Easy Baklava Triangles

These easy baklava triangles are perfect for parties and get-togethers! They are buttery, crunchy and drizzled with a thick honey syrup!

If you love Greek desserts, you’ll love this recipe, too! It’s similar to my Greek Baklava Rolls Saragli, but bigger!

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

It’s refined sugar free. These baklava triangles are healthier than traditional baklava as they are made with honey instead of sugar. As a result, they’re not as sweet as baklava made with sugar syrup.
It’s simple. These baklava triangles are so easy to make. My detailed picture tutorial will guide you through each and every step!

What do these baklava triangles taste like?

These delicious baklava triangles are crunchy and buttery with a mildly spiced walnut filling. Despite being drenched in a thick sweet syrup, they’re not overly sweet and the pistachios and dried roses on top really balance the flavors.

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE BAKLAVA TRIANGLES

INGREDIENTS FOR BAKLAVA TRIANGLES

Honey: I use Greek thyme honey for this, but any good-quality honey would work. Try and get the best you can afford, it really makes all the difference in the taste!
Nuts: I use walnuts, almonds and pistachios, which are the nuts traditionally used, but hazelnuts or pecans would be good too!
Spices: I use ground cinnamon and sticks, whole cloves, and freshly ground nutmeg. I always grind a little bit of a whole nutmeg, because I think it really boosts the flavor and makes the filling more fragrant!
Butter: I use unsalted melted butter for the phyllo dough.
Lemon & water: I use lemon peels and water for the syrup.
Phyllo dough: I use 1 package phyllo dough which has about 14 sheets.
Dried roses: This is totally optional and not necessary for the recipe. However, I always sprinkle the baklava triangles with some food grade dried rose buds for a more exotic flavor. It also adds a nice color!

ADD-INS & VARIATIONS

Filling Options
For the filling, I kept it simple and close to traditional Greek baklava, which includes walnuts, almonds and pistachio nuts. You could also use hazelnuts or pecans, instead.

You could also add some chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate to the filling!

Sweeter Options
First of all, if you prefer a lot of syrup, just double the ingredients for the honey syrup!

For sweeter baklava triangles, you could add regular sugar syrup instead. For the recipe, use the syrup in my Greek Portokalopita recipe or my Greek Galaktoboureko recipe.

HOW TO MAKE BAKLAVA TRIANGLES

First, make the syrup.

STEP 1
Put the honey, water, lemon peel and slices in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat and let it simmer for 10 minutes.

STEP 2
After 10 minutes, the syrup will be thick and the color will be darker. Remove the peels and the spices with a slotted spoon.

After that, make the filling.

Just mix the nuts and spices together in a bowl.

Now it’s time to prepare the phyllo dough.

In order to make triangles, we’ll need to cut the dough into strips.

STEP 1
To make the triangles, I need to cut the phyllo lengthwise into strips of about 3.5 inches wide (9 cm). Each brand of phyllo is different, so I measure the short edge and then divide by 4. Mine is about 14 inches (36 cm) wide, which makes each strip about 3.5 inches (9 cm) wide.
I use a ruler to cut the first stack of strips, but you could also use a pizza cutter.

STEP 2
After I cut the first strips, I just pile them on top of the dough so I can cut the same size for the remaining 3 stacks. Just remember to try and work as quickly as possible so the dough doesn’t dry out.

TOP TIP

If you tear some phyllo dough like I did, don’t throw it away! Let it dry out and then crush it and add it to the nut filling! Just stir it so it is well-combined in the filling.

Now it’s time to make the baklava triangles!

HOW TO FOLD THE PHYLLO DOUGH TO MAKE BAKLAVA TRIANGLES - 2 WAYS

There are two different methods you could use to fold the triangles.
Each method is slightly different with its own unique result.

Method 1

This method makes crunchier triangles because there are more layers of dough surrounding the filling.

STEP 1
Place a strip of dough on your work surface and drizzle it with melted butter.

STEP 2
Place another strip of dough on top of it, as evenly as possible.

STEP 3
Add some filling (I added about a heaping tablespoon) leaving some space on the top edge, about 2 inches (5 cm).

STEP 4
Then fold the top edge of dough over the filling so you cover it.

STEP 5
Hold the covered filling with your left hand and use your right hand to bring a corner over the filling so that it lines up with the edge on the left side.

STEPS 6 - 10
Then you fold flag-style all the way to the end. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but you have to work fast so the phyllo dough doesn’t dry out.

Method 2

This method results in the nut filling being spread ALL throughout the layers. This makes thinner baklava triangles.

Place ONE strip of phyllo dough and sprinkle the filling all over. Then fold flag-style as shown above.

Now it’s time to bake the baklava triangles!

STEP 1
Place the triangles on a well-buttered tray or baking sheet (you could line the pan with parchment paper, if you want). I always put the triangles really close together so that they don’t lose their shape while baking.

Then you butter them really well and bake.

STEPS 2-3

They’re done when they are a nice golden brown color. As soon as you take them out of the oven, pour the thick honey syrup all over.

Let the baklava triangles cool and give them some time to absorb most of the syrup.

STEPS 4-5

Then I top with grated pistachio nuts. I also love adding some crushed dried rose buds, too!

ADD-INS & VARIATIONS

Instead of the traditional walnuts, almonds and pistachios, you could use pecans or even hazelnuts.

You could drizzle the baklava triangles with some melted chocolate! Chocolate is amazing with baklava!

TIPS FOR THE BEST BAKLAVA TRIANGLES

How to thaw phyllo dough

I usually thaw the phyllo dough in the refrigerator overnight as it is with its plastic bag in the package. This helps to prevent it from thawing too quickly, which could result in collecting too much moisture from the condensation. If that happens, the phyllo dough gets sticky and it’ll be almost impossible to work with.

Working with phyllo dough

Whenever working with phyllo dough, keep in mind that it dries out very, very fast. You really need to work quickly. While you’re making a triangle, keep the remaining sheets covered with a damp kitchen towel or cloth so they don’t dry out.

Make sure your knife isn’t dull when working with phyllo dough. Otherwise, the dough could drag and tear easily.

How to store baklava

Store these baklava triangles loosely-covered at room temperature. They will keep for up to 5 days. You could also store them in the refrigerator, just keep them tightly wrapped in plastic wrap. Also, keep in mind that they tend to soften a bit and lose their crunchiness in the fridge.

HOW TO SERVE BAKLAVA TRIANGLES

I think they’re great with coffee, including Greek coffee!

MORE GREEK RECIPES

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Let me know how these Baklava Triangles turn out for you in the comments below! I'd love to hear from you!

Enjoy!

~Voula