Can I Use Other Nuts In Baklava?

Our answer

Nigella's Baklava (from HOW TO BE A DOMESTIC GODDESS) has a sticky-sweet filling made with chopped pistachio nuts that are soaked in a sugar syrup. This particular recipe only uses pistachio nuts as they have a good colour and a slighty sweet flavour. Pistachio nuts are common in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern dishes but in baklava walnuts are also commonly used, so you could certainly use walnuts as a substitute or use a mixture of the two.

It would also be possible to use other nuts, such as pecans or hazelnuts or a mixture of nuts. However we would avoid using chestnuts as they tend to be softer than the other nuts mentioned and they have a lower fat content. Our concern would be that a filling made with chestnuts may end up being too soft and slightly soggy.