Honey Pistachio Baklava Cheesecake
Creamy New York-style cheesecake baked inside a crisp, buttery phyllo-pistachio crust, drizzled with cinnamon-honey syrup and showered in crushed pistachios. Baklava and cheesecake in one slice — the dessert people photograph before they eat.
Prep
45 min
Cook
60 min
Total
105 min
Serves
12
Ingredients
Phyllo pistachio crust
- 8 oz phyllo dough (about 12 sheets), thawed
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup pistachios, finely chopped, divided
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
Cheesecake filling
- 24 oz (three 8-oz blocks) cream cheese, room temperature
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup honey, plus more for drizzling
- 1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp freshly grated orange zest
Honey syrup
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 cinnamon stick
Method
- 1
Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C) and brush a 9-inch springform pan with melted butter. Layer the phyllo sheets one at a time, brushing each with butter and sprinkling with a pinch of chopped pistachios and cinnamon, rotating each sheet so the edges overhang unevenly. After 8–10 layers, press gently into the pan, trim the overhang to about an inch and fold it inward into a rustic rim. Bake the crust 12–15 minutes until golden and crisp. Cool completely and reduce the oven to 300°F (150°C). Beat the cream cheese on medium-low until completely smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the sugar and honey and beat 2 minutes more, scraping the bowl twice. Mix in the sour cream until just combined, then add the eggs one at a time on low speed, barely incorporating each. Fold in the vanilla and orange zest by hand — overmixing whips in air and causes cracks. Pour the filling into the cooled crust and tap the pan firmly on the counter a few times to release air bubbles. Bake at 300°F for 55–65 minutes, until the edges are set but the center still jiggles slightly. Turn the oven off, crack the door with a wooden spoon and let the cheesecake cool inside for 1 hour. Run a thin knife around the edge, cool to room temperature, then refrigerate uncovered at least 8 hours or overnight. Simmer the honey, water, lemon juice and cinnamon stick 8–10 minutes until reduced by a third. Remove the cinnamon stick and cool. Release the springform,
- 2
Drizzle generously with the honey syrup so it pools in the phyllo rim, scatter with the remaining pistachios and slice with a hot knife, wiping between cuts.
- 3
Bon appetit
Tips
- Room-temperature everything is non-negotiable — cold cream cheese never smooths out.
- Store uncovered in the fridge; covering traps moisture and softens the crisp phyllo.
- Make it up to 3 days ahead, but syrup and pistachios go on just before serving so they stay vibrant and crunchy.
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