Countless desserts have been invented over time. One dessert that is unique and sets it apart from all others is baklava. Containing phyllo dough and nuts, baklava might not appear to have any animal products in it at first glance. However, there are many variations of baklava which may or may not be vegan.
Baklava is not considered vegan because it contains butter or honey. While baklava can easily be made vegan, it’s safe to assume that it isn’t vegan unless you know the ingredients. The best vegan alternatives include Deux Vegan Birthday Cake Cookie Dough, Unreal Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups, and Dalci Almond Butter Dark Chocolate Blondies.
Baklava is a unique dessert with many possible recipe variations. Read on to learn more about traditional baklava and how to make it vegan-friendly.
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What is baklava?
Baklava is a traditional Turkish dessert that was later modified by the Greeks. Today baklava is commonly found in many countries, and you might notice that the recipe is slightly different depending on which country you’re in.
Traditional baklava is a layered dish with phyllo dough, nuts, butter, and a sweetener such as white sugar and/or honey (or another syrupy sweetener). Cinnamon is a common spice to add, as well as nutmeg and cloves. Some variations of baklava recipes include citrus extracts to compliment the spices.
How do you make baklava?
Here is an example of the steps to make traditional baklava adapted from a popular recipe:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter (or use a vegan alternative like canola oil spray, etc.) the bottoms and sides of a 9×13 inch pan.
- Chop nuts (almonds, walnuts, pistachios, etc.) and toss with cinnamon. Set aside.
- Unroll phyllo dough (most store-bought phyllo dough is vegan, but always double-check the label!). Cut the stack to a size that fits your pan. Cover the phyllo with a dampened cloth to keep it from drying out as you make the baklava.
- Place two sheets of dough in the pan and butter them thoroughly (olive oil or other vegetable oils are typically used in vegan recipes). Repeat until you have 8 sheets layered. Sprinkle 2 – 3 tablespoons of nut mixture on top. Top with two sheets of dough, butter, nuts, layering as you go. The top layer should be about 6 – 8 sheets deep.
- Using a sharp knife cut into diamond or square shapes all the way to the bottom of the pan.
- Bake for about 50 minutes until the baklava is golden and crisp.
- Make the sauce while baklava is baking by boiling sugar and water until the sugar is melted. Add the vanilla and honey (agave or maple syrup for vegan recipes) and simmer for about 20 minutes.
- Remove the baklava from the oven and immediately spoon the sauce over it. Let it cool and serve in cupcake papers.
Is baklava vegan?
Traditional baklava contains butter, which isn’t vegan. Some baklava recipes also call for honey which isn’t vegan. While it’s possible to find (or make) vegan baklava, it’s not safe to assume premade baklava (in bakeries, restaurants, etc.) is vegan without asking.
How can you make a vegan version of baklava?
It’s actually pretty simple to make vegan baklava. All you have to do is use a vegan sweetener like maple syrup instead of honey.
Here is a vegan baklava recipe ingredient list as an example:
- Pistachios
- Walnuts
- Ground cinnamon
- Lemon zest
- Orange zest
- Ground nutmeg
- Ground clove
- Salt
- Maple syrup
- Phyllo dough (most prepared versions are vegan)
- Olive oil
- Agave nectar
- Fresh orange juice
Using olive oil instead of butter and agave/maple syrup instead of honey are the only swaps to make baklava vegan.
What are the benefits of baklava?
Baklava recipes contain nuts that are rich in heart-healthy fats. Nuts are also a good source of protein and fiber which help make you feel full and stabilize your blood sugar levels.
You can control the amount of sweetness in homemade baklava recipes by scaling back on the sugar in the filling and the syrup.
What are the cons of baklava?
Like many pastries, baklava is usually high in fat and sugar. Traditional baklava is made with butter which is high in saturated fat. Diets high in saturated fat can increase your risk of heart disease by causing high levels of LDL “bad” cholesterol.
Diets high in sugar can increase your risk of chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
Besides the sugar content, baklava is high in carbohydrates from the multiple layers of phyllo dough. That means it can significantly raise your blood sugar if you have diabetes, insulin resistance, or other blood sugar imbalances.
Baklava Nutrition Information
It’s difficult to get ahold of premade baklava nutrition information online. Baklava might not be easily accessible depending on where you live. Baklava is best to make homemade so it doesn’t lose its crisp and flaky texture along with the moisture of the filling.
Athena Sweet Athena Salted Caramel Baklava (not vegan)
Ingredients:
- Wheat Flour
- Sugar
- Glucose
- Buttermilk
- Hazelnut
- Almond
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Honey
- Natural Orange Juice
- Sea Salt
- Flavoring
- Citric Acid
- Bulking Agent (Sodium Bicarbonate, Disodium Diphosphates)
- Potassium Sorbate (Preservative)
Nutrition facts (per 1 piece):
- Calories: 60
- Total Fat: 1.5 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Sodium: 10 mg (1% DV)
- Total Carbohydrate: 11 g
- Dietary Fiber: 0 g
- Total Sugars: 6 g
- Added Sugars: 5 g
- Protein: 1 g
Athena Sweet Athena Cosmopolitan Pistachio Baklava (vegan)
Ingredients:
- Wheat Flour
- Sugar
- Glucose
- Oat Flakes
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Pistachio
- Almond
- Wheat Semolina
- Natural Orange Juice
- Vanilla Flavor
- Salt
- Citric Acid
Nutrition facts (per 1 piece):
- Calories: 70
- Total Fat: 1 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Sodium: 20 mg (1% DV)
- Total Carbohydrate: 15 g
- Dietary Fiber: 1.5 g
- Total Sugars: 8 g
- Added Sugars: 7 g
- Protein: 1 g
Vegan dessert alternatives to baklava
Deux Vegan Birthday Cake Cookie Dough
This vegan cookie dough is safe to eat raw, or you can bake it into individual mini cakes.
Ingredients:
- Organic Oat Flour
- Cashew Butter
- Organic Maple Syrup
- Cane Sugar
- Sprinkles (Cane Sugar, Corn Starch, Palm Oil, Palm Kernel Oil, Sunflower Lecithin, Natural Vanilla Flavor, Spirulina Extract, Riboflavin, Vegetable Juice, Annatto Extract, Carnauba Wax)
- Water
- Organic Flaxseed
- Baking Soda
- Vanilla Extract
- Almond Extract
- Maca Root Powder
- Salt
Nutrition facts (per 1.5 tbsp.):
- Calories: 110
- Total Fat: 4 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Sodium: 85 mg (4% DV)
- Total Carbohydrate: 16 g
- Dietary Fiber: 1 g
- Total Sugars: 8 g
- Added Sugars: 8 g
- Protein: 2 g
Unreal Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups
Ingredients:
- Dark Chocolate (Chocolate Liquor, Cane Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Organic Blue Agave Inulin, Sunflower Lecithin, Organic Vanilla)
- Peanut Butter (Peanuts, Cane Sugar, Palm Oil, Salt)
- Organic Powdered Sugar
- Organic Palm Oil
- Peanut Flour
- Organic Blue Agave Inulin
- Salt
- Sunflower Lecithin
Nutrition facts (per one peanut butter cup):
- Calories: 80
- Total Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Sodium: 75 mg (2% DV)
- Total Carbohydrate: 8 g
- Dietary Fiber: 2 g
- Total Sugars: 5 g
- Added Sugars: 5 g
- Protein: 3 g
Dalci Almond Butter Dark Chocolate Blondies
These brownies are free of dairy, soy, and refined sugar.
Ingredients:
- Almond Butter
- Almond Flour
- Avocado Oil
- Coconut Sugar
- Egg
- Dark Chocolate
- Salt
Nutrition facts (per one blondie):
- Calories: 210
- Total Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Sodium: 45 mg (1% DV)
- Total Carbohydrate: 16 g
- Dietary Fiber: 2 g
- Total Sugars: 10 g
- Added Sugars: 9 g
- Protein: 5 g
What are some vegan-friendly sweeteners to use in desserts?
Just because packaged food is labeled as vegan doesn’t mean it’s healthy. Many prepared vegan desserts are loaded with sugar and refined flour which isn’t any better than non-vegan desserts.
Making your own vegan desserts, such as baklava, is the best option to ensure it’s vegan-friendly. You can also make your desserts healthier than most premade vegan desserts.
If you’re curious what type of sweeteners you can use in your vegan desserts, here are some ideas:
- Maple syrup
Maple syrup has several vitamins and minerals such as iron, calcium, magnesium, and potassium. One serving of maple syrup provides 8% of the daily value for both iron and calcium which is higher than other non-vegan natural sweeteners like honey. - Agave nectar
This sweetener is made from the leaves of the blue agave plant. There are some health concerns regarding agave nectar to consider. Agave nectar is high in fructose – much more so than regular sugar. Your liver is the only organ that can metabolize fructose in larger amounts. If you eat large amounts of fructose your liver can start storing some of that sugar as fat. That being said, eating agave nectar in moderation is one way to avoid the potential negative health impacts of eating too much of it or any type of natural sweetener. - Molasses
Molasses has a strong, rich flavor and pairs well with spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves (like the kind used in baklava!). Molasses – especially blackstrap molasses – is a good source of iron. One tablespoon of blackstrap molasses provides 20% of your daily iron needs. Iron is especially important for vegans since most iron-rich foods are found in animal products. - Brown rice syrup
Brown rice syrup is a popular sweetener for vegans and those following a low FODMAP diet for irritable bowel syndrome and other health conditions.
Related Questions
Is baklava a Jewish recipe?
Baklava originated in Turkey but is found in all areas of the world, including the Arab world.
Is baklava gluten-free?
Baklava uses phyllo dough which contains wheat, so it’s not gluten-free.
Is baklava vegetarian?
Baklava doesn’t contain any meat so it is vegetarian. It can contain butter so wouldn’t be suitable for anyone avoiding dairy.