The not-so-innocent baklava gets even naughtier with a chocolate fix!  Layers upon layers of sweet and crunchy phyllo, cradles a generous amount of Nutella, chopped hazelnuts, and baked in a ruffled pie form.  This is one swoon-worthy treat for chocolate lovers!

Sometimes there’s nothing better than playing it safe and sticking to classic desserts.

No twists, no fusions, no crazy add-ins.  Just straight up, familiar treats, the way everyone knows and loves them.

But other times, this said classic, needs a hefty smothering of Nutella to satisfy.

And this time is NOW!

I’ve been a good girl this past month by staying true to our Egyptian Ramadan dessert traditions and not straying one bit.  It’s been a Middle Eastern dessert extravaganza around here.   All classic and familiar and good, and I’m not complaining but maaaaaaaaan….

DO I MISS MY CHOCOLATE!

So what’s a chocolate-craving girl who still wants to preserve the Middle Eastern/Ramadan theme for just another week gotta do?

Stuff her chocolate in a baklava ofcourse.  Namely, Nuuuuuuutellaaaaaaa🙂

And boy did it satisfy!
Between the flaky, delicate layers of sugar syrup soaked phyllo sheets, and a Nutella/hazelnut filling, reminicent of Ferrero Rochers, this baklava pie hit the spot.

My self-proclaimed chocoholic/Nutella addict brother, claimed this to be one of his top 3 desserts he’s ever eaten!  Now that’s saying’ something!

I actually made this for his wife’s birthday, who happens to love Ferrero Rocher, and everyone was swooning with every bite.  I’m not even exaggerating.

With its thick smears of Nutella, buttery crunchy phyllo, this rich and decadent dessert, was a surefire hit in that family of mine with the biggest sweet tooth.

Y’all know that Baklava is the thing of Greece and Turkey, but did you know that its super popular in Egypt and most of the Middle East too?  We call it BAKLAWA though.  We share so many common dishes, like you know what else?  Moussaka! 

So I stumbled upon several recipes for Nutella baklavas on Pinterest that triggered my curiosity.  They were definitely calling my name, but I wasn’t really sure if the flavors and textures will bond as good as they looked.  I had doubts that it could be one of those things that its parts taste better than sum of them.

I mean…Baklava…yeeeeeees.

Nutella…heck yeah!

But together….Hmmmmm???

Yes…I’m a Nutella lover, and shamelessly eat it straight from the jar, but sometimes when its added to what’s already a great thing, the whole experience just becomes too much of a good thing.  Which is not always a good thing.  You know what I mean right?

But one bite proved how wrong I was and that I should never ever doubt Nutella again.

And phyllo.  And butter. And hazelnuts.  Heck and sugar syrup too…why not?!

I was gonna go the traditional diamond shape baklava route, but then I remembered that stunningly gorgeous Salted Greek Honey Baklava Pie that Heather, the super hero behind Sprinkles Bakes made a few month ago, and immediately knew that this is exactly how I want my chocolate version to look like.  These ruffled edges?  I can’t even.

Oh and did I mention that Heather is my blogging idol?  Her blog is the true definition of ‘eye candy.’  Everything she makes is nothing short of breathtaking.  I’m constantly inspired by the beauty of her work and hope to someday reach that level of artistry.

So back to the baklava pie!

So simple…I promise…but you really really need to keep you phyllo covered under a slightly damp tea towel at all times, because it will dry out like crazy.

Then you’ll begin by layering 8 phyllo sheets one after the other, brushing each sheet (and overhanging sides) with a thin layer of *clarified butter, and rotating the sheets to cover the pan.

*Clarified butter is not as scary as it sounds; you’ll just need to melt the butter, let it cool slightly and watch the white milk solids sink to the bottom.  You’ll only be using the yellow butterfat floating on top.  I talk more in depth about it here.

On top of phyllo layers, goes on a 1/2 cup of warmed Nutella and 1/4 cup chopped hazelnuts.  Looking good already!

Then on top of the Nutella/hazelnut deliciousness, you’ll layer 4 more sheets of phyllo, buttering and rotating in the same manner.  Then goes on another 1/2 cup Nutella and 1/4 cup hazelnuts.  Then another 4 layers of phyllo, buttering and rotating of course, and ending with the last 1/2 cup of Nutella and 1/4 cup hazelnuts.

The last of 8 sheets of phyllo will top the pie, again, brushing with clarified butter and rotating as you go.

For the final touches, you’ll want to cut the pie into 8 wedges.  Then fold the overhanging phyllo up over the top of the pie, creating these really cute ruffled edges.

Bake until beautifully golden brown.  Cut through the scored wedges and dose with syrup!

A few hazelnuts on top and you’ve got yourself a stunner.

A slice for you.

Or two of you…because boy this is not for the faint of heart.  You should consider sharing your slice.

but I can’t blame you if you don’t because seriously….

Will you look at that!!!

Yield: 1 (10inch) round pie or 1 (13X9 inch) pan

Nutella Hazelnut Baklava

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The not-so-innocent baklava gets even naughtier with a chocolate fix! Layers upon layers of sweet and crunchy phyllo, cradles a generous amount of Nutella, chopped hazelnuts, and baked in a ruffled pie form. This is one swoon-worthy treat for chocolate lovers!

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Additional Time 1 hour

Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

For the sugar syrup:

• 1 1/2 cups (10 1/2oz/ 300g) granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup water
• squeeze of lemon

For the baklava:

• 1/2 cup (4oz/113g) unsalted butter
• 1 (1lb/ 450g) package phyllo (Filo) sheets, thawed
• 1 1/2 cups (1 lb/ 454g) Nutella
• 3/4 cups (3oz/ 85g) finely chopped hazelnuts, toasted, skinned & coarsely chopped

Instructions

Prepare the phyllo by thawing it overnight in the fridge or on the counter for a couple of hours.

To make the sugar syrup:

1. In the small saucepan, combine together the sugar, water and squeeze of lemon juice. Set on the stove top over medium high heat, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar.
2. Bring to a rolling boil, do not stir beyond this point, then immediately reduce the heat to medium-low and let it simmer for no longer than 10 minutes. Set a timer! The syrup will thicken slightly, and have a consistency similar to pancake syrup. If it simmers for longer it could thicken too much and become candy-like and not pourable.
3. Allow to cool to room temperature before pouring over the baklava pie.

To make the baklava:

1. Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and preheat oven to 325F/ 160C.
2. Melt the butter in the microwave or over the stovetop and set aside to cool slightly, allowing the white milk solids to settle in the bottom and the yellow butterfat to float on top. The yellow butterfat, which is known as 'clarified butter,' is what you're going to use to make the baklava, leaving behind the milk solids.
3. Measure out the Nutella in a microwave safe bowl and warm in the microwave until the Nutella is pourable and easy to spread, about 30 seconds. Set aside.
4. Line a 10inch round cake pan or pie dish with foil, allowing access to hang out of the sides of the pan. This will be used later to lift the baked pie out of the pan. Alternatively, a 13X9 inch baking dish may be used to make a more traditional-looking baklava, in which case you'll need to increase the Nutella amount to an entire 750g jar as now there more phyllo surface to cover (*see note below for more details).
5. Remove the phyllo dough out of its package, unroll and place on the working surface, covered with a slightly damp tea towel. Its important to keep the phyllo covered at all times to prevent it from drying out and cracking.
6. Using a pastry brush (or spoon), heavily grease the bottom of the pan with clarified butter. Place 1 sheet of phyllo in the pan, allowing edges to overhang the sides. Lightly brush the phyllo sheet with clarified butter, avoiding the white milk solids in the bottom. Make sure to brush the hanging sides as well. Layer seven more sheets of phyllo brushing each layer (and sides) with clarified butter and rotating sheets to cover the pan. You should now have a total of 8 sheets. Make sure you don't soak the sheets with the clarified butter; just lightly brush enough to apply a very thin layer.
7. Pour 1/2 cup of Nutella over the layered phyllo and spread to cover the bottom. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup chopped hazelnuts.
8. Layer 4 sheets of phyllo over the Nutella/hazelnuts mixture, brushing each layer (and sides) with clarified butter, rotating sheets in the same manner as step 6.
9. Once again spread the layered phyllo with another 1/2 cup of Nutella, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup chopped hazelnuts.
10. Repeat steps 8 and 9 of layering 4 sheets of phyllo, brushing each one with clarified butter, then spreading with one last round of Nutella and hazelnuts.
11. Top the Nutella/hazelnut mixture with the last of 8 sheets of phyllo brushing each layer (and sides) with clarified butter and rotating sheets to cover the pan.

You should now have 4 layers of phyllo, 3 layers of Nutella/Hazlenuts; a total of 7 layers.

Layer 1: 8 sheets of phyllo

Layer 2: 1/2 cup Nutella + 1/4 cup hazelnuts

Layer 3: 4 sheets of phyllo

Layer 4: 1/2 cup Nutella + 1/4 cup hazelnuts

Layer 5: 4 sheets of phyllo

Layer 6: 1/2 cup Nutella + 1/4 cup hazelnuts

Layer 7: 8 sheets of phyllo

To bake the baklava:

1. Using a sharp knife, cut the pie into 8 wedges. Fold the overhanging phyllo up over the top of the pie, creating ruffled edges. Cut off excess if necessary.
2. Bake until golden brown; 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes. Loosely cover the surface of pie with foil if its browning too fast, while baking.
3. Drizzle the pie with the cooled syrup, making sure you pour over the edges as well. Allow the pie to cool in the pan to give the syrup enough time to soak in.
4. Using the foil overhang, lift the pie out of the pan and transfer to a serving platter. Carefully pull the foil from underneath the pie, tearing it as you do. If serving the pie right from a non-lined pie plate, then skip this step.
5. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Recipe Notes

1. For another variation, the baklava could be layered and baked in a rectangular 13X9 inch baking pan for a more traditional diamond shape baklava and for smaller portions. Just score the phyllo diagonally, creating diamond shapes. In that case, you'll need to increase the Nutella amount to an entire 750g jar and the hazelnuts to 1 cup, as now there more phyllo surface to cover.

Recipe idea inspired by several recipes I've seen on Pinterest.

Baklava pie look inspired by Sprinkle Bakes.

Measurements Note: All recipes of this site have been developed using weight measurements. Although US volume measurements have been included for your convenience, it is highly encouraged that you weigh your ingredients using a kitchen scale to get the best possible results. Due to the sensitive nature of baking, kitchen scales are proven to yield more accurate and consistent results than measuring cups. Enjoy!