Melomakarona Recipe (Greek Christmas Honey Cookies) (2024)

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!.

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,melomakaronawere 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 themvegan; 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 mykarydopita(Greek walnut cake) or mymelopita- 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'salmost compulsoryto do this! (it's the same withkourabiedes 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 myGreek desserts(see myportokalopitaandmilopita), 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).

See Also

Shortbread Cookies (Easy Butter Cookie Recipe) - Fifteen SpatulasExclusively Food: Melting Moments RecipeGingerbread Brownie RecipeSoft-Baked Pinwheel Cookies - Easy Christmas Cookie Recipe!

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

Video - how to make them

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📋 Recipe

This post was originally published in December 2009, but was republished with new content and pictures in December 2021.

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