Melomakarona Recipe Greek Christmas Cookies

This post is brought to you in partnership with California Walnuts. All opinions are my own. How about a different kind of cookie this holiday season?! Something that’s a cross between your favorite soft cookie and honey-rich baklava! Yes, there is such a thing and they are called Melomakarona! If you visit Greece between Christmas and New Year’s day, you are bound to try some of these cinnamon-scented honey cookies covered with loads of crushed walnuts. The good news is, these cookies are easy to make at home and the ingredients are familiar and readily available.
This melomakarona recipe makes 60 cookies that will keep well, so you’ll have plenty to share!

What are Melomakarona cookies?

Some call them finikia and others call them melomakarona, pronounced “melow-ma-kah-rona”, and they are the quintessential Christmas cookies of Greece. The name itself, melomakarona, is a combination of the two words: “meli”, which means honey and “makarona,” which comes from the ancient word “makaria,” meaning blessed. Melomakarona cookies are soft cake-like cookies that are scented with orange and cinnamon, soaked in honey syrup and covered with crushed walnuts. There are many versions of these popular Greek cookies. But traditionally, they are butter-free, eggless cookies so that those who follow the Orthodox Christian fast (no dairy or eggs) are able to enjoy them. Let’s walk through what you’ll need to make these cookies.

Melmokarona ingredients

There are three components to this recipe: the syrup, the cookie dough and the crushed walnut topping. You may already have the ingredients you need right in your pantry! Here they are:

For the syrup: Sugar, water, 1 orange (any kind), cinnamon stick, and honey, which is stirred off-heat at the very end. For the cookie dough: Extra virgin olive oil, brandy, orange juice, orange zest, sugar, ground cinnamon, pinch of nutmeg, all-purpose flour, baking powder and baking soda. For the walnut topping: 3/4 to 1 cup walnut halves. You’ll want to measure the walnuts first, then finely chop them using a knife or put them in a zip-top bag and lightly crush them with a kitchen mallet.

A bit about walnuts in this recipe

I’m all about using walnuts for savory dishes like my stuffed chicken breast, in a fun dip like muhammara, and in all sorts of baked goodies–especially holiday cookies! Lucky for us, there is no shortage of quality walnuts here in the Unites States–thanks to the fertile soils of California’s central valley! That’s why I buy California walnuts in bulk and store them in the freezer in a tight-lid container; they will last for months and I get to use them as needed. (Here is more about California Walnuts). In this Greek honey and walnut cookies recipe, you will use at least 3/4 cup of walnut halves becuase they are not just a good-looking garnish here. Walnuts add texture and a welcomed nutty flavor that is essential in a good melomakarona recipe.

How to make melomakarona: Step-by-Step

(print-friendly recipe with ingredient list below)

Make the syrupYou’ll need a medium saucepan. Combine 1 1/2 cup of water with 1 cup sugar, 1 zested orange (cut in half), and 1 cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil until the sugar dissovles (about 5 minutes or so over medium-high heat). Remove from heat and stir in the honey then set the syrup aside to cool completely. TIP: It’s important to give the syrup time to cool completely. As it sits, flavors will further develop. Also, the fresh warm cookies (straight from the oven) will better absorb the hot syrup and that’s what we want! Make the doughYou’ll need two bowls. In a large bowl, combine the extra virgin olive oil, brandy (if using), orange juice, orange zest and 1 cup sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Mix well. In another bowl, sift the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, and baking soda). Now, slowly add the dry ingredients to the bowl of wet ingredients, while continously stirring with a wooden spoon. Once all the dry ingredients have been added, knead the dough. You want the dough to be smooth, but do not overwork it. Shape the melomakaronaPrepare 1 or 2 large sheet pans and line them with parchment paper. Now begin to shape the cookies. Use a measuring spoon and scoop up about 1 ½ tablespoons of the cookie dough and shape it between your palms into an oval shape (like a small egg). Lightly pat to flatten a little bit (it should not be too flat) and set on the prepared sheet pan. Repeat, forming the cookies until you have used up all the dough. Line the cookies about 1/2 inch apart in the sheet pans. Using a fork, lightly go in the center of each cookie and make a crosshatch pattern. The cookies should flatten a tiny bit more in the center (but you should not push so hard the cookies become too flat).Bake in a heated oven at 350 degrees F for about 20 minutes.The cookies should have a very slight golden color, they should not brown. Drench the melomakarona cookies in the cool syrupNow, as soon as you take the cookies out of the oven, place a few cookies at a time in the saucepan of cooled syrup and turn them around for a few seconds until they have absorbed some of the syrup. Set the drenched cookies on a tray or flat dish (it helps to use a slotted spoon to transfer the cookies out of the syrup). Add the crushed walnuts. Top each cookie with a generous pinch of the chopped walnuts and then pat the walnuts lighty so they will stick to the cookies.

How long will these Greek cookies keep?

I asked this question in a Greek recipe exchange group I belong to, and learned that every Greek in the group makes an even larger batch than my 60 cookies! The good news is, these honey cookies will last a good couple of weeks (some keep them longer) if properly stored. Store melomakarona in an air-tight container at room temperature. And to prevent the layers of cookies from sticking together, it helps to place sheets of wax paper in between the cookies.