repeat layering and buttering the phyllo dough, ensuring you have 5 sheets of phyllo between each layer of nut filling. The final layer will be the final 5 sheets of phyllo lying on the countertop.
Press the dough down to ensure it sits in the bottom of the pan. Use a very sharp knife to score the dough in a diamond pattern. This will help the baklava soak up the honey lemon simple syrup. You don’t want to go to the bottom of the pan scoring the dough. Try to cut through the top two layers of nuts and phyllo.
Bake the baklava in a 350°F (180°C) oven for 15 minutes or until it begins to take on a golden brown color.
What’s The Honey Syrup For?
A sugar syrup is what gives traditional baklava a sweet flavor. It’s common to add floral essences, extracts, or just honey to the syrup to give it a more unique flavor.
For the honey lemon simple syrup, you need honey, lemon juice, water, and vanilla extract. You can replace the vanilla extract in this recipe with rose water, orange blossom water, or almond extract.
Prepare the simple syrup while the baklava crust bakes so it has time to reduce while still ensuring it’s ready to pour over the baklava crust as soon you remove it from the oven.
Stir the honey, water, lemon juice, and vanilla extract in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring to incorporate the ingredients. Reduce the heat to low once the mixture boils and allow the syrup to simmer, stirring occasionally, for 9 to 10 minutes or until the baklava crust is finished baking.
Remove 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) of the honey lemon simple syrup to make the honey-glazed nut topping.
How Far Ahead Can I Make The Honey Syrup?
You can make this honey lemon simple syrup 2 weeks ahead and store it in a jar in the refrigerator until ready. You will need to heat it to steaming before proceeding as follows. If it looks very thick (like molasses), thin it with a tablespoon of water, reheat it for 1 minute and stir until runny.
Pour the remaining honey lemon simple syrup over the hot baklava. The crust will bubble and steam, so be careful not to put your face over it.
Set the crust aside to cool for 10 minutes. Once the pan is cool enough to handle, wrap the bottom and sides in a double layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Set the pan aside while you make the honey cheesecake filling.
What Ingredients Do I Need To Make The Honey Cheesecake?
To make the honey cheesecake, you need cream cheese, honey, lemon zest, kosher salt, eggs, vanilla extract, and cornstarch. This recipe makes a tangy cream cheese filling, which is perfect. If you have a bigger sweet tooth, add 1/4 cup (50 grams) of granulated sugar with the honey to sweeten it more.
You can use raw honey in this recipe, but for best results, heat it in the microwave for 15-20 seconds to make it runny.
Before mixing the cheesecake batter, heat 4 cups of water to boiling over medium heat in a saucepan or microwave. It usually takes about 5 minutes on high in the microwave. This will create the steam bath that our cheesecake will bake in.
Use an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment to blend the room temperature cream cheese, honey, lemon zest, and salt on medium speed until smooth in a large bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer. Blend these ingredients for 2-3 minutes.
Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl and beaters.
Add the eggs to the mixture, one at a time, scraping down the bowl and beaters after each egg has been mixed in. Add the vanilla extract to the cream cheese mixture with the final egg, then stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl and beaters. Blend the mixture at medium speed for 2 more minutes. Add the cornstarch to the filling in the bowl and blend it at low speed for 30-45 seconds.
How Long Do I Bake The Honey Baklava Cheesecake?
Pour the prepared honey cheesecake batter into the baklava crust. Tap the pan against the countertop to burst any air bubbles in the batter.
Set the foil-wrapped pan into a 12-14″ pan, then pour the boiling water into the outer pan to create a water bath. This technique makes over-baking the cheesecake virtually impossible, creating a temperature-regulated environment to bake it.
Carefully place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 1 hour.
How Do I Top The Honey Baklava Cheesecake?
I like to top this honey baklava cheesecake with a honey-coated nut mixture. Add the remaining crushed pistachios and walnuts to a small bowl. Stir in the reserved honey lemon simple syrup to form a sticky mixture. This topping is optional but adds more texture and makes the cheesecake look even prettier.
Turn the oven off after the 1-hour baking time, and carefully slide the rack with the cheesecake on it out a little bit. Sprinkle the honey-glazed nuts evenly and gently over the top of the cheesecake and slide the rack back into the oven. Use a wooden spoon to prop the oven door open and cool the cheesecake gradually in the oven for 1 hour.
Why Do I Have To Refrigerate it Overnight?
Remove the pans with the cheesecake from the oven after 1 hour. Carefully remove the cheesecake from the outer pan and discard the foil. Cool the cheesecake on the countertop for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Transfer it to the refrigerator to cool for at least 6 hours or preferably overnight.
The longer it chills, the better the creamy filling will look when you cut it.
How Do I Serve It?
Use a sharp knife to cut between the cheesecake pan and the baklava crust when ready to serve it. Unclip the cake pan collar and twist it to loosen it from the cheesecake.
Slice the honey baklava cheesecake and serve it with your favorite tea, coffee, or milk.
How Do I Store Leftover Honey Baklava Cheesecake?
To store honey baklava cheesecake, press parchment paper or wax paper against any cut sides to keep the cheesecake from drying out or becoming rubbery. Store the baklava cheesecake in the fridge for up to 4 days. Slice and cover any remaining cheesecakes, but avoid storing it at room temperature for prolonged periods.
Can I Freeze It After Baking?
To freeze honey baklava cheesecake, put it into the freezer uncovered. Once frozen, remove it and wrap it in two layers of plastic wrap and a layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Freeze the baklava cheesecake for up to 2 months. You can thaw it in the fridge overnight, then slice and serve.
This Honey Baklava Cheesecake is “the most delicious cheesecake I’ve ever tasted,” according to my daughter. She’s tasted a lot of cheesecakes in this house, so she’s an expert. This special dessert is a hit on any dessert table, especially on your holiday tables. The rich cheesecake filling combined with the crunchy texture of the crisp phyllo and nut crust makes this a dessert recipe that will wow you and anyone you serve it to. Pin this recipe to your dessert board, and don’t forget to share it with your friends and family.
Honey Baklava Cheesecake
at Sense & EdibilityEquipment
- 9" springform pan
- sharp knife
- electric mixer
Ingredients
For the Baklava Crust
- 1 1/4 cups (160 grams) chopped pistachios separated
- 1 1/4 cups (150 grams) chopped walnuts separated
- 1 teaspoon (2 grams) ground cinnamon optional
- 1/2 teaspoon (1 gram) ground cardamom
- 8 ounce package (230 grams) phyllo dough, thawed or 1/2 of a 16-ounce (454 gram) box, thawed
- 1 1/4 stick (10 tablespoons or 142 grams) unsalted butter melted
For the Honey Lemon Simple Syrup
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup (60 milliliters) water
- 1 small lemon juiced and zested (you'll use 1 teaspoon or 5 milliliters of lemon juice)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Honey Cheesecake
- 4 8-ounce packages (900 grams) cream cheese at room temperature
- 1 cup (340 grams) honey
- 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest (from the lemon you zested earlier)
- 1/2 teaspoon (3 grams) kosher salt
- 4 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 1/2 teaspoons (7 milliliters) vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup (30 grams) cornstarch
Instructions
- Heat an oven to 350°F (180°C).
Assemble the Baklava Crust
- Use your hand or a large spoon to mix 1 cup (130 grams) of the chopped pistachios, 1 cup (120 grams) of the chopped walnuts, ground cinnamon, and cardamom in a small bowl. Set the bowl aside.
- Remove the phyllo dough from the plastic and unroll it onto a clean countertop.Use a pastry brush to brush the inside of a 9" springform pan with a thin layer of melted butter. Lay a phyllo dough sheet across the inside of the cheesecake pan, gently pressing it onto the bottom and up the sides of the pan. The sheet should stick to the buttered insides. Gently brush the top of this sheet with a thin layer of butter, ensuring you brush the sides and corners of the pastry in the pan.
- Place a second layer of dough across the first to form a "T," and brush the top of this layer with more butter.Repeat this process with the 3rd, 4th, and 5th layers of dough. Overlap the sheets to completely cover the inside of the spring form pan. It's okay if the phyllo sheets are ruffled on the sides of the pan.
- Brush the 5th layer of phyllo with another layer of butter. Sprinkle a generous handful of nuts (about a 1/2 cup or 50 grams) on top of the fifth layer. Use your fingers to spread the nuts evenly over the dough.
- Repeat layering and buttering the phyllo dough, ensuring you have 5 sheets of phyllo between each layer of nut filling. The final layer will be the final 5 sheets of phyllo lying on the countertop. Press the dough down to ensure it sits in the bottom of the pan.
Par-Bake the Baklava Crust
- Use a very sharp knife to score the dough in a diamond pattern to allow the baklava soak up the honey lemon simple syrup. Try to cut through just the top two layers of nuts and phyllo, don't go all the way to the bottom of the pan.Bake the baklava in the hot oven for 15 minutes or until it begins to take on a golden brown color.
Make the Honey Lemon Simple Syrup
- While the baklava crust bakes, stir the honey, water, lemon juice, and vanilla extract in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring to incorporate the ingredients. Reduce the heat to low once the mixture boils and allow the syrup to simmer, stirring occasionally, for 9 to 10 minutes or until the baklava crust is finished baking.
Sweeten the Baklava Crust and Make the Nut Topping
- Reserve 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) of the honey lemon simple syrup to use for the topping. Remove the baklava crust from the oven, but leave the oven on.Quickly, pour the remaining honey lemon simple syrup over the hot baklava. The crust will bubble and steam, so be careful not to put your face over it. Set the crust aside to cool for 10 minutes.
- Add the remaining crushed pistachios and walnuts to a small bowl. Stir in the reserved honey lemon simple syrup to form a sticky mixture, adding more honey as needed. Set this bowl aside.
- Once the cheesecake pan is cool enough to handle, wrap the bottom and sides in a double layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Set the pan aside while you make the honey cheesecake filling.
Make the Honey Cheesecake Batter
- Before mixing the cheesecake batter, heat 4 cups of water to boiling over medium heat in a saucepan or microwave to create the steam bath for the cheesecake will bake in. It usually takes about 5 minutes on high in the microwave.
- Use an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment to blend the cream cheese, honey, lemon zest, and kosher salt on medium speed until smooth in a large bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer. Blend these ingredients for 2-3 minutes, then stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl and beaters.
- Add the eggs to the mixture, one at a time, scraping down the bowl and beaters after each egg has been mixed in. Add the vanilla extract to the cream cheese mixture with the final egg, then stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl and beaters. Blend the mixture at medium speed for 2 more minutes.
- Add the cornstarch to the filling in the bowl and blend it at low speed for 30-45 seconds. Pour the prepared honey cheesecake batter into the baklava crust. Tap the pan against the countertop to burst any air bubbles in the batter.
Bake, Top, Then Cool the Honey Baklava Cheesecake
- Set the foil-wrapped pan into a 12-14" pan, then pour the boiling water into the outer pan to create a water bath. Carefully place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 1 hour.
- Turn the oven off after the 1-hour baking time, and carefully slide the rack with the cheesecake on it out a little bit. Sprinkle the honey-glazed nuts evenly and gently over the top of the cheesecake and slide the rack back into the oven. Use a wooden spoon to prop the oven door open and cool the cheesecake gradually in the oven for 1 hour.
- Remove the pans with the cheesecake from the oven after 1 hour. Carefully remove the cheesecake from the outer pan and discard the foil. Cool the cheesecake on the countertop for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Transfer it to the refrigerator to cool for at least 6 hours or preferably overnight.
De-Pan and Serve the Cheesecake
- Use a sharp knife to cut between the cheesecake pan and the baklava crust when ready to serve it. Unclip the cake pan collar and twist it to loosen it from the cheesecake.
- Slice the honey baklava cheesecake and serve it with your favorite tea, coffee, or milk.
Notes
- Substitute the chopped pistachios and walnuts with cashews, hazelnuts (filberts), or almonds.
- You can replace the vanilla extract in the honey lemon simple syrup recipe with rose water, orange blossom water, or almond extract. I would omit the lemon juice from the simple syrup if you use one of these substitutes.
- For a sweeter cheesecake, add 1/4 cup (50 grams) of granulated sugar with the honey to the batter ingredients.
- You can use raw honey in this recipe, but for best results, heat it in the microwave for 15-20 seconds to make it runny.
- You can make the honey lemon simple syrup 2 weeks ahead and store it in a jar in the refrigerator until ready. You will need to thin it with a tablespoon of water, reheat it for 1 minute, and stir until runny.
- Frozen phyllo dough comes with two sleeves of phyllo. Remove one of these sleeves from the box and return the box to the freezer for later use.
- Thaw the phyllo in the fridge overnight or for 6 hours before making the crust.
- If you can't find chopped nuts in the grocery store's baking aisle, pulse the shelled nuts 15-20 times in a food processor.
- Working fast and keeping each sheet of filo pastry covered is of the utmost importance. Because of how thin phyllo is, it dries out very quickly. Keep the dough covered with a piece of plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out while you work with it.
- I don't recommend covering the dough with a damp towel because it will cause the thin layers to stick together.
- The more time a cheesecake chills, the better the creamy filling will look and hold up when you cut it.
- Press parchment or wax paper against any cut sides to keep the cheesecake from drying out or becoming rubbery.
- Store the baklava cheesecake refrigerated for up to 4 days.
- Avoid storing the cheesecake at room temperature for prolonged periods.
- Put the baked, de-panned honey baklava cheesecake into the freezer uncovered.
- Once frozen, remove the cheesecake and wrap it in two layers of plastic wrap and a layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil.
- Freeze the baklava cheesecake for up to 2 months.
- Thaw it in the fridge overnight, then slice and serve.
Marta! I love this honey cheesecake baklava recipe! The step by step photos were super helpful. Thanks for the tips!
You’re welcome, Noelle!
This is a beautiful cheesecake and I love the idea of combining baklava for the crust. I definitely make this often for the family. They loved it!
That’s a great plan, Tammy.
This cheesecake was a genius idea! I love baklava and this was amazing! The phyllo crust was so good and the cheesecake extra creamy.
I’m happy to hear you lined it, Veronika!
This cheesecake is incredible! We loved every bite and it was worth all the steps to make. Making this for sure again soon!!
Thank you, Kathryn!
I’m a cheesecake snob and this baklava cheesecake is IT. I made the mistake of giving half of it away to family and have already eaten through my half all by myself so it’s time to make another!
You’re a saint giving away half a cheesecake, Jazz! 🤣
I made this baklava cheesecake, and I have to agree with your daughter: this is the best cheesecake in the whole world. Thank you!
I’m glad you liked it as much as she does, Enriqueta.