Baked Baklava Cheesecake Recipe
This baked baklava cheesecake recipe makes the perfect dessert for any occasion, it’s super easy and quick to make and will impress your family and friends.
If you love cheesecake and baklava then this dessert is perfect for you. This homemade recipe brings together both of these classic desserts infused into one, the results are a rich creamy cheesecake with a flaky crust bursting with a buttery nutty flavor.
Why You Will Love This Baked Baklava Cheesecake Recipe
- It combines two classic dessert flavors, cheesecake, and baklava into one delicious treat.
- The cheesecake, base, and topping are made with honey and without sugar.
- The recipe is easy to follow and is made using simple ingredients that you may already have in your kitchen.
- The cheesecake is rich, creamy, and satisfying, while the baklava crust, bottom nut base, and topping add a flaky, crunchy, nutty, and sweet contrast.
- This baked baklava cheesecake recipe is perfect for any occasion, whether you’re looking for a special dessert to enjoy at home or want to impress guests at a party or potluck.
- The cheesecake is baked in a 9-inch springform cake pan which makes the perfect size of cake for sharing with friends and family.
Ingredient Overview And Substitutions
- Phyllo Dough: I use phyllo dough sheets for the crust along with a base made of a combination of walnuts and pistachio. If you prefer you can just make the base and skip the filo dough.
- Cream cheese: You can use any type of cream cheese such as full-fat, low-fat, or dairy free. You can also substitute the cream cheese with ricotta or mascarpone.
- Butter: If you don’t have butter salted or unsalted, you can use vegetable oil, canola oil, corn oil, or melted margarine or shortening.
- Eggs: If you don’t have eggs, you can substitute them with sour cream, for every egg, replace with one and a half tablespoons of sour cream.
- Walnuts & Pistachios: If you don’t have walnuts or pistachios, you can use any type of chopped nuts, such as almonds, pecans, or hazelnuts.
- Honey: If you don’t have honey, you can use any type of sweet syrup, such as maple syrup, agave, or corn syrup to prepare the topping mixture. You can substitute the honey with granulated sugar, for the filling replace the honey with 1 1/2 cups of sugar, and for the topping replace the honey with 1 cup of sugar and add I cup of water.
Good To Know
Here are a few good things to know when making this baklava cheesecake:
- Thaw the phyllo overnight in the refrigerator before using them to make this recipe. If the phyllo is slightly frozen the thin paper-like sheets with easily break apart.
- While preparing the baklava cheesecake, keep the phyllo dough sheets covered with a plastic cover or damp cloth to avoid them from drying.
- Make sure to use room-temperature ingredients, especially cream cheese, so that it will mix together easily and smoothly.
- Be sure to mix the cheesecake filling well to avoid any lumps or streaks in the final product.
- If you prefer a firmer cheesecake, you can bake the cheesecake for a few minutes longer until it is set.
- To make slicing the cheesecake easier, you can run a sharp knife under hot water and dry it before slicing.
- You can customize the topping of the cheesecake by using different types of nuts or by adding spices, such as cinnamon or cardamom, to the nut mixture.
- If you don’t have a springform pan, you can use a regular cake pan or pie dish to bake the cheesecake. Just be sure to line the pan with parchment paper to make it easier to remove the cheesecake.
- This cheesecake is best served at room temperature, If you refrigerate it, be sure to pull it out ahead of time and leave it at room temperature before serving.
Ready To Make This Baked Baklava Cheesecake Recipe? Let’s Do It!
Ingredients For Baklava Cheesecake Main Crust
- 12 phyllo pastry sheets, trimmed to 13X9 inches
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (melted)
Ingredients For The Inside Base
- 1/4 cup butter, melted (60 grams)
- 3 cups walnuts, raw and chopped (400 grams)
- 1 cup pistachio, raw and chopped (125 grams)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder (3 grams)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (1.5 grams)
Ingredients For Baklava Cheesecake Filling
- 3 packs cream cheese, (750 grams), softened
- 3 large eggs (150 grams)
- 3/4 cup honey (225 grams)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla (5 grams)
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice (5 grams)
Ingredients For The Topping
- 1/2 cup water (120 grams)
- 1 1/4 cups honey (380 grams)
- 1cup walnuts, raw and chopped (130 grams)
- lemon rind from one lemon (12 grams)
- 2 teaspoon lemon juice (10 grams)
How To Make Baklava Cheesecake?
- Prepare the crust: Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper, then brush with melted butter. Set it aside.
- Keep your phyllo sheets covered while buttering the sheets. Remove one sheet and brush 3/4 of the sheet with butter, then fold the unbuttered end over to the other end of the phyllo sheet connecting both ends together making half a sheet. Brush the top with butter and fold again, you will end up with one-third of the size of the original sheet. Brush with butter and place it into the springform pan as shown in the picture.
- Repeat by overlapping the pieces until the pan is covered with phyllo dough then place into the refrigerator for 10 minutes.
- Grind the walnuts and pistachio using a food processor until coarse crumbs, about 3-4 pulses. Transfer the nuts into a bowl and add the cinnamon, salt, and butter and stir to combine using a spatula.
- Place this mixture evenly on top of the phyllo in the cake pan and press firmly to compact. Place back into the refrigerator to set.
- Prepare the cheesecake filling: Preheat the oven to 330°F (165°C) and set the oven rack to the middle position.
- Beat the cheesecake in a bowl using a hand mixer or stand mixer with the paddle attachment until fluffy.
- Add the honey and beat for a few seconds, then add the eggs one at a time, and beat until the mixture is well combined.
- Add the lemon juice and vanilla and mix for 30 seconds.
- Pour the cheesecake filling over the nut crust, then bake in the preheated oven for 50-60 minutes or until lightly golden brown on the top.
- Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan for one hour, then refrigerate it for at least 6 hours to allow the filling to set.
- Topping: Add the water, honey, lemon juice, and rind into a small pot and bring to a boil on medium-high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the walnuts and continue to simmer for 20-25 minutes or until the mixture is thick. Set aside to cool, for about 30 minutes.
- Remove the lemon rind, then use a ladle to pour the mixture over the top of the cheesecake.
- Enjoy your delicious homemade baklava cheesecake.
Here Are More Delicious Recipes You Might Love
- Classic Turkish Baklava
- Maple Pecan Sticky Buns
- Sicilian Cassata Cake
- Classic Angel Food Cake
- New York Cheesecake
Baked Baklava Cheesecake Recipe
f you love cheesecake and baklava then this dessert is perfect for you. This homemade baked baklava cheesecake recipe brings together both of these classic desserts infused into one, the results are a rich creamy cheesecake with a flaky crust bursting with a buttery nutty flavor.
Ingredients
CRUST
- 12 phyllo pastry sheets trimmed to 13X9 inches
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted
BASE
- 1/4 cup butter melted (60 grams)
- 3 cups walnuts raw and chopped (400 grams)
- 1 cup pistachio raw and chopped (125 grams)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder 3 grams
- 1/4 teaspoon salt 1.5 grams
FILLING
- 3 packs cream cheese (750 grams), softened
- 3 large eggs 150 grams
- 3/4 cup honey 225 grams
- 1 teaspoon vanilla 5 grams
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice 5 grams
TOPPING
- 1/2 cup water 120 grams
- 1 1/4 cups honey 380 grams
- 3/4 cup walnuts raw and chopped (100 grams)
- 1/4 cup pistachio raw and chopped (25 grams)
- lemon rind from one lemon 12 grams
- 2 teaspoon lemon juice 10 grams
Instructions
- Prepare the crust: Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper, then brush with melted butter. Set it aside.
- Keep your phyllo sheets covered while buttering the sheets. Remove one sheet and brush 3/4 of the sheet with butter, then fold the unbuttered end over to the other end of the phyllo sheet connecting both ends together making half a sheet. Brush the top with butter and fold again, you will end up with one-third of the size of the original sheet. Brush with butter and place it into the springform pan as shown in the picture.
- Repeat by overlapping the pieces until the pan is covered with phyllo dough then place into the refrigerator for 10 minutes.
- Grind the walnuts and pistachio using a food processor until coarse crumbs, about 3-4 pulses. Transfer the nuts into a bowl and add the cinnamon, salt, and butter and stir to combine using a spatula.
- Place this mixture evenly on top of the phyllo in the cake pan and press firmly to compact. Place back into the refrigerator to set.
- Prepare the cheesecake filling: Preheat the oven to 330°F (165°C) and set the oven rack to the middle position.
- Beat the cheesecake in a bowl using a hand mixer or stand mixer with the paddle attachment until fluffy.
- Add the honey and beat for a few seconds, then add the eggs one at a time, and beat until the mixture is well combined.
- Add the lemon juice and vanilla and mix for 30 seconds.
- Pour the cheesecake filling over the nut crust, then bake in the preheated oven for 50-60 minutes or until lightly golden brown on the top.
- Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan for one hour, then refrigerate it for at least 6 hours to allow the filling to set.
- Topping: Add the water, honey, lemon juice, and rind into a small pot and bring to a boil on medium-high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the walnuts and continue to simmer for 20-25 minutes or until the mixture is thick. Set aside to cool, for about 30 minutes.
- Remove the lemon rind, then use a ladle to pour the mixture over the top of the cheesecake.
- Enjoy your delicious homemade baklava cheesecake.
