Koulourakia (Greek Easter Cookies)
I had these cookies for the first time at the huge Greek Orthodox Church, St. Demetrious in Seattle. I was dating my now husband, and we went down to the basement of the church where all the women in the church had been baking up a storm to sell these cookies and a special sweet braided bread for Easter.
But in our family, these cookies have extended way past Easter. Tula, my mother in law, makes these all of the time. She always has them in her freezer (they freeze really well) and pulls them out every afternoon to eat with her coffee. This is my husbands favorite cookie hands down, and my girls just love them too. In fact they are so happy that I have finally learned how to make these, I think they expect these around all the time here too!
Please excuse my beginners twists- I had never made them before. While I can attest that the dough is very easy to make- I think the twisting of the dough actually may take a little bit to get the hang of. Mine are fine- but they don’t look as good as when the ladies at church at make them! They were however delicious- and we ate the whole batch in one day. I am not kidding.
By the way- these are sometimes seen sprinkled with sesame seeds, if that is your preference sprinkle them with the seeds after the egg wash before baking.
Koulourakia (Greek Easter Cookies), makes 2 dozen
Recipe: Koulourakia (Greek Easter Cookies)
makes 2 dozen cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 4 tsp vanilla
- 3 2/3 cups flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- Egg Wash:
- 1 egg
- 1 Tbs milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Prepare a sheet pan with a silpat or parchment paper.
- In the bowl of a mixer, cream together the butter and sugar.
- Add the vanilla and eggs and beat until fluffy.
- In a separate bowl combine the flour and baking powder.
- Add the dry ingredients to the butter and sugar.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead by hand a few minutes until you have a smooth dough.
- Break off pieces (about a rounded tablespoon) and roll it into a worm shape.
- Twist the two ends together (see pictures) and place on the sheet pan.
- When you have shaped all of the cookies, then beat the egg wash (the egg and milk) and lightly brush the tops of the cookies.
- Bake the cookies until golden brown, about 20 minutes.
- Let them cool on a rack.
Preparation time: 10 minute(s)
Cooking time: 10 minute(s)
Add the vanilla and eggs and beat until fluffy.
In a separate bowl combine the flour and baking powder.
Add the dry ingredients to the butter and sugar.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead by hand a few minutes until you have a smooth dough.
Break off pieces (about a rounded tablespoon) and roll it into a worm shape.
Twist the two ends together (see pictures) and place on the sheet pan.
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When you have shaped all of the cookies, then beat the egg wash and lightly brush the tops of the cookies.
Bake the cookies until golden brown, about 10 minutes.
Let them cool on a rack.
Enjoy!
These are so cute! Love the twisted look!
Greek week has been fun and so interesting. I have enjoyed the recipes, photography, and discussions. Thanks so much. I will definately use several of the recipes.
Thanks Vicki!
I just saw this up on Facebook and just had to make them! They taste great! Reminds me of a soft sugar cookie.
did you make them already!?
I love these! Beautiful cookies.
I have had these cookies before and absolutely adore them. I think your “beginner’s twist” looks great.
I like your mother in law’s idea of afternoon coffee! I can just imagine the ladies in the church basement with their plates of cookies and breads. So sweet. You must have had a fantastic wedding.
I love these cookies. The recipe has been past down 3 generations, In my home they don’t last but a few hours after they are baked. My husbands guy friends come over and they dissapear. when I remake them the kids love them warm out of the oven with a glass of milk.
Thanks Yiayia
I have to say that this is the best recipe I have worked with thus far. Other recipes yield too many cookies even though I could modify the amounts. I don’t want to be hassled with the metrics. The dough is always too dry. This one was true to form and the yield was very reasonable and easy to work with. Thank you and Kalo Pascha!
Oh Great!! So glad to hear that!! Thank you!
Going to make cookies today will email u after
Made the cookies I over baked them I will try again they had. Great taste but to dre from overtaking
Vicki
I’d love to make these. Can you please advise if you use unsalted butter and caster sugar in the recipe?
I am greek and I know that you are not supposed to put the egg wash on them.
Taylor- this is my mother-in-laws recipe and she is as Greek as it gets 🙂 I think it is a matter of personal preference. She likes the pretty shine that the egg wash gives the cookies.
Almost all koulourakia recipes call for egg wash.
I know lots of Greek people that add the egg wash. When they run out, they just make without the egg wash! Either way, it is fine!
my yiayia was from Greece and my mother,aunts too ,all use egg wash ,
maybe it depend Which region your from.
Heather, I was inspired to make this cookie after attending this Labor Day Annual Greek festival in Orange, CT. These are my favorite cookies. After perusing the internet, I found your recipe the easiest to follow! They turned out beautiful!! The only change was the addition of a bit of orange zest and some orange juice. I cut back the vanilla to 2 tsp. Thank you for sharing! I was able to get about 40 cookies with your recipe.
MY MOTHER WOULD ADD ORANGE JUICE AND OF COURSE, SESAME SEEDS. LOOKING FORWARD TO TRYING YOUR RECIPE FOR CHRISTMAS. THX
I have just made these and added sesame seeds on top
Don’t know if you are still at St Demetrious but my nephew , Ft. Dan, is assoc priest there now for a year. Do you know him? My kids are buying me for koulouria… used to make them when they were kids..now my little ones want them so yiayia is back at it..Like your recipe… god for you to do this!!! Maria Bonnano is my dear friend as well as Michelle who is my niece.. Yassou! Eileen Sarafis Bertsch
Hi Eileen!! YES! we are a St Demetrious family and of course I know who he is! This recipe comes from my mother-in-law Tula Christothoulou. Merry Christmas!!
Do you use all purpose or self rising flour?
All- purpose flour
Hi Heather. I like your recipe because it’s simple an doesn’t have too many ingredients. Can you please let me know if you use salted or unsalted butter. Thanks!
I use salted butter Anthi 🙂
Do you leave the butter out to soften before mixing it with the sugar?
Hi Heather, where is the milk in your recipe instructions? It only appears in your ingredients !
Hi Katherine- sorry it wasn’t clear, I adjusted the instructions. You beat it together with the egg to make the egg wash.
Delicious, Heather! I made these for Greek Easter and they came out soft and fluffy, just the way I love them. Thank you for posting!
These are almost identical to cookies that have been made in my family for generations. My family originally comes from Sicily and Provence. The only difference that I can see is we do not put an egg wash on the cookie before baking. Although, that is not unpleasant in any way and the idea of attaching sesame seeds or perhaps ground nuts to the wash is a very attractive idea.
I am Greek and will make this recipe for my grandson’s international club. My mother’s recipe is delicious, but this recipe sounds like just the right amount I want to make. When we bake these for our church festival and coffee hours, we always use egg wash.
I love love these koulourakia! I have made them many times and even frozen them
They are better tasting then my blessed yiaya recipes!
Thank you,Georgia from Boston!
My mother mixes a bit of orange juice in the batter. Makes for a really great koulouraki.
Can I make the dough ahead and chill the dough and then bake it another day? Or do I need to make and bake them all at once? How long do the cookies keep for?
Hi Emily, I always bake the dough all at once and then freeze the cookies which do very well in a ziploc in the freezer! I think they are good in there for 6 months!
It would really help if you could add toppings other than sesame seeds because I have to make these for a project in middle school and most of my classmates have a major sweet tooth so it would help if I could know what other toppings I could possibly put on or in the koulourakia
I top mine with sprinkles for the children, and the season depends on which one I use. I also have used finely chopped nuts.
Thank you very much Heather for listing the Koulourakia recipe. I made it today and ate one to test it, by the way it was delicious. I will be making it always because it is my family’s favorites.
❤️❤️
Easy recipe for this Yiayia can make for her 4 grandchildren at any time I promise them a treat. I make them in the various other, as well, to save time in twisting each one
Your greek cookies were as good as grandmas. Looking forward to other delicious recipes!
Not sure what I did wrong.very difficult to roll in worm kept breaking…
If I wanted to add Ouza, how much would I add? Would I reduce anything else?
I couldn’t find the recipe I made with my mother as a kid so I used yours…delicious! And they taste the way I remember them, thank you! But they needed to bake for 20 minutes, not ten, to turn golden.
how much zest and juice would I add??
Why is it dough falling apart as I try to shape them? I keep adding flour but it still is falling apart. Did I put too much butter?
I LOVE THEM MY SISTER IN LAW WOULD MAKE THEM EVERY YEAR.SHE HAS PASSED.
Do you leave the butter out to soften before mixing it with the sugar?
Hi Violet- yes room temperature is always the easiest for baking!
Thank you Heather for answering my question and for sharing such a delicious cookie recipe. I made them and they came out like my Greek Mama makes them! I sprinkled some mini chocolate chips over my cookies before baking them! Delish!!!
The Greek Orthodox Church in Dayton, Ohio, holds an outstanding Festival every year. I love these cookies, and always buy some to take home. So glad your recipe sounds like it is similar to the cookies I get here. Opa!
Looking for diabetic koulouraki recipe with stevia.
These cookies are really good. The only change is 425 grams is actually equal to 3 1/2 cups of flour. They are easy to make and definitely recommend. They’re better than bakery cookies.
Amazing I used self raising flour and they turned out so soft and fluffy
thank you,thank you: my wife ‘AGNES” PASTED AWAY( SEPT.5,-4, 2018 –MARRIED FOR 60 YEARS: I AM GREEK-MARRIED A GREEK GIRL: I MISS THE KOULOURAKIES AGNES USED TO MAKE:——–I HAVE TRIED YOUR RECIPE—WONDERFUL—THANK YOU ,SINCERELLY,JOHN KARANIKAS
Thanks!
Made these kouloria also with self raising flour everyone loved them love your recipies!
Thank you Roger!
Fantastic recipe, better than the one in my greek cookbook
Thank you Dianne!!
Do you use self rising or all purpose flour?
All-purpose flour!
My family says these “are the best koulourakia I’ve ever made.” I doubled the recipe and shared with friends too. The dough is easy to make and they are delicious. So glad I found your recipe. Gets confusing and lots of trial and error with so many versions for Greek recipes. Thank you.
Cindy
Excellent recipe!
I like your recipe. I am making a Greek dinner for the first time for an old friend for his birthday. Moussaka and salad and for dessert, your cookies and his favorite lemon chiffon ice cream. Thank you for a beautiful recipe with excellent photos!
Thank you Yoko!
My girls just love them too!
Omg, So delicious. I tried with my family, so perfect. Thank you!
This looks so delicious and beautiful! Can’t wait to make it! Thank you!!!!!