Try this delicious pumpkin baklava recipe with flaky layers, sweet syrup, and warm spices for a perfect fall dessert.
Pumpkin baklava is a sweet and crispy dessert that mixes the rich taste of pumpkin with layers of flaky phyllo pastry. Sweet syrup soaks into every bite, making it a perfect fall treat. It’s a festive twist on the classic baklava, great for holidays or cozy gatherings.
Delicious Pumpkin Baklava Recipe
atasteofdelicious
Prep Time: 45 mins
Cook Time: 1 hr
Rest Time: 8 hrs
Total Time: 9 hrs 45 mins
Servings: 16
Ingredients
For Syrup
- 3 cups white sugar
- 1 stick of cinnamon
- 2 3/4 cups water
- 3 strips of lemon or orange peel
For Baklava
- 1/2 cup salted butter, melted
- 6 cups shredded pumpkin, from 1 (2 1/2 pound) pie pumpkin
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 12 sheets of phyllo dough, thawed overnight in the refrigerator if frozen
- 2 cups walnut halves
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
Directions
- First, make the syrup: Put white sugar, water, a cinnamon stick, and citrus peel in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat until it boils. Let it boil for 2 minutes, then take it off the heat. Allow it to cool fully. You can make this up to a week ahead and keep it in the fridge.
- Heat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Lightly coat a 9×13-inch baking dish with some melted butter.
- Put walnut halves in a food processor and pulse until they look like fine crumbs. Mix the walnuts with shredded pumpkin, breadcrumbs, olive oil, sugar, cinnamon, and ground cloves. Stir everything together until well mixed.
- Unroll the phyllo dough and take one sheet from the stack. Keep the rest covered with a damp tea towel so they don’t dry out. Brush the sheet with melted butter and place it in the prepared baking dish, pressing it gently to cover the bottom and sides. Repeat with 8 sheets in total. Don’t worry if some sheets tear—this won’t affect the final result.
- Spread the pumpkin mixture evenly over the phyllo base, all the way to the edges. Fold the extra phyllo hanging over the sides on top of the pumpkin mixture.
- Brush a sheet of phyllo dough with melted butter and place it over the pumpkin mixture. Keep repeating until you have 6 to 8 sheets on top. Use the pastry brush to tuck the extra phyllo down the sides of the dish. Pour any leftover melted butter over the top of the baklava.
- With a sharp knife, cut the top layers of phyllo into diamond or square shapes, but don’t cut all the way through the bottom.
- Bake in the hot oven for 50 to 60 minutes, until the phyllo turns deep golden brown.
- Take the baklava out of the oven and slowly pour the cool syrup over it, one ladle at a time, until all the syrup is used.
- Leave it uncovered to rest for 8 hours or overnight before serving.
