Greek Easter Butter Cookies (Koulourakia)

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE

Greek butter cookies combine simple ingredients for the most delicious buttery, crisp, yet tender cookies. Traditionally, Greek koulourakia are shaped into twists or braids.

These cookies are easy to share with friends and family and are essential to any Greek Easter Sunday celebration. This easy recipe makes about 40 cookies (depending on the size of each cookie), so it’s great for larger gatherings! If you’re looking for more Greek Easter ideas, you may also like this tsoureki recipe or tips on how to dye red Greek Easter eggs.

A few koulourakia cookies with sesame seeds on parchment paper and a black cooling rack.

RECIPE TIPS

I tested this recipe with a dark-coloured cookie sheet (black), medium-dark cookie sheet (darker grey), and light-colour (silver or light grey).

Baking these cookies on a light-coloured cookie sheet produced the best results since the cookies could bake more evenly and became beautifully golden brown on the bottom. Dark cookie sheets attract more heat, so the bottom of the cookies burn more easily. For all of the testing, I baked the cookies on the rack second to the bottom.

The butter and eggs need to be at room temperature so that the cookie batter can incorporate better together and mix without the batter curdling. If the batter starts to curdle, that’s ok, just add a tablespoon of the flour mixture. And then, continue to add the eggs one at a time.

Add the eggs one at a time to the butter and sugar mixture, and allow each egg to be incorporated into the batter on medium-high speed for 30-45 seconds before adding the next egg.

I like to make these cookies into twists, but you can make them into different shapes like braids or spirals.

The dough should be soft and pliable but not too soft where it’s sticky. If it’s sticky, add 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour at a time until the dough is no longer sticky. The dough will be easier to handle and shape after it’s been cooled in the fridge for 20-25 minutes.

I tried this recipe with crushed mini eggs, and the koulourakia were so good! It’s not traditional, but it’s definitely a fun Easter idea to do with kids or if you want to incorporate a little chocolate flavour into these delicious cookies.

If you’d like to try koulourakia with mini eggs, I found it easier to crush the mini eggs into small pieces. If the mini eggs are whole or in larger pieces, then the dough breaks apart more easily when shaping the cookies. Here’s a little photo of the mini eggs version before they entered the oven!

Greek easter cookies (koulourakia) with mini eggs on white parchment paper.

INGREDIENT NOTES

Unsalted butter: The butter needs to be softened and at room temperature. I often leave the butter out overnight before making this recipe. Or you can gradually heat the butter in the microwave in 3-5 second intervals until the butter is soft but not melted.

Eggs: The eggs must be at room temperature. If you’re short on time, you can put some warm water in a medium-sized bowl and place the eggs in the bowl for a minute or two. You don’t want to leave the eggs in the water too long or have the water too hot; otherwise, the eggs may start to cook.

Lemon zest: I love adding citrus zest to these cookies. If you don’t have a lemon, you could add orange zest instead.

Sugar: I find that white granulated sugar works best for this recipe.

Egg wash: I tested these cookies using no egg wash, egg wash made with only the yolk, and egg wash made with the whole egg. With no egg wash, the tops of the cookies were very light-coloured and pale. With only the yolk, the tops of the cookies were more golden brown and glazed. With the whole egg, the tops of the cookies had a bit of colour but not as much as with only the yolk.

RECOMMENDED KITCHEN TOOLS

Electric stand mixer with the paddle attachment
Pastry brush
Light-coloured cookie sheet
Spatula
Citrus zester

HOW TO MAKE GREEK EASTER COOKIES: STEP BY STEP

STEP 1: Cream butter and sugar together. Add 1/2 a cup of unsalted butter to a mixing bowl. Turn the mixer on medium speed (#4 on a KitchenAid mixer) with the paddle attachment and beat the butter for one minute. The butter should become fluffy at this point. If it doesn’t, then your butter may be too cold, or the speed of the mixer may be too low.

Slowly add 1 cup of white granulated sugar to the butter with the mixer on medium-low speed. Once all the sugar is added, increase the speed to medium and cream together the butter and sugar for 2 minutes. Turn off the mixer and scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl with a spatula.

STEP 2: Add in the eggs. Add one egg at a time to the butter and sugar mixture with the mixer on medium-high speed. Beat the mixture for 30-45 seconds in between adding each egg. Add in 1 tablespoon of pure vanilla extract and 1 oz. Metaxa brandy. Mix together and then turn off the mixer and scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl with a spatula.

STEP 3: Combine the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients. Whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and lemon zest in a large bowl. On low speed, slowly add in the flour mixture until all of the flour is combined with the wet ingredients. Transfer the cookie dough to a large, clean bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. Place the cookie dough in a fridge for 20-25 minutes.

STEP 4: Shape the koulourakia cookies. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F on bake. Line a light-coloured baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove the cookie dough from the fridge. Roll about a tablespoon of cookie dough into a ball. On a clean work surface, gently roll the ball out into a long rope shape. You want the rope to be even across so that not one part of the rope is a lot thicker.

Then, shape the rope into a horseshoe. Place one side over the other, and then use your hands to twist the top and bottom of the cookie in opposite directions. Try to make the cookies similar in size so that they can bake evenly. The cookies will expand slightly when they bake, so you’ll want to leave about an inch or two in between each cookie.

Koulourakia cookie dough in a large clear bowl. — Koulourakia dough

Step by step photos of how to shape koulourakia cookies. — Koulourakia dough

STEP 5: Bake the koulourakia. In a small bowl, make an egg wash by whisking together one egg yolk and a teaspoon of milk. Use a pastry brush to brush the egg wash on top of the cookies lightly. Sprinkle the koulourakia cookies with sesame seeds (optional), granulated sugar or a combination of granulated sugar and sesame seeds. Place the cookies in the oven and bake at 350 degrees F for 20-22 minutes or until the cookies are golden brown.

HOW TO STORE

These delicious cookies will last for up to two weeks in an airtight container. Koulourakia are traditionally enjoyed on Greek Easter Sunday. But they are a sweet treat any time of the year and go perfectly with a cup of coffee or tea in the morning.

Why is my koulourakia dough crumbly?

If the dough is cracking as you shape the koulourakia cookies, add a teaspoon of liquid like water or milk to the dough and mix it together. There may be too much flour, so your dough is cracking.

How do you twist koulourakia?

Roll a teaspoon of the cookie dough into a ball with the palms of your hand. From there, gently roll the dough ball into a long rope shape. Then, shape the rope into a horseshoe. Place one side over the other and use your fingers to twist the top of the cookie and the bottom in opposite directions.

Should cookie dough be refrigerated before baking?

Yes, this will help the cookies hold their shape when baking in the oven. Koulourakia are easier to shape after the dough has been chilled in the fridge for 20-25 minutes.

Greek easter cookies (koulourakia) with sesame seeds on white parchment paper.

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5 from 4 votes