These Greek koulourakia are vanilla and chocolate Easter butter cookies, but you will make them all year long. They’re flavored with vanilla, citrus, and even chocolate. The dough is made with basic pantry staples and then twisted into all sorts of beautiful shapes. Get the coffee ready and call the kids into the kitchen for some fun baking time!
Watch the Video Tutorial Here
I created these cookies when we were staying home and making the best of the worldwide quarantine. We make the traditional vanilla/lemon (or orange) flavored koulourakia every year. They’re commonly made around Easter-time, but in my home, we make them much more often than that… This year, I wanted to switch things up and make black and white twists. The result was delicious and so beautiful too!Â
What will I need to make koulourakia?
All-purpose flour -I haven’t tried gluten-free flour, but as long as you use a one-for-one, I’m sure you could make these gluten-free.
Baking powder -combined with the egg, you’ll need this to create that perfect puffy cookie crumb.
Unsalted butter -pull it out of the fridge about an hour before to make sure it’s room temperature when you go to cream it with the sugar.
Granulated sugar -sweetens the cookies and helps them crisp on the cookies exterior.
Citrus –this is optional for bright flavor, but if you don’t care for the pairing, you can leave it out.
Heavy cream –use milk if you don’t have cream
Vanilla extract -adds the traditional vanilla flavor to the cookies, but be sure to use a quality brand.
Eggs -gives the dough structure and helps it rise to create the perfect cookie.
Cocoa powder –I use a good quality unsweetened version that I can use in a lot of recipes.
Instant coffee -combined with the cocoa powder, it packs a rich chocolatey punch.
Melted chocolate -you’ll mix this with the cocoa powder, instant coffee, and hot water to create a ganache-like mixture that helps create the most decadent, delicious chocolate cookie.
Can I make different flavors?
Of course, you can add/substitute your favorite flavorings to create a variety of flavored Greek cookies. Here are a few options: almond extract, anise seed, ground cardamom, rose water, orange blossom water, sesame seeds, and ground cinnamon.
How do I make the vanilla cookie dough?
Preheat the oven to 350°F, 180 °C. In a tabletop mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter with the sugar until fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and beat until incorporated. Then, beat the eggs and yolks with the sugar mixture until fluffy. Next, add the heavy whipping cream and beat until well combined.
When do I add the dry ingredients?
Sift together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Zest the lemons over the flour mixture and mix to combine. Then, add the flour mixture in a few batches while the mixer is beating all of the ingredients on a low speed. Beat until well combined. Check the dough and add 1/2 cup more all-purpose flour if needed to form a dough that is soft but not sticky. Be careful here because adding too much flour will make the cookies dry and hard. Transfer half of the dough into a bowl or on a clean surface and cover with plastic or with a towel.
How do I turn the vanilla dough into chocolate?
Combine the semi-sweet chocolate, cocoa, instant coffee, and sugar in a small bowl. Pour hot water over the mixture and mix well until smooth. If needed, microwave for 15-20 seconds. Set aside to cool completely while cleaning up. Add the cooled chocolate mixture to the remaining dough in the mixer and beat until incorporated. Set aside and cover with a kitchen towel. Allow to rest for 30 minutes.
What if I don’t have instant coffee?
When making the chocolate-flavored dough, the recipe calls for instant coffee and water. If you have any leftover coffee from the morning, feel free to use a quarter cup of that instead. Leave the coffee out completely if you’d like. However, a little bit of coffee does not add any coffee flavor. Instead, it makes the chocolate more chocolatey!
Koulourakia twists are a lot of fun to make with children. Leila and I had a blast making them! 🙂Â
How do I create the twisted cookies?
Form the dough into walnut or golf ball-sized rounds. Roll each round out into about 8-inch cylinders. Fold in half and twist until a twist is formed.
How do I make the Greek koulourakia vanilla and chocolate Easter butter cookies?
Follow the video tutorial. Essentially, form two ropes (one vanilla and one chocolate). Set them side by side so that they are touching. Twist together and form the twist into a circle, and connect the ends.
How long do I bake the cookies?
Place onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Continue until all the cookies are formed. To make the egg wash, combine the egg yolks with water and whisk well until smooth. Brush the egg wash over each cookie. Sprinkle sugar or sesame seeds on top of the cookies or leave them plain. Bake 35-45 minutes or until the cookies are golden brown. Rotate the trays (switching the bottom tray to the top rack and the top tray to the bottom) halfway through baking for even baking. Allow the cookies to cool completely.
Can these cookies be made ahead and frozen?
The cookies may be formed and stored in the freezer (unbaked) until they harden. Then, transfer the frozen cookies into a freezer bag and store them in the freezer for up to 1 month.
How long do Greek koulourakia vanilla and chocolate Easter butter cookies last after they’re baked?
Store the koulourakia in an airtight container at room temperature. They stay fresh for 2 weeks. Honestly, they’ve never made it past week one around here. Haha!
Do you have more recipes like these Greek koulourakia ?
- Vegan Koulourakia
- Koulourakia: Greek Butter Cookies
- Seker Pare Semolina Cookies
- Lemony Linzer Cookies
- Decorated Butter Cookies with Cherries
- Karidata: Greek Walnut Meringue Cookies
- Fig Cookiesig Cookies
Greek Koulourakia: Vanilla & Chocolate Easter Butter Cookies
Once you try these Greek butter cookies, known as koulourakia, you will make them all year long. These cookies are flavored with vanilla, citrus (optional), and even chocolate. The dough is made with basic pantry staples and then twisted into all sorts of beautiful shapes. Get the coffee ready and call the kids into the kitchen for some fun baking time!
Ingredients
For the vanilla cookies:
- • 1-pound unsalted butter at room temperature
- • 1 and 1/2 cups (350g) granulated sugar
- • 4 whole eggs
- • 2 egg yolks
- • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- • zest of 2 large lemons/oranges, optional
- • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- • 1/2 teaspoon salt
- • 1 and ½ teaspoon baking powder
- • 8 cups (1.16kg) all-purpose flour
- • egg wash: 4 egg yolks plus 4 tablespoons water
For Chocolate (half batch):
- • ¼ cup (20g) cocoa powder
- • ¼ cup of water
- • 1 teaspoon instant coffee
- • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- • 4 ounces (113g) melted chocolate
Optional toppings:
- • Granulated sugar
- • Sesame seeds
Optional flavorings:
- • Anise seeds
- • Almond extract
- • Ground cardamom seeds
- • Cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F, 180 °C.
- In a tabletop mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter with the sugar until fluffy.
- Add the vanilla extract and beat until incorporated.
- Beat the eggs and yolks with the sugar mixture until fluffy.
- Add the heavy whipping cream and beat well.
- Sift together the flour, salt, and baking powder.
- Zest the lemons over the flour mixture and mix to combine.
- Add the flour mixture in a few batches while the mixer is beating all of the ingredients on a low speed.
- Beat until well combined. Check the dough and add 1/2 cup more all-purpose flour if needed to form a dough that is soft but not sticky. Adding too much flour will make the cookies dry and hard.
- Transfer half of the dough into a bowl or on a clean surface and cover with plastic or with a towel.
- Make the chocolate mixture: Combine the semi-sweet chocolate, cocoa, instant coffee, and sugar in a small bowl. Pour hot water on top and mix well until smooth. Microwave for 15-20 seconds if needed. Set aside to cool completely.
- Add the cooled chocolate mixture to the remaining dough in the mixture. Beat until incorporated. Set aside and cover with a kitchen towel. Allow to rest for 30 minutes.
- Form the dough into walnut, or golf ball-sized rounds.
- Roll each round out into about 8-inch cylinders.
- Fold in half and twist until a twist is formed.
- To make the vanilla& chocolate cookies, follow the video tutorial. Basically, form 2 ropes (1 vanilla and 1 chocolate) Set them side by side so that they are touching. Twist together and form the twist into a circle and connect the ends.
- Place onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Continue until all of the cookies are formed.
- To make the egg wash, combine the egg yolks with water and whisk well until smooth.
- Brush the egg wash over each cookie.
- Sprinkle sugar or sesame seeds on top of the cookies or leave them plain.
- Bake 35-45 minutes or until the cookies are golden brown. Rotate trays (place the bottom tray on the top rack and the top tray on the bottom for even baking) halfway through baking.
- Allow the cookies to cool completely.
- Store them in an airtight container.
- Serve with tea or coffee.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Use 1/4 cup of coffee instead of instant coffee plus water. This recipe will make 80 individual twist cookies or 40 vanilla & chocolate twists. Make-Ahead Instructions: The cookies may be formed and stored in the freezer (unbaked) until they harden. Then, transfer the frozen cookies into a freezer bag and store it in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Can’t wait to make these! Just wish I could pronounce the name lol! #fellowtexan #texanwithagreekheart 💜🇬🇷🇬🇷🇬🇷
I am enjoying your recipes and videos and looking forward to baking a large batch of cookies to share. My favorite cookies are Finikia.
I just made these w zest of 1 oranges and some of the juice. Very tasty.. I want to try Almond and Anise next…Kali Anastasi.
Yummy! Let me know how that goes:)
I don’t have a mixer can I still make these?
Yes of course! You can make them by hand or with a hand-mixer:)
thanks for cookie recipe I now have a stand mixer that will help Annamarie
You’re so welcome, Annamarie! That stand mixer is going to be your new best friend—makes baking so much easier and more fun. I’m so glad you’re putting it to good use with the cookie recipe. Happy baking, and let me know how they turn out!
Thanks for this recipe. I cut it in half so I wouldn’t gain 50pounds eating them. They turned out great but not as pretty as yours. I need to work on the twisting a bit more. Can this be done with almond flour for a gluten free version?
Thank you so much, I’m so glad you enjoyed them. The twisting takes a little practice, so don’t worry about the look. They’ll get prettier every time you make them. As for almond flour, it won’t work the same way in this recipe. Almond flour doesn’t have the structure that all purpose flour gives, so the cookies would spread and crumble. If you need a gluten free version, it’s best to use a good gluten free all purpose flour blend that’s meant to replace wheat flour one to one. That will give you a much better result.