In Greece, melomakarona (Greek Christmas cookies) are a Christmas tradition. These deliciously addictive, warm-scented treats are baked until golden, dipped in a honey sugar syrup and topped with ground walnuts. Perfect for the holiday season or any time of the year!.
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What are melomakarona?
- The word melomakarona derives from two Greek words. "Melo" is honey or "meli" in Greek, and "macarona" is an ancient Greek word meaning death (derived from the word "makaria").
- Traditionally, melomakarona were dry pieces of bread dipped in honey and offered at funerals and as a treat during Lent - when people were fasting and abstaining from animal products. It has now evolved into a cinnamon-scented cookie dipped in honey and covered in walnuts.
- They are very popular at Christmas time and are often referred to as Greek Christmas honey cookies.
Why you’ll love these Greek cookies
- They're dairy and egg-free. This cookie recipe is ingenious because it uses olive oil and orange juice to make the dough. Greeks label them vegan; however, the recipe uses honey, so it depends on where you stand with that.
- They're traditional. The Christmas and New Year's holidays are the best time to serve these classic Greek honey cookies. Scented with ground cinnamon and cloves - they're perfect for the cooler weather. However, you can make them any time of year! Try my karydopita (Greek walnut cake) or my melopita- crustless Greek cheesecake if you enjoy cinnamon-scented honey desserts.
- They're perfect for sharing. Make a large batch of melomakarona and share them with family and friends. 😀It's almost compulsory to do this! (it's the same with kourabiedes and Greek biscotti).
What you need to make this recipe
- Honey - Traditionally, Greeks use thyme-scented honey for melomakarona. However, as it may be hard to find, use locally sourced honey for the best results.
- Sugar - I've used caster sugar, but you can also use regular, granulated sugar. I wouldn't recommend brown sugar unless you're in a pinch (it will change the flavour profile slightly).
- Lemon - I use lemon in my honey syrup. It helps stop sugar crystals from forming as the syrup cooks,
- Walnuts - Traditionally, these cookies are topped with ground walnuts. However, if you wish, you can use another type of nut (pecans, almonds or hazelnuts).
- All-Purpose Flour - You can substitute with soft cake flour instead.
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda - Both these ingredients act as leavening agents.
- Orange - Orange zest and fresh orange juice provide melomakarona with their signature flavour.
- Ground Cinnamon - It wouldn't be a Greek cookie if there were no cinnamon! It's a must!
- Ground Cloves - The cloves add an extra bit of spice and work well with the cinnamon. You can omit it if you don't like it.
- Olive Oil - While I'm a fan of using extra virgin Greek olive oil in my Greek desserts (see my portokalopita and milopita), I've used milder-tasting Greek olive oil for this recipe. I find the extra virgin olive oil flavour too strong for this recipe. You can sub with sunflower oil (or any similar vegetable oil).
- Brandy (not pictured) - You can substitute with cognac. Suppose you prefer not to cook with alcohol, just sub with more orange juice.
How to make Greek Melomakarona Cookies
For the full melomakarona recipe, see the recipe card below.
To make the syrup, combine the sugar, water and lemon juice in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the honey and mix until well combined. Allow cooling completely before using.
Add the walnuts to a food processor. Pulse a few times (make sure to process them appropriately), and set them aside.
Sift the flour, baking powder and baking soda in a large bowl and set aside.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the sugar, cinnamon, cloves, olive oil, orange juice and zest and brandy.
Add the olive oil mixture to the flour mixture and mix until combined (make sure there are no visible signs of flour). Knead a few times to make the dough smooth.
Scoop out the dough and form it into a ball and form it into an oval shape. Flatten and bake.
Using a slotted spoon, dip the hot cookies into the prepared cold syrup and toss for one minute on each side. (this will allow the cookies to absorb the syrup and make them soft).
Sprinkle each cookie with chopped walnuts. Allow them to come to room temperature before serving.
Expert tips
- Add a cinnamon stick to the honey syrup ingredients to add cinnamon flavour.
- Add a ¼ cup of sesame seeds to the ground walnuts for an extra nutty hit.
- For the best baking results, always weigh your ingredients.
- Use a spoon instead of an ice cream scoop when preparing the this recipe.
- Don't be tempted to overcook them. Melomakarona are a bit pale in colour and will continue to cook after you have removed them from the oven. 15-18 minutes is the ideal time if you follow my recipe.
- Dip the hot cookies into the cold syrup. If your syrup is hot, the cookies will turn into mush! Alternatively, let the cookies cool and dip them into the hot syrup.
Storing
The cookies will last for a few weeks without the need for a refrigerator. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature with a layer of parchment paper between them - this will stop the cookies from sticking together.
FAQ’s
These cookies can be stored for at least two weeks if kept cool and dry. In my experience, the flavours become more pronounced and better with time.
Yes. Bake the cookies as per the instructions (a few days in advance) and dip them in the hot syrup on the day of serving, and they will soften up.
Video - how to make them
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📋 Recipe
Melomakarona Recipe (Greek Christmas Honey Cookies)
Ingredients
For the honey syrup:
- 220 grams honey
- 200 g sugar, caster (superfine), granulated
- 1 lemon
- 125 ml water
For the topping:
- 100 grams walnuts
For the cookies:
- 450 grams all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- orange zest
- 100 grams sugar, caster (superfine), granulated
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 200 ml olive oil, "light" i.e. mild tasting
- 150 ml orange juice, freshly squeezed
- 2 tablespoon brandy, or cognac
Instructions
For the honey syrup:
- To make the syrup, combine the sugar, water and lemon juice in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook for 5 minutes. (see note 1)
- Stir in the honey and mix until well combined. Allow cooling completely before using.
For the walnut topping:
- Add the walnuts to a food processor. Pulse a few times (make sure to process them appropriately), and set them aside. (see note 2)
For the cookie dough:
- Sift the flour, baking powder and baking soda in a large bowl and set aside. (see note 3)
- In a separate bowl, combine the orange zest, sugar, cinnamon, cloves, olive oil, orange juice and brandy. Whisk well until all the ingredients are fully incorporated.
- Add the olive oil mixture to the flour mixture and mix until combined (make sure there are no visible signs of flour). Knead a few times to make the dough smooth. DO NOT over-mix the cookie dough.
- Cover and allow to rest for 30 minutes.
Shaping the melomakarona
- Using a small ice cream scoop, scoop out the dough and form it into a ball. (For consistent baking results, mine weighed approximately 30-35 grams each). (see note 4)
- Roll the ball with your hands, form it into an oval shape, and flatten it slightly. (It should resemble a medium-sized walnut). Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Continue shaping the remainder of the melomakarona (you will need to use more than one cookie sheet).
- Pre-heat your oven to 175 deg C (340 F). Using a fork, press lightly on the top of each cookie to create a criss-cross pattern. Alternatively, use the fine side of a vegetable grater to form a decorative pattern. Bake for 15-18 minutes until golden brown. (see note 5)
- Remove the melomakarona from the oven and place them on a wire rack for a minute.
- Dip the hot cookies into the prepared cold syrup and toss for one minute on each side. (this will allow the cookies to absorb the syrup and make them soft).
- Drain the cookies and place them on a plate using a slotted spoon. Sprinkle each cookie with one tablespoon of chopped walnuts. Allow them to come to room temperature before serving. (see note 6)
Notes
- Add some cinnamon sticks into the honey syrup ingredients for added cinnamon flavour goodness.
- Add a ¼ cup of sesame seeds along with your walnuts for an extra nutty hit.
- For the best baking results, always weigh your ingredients.
- Use a spoon instead of an ice-cream scoop when preparing the melomakarona.
- Don’t be tempted to overcook them. Melomakarona are a bit pale in colour and will continue to cook after you have removed them from the oven. 15-18 minutes is the ideal time if you follow my recipe.
- Dip the hot melomakarona into the cold syrup. If your syrup is hot, the cookies will turn into mush! Alternatively, let the cookies cool and then dip them into the hot syrup.
Nutrition
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Souvlaki For the Soul
This post was originally published in December 2009, but was republished with new content and pictures in December 2021.
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