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Greek honey cookies by Authentic Food Quest

Melomakarona Recipe

This melomakarona recipe is for one the most beloved Greek christmas cookies. Soft and oval-shaped, these cookies with orange and cinnamon flavors are drenched in a honey syrup and covered with walnuts. Addictive, these melt-in-your mouth cookies are irresistible.
4.67 from 9 votes
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Course: Recipes
Cuisine: Greek
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Servings: 40
Calories: 158kcal
Author: Authentic Food Quest

Ingredients 

Dry Ingredients

  • 3 ¾ cups flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cloves

Wet Ingredients

  • 1 cup olive oil high quality Greek extra virgin
  • ¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
  • ¼ cup brandy
  • Zest of orange peel from 1 orange
  • Freshly squeezed lemon juice from 1 medium lemon
  • cup sugar

For the Syrup

  • 1 cup honey Greek Cretan honey
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup water

Toppings

  • ½ cup chopped walnuts
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

For the Syrup

  • Start by making the syrup. In a medium-sized saucepan, combine the water, honey, and sugar.
  • Bring to a boil over medium-high for 5 minutes or until the sugar dissolves completely.
  • Remove from heat and set aside to cool completely.
  • Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C.

For the Cookies

  • In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and baking soda, ground cloves, and cinnamon together.
  • In a separate bowl, combine the extra virgin olive oil, orange juice, brandy, zest of orange, lemon juice, and sugar. Mix well.
  • Slowly, add the dry flour mixture to the wet olive oil mixture. Using your hands, slowly knead the dough until all the flour has been added. Do not overwork the dough, but make sure the final mixture is soft and smooth. 
  • Using your hands, pinch off a small amount of dough and shape the melomakarona into a small oval shape, slightly larger than your thumb.
  • Place the cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, keeping about ½ inch between them.
  • Use a fork to create a criss-cross pattern on all the cookies.
  • Bake in your heated oven for about 25 minutes, until they are crunchy and golden in color.
  • As soon as you remove the cookies from the oven, soak them in the cold syrup for about 10 seconds, flipping them around. 
  • Remove the cookies from the syrup and arrange them on a tray that is lined with extra crushed walnuts. Drizzle any extra syrup on the cookies.
  • Sprinkle the cookies with crushed walnuts and you can also add a little dusting of ground cinnamon. 

Notes

  • Work the dough with your hands instead of using a mixer. The dough will be a bit greasy and that is expected with the olive oil.
  • To make melomakarona cookies of the same size, you can use a small ice cream scoop to portion out the dough for each cookie. Use your hands to make an oval shape, slightly larger than your thumb.
  • The cookies should be hot and the syrup cold when you soak them. Keep them only for about 10 seconds, flipping them over.
  • Store melomakarona in an air-tight container at room temperature. And the cookies can last for up to three weeks.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 158kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 189mg | Potassium: 48mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 6IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 1mg
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