Can Baklava be frozen? - The best way

One of the positive aspects of globalization is that regional cuisine is no longer focused on a particular part of the world. Instead, we can now experience traditional cuisine from around the world at our local restaurants.

Who would have known 100 years ago that some of the lesser known countries of the Balkans and the Middle East have such a rich assortment of traditional desserts? For example, the baklava.

This curious dessert that is in great demand in the Western world today has a history that goes back more than a millennium, but it remains an enigma to most people today.

If you’re here, maybe you’ve tried baklava somewhere and fell in love. Now you want to try making it at home, but you have an important question that needs an answer.

So can baklava be frozen? The quick answer is yes, you can freeze baklava, but you have to go through several steps to freeze it properly. The freezing method changes depending on whether the baklava is baked or not.

Below, you’ll find our detailed guide to freezing baklava, as well as the perfect recipe to try at home.

Can baklava be frozen?

Although the preparation of the baklava will definitely make you sweat and you may need some experience before you nail it, it is surprisingly long-lasting and yes, you can freeze it! In fact, you can freeze it baked or unbaked.

Not only can you freeze it, but you can also store it in or out of the fridge for more than two weeks.  This way, even if you make a large batch, you don’t need to freeze it if you plan to eat it in the following days.

Since baklava has so much more moisture than your regular dessert, it has a long shelf life. You will know when it is not fit to eat by its appearance.

If it starts to get too dry, it’s time to eat it one last time or throw it away. 

How to freeze no-bake baklava

Assuming you’re using a baking dish or other container to make your baklava, make sure to line the bottom with parchment paper before making the dessert itself. Then you have to make the baklava itself, of course.

From here, you have to put the mold in the freezer for a few hours without sealing it or putting anything on top. Once the baklava is completely frozen, take it out. 

Now you have several options to choose from.  In each case, you have to take the baklava out of the pan as the first step.

Option 1 : Your first option is to completely wrap it with at least four layers of aluminum foil or plastic wrap. If you choose this easier method, you’ll be placing the baklava back in the pan and popping it back in the freezer.

Option 2 – As an alternative, and perhaps the safest option, you can place it in an airtight container or freezer bag. If you use a container, it will take longer to prepare, but it will stay safe and fresh.

If you use this method, you should separate each layer of the baklava and wrap it separately in aluminum foil or kitchen paper before adding it to the bowl.

Either way, you can keep baklava in the freezer for up to 5 months, which is pretty impressive. 

Once you finally want to bake it, you have to start by thawing it in the fridge for a few hours. If you can, leave it overnight.

How to freeze baked baklava

The freezing process for baked baklava is almost identical. 

Once it is ready, you have to take it out of the oven and let it rest until it cools down to room temperature.

To freeze it , you’ll need freezer bags or small airtight containers. Of course, you can freeze the entire batch, but it is not the most practical decision.

Instead, we suggest dividing the baklava into portions before freezing them in separate freezer bags or containers. This way, you can thaw it over time and eat it portion by portion instead of thawing the whole batch.

Once again, you’ll need to wrap it well in at least four layers of parchment paper or heavy-duty aluminum foil before placing it in the containers.

Even if it is baked, you can keep it in the freezer for more than three months.

How to thaw and reheat frozen baklava

When you want to treat yourself, take one of the divided portions of baklava out of the freezer and put it in the fridge.

The defrosting process should be followed as below if you want to enjoy baklava with a freshly baked flavor and texture. 

With that being said, start by thawing your frozen baklava in the fridge. If you can, leave it overnight or at least for a few hours.

As long as it is defrosted at refrigerator temperature, you can decide if you want to eat it cold or not. Some people prefer it that way, but it should generally be served at room temperature, just like people in the Balkans and the Middle East do.

With that said, we highly recommend taking the baklava out of the fridge a second time. If you are too impatient, you can get to it as soon as he has lost some of his cold. However, we recommend waiting at least a couple of hours before eating it. 

Last but not least, there are also people who prefer their baklava hot. It’s not common, but you can also reheat it in the oven and risk drying it out too much. You can avoid this by putting the oven on low heat.

At the end of the day, you want to reheat it and not bake it a second time. One last thing, don’t forget to bring it to room temperature before you put it in the oven.

Related questions

Where does baklava come from?

Somehow, the history of Middle Eastern cuisine is often shrouded in veil and unanswered. Possibly it is due to the fact that this region was in a period of constant transition until the middle of the 20th century.

For this reason, many countries continue to fight for the creation of certain dishes such as baklava.

By now, it’s widely accepted that baklava originated in the Ottoman Empire, which existed between the 14th and 20th centuries. However, there is certain evidence that this dessert already existed in the 8th century in the Arab world and even in Mongolia.

There is also evidence that a strikingly similar desert existed as early as the second century in the Roman Empire and in ancient Greece. No wonder the Greeks still believe that they are the creators of this wonderful dessert.

In short, we can say that the place of origin is somewhere in the region. Where and when exactly will obviously remain a mystery.

Can you eat hot baklava?

In general, baklava can be eaten in all ways. You can eat it cold straight from the fridge, as well as reheat it and eat it hot.

Typically, baklava is served at room temperature . It is widely accepted that baklava tastes best when it is given some time to breathe and reach optimal temperature.

However, if you want to eat the baklava hot, you must be careful when reheating it.

Never put it in a high temperature oven if you don’t want it to dry out and lose its flavor and texture.  Be sure to bring it to a simmer and take it out as soon as it’s heated up.

How long does baklava stay fresh?

Freezing is not necessary when it comes to baklava. This is because the shelf life of this dessert is much longer than you would need to eat it completely – up to 2 weeks.

In other words, you can keep it in the fridge or pantry.

Logically, you should take into account what season of the year it is in and what temperature you keep in your home before deciding to store it in the pantry instead of in the fridge.

Although it can stay cool for two weeks, if you are in the height of the summer season, you cannot expect it to stay that long without air conditioning. In this case, it is best to put it in the fridge if you want it to last longer. 

How to keep baklava crispy?

As with many other desserts, it all depends on how you store it. If you want it to stay crisp, you should leave it out of the fridge.

This should not worry you, because you already know its long useful life. Whether you keep it in the fridge or out of it, make sure to always keep it in an airtight container.

What happens to baklava if you keep it in the fridge and it will stay crunchy? As long as you’ve prepared it correctly, it should retain some of its crunch.

However, you can expect it to become more chewy and chewy, which is the usual result of keeping desserts in the fridge.