Matcha Baklava with White Chocolate Pistachio Filling
Crisp, buttery phyllo layers wrap a bright green filling of pistachios, white chocolate and matcha, then soak up a honey-matcha syrup scented with cardamom and lemon. The grassy bitterness of matcha balances the sweetness for a baklava that is rich but not cloying.
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 1 hr
- Wait
- 4 hr
- Total
- 5 hr 40 min
- Makes
- 24 pieces (one 9×13-inch pan)
Steps
Before you start
- Thaw the phyllo in its box in the refrigerator for 12-24 hours before you start. Thawing on the counter makes the sheets gummy and sticky.
- Plan on 4 hours of resting after baking so the syrup soaks in and the layers stay crisp. The syrup must be completely cool when it meets the hot pastry.
- Use ceremonial or good-quality culinary matcha. Cheap matcha tastes harsh and turns dull brown-green.
- Read the layering plan first: 8 sheets on the bottom, filling, 4 sheets, filling, 8 sheets on top (20 sheets total). Most packages hold 20-24 sheets, so you have a few spares for tears.
Prep pan and butter
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan or the microwave and keep it warm.
- Take the phyllo out of the refrigerator and let the unopened package sit 30 minutes.
- Brush the bottom and sides of a 9×13-inch (23×33 cm) pan lightly with melted butter.
- Unroll the phyllo on a sheet of plastic wrap, trim to fit the pan if needed, cover with plastic wrap and a damp (not wet) towel.
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Ready when: Phyllo unrolls flat without cracking at the edges
Tip: Keep unused phyllo covered at all times. Exposed sheets dry out and shatter in minutes.
Cook the syrup
- In a 2-quart (2 L) saucepan, combine the water, ¾ cup (150 g) sugar and honey.
- Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
- Reduce to medium-low and simmer 10 minutes, without stirring, until it lightly coats the back of a spoon.
- Stir in the lemon juice, then remove from heat.
- Ladle 2 tablespoons of the hot syrup into a small bowl, whisk in the sifted matcha until a smooth paste forms, then whisk the paste back into the pot.
- Set aside to cool completely to room temperature while you assemble and bake.
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Ready when: Syrup coats the back of a spoon and drips off in a thin ribbon; no matcha lumps remain
Tip: Add matcha off the heat. Boiling matcha turns it bitter and dull.
Mix the fillingOven 325°F / 165°C
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C) with a rack in the center.
- Pulse the pistachios in a food processor in 1-second bursts until coarse crumbs, 6-8 pulses; do not let them become paste.
- In a large bowl, stir together the pistachios, chopped white chocolate, 2 tablespoons sifted matcha, 2 tablespoons sugar, cardamom and salt until the mixture is evenly green with no dry matcha clumps.
- Divide into two equal portions (about 1⅓ cups / 190 g each).
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Ready when: Mixture is uniformly green and looks like damp sand
Tip: Chop the white chocolate by hand. Processing it with the nuts warms and smears it.
Build the bottom layers
- Lay 1 phyllo sheet in the prepared pan and brush lightly with melted butter, working from the edges inward.
- Repeat with 7 more sheets, brushing each, for 8 sheets in total.
- Use about 1 tablespoon of butter per sheet and save about ⅓ cup (75 g) for the top.
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Ready when: Stack is evenly coated and lies flat with no dry patches
Tip: Torn sheets are fine in the middle layers. Just patch and keep stacking.
Add first filling
- Sprinkle one portion of filling evenly over the bottom stack, right to the edges.
- Press down gently with the flat of your hand to level it.
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Ready when: Filling forms an even layer about ½ inch (1 cm) thick
Middle layers and second filling
- Layer 4 more phyllo sheets over the filling, brushing each with butter.
- Spread the second portion of filling evenly and press it level.
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Ready when: Second filling layer is level and covers the phyllo fully
Top layers and butter
- Layer the final 8 sheets on top, brushing each one with butter (do not butter the very last sheet yet).
- Tuck in any overhanging edges.
- Brush the top sheet generously with the reserved butter.
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Ready when: Top surface glistens with butter and has no dry spots
Tip: A well-buttered top browns evenly and crisps rather than curling.
Cut before baking
- Using a sharp, thin knife, cut all the way through to the bottom of the pan.
- Make 4 evenly spaced lengthwise cuts to create 5 strips, then cut diagonally every 1½ inches (4 cm) to form about 24 diamonds.
- Use a gentle sawing motion and avoid pressing down, which squashes the layers.
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Ready when: Every cut reaches the pan bottom, with clean visible layers
Tip: Cutting before baking is essential. Baked phyllo shatters if cut after.
Bake until goldenOven 325°F / 165°C
- Bake in the center of the 325°F (165°C) oven for 50-55 minutes, rotating the pan at 30 minutes, until the top is a deep golden and crisp.
- The matcha filling will stay green.
- Remove from the oven and place on a rack.
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Ready when: Top is deep golden brown, crisp, and the butter around the edges is bubbling
Tip: If the top browns too fast, tent loosely with foil for the last 15 minutes.
Add syrup
- Immediately after removing from the oven, slowly spoon the completely cooled matcha syrup over the hot baklava, along the cut lines and over the top.
- It will sizzle.
- You may not need every drop; stop when the edges are glossy and the syrup just pools slightly in the cuts.
- Sprinkle the chopped pistachios over the top.
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Ready when: Syrup stops sizzling and the surface looks glossy
Tip: Hot pastry plus cool syrup is the secret to crisp layers. Warm syrup on warm pastry gives a soggy result.
Rest and finish
- Leave the baklava uncovered at room temperature for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight, so the syrup is absorbed.
- Just before serving, dust lightly with matcha through a fine sieve, if using, and lift out the pieces along the cuts.
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Ready when: Pan bottom feels barely warm to cool, and syrup no longer pools in the cuts
Tip: Do not cover while it is still warm. Trapped steam softens the top.
Good to know
Tips
- Sift the matcha every time. It clumps easily, and one clump in the filling tastes bitter.
- Use real white chocolate that lists cocoa butter, not white baking chips; chips hold their shape and taste waxy.
- Work with the oven preheated and syrup cooled before you start building so the phyllo never waits.
- For neater pieces, wipe the knife between cuts and re-cut along the lines with a sharp knife after the baklava has rested.
Make ahead
Bake and syrup the baklava up to 2 days ahead. Keep it uncovered for the first 4 hours, then cover loosely at room temperature. The flavor improves on day 2. Dust with matcha just before serving so the color stays vivid.
Storage & reheating
Room temperature in a loosely covered container (not airtight) for up to 4 days. Refrigeration is not recommended because it softens the phyllo and hardens the white chocolate, but if your kitchen is hot, refrigerate up to 1 week and bring to room temperature for 30 minutes before serving. Freezes up to 2 months: wrap pieces individually, thaw at room temperature for 2 hours, and re-crisp in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 5-8 minutes.
Substitutions
- shelled unsalted pistachios → Blanched almonds or a half-and-half mix of almonds and pistachios. The filling will be less green and slightly less rich; toast the almonds lightly first.
- unsalted butter → Ghee or clarified butter, same weight. Gives crisper layers and a nuttier flavor; use about 200 g since the milk solids are removed.
- honey → Light corn syrup or agave. Use equal weight; the flavor is milder, so consider adding ½ tsp vanilla to the syrup.
- ground cardamom → Ground ginger, a pinch of ground cinnamon, or omit. Use ¼ tsp for ginger or cinnamon; both change the flavor slightly but pair well with matcha.