Vegan Baklava

Photo: Down to Earth Recipes
A classic Middle Eastern dessert! Try adding orange
zest, rosewater, or cardamom for a unique flavor.
Yield
16-30 Pieces
Ingredients

Syrup

  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup turbinado sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
  • ½ cup brown rice syrup, agave, or liquid sweetener of your choice
  • 2 teaspoons orange zest
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Baklava:

  • 30 sheets phyllo dough, thawed
  • ¾-1 cup melted coconut oil + more to grease baking
    dish
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ cup turbinado sugar
Instructions
  1. To prepare Syrup: Combine water, sugar and lemon
    juice in a saucepan over medium heat. Let syrup boil
    for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in honey, orange
    zest, and vanilla extract. Stir to combine. Let syrup cool
    in fridge (can be left overnight).
  2. To prepare Baklava: Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly
    grease a 9”x13” baking dish with coconut oil.
  3. Cut phyllo sheets to size of baking dish. Cover with a
    clean damp towel to avoid drying out.
  4. Place one sheet of phyllo on the bottom of greased
    baking dish. Using a pastry brush, brush entire sheet with
    coconut oil. Repeat layers 14 more times, for a total of
    15.
  5. Combine walnuts, cinnamon and sugar. Sprinkle over
    the top of phyllo in pan. Repeat layering of phyllo and
    coconut oil with remaining sheets.
  6. Cut Baklava at a diagonal into even pieces. Bake for 45
    minutes to 1 hour, or until golden brown. Pour some or all
    chilled Syrup over top of Baklava, depending on desired
    level of sweetness. For best results allow the baklava to
    soak up the syrup for at least 2 hours up to overnight.
    Enjoy!