Pecan Baklava Pie is a fun twist on a classic! Giving it an airy, crispy, crunchy, sugary feel that’s a bit lighter than the original, but just as delicious!
During the beloved Thanksgiving season, pecan pie is king! But pecan baklava pie might be even better! There are so many ways to make this ultra sweet yummy dessert. Even different parts of America have their own way they like it. Some people like it as more of a nutty pie, while others like it with more of that ooey, gooey sugary stuff that makes it more moist and chewy. I prefer the gooey stuff in a traditional pecan pie. But wait!…Pecan Baklava Pie is different!
Let the pie building begin!
Now even though it’s a drier, crunchier style of pie, I loved it! Layer upon layer of buttery, light and crispy, sugar and cinnamon laced phyllo dough make up your pie crust! And trust me, it’s pretty fantastic! Basically to achieve that look of messy, flaky, uneven edges, you will lay down a sheet of phyllo dough out across a buttered pie plate. Butter up that sheet, add your cinnamon and sugar. Next, you’ll take another sheet and lay them across the other way to create like and X. Repeat that process until you have about 10 sheets, laying out the phyllo dough down the middle of the X, and then across the X the other way, so the pie dish is covered all around with overlapping phyllo.
Then, you begin the Baklava layering system! So it becomes this multi stacked version of nuts and phyllo dough and then is topped with the perfect finishing touch of a sugar syrup that soaks through and gives you that beautiful candy coated finish! I definitely think it’s a fun and delicious way to try a new spin on a classic…and the presentation is beautifully simple and rustic and it’s actually super easy to make:-)
This beautifully rustic, light and crispy pie, with sugar and cinnamon laced pecans is a perfect twist on a classic!
- 1 package phyllo dough
- 4 cups pecans (3 cups chopped, 1 cup whole)
- 6 tbsp white sugar (reserve 2 tbsp for crust)
- 2 tsp cinnamon, ground (reserve 1 tsp for crust)
- 8 tbsp salted butter, melted (1 stick)
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tsp lemon juice, fresh
Remove phyllo dough from the freezer and allow to defrost for about an hour. Then remove from packaging and lay on a clean dry surface and cover with a damp paper towel so that phyllo does not become dry because it will crack and break into pieces.
Preheat the oven to 350 degreed F. Mix together 2 tbsp sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon. Butter a 9 inch pie plate/pan. Take one sheet of phyllo dough and lay it so it hangs over the edges of the plate evenly on both sides. Use a brush to butter the sheet. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Add the next phyllo sheet going crosswise to create an X. Butter that sheet and sprinkle with sugar mix. Then, run the next sheet going through the X and repeat, rotating and laying each sheet crosswise, overlapping until you have 10 layers and the pie plate is covered.
Take 3 cups pecans, 4 tbsp sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon and chop them in a food processor until they are in small pieces. Or chop by hand and stir in sugar and cinnamon. Place them in a bowl to use for layering.
Sprinkle pecan, sugar, cinnamon mixture around the phyllo crust in an even layer. Take one sheet of phyllo and neatly fold it into a round-ish shape. Butter the layer. Add a second layer, butter. Then sprinkle more pecan mix evenly over that layer and repeat. Folding another phyllo sheet into a circular form, buttering, adding a second layer and then pecan mix until your almost to the top of the pie plate. Then take whole pecans and spread out over the top most layer.
Place in the oven for about 30 min rotating part way through. If the edges of the phyllo crust begin to brown too much, cover with a pie ring or create a foil ring shield, or simply cover with foil loosely. While pie is baking, make sugar syrup.
When pie is golden brown, remove from oven. Poke the pie with a fork all around the inner area. Then pour cool sugar syrup all over the pie until it's evenly covered. Any extra sugar syrup should be saved in an airtight container. Enjoy!
In a small saucepan, combine sugar and water and bring to a boil for several minutes without stirring. Add the lemon juice. Boil for another 3-5 minutes to allow mixture to thicken. Let cool completely before use.
You can use walnuts or pistachios or any other nut you'd like. Nothing has to be perfect and the messier the edges the better! Be careful when removing from the oven and transferring to the table, as the edges are very delicate and break easily.
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