Pumpkin Baklava Recipe

Pumpkin Baklava Recipe Photo: Mark Shaw
Laila Gohar•

This Thanksgiving, we're taking the traditional baklava recipe and swapping out the nuts for pumpkin purée. Store-bough phyllo dough makes this recipe fuss-free and much less intimidating than it looks. Spice the pumpkin with nutmeg, cinnamon and clove for an extra kick.

 This recipe is from the Sunday Supper repertoire. 

Pumpkin Baklava Recipe
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Prep Time
20
minutes
Cook Time
1
hour
Servings
1
Pumpkin Baklava Recipe
Total time: 1 hour, 20 minutes
Ingredients
  • 1 16-ounce package phyllo dough
  • 1/2 large can pumpkin puree
  • 1 stick butter
  • 1 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 pinch clove
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 3/4 cup sugar
  • juice of 1/2 lemon
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 1/4 cups water
Directions
  1. Add water, sugar and honey to a medium-sized saucepan and bring the mixture to boil over medium heat. Allow to simmer for 15 minutes.
  2. Add the lemon juice and and turn the heat off. Allow to cool completely.
  3. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter the bottoms and side of a 9 x 13–inch dish.
  4. Phyllo dough comes in a package containing two smaller stacks. Each stack contains 20 sheets. Open only one package at a time, as the sheets tend to dry out. Lay two sheets inside the baking dish.
  5. Spread one tablespoon of butter on top of the two sheets of phyllo. Stack two more sheets onto the buttered sheets followed by another tablespoon of butter. Repeat until you've used up 12 sheets.
  6. Add the spices to the pumpkin purée. Spread an even of pumpkin purée on top of the twelfth layer.  
  7. Repeat the process with another 10 layers and a tablespoon of butter every two sheets. 
  8. Using a sharp knife cut the baklava into squares to get 24 pieces. However, don't cut all the way down, only cut halfway until you reach the pumpkin. This will ensure only the top part rises.
  9. Bake for 25 minutes at 375F, then turn the oven down to 325F and bake for another 30 minutes. Take the baklava out and leave it at room temperature for 10 minutes.
  10. Using a knife, re-cut the baklava all the way down. 
  11. With a tablespoon pour the lukewarm syrup evenly along the cut lines. Make sure not to pour it all over, only between the lines. Allow the baklava to rest for at least four hours before serving. The syrup should be completely absorbed. Do not refrigerate.
  12. Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream
  13. Pumpkin Ale Cinnamon Rolls
  14. Pumpkin Gingersnap Cheesecake
 
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