Baklava (Vegan, Gluten Free)

Delicious Mediterranean/Middle Eastern dessert with homemade phyllo dough. This same dough can be used as wraps for spring rolls. Any nuts (or even seeds) can be used for the filling.
Phyllo
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup millet flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1/4 tsp xanthan gum
2 cups water
Filling
2 cups finely ground nuts (pecans, walnuts, or pistachios)
1 tsp cinnamon
¾ cup vegan butter (melted)
Syrup
½ cup water
½ cup sugar
¼ cup agave
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp cinnamon (or cinnamon stick)
1) Combine ground nuts and cinnamon. Set aside
2) Combine ingredients for phyllo dough in a mixing bowl. Mix well and beat for a minute until thickens a little.
3) Melt ¾ cup vegan butter, and brush some on bottom of an 8X8 inch baking dish.
4) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
5) Preheat a non-stick skillet over low heat. Lift skillet off heat, and brush phyllo batter in a large square on the pan. Place back on heat, and turn heat up to medium. Once edges start to curl up, peel off of pan and place on bottom of baking dish. Remove pan from heat to cool, and brush melted butter on top of phyllo layer. Wipe skillet with a paper towel to remove and residue, and brush more batter on for next layer. Continue to layer phyllo and brush with melted butter for 4 more layers.
6) After 5th layer of phyllo, sprinkle ground nuts on top of buttered phyllo. Continue sprinkling nuts on top of each layer until all nuts have been used (around 10 more layers).
7) Continue layering the rest of the phyllo layers with only melted butter brushed on top until all batter has been used. Brush butter on top of final layer.
8) With a sharp knife, slice through all layers diagonally at 1 inch intervals. Slice vertically at 1 inch intervals. Bake for 50 minutes.
9) While baklava is baking, make the syrup. Place all ingredients in a saucepan, and simmer for 10 minutes.
10) Once baklava is removed from oven, spoon syrup on top. Let cool, then slice through layers to make sure they are completely separated. Makes around two dozen pieces.

[@blooplanet316]

Finally tried this out and the result was amazing! So tasty and I was able to eat baklava for the very first time (I’ve had to eat gluten free for most of my life). Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!

[@CookingWithJerry]

You don’t know how happy that makes me! Thanks for letting me know!

[@SJ-gj7mx]

This video deserves a gold medal. Amazing

[@CookingWithJerry]

Thank you!

[@neelsolanki9400]

My mom just had to give up wheat for health reasons and was sad she couldn’t eat baklava anymore. I took a shot at finding a gluten free recipe and was so glad to find this video! Your baklava look amazing and I’m so happy the recipe doesn’t have any hard to find ingredients or premixes like many other vegan, GF recipes. Cant wait to try it!!

[@amonrah1788]

Thank you so much for this amazing recipe!

[@callummccormack4906]

This is genius. Such a creative way around the challenges of gluten free cooking! I'm very impressed 👍

[@hellokittie76]

Holy moly! This is definitely a labor of love! Thank you for sharing this recipe! I can’t wait to try it!

[@daniellemederos4115]

Genius recipe! As a celiac I've missed this for many years, excited to try this recipe out!!

[@essp3688]

This is so cool! Never seen it be done like this before. I have to try it! Thank you for sharing!

[@sddavis9874]

That looks decadent and delicious!

[@sblszn7968]

Hello, first of all, I would like to thank you and congratulate you. It is interesting that you can make gluten-free, vegan phyllo dough so easily, but it seems so practical. As a Turk, I will definitely try this recipe. The only difference is that when we are making baklava, we heat the oil a little and pour it on the baklava after the cutting process is finished, before putting it in the oven. We boil the syrup and let it cool before we start making the baklava. In this way, the sherbet cools down until the baklava is cooked. We do not use cinnamon or saffron in baklava syrup, Indians generally prefer them, but this is a matter of preference. 🙂 Finally, we pour the syrup into the baklava while the baklava is hot. Baklava should be hot and syrup should be cold. This way it becomes crispy. Bon appetit ❤

[@CookingWithJerry]

Thanks so much for the feedback!

[@devanshijoshi883]

What a recipe thanksalot ❤

[@generallygenna]

Just wow! This is such a creative, straightforward recipe. Thank you so much for sharing!! I've been looking for a gf and vegan phyllo dough for years and you've made my dream come true!

[@CookingWithJerry]

Awesome!! Let me know how it goes!

[@1jazzyphae]

This is actually easier then I was thinking in going to try this!!!!

[@CookingWithJerry]

easy, but time consuming :)

[@Tzipporah36]

Wow!!! Thank you!!

[@Tzipporah36]

Jerry you are amazing!

[@rashikumar2776]

You are a genius ❤️

[@NUONIKO_BROTHER_PBK]

Thank you!

[@habibanasser7947]

Nice

[@Tahnaiya]

Want! Need!

[@wideawake5630]

First time hearing of u. U r my hero! I've been thinking a lot about how to pull off a v gf baklava. U nailed it! I'm subscribing.

[@CookingWithJerry]

Thank you!

[@cherylprovost-jones61]

This is genius and thank you so much for developing. I teach the community how to use vegan clean food ingredients. I have a health ministry and will be sharing your video on my health ministry page. Thanks so much!!!

[@CookingWithJerry]

Thanks so much!

[@cherylprovost-jones61]

You are very welcome and thank you!!!

[@lynneb.3935]

This looks amazing. I'm going to try these layers of gluten-free phyllo for Spanikopita for Christmas.

[@CookingWithJerry]

awesome! Let me know how it goes! BTW I think next time I'm going to try arrowroot instead of tapioca, because I think it will be a better texture.

[@lynneb.3935]

@@CookingWithJerry I have both arrowroot and tapioca in my cabinet (I think, lol). If I do, I'll try arrowroot and let you know how it turns out.

[@pixie3869]

Just recently developed a gluten intolerance. I will definitely try this out.

[@dgsquare]

It looks absolutely delightful! Thanks! One suggestion, though, why don’t you use a square non stick griddle pan, so you don’t have to shape a square into a circle pan? Thanks again!

[@CookingWithJerry]

haha if I had a pan like that I would certainly use it!

[@AzamKhan-od3lb]

❤Bacwal Racep sent

[@dianaharrison2280]

Looks a great recipe and method , but I would have enjoyed the tutorial more WITHOUT the fast-pulse background theme. Baking is a creative, and focused and often relaxing process.

[@CookingWithJerry]

Thanks for the feedback! I’ve softened the music on later videos, but I’m considering changing it out for something different.

[@Muttt13]

Hi, do I need to make this flour mix? I’ve seen other phylo dough made with just a regular gf flour mix, would that turn out the same or do you think this is specifically better for phylo?

[@CookingWithJerry]

Any 1:1 flour mix should work fine - just adjust the liquid to flour ratio, which will vary slightly for different flour mixes. It should be like a thin pancake batter consistency, so add more water or flour as needed.

[@Muttt13]

@@CookingWithJerry thank you so much!

[@elledee6822]

This looks amazing...the first GF phyllo I've seen that is actually really thin. Can I use a good all-purpose GF baking flour or does it need to be the combination of flours you mention. Thanks!

[@CookingWithJerry]

Gf flour mix should be fine! They generally already include some xanthan gum, so if it does you might use a little less. Just add all the flour amounts together for your measurement of flour.

[@elledee6822]

Thank you! I will try and report back!

[@henryford2950]

You can also make this fabulous dish with maple syrup. I prefer real maple syrup, so if you can find it and is able to afford it, be my guest.

[@sebsun]

Wondering why it needs the Agave if it already has the half a cup of sugar? Is there a replacement for the Agave or can we just add more sugar if we have a sensitivity to Agave?

[@CookingWithJerry]

traditionally this would be honey, but since it's vegan I used agave (just adds a nice flavor). You could certainly just add more sugar with some extra water in place of the agave, or if you're ok with honey you can use that.

[@irmakalember9403]

CN u make some of that for me. I need a make that can cook. My bf doesn’t cook or knows how. 😂🤣

[@elledee6822]

One more question-have you used this phyllo for spanakopita? Thanks again!

[@CookingWithJerry]

I haven't yet, but that's certainly on my list of things to try!

[@elledee6822]

I tried it. It was pretty amazing. At first I thought it wasn’t going to work. I stood and stared at the pan thinking “that’s never going to come off”, but it did! My jaw dropped, and stayed that way pretty much through the entire process. I made my mother’s spanakopita filling (burek where we come from 🇦🇱), put it between six layers on the bottom and six layers on the top in an 8 x 8 glass baking pan, and it was delicious. And… It reheated beautifully in the oven, crisped up even more. Thank you so much!

[@CookingWithJerry]

@@elledee6822 you just made my day! Thanks for the feedback!

[@starr8111]

How to substitute the millet flour and the brown rice flour

[@CookingWithJerry]

Not sure what your restrictions are - you could perhaps sub with sorghum or amaranth - just make sure the consistency looks right

[@lamiasdish608]

You forgot the orange blossom 🌸

[@blesd4success]

That’s the Lebanese version. This recipe is the Greek version. Small differences. Pls let us know how it comes out though :)

[@recycledminis]

Is this recipe in your cookbook?

[@CookingWithJerry]

I have a Baklava recipe in my first book (Just Desserts), but this one is simpler and much better.

[@UMAmiau]

Hi! I'm argentinian and here we don't have vegan butter, is there any replacement i could use?

[@UMAmiau]

In order for it to still be vegan

[@CookingWithJerry]

You might look up recipes for homemade butter. You could probably just use oil or a combination of oils, since it’s being melted anyway.

[@DoyuLoveMe]

​@@UMAmiaui would think coconut oil would work great & the flavor goes well

[@veziribilinc]

Doesn't millet flour gives a bitter after taste?

[@CookingWithJerry]

If it were the primary flour, it would - but mixed with other mild tasting flours the flavor doesn’t come through. If you are particularly sensitive to the flavor, you could sub other flours like amaranth or sorghum.

[@veziribilinc]

@@CookingWithJerry i think sorgum will be good, I will try 🙏👍

[@jeagerengaurd2917]

Will it work if I just buy rice paper sheets?

[@jeagerengaurd2917]

Is there a difference between using a pastry brush and a basting brush?

[@CookingWithJerry]

I see that other recipes do it with rice paper, so that should work. Rice paper is pretty thick by comparison, so you won’t get the same flaky quality. I’ve never tried it myself, so I can’t really vouch for it.

[@CookingWithJerry]

@@jeagerengaurd2917 any brush will do :)

[@furkandoygun]

This recipe is unbelievable, you are a genius Jerry. Thanks a million. By the way, I tried it with rice paper, it came out really hard, very difficult to chew, almost like plastic. Not sure if it was me, or that you aren't supposed to bake rice paper, though.

[@DoyuLoveMe]

​@@furkandoyguni used 1 layer of wet rice paper to roll spanikkopita filling & baked it on silicone liner to a crispy brown. Single layer worked! A vegan butter or salted olive oil baste would make it better tastewise

[@perikvan]

Why is this music so loud?

[@CookingWithJerry]

Sorry about that - I’ve mixed the music softer on later videos. I’m always trying to improve!

[@perikvan]

@@CookingWithJerry thank you for your response! I was happy to find your recipe but couldn't get over the loud music.

[@user-re5ht4pj3c]

Neat technique, but Teflon & plastic cookware is toxic

[@CookingWithJerry]

I don’t use Teflon or anything with PFOAs, PTFEs, or PFAs. There are “safe” non stick surfaces.

[@user-re5ht4pj3c]

@@CookingWithJerry hm.. stainless steel, some glass brand, & non-glazed clay pots are what I've been recommended

[@helens.-pr2gx]

I had tried this technique before from other videos and failed eatch time. I believe it was down to the temperature of the pan being too high. Thanks for pointing that out.