Merry Christmas to my fellow Coptic Egyptians! 🎄 In Egypt, Christmas is celebrated on January 7th due to a slight deviation in the Julian calendar (which is the calendar many Orthodox churches follow). Although the dates differ, the reason for the celebration is the same: the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. 🙏

The Egyptian culture doesn’t put much emphasis on gift-giving or Christmas decor for this day. Instead, we celebrate with midnight liturgies, family gatherings, and an epic feast full of classic Egyptian dishes!

In honor of our Christmas, I’m sharing my mom’s delectable Egyptian Baklava Recipe! Complete with its own homemade syrup. 🍯 It may seem intimidating at first, but I’ve detailed step-by-step instructions for you guys so that you can get the best possible results. Buttery, sweet, and the perfect amount of crunch.

Quickly though, can we all just take a moment to give thanks for Egyptian food and my Egyptian momma who teaches me how to make it? 😋 From Okra Soup to Eggplant dishes to Butter Cookies, my mom does it all! So of course, my Recipes from Mom category wouldn’t be complete without my mom’s famous Egyptian Baklava dessert! This is a regular delicacy in my family that I have been so blessed to grow up with. I’m glad to finally know how to make it myself, and now, you guys can too!

The best part about this recipe is that it’s paired with its own homemade syrup made specifically for Egyptian Baklava. When made correctly (which could take a couple tries, don’t get discouraged!) it has a loose, “honey-like” consistency and the perfect amount of sweetness. The trick is to boil the mixture of sugar, water and lemon juice just enough to get a thick texture. To prevent burning, keep the heat at a medium-high temperature.

If you’re a nut freak, you’re going to love this dessert because it’s filled with all the nuts you can imagine! Okay, maybe just four of the nuts you can imagine: Walnuts, pecans, almonds and pistachios (with some shredded coconut in the mix). You’re going to use a food processor to grind the nuts and they will be the heart of the baklava, adding to the crunch and amazing flavor. Just remember, as the directions will specify, the pistachios will be kept separate! Those are just for sprinkling on top for a little bit of color and décor.

The baklava itself has a main ingredient of fillo dough that is dressed with butter to give it a crunchy and rich flavor in every bite. The most time-consuming part of this recipe will be brushing the fillo dough with butter every 2-3 layers. But this is a necessary step in giving the baklava its “body” and tasty essence. Some people even go as far as dressing EVERY SINGLE layer with butter ONE BY ONE. It’s a nice thought, but really, who has the time for that? Especially with a baby hanging on my leg every moment. I’ll stick with every 2-3 layers. 😜