Tingly, spicy, crunchy, chewy, and nutty— this Chinese-American take on baklava is unlike anything you’ve tasted before. Cashew and black sesame filling is rolled in crispy phyllo before getting drenched in a Sichuan spiced hot honey.
The typical Turkish pistachios or Greek walnuts are swapped in favor of Chinese dessert flavors of cashew and black sesame. Common syrup flavors like rose, orange blossom, and cardamom are translated into a málà syrup made with crushed pepper and Sichuan peppercorn.
A brief history of baklava (and how it relates to China)
The origins are baklava are still hotly debated by Greeks and Turks, the Middle East and Mediterranean, everyone from everywhere so I’m simply rehashing the Smithsonian’s take on things.
800 B.C.E. – unleavened flatbreads with nuts are consumed in the Assyrian Empire
1400 A.D. – first recorded reference to baklava during the Ottoman Empire
1520-30s – Muslims, Christians, and Jews across the Ottoman Empire all incorporate baklava in celebrating religious holidays like Ramadan, Lent, Purim, etc.
1330 – first recorded recipe for a sort of proto-baklava pastry called güllaç is recorded by Chinese scholars during the Yuan Dynasty
1300-1600s – baklava and halwa is introduced to Northern China along the Silk Road, gaining popularity among nobles
Today, baklava is uncommon in China, but other remnants of Middle Eastern influence live on in Chinese foods such as shaobing, a naan-like bread cooked in a tandoor, and qiegao, a nutcake from the Xinjiang region that likely evolved from baklava.
This recipe pulls from my Chinese-American point of view with a salt and pepper filling based on the popular Sichaun candy: HuangLaoWu salt and pepper brittle. Sichuan hot honey ties mala spice back into the classic baklava’s honey syrup by way of America’s hottest pizza condiment.
How to make rolled baklava
Baklava comes in a variety of shapes and sizes, so during testing I opted to try a few of the most popular formats before settling on the roll shape pictured in this recipe. This shape and style is also known as Burma baklava or Mabrouma baklava, characterized by a crispy roll of phyllo surrounding the filling.
The filling is simply cashews, black sesame, salt, and Sichuan peppercorn powder pulsed together in a blender or food processor until finely chopped.
The rolling process is best explained by the step-by-step photo tutorial below:
How to make Sichuan Hot Honey syrup
The syrup comes together in two stages: 1) toasting the spices and 2) cooking the syrup. It all happens in the same pan to save time and save on dishes.
Ingredient Substitutions
Don’t have one of the ingredients? Don’t worry, here are some substitutions for the harder to find ingredients in this recipe:
- Sichuan peppercorn (available via Amazon): If you don’t have Sichuan peppercorns just leave them out. I don’t recommend using black peppercorns, pink peppercorns, or white peppercorns, because they lack the fruity flavor and numbing quality of Sichuan peppercorns.
- Er jing tiao chili (available via Amazon): These beloved Sichuan peppers have mild to medium spice. Substitute an equivalent amount of chile de arbol or gochugaru, alternatively use any crushed, dried chili of your choosing. Scale back or increase the amount of chili in the hot honey based on the type of pepper you choose and your personal preference.
- Black sesame seeds: Substitute an equal quantity of white sesame seeds.
Want more baking recipes? Check out my easy recipe for Earl Grey Cookies with Marshmallow.
Sichuan Hot Honey Baklava
Ingredients
For the baklava
- 120 g unsalted cashews
- 50 g black sesame seeds
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp Sichuan peppercorn powder
- 8 oz phyllo sheets (half of 16oz package) thawed
- 85 g butter (6 tbsp) melted
For the syrup
- 100 g honey
- 120 g sugar
- 90 mL water
- 1 tsp chili flakes preferrably er jing tiao
- 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns use 1/2 tsp and skip toasting if using powder
Instructions
- Heat oven to 375F. Brush an eighth sheet pan (6.5" x 9.5") or 8" round pan with melted butter.
- To make the filling, add 120 g unsalted cashews, 50 g black sesame seeds, 1/2 tsp kosher salt, and 1/2 tsp Sichuan peppercorn powder to a blender or food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Alternatively, use a knife to finely chop cashews and stir together with remaining filling ingredients.
- Work with one phyllo sheet at a time, and cover remaining sheets with a damp towel to prevent drying out. Completely unfold one phyllo sheet and brush with melted butter. Fold in half along long edge (hamburger style) and brush top of folded sheet with more butter.
- Lay a skewer or chopstick 2 inches from top of phyllo sheet and place 3 Tbsp of filling below skewer. Use the skewer to fold top of the phyllo sheet around filling and roll downwards. Once rolled, scrunch the roll towards the center of the skewer to create ridges.Slide the skewer out and place rolled baklava into the prepared pan. Repeat with remaining phyllo and filling until the pan is full.
- Brush the top of the rolls in the pan with butter. Use a paring knife to cut baklava into 1-2" segments. Bake at 375F for 25 minutes.
- In the meantime, prepare the syrup. Add 1 tsp chili flakes and 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns to a small saucepot. Dry toast over medium heat for 3 minutes, until fragrant.
- Add 100 g honey, 120 g sugar, and 90 mL water to toasted spices. Bring to a boil then simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and strain hot honey syrup through a fine mesh sieve.
- Once the baklava is done baking, remove from the oven and immediately pour syrup evenly over the rolls. Allow the baklava to rest until completely cool, ideally overnight, before consuming.Store baklava in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
I love this recipe and also everyone around me! It’s easy to make and so flavourful! Absolutely recommend making this. Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe with us!