Easy Easter Greek Cookies: Koulourakia Recipe

These easily recognizable traditional Greek Cookies, aka Koulourakia, are often associated with Greek Easter. Once you taste these not too sweet, slightly crunchy on the outside, and tender soft on the inside biscuits, with just a subtle hint of orange and vanilla, you will be making Koulourakia throughout the year.

Like so many, I am sure you are trying to figure out how to pronounce Koulourakia unless you are of Greek origin.

My Greek friends pronounce it like this: koo-loo-RAH-kee-ah

Historians will inform us that these Greek Easter cookies can be traced back to Crete during the Minoan civilization (i.e., 2600 to 1100 BC). These delicious cookies really have been around for a long time!

Koulourakia were traditionally considered Easter cookies since they would be eaten on Easter Sunday, following the Lenten fast.

They are deemed festive cookies that can easily be found at significant Greek holiday celebrations. They are also great cookies to make for fund-raisers and festivals.

Once you taste this delicious cookie, it will quickly become a tradition in your household!

A traditional Koulourakia recipe will include baker’s ammonia. This leavening agent, sometimes called ammonium bicarbonate, will help your dough rise and turn out with a light and crisp texture!

Today I’m sharing is a “modern” version of this easy recipe made with baking powder.

Jump to:

• Mise en place
• Instructions
• Tips
• FAQ
• Twist Cookies
• How to store Koulourakia
• Recipe inspiration
• Recipe

Mise en place

You’ll need to make sure that a few ingredients are at room temperature before combining them for this recipe.

One hour before you plan on starting your recipe, place ½ cup of butter, 2 eggs, 1 egg yolk, and ¼ cup of milk on the counter. 

Sift together 3½ cups of all-purpose flour (500 grams) with 1½ teaspoons of baking powder. Set it aside for now. 

Instructions

Making the dough for koulourakia is a simple process that can be done with just a few ingredients. Before we begin combining these simple ingredients let’s make some orange-scented sugar.

How to make orange sugar

Combine ¾ cup of granulated sugar and the zest of one orange in a large stand mixer bowl. Using your fingertips, rub them together for a couple of minutes.  Notice the change in color and aroma as the sugar absorbs the oils from the orange.

How to make Koulourakia dough

1. Add the room temperature butter to the orange sugar. 
2. With the paddle attachment, cream until the mixture becomes light, fluffy, and pale in color. This can take up to 5 minutes.
3. Scrape down the sides of the bowl a few times to properly incorporate the butter and sugar.
4. Next, add the 2 eggs and 1 egg yolk one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl.
5. Notice how the mixture is light.
6. Add the rest of the liquids, ¼ cup of milk, ¼ cup of orange juice, 1½ teaspoon of vanilla extract and if using 1 teaspoon of ouzo.
7. The mixture will curdle, this is normal.
8. Slowly add the flour mixture, at low speed, and combine. The dough should be soft, but not sticky. If it is, add a few tablespoons of all purpose flour until you achieve the right consistency.
9. You’re done when the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. 

Optional: Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 20 minutes before rolling.

If you do not have a stand mixer, you can use a hand held electric mixer to combine the ingredients together. 

Now comes the fun part!!!

How to shape the Koulourakia

First, let’s preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Make sure the oven rack is in the center of the oven. Then, line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper.

You can create different shapes and sizes since this is a soft, pliable dough. The traditional shape takes a little longer to shape when compared with others.

Whichever shape you decide to make, use a disher to measure out about a heaping tablespoon of dough weighing 25 grams.

There is no need to sprinkle your work surface with flour as you want your dough to adhere to it as you are rolling and shaping the dough.

Are you ready to roll?

Here are a few examples of how to shape this sesame seed topped traditional Easter cookies:

Braided koulourakia

1. Scoop the soft dough with a medium-sized disher and roll into a 1-1½-inch ball. Repeat.
2. Roll the balls into 7-inch log shapes and form the letter “T.”
3. Starting at the top left, pick up the letter “T” ‘s left portion and cross it over the middle section.
4. Pick up the top right section of the letter “T,” cross it over and place it parallel to the long middle section.
5. Please pick up the middle section and place it between the two sections, creating a braid.
6. Complete the braid, cut off the end and gently tuck underneath.

Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat these steps with all of the cookie dough. This fun shape yields 20 cookies.

Hairpin shaped koulourakia

Scoop out your dough, roll into a 7-inch long rope, form an upside-down “U,” and twist the dough together along the entire length.

This shape is much faster to make and yields about 3 dozen cookies.

Place on the parchment-lined cookie sheet about 1 inch apart.

Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds, if using.

Bake for 15 minutes or until the underneath of the cookies turns golden brown.

Tips

• Have the ingredients at room temperature for easier mixing.
• There is no need to use flour on your wooden board, as you want your dough to adhere to it as you are rolling and shaping the dough.
• Koulourakia cookies are pale in color, and so you will find that an egg glaze will provide a gleaming color; sesame seeds are optional.
• You can also ensure even baking by using a disher to scoop out the dough, no matter what shape you make them.
• The hairpin and long braided koulourakia are the perfect dunking cookies for your morning coffee. If you prefer, shape the dough into circles, braided wreaths, horseshoes, letters of the alphabet, scrolled “S” -any shape you like!
• The total yield depends on the shape of the cookie.

FAQ

Twist Cookies

If you are looking for yeast bread recipes with a twist shape, be sure to take a look at this easy sweet dough recipe as well as this recipe for Italian sweet bread.

How to store Koulourakia

Once the cookies are at room temperature, they keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks.  They can also be frozen for up to 2 months. 

Recipe inspiration

As many of you know, I would prefer to have a cookie (or two) with a cup of coffee than a slice of cake. As a result of this lifelong fascination, I am always looking for cookie recipes.

I first tasted Koulourakia over 35 years ago at my cousin’s (wife-to-be) bridal shower. It was love at first sight. 

I wasn’t interested in the Italian cookies as I had a mother, two nonnas, and a couple of aunts that were terrific bakers. I have already shared so many of these recipes with all of you… lemon knots, biscotti, amaretti, ciambelline… Italian cookies, I know, up close and personnel.

But, I did not have a γιαγιά… and so, this was my first experience with Greek butter cookies. But, of course, there would be many more occasions to collect recipes as a few of my cousins married into Greek families. As we say in Italian, una faccia, una razza…

Through the years, I have made changes to this Koulourakia recipe, as I had occasions to speak with colleagues that were of Greek origins and, of course, the γιαγιάs of my Greek cousins.

Since this Greek cookie has been around forever, there are probably thousands of variations. I have seen some recipes that will add melted butter. Others will add both butter and shortening. I have also seen a vegan version of this greek recipe…truly endless variations.

Like I always say, there is no right or wrong recipe; it is always a matter of personal taste and preferences.

Do you have a different recipe for Koulourakia?  I would love to hear about it in the comments!

To all of my Greek friends celebrating Easter… Kalo Pascha!

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★★★★★ If you have made these Greek Easter cookies, I would love to hear about it in the comments below and be sure to rate the recipe!

Recipe

This post was originally published on April 6, 2018, and republished on March 18, 2022, with updated content and photos. Thanks for sharing!