Greek Olive Oil Cookies or Koulourakia Ladiou are easy to make and sure to disappear quickly! These vegan cookies are flavored with cinnamon and orange and perfect for dunking in a cup of coffee!
If you are in search for the perfect dunkable cookie to dip into your Greek coffee, then you have definitely come to the right place. These Koulourakia Ladiou are one of my favorite things to dip into coffee.
If you like a good, simple recipe, you’ll be pleased to know that these Greek cookies (or koulourakia) with olive oil are as simple as they get! They are made with simple ingredients (most of which you likely have on hand right now) and they require no fancy equipment or skills to make. I’ve included step by step photos showing exactly how to make and shape these cookies, so even the most novice baker can master these! They really are easy to make.
The best part is these delicious Greek cookies with olive oil are pretty healthy and vegan too, meaning they are great for everyone whether you are vegan, sensitive to eggs or dairy, or are fasting for Lent too.
Why you should make these Greek cookies with olive oil:
- this recipe is vegan or lenten-friendly (provided you aren’t fasting from Olive oil).
- they are flavored with orange and cinnamon, making them so delicious!
- they are healthy!
- these cookies are wonderful dipped in coffee!
- they are easy to make!
Ingredients in Greek Olive Oil Cookies
- olive oil: opt for a good-tasting, mild olive oil
- sugar: granulated sugar is used in these cookies but you can substitute brown or coconut sugar instead. These cookies are only lightly sweetened so if you prefer a sweeter cookie, you can increase the amount.
- cinnamon: this gives the cookies a wonderful flavor and brown color.
- orange juice and zest: freshly squeezed orange juice is preferred as it gives the best flavor.
- baking soda: used as a leavener in this cookie (and most cookie) recipes. I mix it in with the orange juice, causing a reaction which makes the mixture froth up. If it doesn’t do this, it means you are using old baking soda and should replace it.
- flour: I use all purpose flour for these cookies. I haven’t tried these cookies with another flour before but plan to give them a try with whole-wheat pastry flour and gluten-free flour.
- sesame seeds: I use untoasted seeds as a topping as they will be baking in the oven along with the cookies. If you are not a fan, you can leave these off.
How to make the dough for Greek cookies with olive oil
This recipe is incredibly easy to make and doesn’t require any fancy equipment. If you like, you can use a stand mixer, but I usually just mix the cookie dough by hand.
- Mix the oil, sugar, cinnamon, and orange zest: In a large bowl, mix together the olive oil, sugar, cinnamon and orange zest.
- Mix the orange juice and baking soda: In another small bowl mix together the orange juice and baking soda. The mixture will begin to froth and rise.
- Combine the mixtures: Stir the baking soda mixture into the olive oil mixture.
- Slowly add the flour: Slowly add the flour 1/2 cup at a time until it is all incorporated. The dough should be soft and pliable but not sticky. [If it is feels too sticky, add a little more flour.]
How to shape the Greek Olive Oil Cookies- 2 ways
1. Scoop and form ropes: Scoop out 1 1/2 tablespoon of dough and roll it into a small rope, about 6 inches long and 1/3 inch thick [you can adjust this to your own liking and make the cookies any size you wish].
2. Form them into shapes (2 methods): There are two traditional shapes for these cookies: In the first, form the rope into a circle and press lightly on the adjoining edges to join them. The second option is to fold the rope in half and twist it 3 times (as pictured in the post above) for a twisted design.
3. Top with sesame seeds: Place the sesame seeds on a shallow plate. Before placing the shaped cookies on the parchment lined baking sheet, dip the tops of the cookies in the sesame seeds to coat the tops of them. [Since these are vegan and no egg-wash is used, the sesame seeds won’t stick if you just sprinkle them.]
Step by step photo tutorial on how to shape the cookies into circles:
Step by step photo tutorial on how to shape the cookies into twisted koulourakia:
That’s it! Just place them on two parchment lined baking sheets and bake them in the oven for about 18-20 minutes.
Tips for making the best Greek Olive Oil Cookies:
- Use good quality ingredients: Good-tasting olive oil, freshly squeezed orange juice and zest, and fresh cinnamon make a huge difference in making these simple cookies flavourful.
- Don’t over-mix: As is the case with all baked goodies, be careful not to over-mix. Once you add the flour to the mixture, mix the dough just until it is incorporated to prevent overworking it and making a tougher cookie.
- Be gentle with the dough: when forming the dough into ropes and shaping them, be gentle with the dough. It is soft and pliable so it doesn’t require much force.
- Dip the cookies in sesame seeds, don’t sprinkle them. As mentioned in the instructions, you will need to dip tops of the cookies in the sesame seeds so that they stick. Since we aren’t using an egg wash to keep these vegan and lenten-friendly, this is the best way to ensure they stick to the dough. You don’t need to press down, the sesame seeds will stick to the oil in the cookies.
How to store Greek Olive Oil Cookies
To store these cookies, place the cooled cookies in an airtight container and store them at room temperature. They will last a few week stored this way.
You can also freeze these cookies in freezer-safe bags.
Serving suggestions
In Greece, these koulourakia are often served up alongside Greek coffee so that they can be dipped in it. You can also serve these along with other types of coffees and teas.
I hope you enjoy this recipe! Kali orexi!
-Cathy
Looking for more vegan treats? You may also like:
Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Cinnamon Espresso Cookies
Chocolate Almond Cookies
Greek Olive Oil Cookies (Vegan) – Koulourakia Ladiou
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- zest of 1 orange
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 1/8 cups flour (2 cups and 2 tablespoons)
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, mix together the olive oil, sugar, cinnamon and orange zest.
- In another small bowl mix together the orange juice and baking soda. The mixture will begin to froth and rise. Stir this into the olive oil mixture.
- Slowly add the flour 1/2 cup at a time until it is all incorporated. The dough should be soft and pliable but not sticky. [If it is feels too sticky, add a little more flour.]
- Scoop out 1 1/2 tablespoon of dough and roll it into a small rope, about 6 inches long and 1/3 inch thick [you can adjust this to your own liking and make the cookies any size you wish]. There are two traditional shapes for these cookies: In the first, form the rope into a circle and press lightly on the adjoining edges to join them. The second option is to fold the rope in half and twist it 3 times (as pictured in the post above) for a twisted design.
- Place the sesame seeds on a shallow plate. Before placing the shaped cookies on the parchment lined baking sheet, dip the tops of the cookies in the sesame seeds to coat the tops of them. [Since these are vegan and no egg-wash is used, the sesame seeds won't stick if you just sprinkle them.]
- Place the cookies on a parchment lined baking sheet and sprinkle the cookies with sesame seeds.
- Bake in the oven for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown.
Note: Metric ingredient measurements are provided as a courtesy using a third-party calculator and are rounded to the nearest unit. The recipes provided on this site have not been tested with metric measurements and their accuracy cannot be verified.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided is based on third-party calculations and is an estimate only. Accurate nutritional facts will vary based on the particular brands used, portion sizes, measurement accuracy and more.
I made these delicious cookies. They were excellent! I want to make for friends who can’t eat oranges. Would lemon or lime work?
Thank you
Orange is traditional to these cookies but if you are trying to avoid because of an allergy, it would be better to substitute a similar flavour such as tangerine, clementine, mandarin or similar. If those are off limits too, you could try use a bit of lemon but I’d be wary of using a whole 1/2 cup of lemon juice as it may be a bit too much pucker for these cookies that aren’t very sweet as they are. Perhaps you can replace with some lemon and the rest with water to prevent the lemon from overpowering the cinnamon taste in these cookies?