Pistachio Honey Baklava Cheesecake (video)
Everything you love about baklava, but in cheesecake form! The most delicious pistachio honey Baklava Cheesecake, made with a crispy fillo dough crust! Every rich and creamy bite is dotted with salted pistachios and sweetened with honey. The honey adds tons of incredible flavor! This pistachio cheesecake is perfect for the holiday season, or for any special occasion!
Watch My Baklava Cheesecake Video Tutorial
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Ingredients for Pistachio Cheesecake
Here are my tips for the main ingredients you’ll need for making this incredible baklava cheesecake! Find the full list of ingredients in the recipe card below.
- Pistachios: I like to use salted, roasted pistachios for this recipe. The saltiness of the nuts really complements the sweetness of the honey.
- Honey: for sweetening the cake and for drizzling each slice before serving.
- Fillo Dough: instead of making a traditional graham cracker crust, I use this premade pastry dough. These are super thin sheets of dough that are traditionally used for baklava. You can find this dough in the freezer aisle of the grocery store. Allow it to thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.
- Cream Cheese: you’ll need four, 8-ounce packages of softened cream cheese. I let my cheese soften at room temperature for about 1 to 1 ½ hours.
- Sour Cream: for adding that tangy cheesecake flavor.
- Eggs: I recommend having these at room temperature. This will allow the cheesecake to bake more evenly.
Supplies & Tools for the Recipe
Need some supplies or tools for making this cheesecake at home? Shop my Amazon Affiliate links for the items I use in my kitchen. Using these links won’t cost you extra and I’ll earn a small commission.
- 9-inch Spring Form Pan: perfect for baking cheesecakes.
- Classic Cake Stand: this pretty cake stand is perfect for any occasion.
- CuisinArt Food Processor: great for jobs big and small.
- Aluminum Sheet Pan: perfect for the water bath.
How to Make Baklava Cheesecake
My pistachio honey baklava cheesecake is so easy to make! Since the cheesecake does need to set overnight, I recommend making this dessert a day or two before you plan to enjoy it.
- Begin by preheating the oven to 300F.
- Into a large mixing bowl, add the softened cream cheese. Beat it on medium speed for 8 to 10 minutes using a flat beater attachment, until it’s very creamy and clump free. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl often to ensure all the cheese is well beaten.
- Next, add in the sugar, honey, vanilla extract, and sour cream. Mix again for a few minutes, stopping to scrape down the mixing bowl. Add in the eggs next with the mixer running on medium speed. Mix for a few minutes, until the eggs are well beaten.
- Using a food processor or a sharp knife, finely dice the pistachios. Add 1 cup of pistachios into the cheesecake batter and keep approximately 1/3 cup diced pistachios for the topping. Stir the batter until the pistachios are incorporated.
Preparing the Filo Dough Crust
Instead of preparing a classic graham cracker crust, I like to use fillo dough to make a crispy and unique crust. Don’t want to use fillo dough? This cheesecake will work great with a classic cookie crust, too!
- Wrap the outside of a 9-inch spring form pan with two sheets of wide foil. This will keep the water out of the pan during the water bath baking process.
- The fillo dough needs to be thawed first. You can thaw it overnight in the refrigerator, or at room temperature for a few hours. Once thawed, removed it from its package and gently unfold the sheets.
- Using a pastry brush, apply a light layer of the melted butter between every 2 to 3 sheets of fillo, stacking them neatly. You’ll need about 12 fillo sheets.
- Once the dough has been buttered and stacked, trim the sheets into a 12-inch square and round out the corners. Butter the inside of the spring form pan, then gently lift and transfer the stacked dough into the pan.
- Gently arrange the fillo dough into the pan, pressing it gently into the bottom. The sides will want to fall down, so just firmly press them up against the sides.
Baking with a Water Bath Method
Once you have the crust ready, pour in the cheesecake batter, holding up the sides of the fillo dough to prevent it from folding in. Sprinkle the remaining diced pistachios over the top of the cake.
Transfer the spring form pan onto a large baking sheet. Fill the sheet with about 1-inch of water; this can be done with the pan on the oven rack.
Bake the baklava cheesecake at 300F for 2 hours, then turn the oven off and prop the oven door open with a wooden spoon. Allow the cheesecake to cool slowly for a few hours, then remove the foil from the outside and transfer the cake into the refrigerator to cool. I recommend chilling the cheesecake overnight, or for at least 8 hours.
Serving the Pistachio Cheesecake
When you’re ready to enjoy the cake, remove the cheesecake from the refrigerator 1 hour prior to soften it at room temperature. Remove the spring form band and slide a flat spatula underneath the cake to loosen it from the pan. Slide the cheesecake carefully onto a cake stand.
Drizzle the top of the cake with several tablespoons of honey. You can also drizzle extra honey onto each slice when serving. I like to enjoy this with a cup of coffee or tea!
More Recipes!
Enjoyed this incredible pistachio honey baklava cheesecake? Make sure to check out some of my other recipes you’re sure to enjoy!
- Pistachio Honey Baklava Cake: this is one of my personal favorites! A rich honey cake dotted with pistachios and frosted with a pistachio buttercream!
- Chocolate Pistachio Cake: the ultimate combination of chocolate and pistachios! Chocolate cake layers frosted with pistachio buttercream and garnished with chocolate ganache.
- Baklava Pastry Rolls: these are super easy to make and one of the BEST pastries ever! Twists of puff pastry filled with honey and pistachios!
- Maple Pecan Pie Cheesecake: another incredible nutty cheesecake, this one sweetened with maple syrup and dotted with pecans. Plus, topped with homemade caramel sauce!
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Pistachio Honey Baklava Cheesecake (video)
Ingredients
- 32 ounces cream cheese, 4 packages; softened at room temp
- 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup honey
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup sour cream
- 4 large eggs, at room temp
- 1 1/3 cup salted, roasted, shelled pistachios, divided
- 1 package fillo dough, about 12 sheets
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 cup honey, for serving
Instructions
Preparing the Batter:
- Begin by preheating the oven to 300F. Wrap the outside of a 9-inch spring form pan with two sheets of wide foil. This will keep the water out of the pan during the water bath baking process.
- Into a large mixing bowl, add the softened cream cheese. Beat it on medium speed for 8 to 10 minutes using a flat beater attachment, until it’s very creamy and clump free. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl often to ensure all the cheese is well beaten.
- Next, add in the sugar, honey, vanilla extract, and sour cream. Mix again for a few minutes, stopping to scrape down the mixing bowl. Add in the eggs next with the mixer running on medium speed. Mix for a few minutes, until the eggs are well beaten.
- Using a food processor or a sharp knife, finely dice the pistachios. Add 1 cup of pistachios into the cheesecake batter and keep approximately 1/3 cup diced pistachios for the topping. Stir the batter until the pistachios are incorporated.
Making the Crust:
- Instead of preparing a classic graham cracker crust, I like to use fillo dough to make a crispy and unique crust. Don’t want to use fillo dough? This cheesecake will work great with a classic cookie crust, too!
- The fillo dough needs to be thawed first. You can thaw it overnight in the refrigerator, or at room temperature for a few hours. Once thawed, removed it from its package and gently unfold the sheets.
- Using a pastry brush, apply a light layer of the melted butter between every 2 to 3 sheets of fillo, stacking them neatly. You’ll need about 12 fillo sheets.
- Once the dough has been buttered and stacked, trim the sheets into a 12-inch square and round out the corners. Butter the inside of the spring form pan, then gently lift and transfer the stacked dough into the pan.
- Gently arrange the fillo dough into the pan, pressing it gently into the bottom. The sides will want to fall down, so just firmly press them up against the sides.
Baking Instructions:
- Once you have the crust ready, pour in the cheesecake batter, holding up the sides of the filo dough to prevent it from folding in. Sprinkle the remaining diced pistachios over the top of the cake.
- Transfer the spring form pan onto a large baking sheet. Fill the sheet with water; this can be done with the pan on the oven rack.
- Bake the baklava cheesecake at 300F for 2 hours, then turn the oven off and prop the oven door open with a wooden spoon. Allow the cheesecake to cool slowly for a few hours, then remove the foil from the outside and transfer the cake into the refrigerator to cool. I recommend chilling the cheesecake overnight, or for at least 8 hours.
For Serving:
- When you’re ready to enjoy the cake, remove the cheesecake from the refrigerator 1 hour prior to soften it at room temperature. Remove the spring form band and slide a flat spatula underneath the cake to loosen it from the pan. Slide the cheesecake carefully onto a cake stand.
- Drizzle the top of the cake with several tablespoons of honey. You can also drizzle extra honey onto each slice when serving. I like to enjoy this with a cup of coffee or tea!
