Classic and delicious orange and warm spice cookies!
Ladokouloura are very delicious, traditional Greek-style cookies made with light olive oil, orange, and warm spices. They’re light, tender, and just happen to be vegan. No dairy. No Eggs. So, they’re perfect for the Lent season upon us!
Ladokouloura means olive oil cookies, and because the olive oil flavor really shines through, I always use good-quality olive oil. The freshly squeezed orange juice adds beautiful citrus flavor and pairs so well with cinnamon and cloves. Everyone will love these!
Why will everyone love these?
Crisp and tender,
Orange citrus and
Warm cinnamon, clove spice
With a little walnut crunch.
An easy, delicious vegan cookie!
What do I need for these cookies?
Olive oil -or light vegetable oil to blend with the orange and spice flavors. If you use extra virgin olive oil or robust flavor oil, know that the olive oil flavor will be even stronger and may overpower the other flavors.
Freshly squeezed orange juice -fresh is always best, and what else can you do with an orange after you zest it anyway? Ha!
Granulated sugar -gives the cookie just the right amount of sweetness.
Pure vanilla extract -a good quality one adds the best flavor.
Ground cinnamon -the perfect sweet and spicy flavor.
Ground cloves -sweet, warm flavor that pairs perfectly with cinnamon.
All-purpose flour -I haven’t tried other flours, but let me know if you do and how they turn out.
​Zest of 2 oranges -remember to zest before juicing because it’s almost impossible the other way around.
Baking powder -helps keep the cookie light and airy.
​Baking soda -gives the cookie a slight chewiness.
Ground walnuts -I love the crunchiness and mild flavor of walnuts, so I use them instead of sesame seeds. But use whichever you like.
Have I seen ladokouloura rolled in sesame seeds?
Yes! You can add sesame seeds to the cookie dough, or the cookies can be rolled in sesame seeds after they are formed. Then, you bake the cookies as usual.
How do I prep this recipe?
Preheat the oven to 350 °F, 180 °C, and zest the oranges before juicing them. Then, chop the walnuts in a food processor until they resemble coarse crumbs.
Which dry ingredients do I mix into the flour?
​Combine the flour, baking powder, and orange zest in a large bowl and whisk all the ingredients together.
What about the sugar?
​In another bowl, combine the olive oil, orange juice, water, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and vanilla extract. Whisk well to incorporate all the ingredients.
How do I bring the dough together?
Add the flour mixture a little at a time, whisking to combine. When the mixture becomes too thick to whisk, mix the rest of the flour in with your hands. Then, add the walnuts and mix until combined. At this point, the dough will seem wet and sticky, but set it aside for 5 minutes, and it will become a very pliable cookie dough. Add a half to 1 cup of flour if needed. (see video)
How do I form the cookies?
​Cut the dough into walnut-sized balls. This recipe makes about 45 cookies. ​Roll the balls into logs and place them onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Leave some room in between each cookie for rising. They will also spread slightly while baking.
How long do I bake olive oil cookies?
Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until the cookies become slightly browned around the edges. It’s a good idea to also rotate the trays halfway through baking and switch the bottom tray to the upper rack and the top tray to the bottom. This will ensure even baking. Cool the cookies on cooling racks.
What’s the best way to serve these cookies?
They’re so, so delicious with a cup of coffee, tea, or a glass of milk. Serve them at room temperature and store them in an airtight container until they’re all eaten. They don’t freeze well, so you just have to eat them all. Ha!
What are some other traditional Greek cookies?
If you’ve been following me for a while, you know there are a ton of them on my channel. Search for Greek cookies on my blog, and you’ll find a ton of choices. With Easter around the corner, try my vanilla and chocolate Easter butter cookies known as Greek koulourakia. Karidata are Greek walnut meringue cookies, and if you’re looking for sweet and sticky, try my melomakarona Greek honey cookies.
Do you have more vegan cookies?
Yes! Greek Tahini cookies, Vegan koulourakia, Greek vegan grape molasses cookies known as moustokouloura, and classic melomakarona with semolina… to name a few!
watch the video
Ladokouloura: Greek-style Olive Oil Cookies (vegan)
Ladokouloura are traditional Greek olive oil cookies flavored with fresh orange, cinnamon, cloves, and walnuts. These crisp yet tender cookies are naturally vegan and dairy-free, making them perfect for Greek Lent, Easter fasting, holiday cookie trays, and serving with coffee or tea.
Ingredients
For the Wet Ingredients:
- 1 and ½ cups olive oil or vegetable oil
- ¾ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- ¼ cup water
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
For the Dry Ingredients:
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- ½–1 cup additional all-purpose flour, if needed
- Zest of 2 oranges
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ cup ground walnuts
Optional:
- Sesame seeds
Instructions
Prepare the Oven and Pans: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
Line baking trays with parchment paper.
Prepare the Oranges and Walnuts: Zest the oranges before juicing them.
Place the walnuts in a food processor and pulse until they resemble coarse crumbs.
Combine the Dry Ingredients: Add 4 cups flour, baking powder, and orange zest to a large mixing bowl. Whisk until combined.
Combine the Wet Ingredients: Add the olive oil, orange juice, water, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and vanilla extract to a separate large bowl. Whisk until thoroughly combined.
Make the Cookie Dough: Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients a little at a time, whisking after each addition.
When the mixture becomes too thick to whisk, use your hands to mix in the remaining flour mixture.
Add the ground walnuts and mix until evenly combined.
The dough will initially appear wet and sticky. Set it aside for 5 minutes so it can become a soft, pliable cookie dough.
Add ½–1 cup additional flour only if needed.
Shape the Cookies: Divide the dough into walnut-sized portions.
Roll each portion into a short log and arrange the cookies on the prepared baking trays.
Leave space between the cookies because they will rise and spread slightly while baking.
If using sesame seeds, mix them into the dough or roll the shaped cookies in sesame seeds before baking.
Bake the Ladokouloura: Bake for 15–20 minutes or until the cookies are lightly browned around the edges.
If baking more than one tray, rotate the trays halfway through the baking time. Move the bottom tray to the upper rack and the top tray to the lower rack so the cookies bake evenly.
Transfer the cookies to cooling racks and allow them to cool completely.
Serve: Serve the Ladokouloura at room temperature with coffee, tea, or milk.
Notes
Olive Oil: Use good-quality light olive oil for a balanced flavor. Extra-virgin or robust olive oil may have a stronger flavor that can overpower the orange and spices. A light vegetable oil may also be used.
Zest Before Juicing: Zest both oranges before squeezing them for the juice.
Flour: Begin with 4 cups flour. The dough will initially appear oily, wet, and sticky. Allow it to rest for 5 minutes before deciding whether it needs additional flour. Add only enough extra flour to make the dough pliable.
Cookie Size: Use walnut-sized portions for approximately 45 cookies. Larger portions will produce fewer cookies and may require additional baking time.
Sesame Variation: Add sesame seeds directly to the dough or roll the shaped cookies in sesame seeds before baking.
Shaping: The simple log shape works best. The dough may also be shaped into circles or twists, but handle it carefully if it begins to break.
Freezing: These cookies do not freeze particularly well and are best enjoyed fresh.
Storage: Store the completely cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.
Filoxenia Hosting Tip: Bake the Ladokouloura ahead and arrange them on a large platter with bowls of walnuts and orange slices nearby. Serve with Greek coffee or hot tea for an easy vegan sweet to offer guests.
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You weren’t kidding!! These are delicious!
Everyone really, really liked them. Thank you!
Can I shape this dough into regular koulourakia twists?
You can give that a try and if they’re breaking then, stick to the simple shape. I’d live to know how they turn out 🙂
I have made this recipe like for twice . And these are awesome . I even paired them with cream cheese frosting . Very delicious . Thank you for the beautiful recipe . Much love
These are great! My “walnut sizing” was a bit generous so these beauties came out bigger than expected so next time I’ll know.
Great recipe and delicious.
Thanks for sharing!
These cookies are just the perfect texture and sweetness. I give them 10 stars for excellence. Your ingredients and directions are very precise and easy to follow. Even my Greek husband gives them a thumbs up. Would they still bake the same if I made them in circles rather than logs? I did not use all of the dough. I covered what I didn’t use and will bake the rest in a couple of days. I will let you know how this works.
I just made these cookies and I have to tell.you I was a little nervous because the batter was quite oily when I was rolling into the balls and then rolling out into the logs, but they came out perfectly and are SO YUMMY! Thank you so much for this great recipe! I make biscotti and they are loved by everyone I give to, but I can’t wait to share these, especially my new son-in-law who is greek!
Dimitra, do you have any no-fail Easter recipes (such as Easter bread)that you have made and can post?
Thank you
Ruth
I would love your kouloulaki recipe