Greek Honey Cookies (Melomakarona)

Melomakarona are Greek honey cookies that are popular at Christmas. They are mildly spiced and dipped in a thick honey syrup.

Melomakarona (μελομακάρονα in Greek, pronounced mel-o-ma-KA-ro-na) are traditional Christmas cookies that are popular all over Greece. They are thick cookies spiced with clove, nutmeg and cinnamon, and lightly soaked in syrup.

Christmas wouldn't be the same in our house without these Greek walnut cookies! If you haven't made these authentic Greek honey cookies before, you should definitely give them a try! This is the best Melomakarona recipe!

These particular Greek cookies with honey and nuts are traditional during Christmas.

FEATURED READER COMMENT

I just made these and they are amazing!! I love how they are slightly crunchy outside and soft inside! Plus, this recipe has all the instructions in a clear and detailed way. It takes a very committed and passionate baker to invest their time to put everything together in such an organized and detailed manner, especially with all the tips.Voula makes it as easy as possible for us. Definitely recommend this recipe!I can't wait to bake more of Voula's recipes!

Love baking cookies? Try my chocolate chunk cookies, my lemon blueberry cookies, and my lemon lavender cookies.

What make these Greek Christmas cookies stand out

• Tried & trusted. This melomakarona recipe has been in my family for generations!
• It uses simple ingredients. Most of the ingredients needed are ones you probably already have at home.
• Easy Greek honey cookies. This recipe for melomakarona is incredibly simple. The picture tutorial will help you make the best, traditional Greek honey cookies at home - it's practically foolproof!
• No mixer required. You only need a whisk for this recipe, no mixer!
• Updated post. I first published this recipe in 2019, but I've now updated it and included step-by-step photos. I've also improved the recipe by tweaking a few ingredients and including simpler instructions.

What do Greek honey cookies taste like?

These cookies have all the flavors of Christmas in every bite! Cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, and honey. They're crunchy outside and soft and tender inside. The hallmark of these cookies is that there is fine semolina flour inside which gives them a unique texture. This is what makes them traditionally Greek - that amazing crumbly texture inside! You really have to try them to understand what I mean!

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE GREEK COOKIES WITH HONEY

INGREDIENTS FOR THE HONEY SYRUP

• Orange - You'll need 1 whole orange.
• Lemon juice - I always use freshly squeezed lemon juice.
• Spices - You'll need a few whole cloves and cinnamon sticks.
• Honey - Use the high-quality honey if you can. It makes such a difference in flavor.
• Water & Sugar - I use regular water and granulated sugar.

INGREDIENTS FOR THE GREEK CHRISTMAS HONEY COOKIES

• Flour & Semolina flour - I use both all purpose and fine semolina flour, which gives the perfect texture inside. It's also important for soaking up the syrup.
• Baking soda - You don't need any baking powder for this recipe, only baking soda.
• Orange juice & zest - Freshly squeezed orange juice and freshly grated orange zest offer the best possible flavor.
• Olive oil - I use extra virgin olive oil.
• Vegetable oil - Using only olive oil will make the cookies too heavy. Vegetable oil helps balance this out.
• Cognac - This is optional, but it really pairs well with all the other flavors. My family has been using it in melomakarona for generations.
• Sugar - You'll need granulated sugar.
• Spices - You'll need cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.
• Walnuts - Finely crushed walnuts are added to the top of the cookies for flavor and texture.

See the recipe card at the end of the post for quantities.

HOW TO MAKE MELOMAKARONA GREEK HONEY COOKIES

First, you make the honey syrup.

Cut the orange in half and put it in a medium saucepan together with the water, sugar, lemon juice, and spices.

Boil for 5 minutes. Then remove the spices and the orange halves. I like to squeeze the oranges halves before removing and discarding them.

Pour in the honey and stir well. Then put the syrup in the refrigerator.

Now, make the cookie dough.

In a large bowl, mix together the all-purpose flour and the semolina flour.

In another bowl, whisk together the oils, the sugar, the cognac, the baking soda, the spices, the orange juice, and the zest. Whisk everything together so that the sugar is dissolved.

Then, add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients.

Use your hands to gradually bring everything together. Be gentle & don't overwork the dough!

The dough should look very moist, it's not supposed be dry or stiff. If it's too wet and doesn't come together, add a bit more flour, but don't overwork it!

For consistency and accuracy, I weigh each piece of dough (40g / 1.4 oz) so that all the cookies bake evenly. If you don't have a digital scale, each piece should be about the size of a large walnut

Gently shape the piece of dough into an oval and place it on the baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the dough.

After that, use a fork to prick the tops without going all the way to the bottom.

TOP TIP

If you don't have a digital scale, try and make each piece the same size, otherwise, they won't bake evenly (some will inevitably bake faster than others.) So you'll need to keep an eye on them while they're in the oven.

Then bake the cookies!

When they are done, it's time to soak them in the cold honey syrup as soon as they come out of the oven.

Take the syrup out of the refrigerator and put 3 cookies in it.

As soon as you put the cookies in the syrup, flip them over and set your timer for exactly 1.5 minutes (I use the timer on my phone). They could fall apart if you leave them in the syrup any longer than that.

When the time is up, use a slotted spoon to scoop them out of the syrup.

After that, place the cookies on a platter in a single layer and top with the chopped walnuts. Pour any remaining syrup on the bottom of the platter.

The next day, the cookies will have soaked up the syrup and taste even better!

MAKE-AHEAD OPTIONS

I often make the syrup a day or 2 ahead and keep it in the refrigerator. I found that the colder the syrup, the better the cookies soak it up.

SUBSTITUTIONS

Fine semolina flour: You could use all-purpose flour or whole wheat flour instead of fine semolina flour, however, keep in mind that the texture will not be the same as the authentic, traditional Greek Christmas cookie.

Cognac: Instead of cognac, you could use brandy or omit the alcohol altogether.

STORAGE TIPS

Store the melomakarona cookies in an airtight container or cover them well to prevent them from drying out. This will keep them fresh for up to about 2-3 weeks.

VARIATIONS

Here in Greece, chocolate covered melomakarona are also very popular! After you've added the syrup, you can dip them in some melted chocolate and then add the crushed walnuts on top.

TIPS FOR SUCCESS

The dough

• Do not overmix the dough; otherwise the cookies will become tough and hard. Mix until just combined. I usually count up to 15 seconds as I gently mix by hand and then stop and let it rest for a few minutes.
• I always use a digital scale to weigh the dough for each cookie BEFORE I bake them. That way they ALL bake evenly at the same time. I think they also look nicer when I put them on a serving platter because they're all the same size. If you don't have a digital scale, try and make each piece of dough the same size before baking.

The syrup

• I sometimes make the syrup a day ahead and keep it in the refrigerator.
• Don't put too many cookies in the syrup at the same time, because you won't have enough room to remove them with the slotted spoon.
• Save any extra syrup in the fridge for your coffee or tea! Or, if you want more syrup in your melomakarona, just pour some more on the bottom of the plate the next day and let the cookies soak it up. Keep in mind that this will make the cookies a lot softer, though.

How to serve melomakarona

I always serve them on a platter in a single layer so they all soak up the syrup. You could also drizzle some more honey over the cookies before serving.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

MORE GREEK AND CHRISTMAS RECIPES

Let me know how these Greek Honey Cookies (Melomakarona) turn out for you in the comments below! I'd love to hear from you!

Have a Merry Christmas!

~Voula

Recipe

Greek Honey Cookies (Melomakarona)

Melomakarona are Greek honey cookies that are popular at Christmas. They are mildly spiced and dipped in a thick honey syrup.

5 from 3 votes

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Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: Greek

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour

Servings: 27 , approximately

Author: Voula

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Ingredients

For the honey syrup

• ▢ 1 cup water (250 ml / 8 oz)
• ▢ 1 ¼ cups sugar (250 g)
• ▢ 2 cinnamon sticks
• ▢ 6 whole cloves
• ▢ 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• ▢ 1 orange
• ▢ ½ cup good quality honey (125 ml / 4 oz)

For the cookie dough

• ▢ 4 cups all-purpose flour (500 g)
• ▢ ½ cup fine semolina flour (100 g)
• ▢ ½ cup extra virgin olive oil (125 ml / 4 fl oz)
• ▢ ½ cup light vegetable oil (125 ml / 4 fl oz)
• ▢ ½ cup sugar (100 g / 3.5 oz)
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon ground clove
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ▢ ½ tablespoon ground cinnamon
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ 3 tablespoons cognac or brandy (40ml / 1.4 fl oz)
• ▢ ¾ cup freshly squeezed orange juice (180 ml)
• ▢ zest from 1 large orange

Topping

• ▢ ½ cup finely chopped walnuts (60 g)

Note:

For best results, please read through the full post before beginning the recipe.

Instructions

Make the honey syrup

• Cut the orange in half and put it in a medium saucepan together with the water, sugar, lemon juice, and spices.
• Boil for 5 minutes. Then remove the spices and the orange halves. I like to squeeze the oranges on the side of the saucepan before removing and discarding them.
• Pour in the honey and stir well. Put the syrup in the refrigerator.
• Meanwhile, line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 375 ° F (190 ° C).  

Make the cookie dough

• In a bowl, mix the all-purpose flour with the fine semolina flour. Set aside.
• In another bowl, whisk together the oils, the sugar, the cognac, the baking soda, the spices, the orange juice, and the zest. Whisk everything together well so that the sugar is dissolved.
• Add the flour mixture. Use your hands to gradually bring everything together. Be gentle & don't overmix the dough! The dough should be very moist, it's not supposed be dry or stiff. If it's too wet, add a bit more flour, a tablespoon at a time, until it comes together.
• Take a piece of dough and weigh it (40g / 1.4 oz each). If you don't have a digital scale, try to make each piece the same size, about the size of a large walnut (see the pictures in the post).
• Shape each piece of dough into an oval and place on the baking sheets, about 1-2 inches apart. I fit about 16 on a tray.
• Use a fork to prick the tops of each without going all the way to the bottom.
• Bake for 30 - 40 minutes, until they're golden brown.

Soak the cookies

• Take the syrup out of the refrigerator.
• When cookies are done, take 3 of them and immediately dunk them into the cold syrup and flip them over. Let them soak for 1 ½ minutes (I use the timer on my phone). Don't soak them any longer, though, because they'll fall apart.
• Remove the cookies with a slotted spoon and place on a serving platter in a single layer. Repeat with the other cookies.
• Pour any remaining syrup on the bottom of the serving platter. The cookies will be even better the next day after they've soaked up the extra syrup.
• Top with the chopped walnuts.
• After they've cooled, store them in an air-tight container (in a single layer) at room temperature for up to about 2 weeks.
• Enjoy!

Notes

Picture Tutorial & Tips

I have a detailed picture tutorial in my post to help you out with each step of the recipe as well as lots of tips to ensure success.

Baking Measurements

I have used weight measurements for all the recipes on this website. Even though I have also included American volume measurements for convenience, I highly recommend using a digital kitchen scale to weigh all ingredients for the most accurate measurements. Digital kitchen scales are more precise than cups, which is so important in baking, and they give the most accurate, consistent results. Happy baking!

MORE GREEK RECIPES TO TRY!

Kourabiedes Greek Butter Cookies 

Greek Style Gingerbread Cookies (NO CHILL, NO SPREAD)

Koulourakia Greek Easter Cookies 

Vasilopita – Greek New Year’s Cake

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