Chocolate Hazelnut Baklava Pie
Creamy chocolate custard meets a layered crispy, hazelnut baklava in pie form in this exceptional pie.
Creamy chocolate custard meets a layered crispy, hazelnut baklava in pie form in this exceptional pie.
Sea Salt Chocolate Pudding Filling
This is the part of the pie that’ll have you coming back for more, and more. It’s creamy and rich, deeply chocolatey and a cinch to make. I used this recipe as a template but skip the butter and I jazz it up with some flaked sea salt to add more depth. It tastes like the best chocolate pudding ever (even when it’s warm!).
The pie filling is deadly simple, so simple you have no excuse not to make it. Essentially all the ingredients go together into a pot and you cook it until it thickens. Part of what makes this so simple is the use of sweetened condensed milk which carries all the milk and sugar we need in the pie. I use Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk here which lends a real silky quality to the chocolate cream.
Baklava (Baklawa) Pie Shell
A long time ago I made my father in law a baklawa cheesecake on a whim. He was in town and I was trying to impress him ;p. I did it by layering phyllo and nuts and pouring the filling in the center, then baking them together. He told me it was the best dessert he ever had and idk if that’s actually true (he’s a sweetheart) but I’m taking that to my grave.
To make this pie I employed the same concept: layering phyllo slathered with ghee (clarified butter – you can use melted butter if you can’t find it or you can clarify your own) and nuts. I chose hazelnuts because they go so well with chocolate (nutella!) but you can use pistachios or almonds or walnuts.
Typically baklawa is doused in a simple syrup: Greeks add honey to theirs, Arabs add saffron and orange blossom or rosewater. Because we aren’t slicing the phyllo until we serve, there’s nowhere for the syrup to get into and between the layers. If you would really like to use the syrup, you can make it and pour a few spoonfuls into the nut layer. It will make them a bit gummy but sweet and evoke a more traditional taste.
How to make Chocolate Baklava Pie
First, we’ll make the baklava shell. You’ll do this by layering phyllo sheets into a springform pan, brushing them with clarified butter between each shell. This is what makes the baklava crispy. The nuts will go in two batches, between sets of phyllo sheets, like this:
- 10 phyllo sheets
- Half the nuts
- 5 phyllo sheets
- Half the nuts
- 5 phyllo sheets
Then you bake it and once it’s done you’ll make the filling in a pot and pour it into the shell and voila, you have quite an impressive pie!
Topping the Chocolate Baklava Pie
Because this pie is a little bit of a labor of love (that’s the shell mostly) and because the chocolate really should be the dominant part of it, I stick with a very simple vanilla bean whipped cream here. Honestly, can’t imagine anything better than whipped cream on this.
If you’re making the whipped cream use 1 cup heavy cream (very cold), 1 tablespoon sugar and 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (and a pinch of salt!). Whip them with a hand mixer until it thickens (careful not to overwhip!).
Other toppings I’d recommend would be berries, the tart taste goes really well with the chocolate and cream here.
FAQ
Can I use a different nut?
Any nut that you think will go well with chocolate!
Can I make this nut free?
It won’t be baklava anymore, but you’ll have a crispy phyllo shell with a yummy chocolate filling!
What do I do if my chocolate cream is lumpy?
Pour it through a fine mesh sieve.
How do I keep phyllo sheets from tearing?
The sheets tear when they dry out. A damp towel on top of the dough sheets will keep them moist. Also, try to work fast and also, don’t stress – it’s fine if they tear!
How should I store the pie?
In the fridge, uncovered is fine.
Recipe for Chocolate Hazelnut Baklava Pie
Chocolate Baklava Pie
Ingredients
Baklava Pie Shell
- 20 phyllo sheets
- ½ cup ghee or melted butter
- 1 ½ cup hazelnuts chopped very finely
- ¼ cup sugar
Chocolate Filling
- 1 ⅔ cups water or milk
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- ½ cup dutch process cocoa
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 teaspoon flaked sea salt
Method
Make the baklava shell:
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Have the chopped nuts mixed with the sugar, melted butter or ghee along with a pastry brush nearby and keep the phyllo sheets covered with a slightly damp kitchen towel (alternatively, work fast!).
- Lay 1 sheet of phyllo at a time in the springform pan about ⅔ of the way in so that you have a bit of an overhang, as pictured, and use the pastry brush to butter each layer before you put on another. Layer the sheets side by side so that you have an even layer of overhang all around the pan.
- Once you have ten buttered sheets, sprinkle half the nuts and scatter them and the sugar into an even layer. Repeat phyllo/butter with 5 more sheets and then the rest of the nuts. Repeat with five more phyllo sheets. The pie shell will be constructed like this:
- 10 phyllo sheets, butter between each layer
- ¾ cup nuts, 1 tablespoon sugar
- 5 phyllo sheets butter between each layer
- ¾ cup nuts, 1 tablespoon sugar
- 5 phyllo sheets butter between each layer
- Take the overhang of phyllo and fold it over inwards so that the shell has sides.
- Bake at 350 F for 25-30 minutes, until pastry is golden.
Once the shell is cool make the filling:
- In a pot whisk together the water and cornstarch. Add the cocoa, egg yolks, sweetened condensed milk, and sea salt and whisk to combine. Cook until it begins to thicken. Once it coats the back of a wooden spoon, turn off the heat. Stir in the vanilla. Pour it in the baked phyllo shell and set to chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours before serving.
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When I saw Sam posting this pie I knew I had to make it! I just needed an excuse because otherwise I’ll be eating it mostly myself 😉 .
Finally the occasion arrived, I made the pie & OMG it was a success!
As it was the 1st time making this pie (& a 3rd making baklava) I knew for sure I had to follow the instructions to the T especially knowing that phyllo dough can be very “finicky” to work with.
Sam instructions were on point.
I found it especially helpful the mention of straining the chocolate custard if it became a little lumpy.
I’d say I missed the honey that goes usually with this dessert (which is also mentioned by her) but I can definitely understand why on a “pie” the honey can complicate the flakiness and sturdiness of the dough. Perhaps I’ll add a little drizzle on the top layer next time before I add the last 5 phyllo sheets.
It could be helpful for people if there can be a reference (on the list of ingredients) about the quantity of phyllo doughs that come in the most common brands of packaged phyllo dough. I’m saying this because as they come in a roll I ended up thawing up double that I needed! Ha!
Thank you Sam for this amazing recipe! It’s really a showstopper! You’re a genius!