Pistachio Honey Baklava Cheesecake (video)

30 prep + 2 cook + 8 Chill Time:

servings

Everything you love about baklava in cheesecake form. Pistachio honey baklava cheesecake with filo dough crust and tons of pistachios!

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.

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.

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.

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!