Pistachio Bird Nest Baklava

Bird Nest Baklava is one of the easiest baklava recipe you can make at home. It’s made with shredded phyllo dough, ghee, pistachio and topped with simple syrup. They are crunch and extremely delicious. You cannot settle for just one bite . They are the perfect bite size dessert to serve at any occasion.

Baklava Bird Nest with Pistachio is most popular in Syria. It is also popular in Lebanon, Palestine, and Jordan. Birds Nest is one of the lighters baklava dessert. It is so light, before you know it, you ate a dozen pieces and still have room for more. It is the lightest among all Middle Eastern sweets and pastries.
In Arabic, Birds Nest is called Osh El Bulbul. It’s circular shape and structure resembles closely that of a bird’s nest and that’s how it got it’s name.

If you love Baklava, you must try my Homemade Walnut Baklava and Pistachio Baklava.They are scrumptious, you will never need to buy store bought again.

Why You Will Love These Birds Nest Dessert

• It’s show stopping. There’s no denying how beautiful these birds nest baklava are. You will absolutely impress your friends and family!
• It’s “easy.” Hear me out, making baklava sounds super complicated but this birds nest dessert is one of the easier baklava recipe out there!
• It’s so tasty. It’s better than store-bought! There’s rarely any leftovers when I bring this out!

Baklava Bird Nest Ingredients

• Kataifi Shredded Phyllo Dough — you can find this in the frozen pastry section at your local Middle Eastern grocery store. Make sure to thaw the dough in the fridge a day ahead or a couple of hours at room temperature before starting.
• Ghee — I like buying grass fed ghee from the store but you can also make a homemade one. Click on the word Ghee to get my homemade ghee.
• Simple Syrup — you can make your own simple sugar syrup by following this post.
• Whole pistachios — I prefer using raw whole pistachio. I only have roasted ones in hand, so that works too.

How to Make Bird Nest Baklava Dessert

• Thaw the dough the night before in your fridge or couple of hours are room temp before starting.
• First, prepare the Simple Syrup so that it cools down before the nests are baked.
• Preheat oven to 350 F.
• To assemble the bird nest, pull a 1/2 inch thick string of dough and fold with your fingers in the center, forming a nest shape. Make sure you leave enough room in the center to add at least 4-5 pistachios. Repeat this procedure to form the rest of the nests.

• Add them to the pan as you go. You will need only half the dough to make enough for a 9×11 inch pan.

• When you are done forming all the nests, add 4-5 pieces of pistachios into each nest.
• In a measuring cup, measure 3/4 cup of ghee. Place them in the microwave and melt it (about 30 seconds) or do it on your stovetop over low heat.

• Pour over the melted ghee carefully onto each nest. You can also use a spoon to do so evenly if you like.
• Bake in a preheated 350 F oven, for 30 minutes, or until they are golden brown. Baking time will vary per oven, so keep an eye on them. Always place the tray in them middle rack.
• When the nests are golden brown, remove them from the oven and pour 3/4-1 cup (depending on how sweet you want them) of simple syrup evenly over the nests.

• Allow them to cool completely before serving. Garnish with ground pistachio. (optional)
• Transfer them to a platter when ready to serve.

Tips to Make Osh el Bulbul

• Always prepare the simple syrup ahead of time.
• Use a preheated oven.
• Thaw the dough in the fridge the night before, or on the counter a couple of hours before.
• Keep the nests same size so that they cook evenly.
• Use raw whole pistachios if you can get your hand on them. If not use roasted ones.
• Add or reduce the amount of simple syrup based on your preference.
• Do not over cook the nests, you want them to be golden brown not too brown, just like the photos.

Other Lebanese Desserts to Try

• Ghraybeh Cookies
• Atayef with Ashta
• Lebanese Rice Pudding
• Coconut Basbousa

I hope you enjoy all the recipes I share with you, including this delicious Bird Nest Baklava recipe. I hope you try it, enjoy it, rate it and share it with your friends and family! This delicious sweet is made of finely shredded phyllo dough, filled with whole pistachios and baked to a golden brown color then sealed with our special sweet syrup.

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