Baklava Cheesecake
If you love creamy cheesecake and nutty, sweet baklava, then this easy baklava cheesecake is the perfect fusion dessert for you! We have layers of flaky phyllo, a luscious rosewater-scented creamy filling, and delicate walnut and pistachio topping. This cheesecake is gorgeous, festive, and tastes just incredible!
This baklava cheesecake with phyllo crust has been on my must-make list for the longest time. Now that I've gotten around to making it, I can see what the fuss is all about!
Inspired by my love of cheesecakes and baklava, this recipe brings together velvety cheesecake with flaky, crispy pastry layers, soaked in signature baklava syrup. I have to tell you, this is one of the best cheesecakes I've ever baked!
Love baklava flavors? Then you must try my easy baklava cake and delicious baklava cinnamon rolls!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
✨The perfect fusion dessert: This easy baklava cheesecake recipe combines two classics - creamy, tangy cheesecake and nutty baklava, into one showstopper of a dessert!
✨Festive & gorgeous: With its flaky, buttery phyllo pastry layers, beautiful cheesecake filling with nuts and golden honey syrup, this is made to impress!
✨ Surprisingly easy to make: This rosewater-infused cheesecake uses simple, straightforward steps that even beginner bakers can follow easily.
✨ Make-ahead recipe: This cheesecake with phyllo crust tastes even better the next day, perfect for stress-free entertaining!
Recipe Ingredients
Cream cheese: Use full-fat cream cheese. Make sure it's softened to room temperature. You can also use homemade cream cheese!
Greek yogurt: You can use cream instead.
Phyllo pastry: This is what we use here to make the crust. Store-bought works very well and is easily available online and in supermarkets.
Sugar: Use superfine sugar, as it blends into the cream cheese very easily.
Nuts: I used raw pistachios and walnuts. But feel free to swap with any kind you prefer. Please avoid salted nuts. can use any nut you prefer.
Eggs: Eggs help bind the cheesecake and give it body and a beautiful texture. You can make an eggless baklava cheesecake, as I did with my apple crumble cheesecake and saffron cardamom cheesecake. But I would recommend sticking to my recipe.
Honey: For a lovely floral sweetness, it's essential for making baklava.
Please see the recipe card for full information about the ingredients and quantities.
How To Make Baklava Cheesecake
This is an easy baklava cheesecake recipe. Yes, it is a labor of love, but it is so worth the effort!
Make rosewater-infused cheesecake filling
Step 1: Mix softened cream cheese with sugar. Then add in the eggs and Greek yogurt.
Step 2: Whisk in all-purpose flour, vanilla extract, and rose water.
Make the phyllo crust
Step 3: Dry roast halved walnuts and shelled and whole pistachios separately until fragrant.
Step 4: Take them off the heat, cool, and chop them very finely. You can use a food processor, but make sure you don’t turn them into powder.
Step 5: Lightly butter your deep springform pan (I used an 8-inch pan).
Step 6: Tuck two sheets of phyllo dough inside the pan, allowing the sides to hang over the edges like a handkerchief.
Step 7: Brush melted butter on top of the phyllo sheets liberally and evenly sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of chopped nuts on top.
Step 8: Place two more phyllo sheets on top, brush with butter, and sprinkle with nuts again. You repeat this for all 10 phyllo sheets, so 5 rounds in total, and that makes the cheesecake’s baklava crust.
Assemble the phyllo dough cheesecake
Step 9: While the oven is preheating, pour your cheesecake filling over the phyllo crust.
Step 10: Trim the overhanging edges of the phyllo dough with a pair of scissors. I like to leave a 1-inch border, but if you want, you can cut that too. It’s exactly like cutting paper. My advice? Take your time with it.
Step 11: Carefully place the cake pan in the oven and bake it long and slow until the top is a beautiful, beautiful golden color (about 1 hour and 15 minutes).
Make the honey syrup
Step 12: Switch off the oven when the cheesecake has the tiniest wobble left. Crank open the door and let the cake cool a bit.
Step 13: Meanwhile, make the syrup by boiling water with sugar, a cinnamon stick, and honey. Once it comes to a boil, lower the heat and let it simmer on low for about 10 minutes.
Step 14: Let it cool, then remove the cinnamon stick and add rose water for that lovely floral and signature baklava taste.
Step 15: Remove your cheesecake from the tin and pour or ladle the syrup around the edges of the cheesecake (while it is still hot) over the baked phyllo sheets, so they absorb it.
Step 16: Let the baklava cheesecake with phyllo crust sit at room temperature for a couple of hours, allowing the honey syrup to set in. Then refrigerate it overnight.
Final Step: Garnish with pistachios and rose petals and serve the next day.
Pro Tips
- All your ingredients, from cream cheese to eggs for the cheesecake filling, should be at room temperature. It’s easier to mix and gives the cheesecake a creamy texture.
- Roasting the nuts enhances the flavor. So don’t skip the step.
- If you have a good recipe for phyllo dough, go ahead and make it at home. If not, buy the premade sheets online or at a supermarket near you. They’re great to have handy and can be used in any number of ways.
- Baklava cheesecake is indeed an easy recipe. But you do have to work fast when assembling the crust layers because the phyllo sheets are paper-thin and they dry out.
- The trick I used was to keep the phyllo sheets covered with a damp tea towel while I worked with 2 of them at a time.
- In case you’re not confident in trimming the phyllo overhang, fold them over or scrunch them up and bake. It makes for a very rustic appeal.
- If you want your phyllo pastry to have a deeper golden color, then around the 50-minute mark, when the filling still has a slight wobble to it, open the oven door and carefully slide out the cake. Remove the ring of your spring-form pan very, very cautiously, and then bake again for about 20 minutes. I skipped this step.
- You don’t have to test the syrup for one-string or two-string consistency. You simply cook it till it's thick and syrupy.
- Drizzle the syrup on the phyllo dough layers. The more syrup you put around the edges, the sweeter the pastry will be. Remember, the phyllo sheets are not sweet. It’s the syrup that lends them their superb flavor.
- Follow my measurements of the baklava-style cheesecake ingredients, and you’ll get the perfect amount of sweetness. Even though this is a very rich cheesecake, its flavors are very well-balanced.
- I always, always recommend chilling cheesecakes overnight for the best texture and flavor!
- Do use a weighing scale for measuring your ingredients. This will help you get better and consistent results every time.
Baklava Cheesecake Recipe FAQs
Can I make this easy baklava cheesecake ahead of time?
Yes, absolutely! I always recommend chilling the cheesecake overnight. This helps the flavors develop and the texture firm up. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Can I substitute cream for Greek yogurt?
Yes, you can easily swap out the Greek yogurt with cream or even sour cream in this easy baklava cheesecake recipe.
Should the honey syrup be cool before pouring it on the pastry?
Yes, we need to cool the honey-rosewater syrup before pouring it on the hot phyllo pastry.
More Cheesecake Recipes
Recipe
Baklava Cheesecake
Ingredients
Cheesecake Filling
- 2 3/4 cup Cream Cheese
- 1 cup Sugar
- 2 Eggs
- 1/3 cup Greek yogurt, plain
- 1/3 cup All-purpose flour
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 1.5 tsp Rose water
Cheesecake Crust
- 10 sheets Phyllo pastry
- 1 cup Walnuts, halves
- 1/4 cup Pistachios, whole
- 3 tbsp Butter, melted
Syrup
- 2/3 cup Water
- 1/4 cup Sugar
- 1/4 cup Honey
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1 Cinnamon stick
- 1.5 tsp Rose water
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 160 C / 320 F. Lightly grease an 8" springform cake tin with butter.
Cheesecake Filling
- In a large bowl, combine the softened cream cheese with sugar.2 3/4 cup (600g) Cream Cheese, 1 cup (200g) Sugar
- Then add in the eggs and Greek yogurt.2 Eggs, 1/3 cup (90 g) Greek yogurt
- Whisk in the flour, vanilla extract, and rose water. Keep this aside while you prepare the crust.1/3 cup (50 g) All-purpose flour, 1 tsp Vanilla extract, 1.5 tsp Rose water
Cheesecake Crust
- Dry roast halved walnuts and shelled and whole pistachios separately until fragrant.1 cup (100g) Walnuts, halves, 1/4 cup (30 g) Pistachio, whole
- Take them off the heat, and cool. Chop very very finely. You can also use a food processor, just ensure that they don't turn into a powder.
- Carefully place one sheet of phyllo in the pan. Add another one on top. Let the pastry hang over the edges of the pan.10 sheets Phyllo pastry
- Brush liberally with the butter. Sprinkle a fourth of the chopped nuts evenly on top.3 tbsp (50g) Butter, melted
- Cover the nuts with 2 sheets of phyllo. Brush with butter. Sprinkle another fourth of the nuts on top. Repeat this process 2 more times.
- Cover the nuts with the remaining 2 sheets of phyllo.
- Pour the cheesecake filling into this prepared crust.
- Trim the overhanging pastry sheets with a pair of scissors. Leave about 1"- 2" of the crust.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 60-75 minutes at 160 C / 320 F, or until the cake is golden and has the slightest of a wobble in the center. My cake took 75 minutes.
- Switch off the oven and leave the cake in the oven for 15-20 with the oven door slightly ajar.
Syrup
- Meanwhile, get the syrup ready by boiling water with sugar, a cinnamon stick, lemon juice, and honey. Once it comes to a boil, lower the heat and let it simmer on low for about 10 minutes.2/3 cup (118g) Water, 1/4 cup (50 g) Sugar, 1/4 cup (70 g) Honey, Juice of 1/2 lemon,1 Cinnamon stick
- We are looking at a thickish, syrupy consistency for the syrup.
- Take out the cinnamon stick and let the syrup cool a bit. Add the rosewater.1.5 tsp Rose water
- Take your cheesecake out of the oven and very carefully remove the ring from the cake tin. Pour or ladle the cooled syrup around the edges of the cheesecake (while it is still hot) where the baked phyllo sheets are, so they absorb it. You can pour some syrup on the cheesecake, too. But the pastry crust needs it most!
- Let the cheesecake sit at room temperature for 2 -3 hours (allowing the syrup to get soaked in), then refrigerate it overnight.
- Garnish with chopped pistachios and dried rose petals. Slice and serve. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- All your ingredients, from cream cheese to eggs for the cheesecake filling, should be at room temperature. It’s easier to mix and gives the cheesecake a creamy texture.
- Roasting the nuts enhances the flavor. So don’t skip the step.
- Baklava cheesecake is indeed an easy recipe. But you do have to work fast when assembling the crust layers because the phyllo sheets are paper-thin and they dry out.
- The trick I used was to keep the rest of the sheets covered with a damp tea towel while I worked with 2 of them.
- In case you’re not confident in trimming the phyllo overhang, fold them over or scrunch them up and bake. It makes for a very rustic appeal.
- If you want your phyllo pastry to have a deeper golden color, then around the 50-minute mark, when the filling still has a slight wobble to it, open the oven door and carefully slide out the cake. Remove the ring of your spring-form pan very, very cautiously, and then bake again for about 20 minutes. I skipped this step.
- You don’t have to test the syrup for one-string or two-string consistency. You simply cook it till it's thick and syrupy.
- You can brush or drizzle the syrup on top of the cheese filling, but I advise concentrating on the phyllo dough layers. The more syrup you put around the edges, the sweeter the pastry will be. Remember, the phyllo sheets are not sweet. It’s the syrup that lends them their superb flavor.
- Follow my measurements of the baklava-style cheesecake ingredients, and you’ll get the perfect amount of sweetness. Even though this is a very rich cheesecake, its flavors are very well-balanced.
- I believe in a zero-waste kitchen, so instead of throwing the cinnamon stick I used for the syrup, I washed it thoroughly. Dried it properly and then stuck it in my sugar jar. It’s a great way to reuse the spice.
- I always, always recommend chilling cheesecakes overnight for the best texture and flavor!
- Do use a weighing scale for measuring your ingredients. This will help you get better and consistent results every time.
This is the very very best cheesecake I have ever made and tasted !!! Thank you for sharing your delicious recipe 🥇
Natasha Author
Oh thank you thank you thank you so much Verenia! You made my day!! Really appreciate your support and kind words. xx
Hello. If I make bigger pan for example 26cm then I must make 1,5 the ingredients for the filling. The cooking time will change? Also I want to ask if the syrop must be cold and the cake hot. Thank you very much
Natasha Author
Hello Kika, yes, for a bigger pan, you can do 1.5 of the ingredients. If you used the same quantity, the cake will be not so tall. It will be a bit flatter. Cooking time in a bigger pan, with increased quantity, will also increase a bit. Just keep an eye out for a cooked surface with a slight wobble in the center.
The syrup is cool and the cake is hot for the syrup pouring step.
Hope the cake turns out wonderful for you! Happy baking xx
I have tried making cheesecake with yogurt in the past, and my husband (cheesecake-lover) didnt like it much as opposed when i made with sour cream. Would this recipe work with sour cream instead of the yogurt? If yes, what would be the ratio?
Thank you so much!
Natasha Author
Hello Dana, yes you can use sour cream or even regular cream will work nicely here. Happy baking! xx
Beautiful cheesecake!! I will be making this for Easter! Can I put a sheet of phyllo on top of the cheesecake? Or is the phyllo just for the base?
Natasha Author
Thank you very much, Ana! Phyllo on top will look very pretty. Maybe you can bake the top sheet separately ( so it doesn't burn) and then place it on top of the ready cheesecake or place the phyllo 20-25 minutes before the cake is done.
I'd love to know how this worked out for you. Happy Easter!
I made this for Easter and was nervous as this was my first attempt at making a cheesecake . It came out exactly like the recipe. It was a big hit. I dried some rose petals from roses in my garden. Learned you can dry them in the microwave. Who knew? Thank you for a recipe that makes you look like a pro!
Natasha Author
Thank you, Elvira, for trying this recipe and sharing your beautiful feedback!
Love your tip about drying the rose petals in the microwave. Every day I learn something new! xoxo
Kimberly Heizer
That's a good tip but I also used rose petals from my garden but snipped them on fresh right before I served. The red from the fresh petals and the bright green from the pistachios looked so Christmas-y.
Natasha Author
This sounds so pretty!
Can I use a 9inch springform pan? Does the timing or anything change?
Natasha Author
Yes absolutely! There won't be much change in the baking time, maybe 10 minutes or so.
Happy baking! xx