Greek butter koulourakia with a chocolate twist
Greek cookies (koulourakia) made with butter and designed with a chocolate twist. These two-toned and two-flavoured cookies have a soft and crumbly texture. They require simple ingredients like cocoa powder, icing sugar, flour, butter and eggs and are easy to make, and even easier to enjoy!
Growing up in a Greek home we always had a large container of koulourakia available. Koulourakia is the name for a class of Greek cookies that are traditionally made into twist or round shapes. They tend to be simple cookies that are perfect for dunking into Greek coffee, Mountain tea or a warm (or cold) glass of milk. This recipe for Greek butter koulourakia with a chocolate twist would be considered a fancier version of koulourakia – most typical and common are these koulourakia made with baking ammonia or Greek moustokouloura cookies (Grape must cookies with petimezi).
Why I love this recipe
I am someone who loves to be organized. I love to plan ahead, to be prepared and to be relaxed in the knowledge that I am ready for anything. Well, ready at least for unexpected company, the sweet craving that hits hard, or the need to offer a small gift to a kind neighbour, a friend, or my sister 🙂 I love these koulourakia because I know that I can make them, store them, and rely on them when needed!
This type of preparedness is so nostalgic for me. Growing up, whenever we had company, whether it was planned or unplanned, my parents would offer coffee and koulourakia. When my young daughters were being cared for by my parents while I worked, koulourakia were often the sweet treat they would get between breakfast and lunch, and then again after lunch and before I picked them up.
I love this particular recipe because it makes a normal size amount of cookies! Cooking with my parents, who tend to cook and bake for at least 100 people at a time, is wonderful, but sometimes you don’t want to make hundreds of cookies. When you want to spend just a little bit of time baking, and want only a few koulourakia, this recipe is for you – it will give you 25 cookies!
I love how pretty these koulourakia look, and the combination of chocolate and vanilla flavour. So good!
The cookies are sturdy enough to be packed into cookie boxes and transported. They make a beautiful holiday gift!
Key ingredients
Flour I use all purpose (also known as plain or regular) flour in these cookies. This is usually my go-to flour because it is so versatile and easily available.
Baking powder I add baking powder in order to ensure that my koulourakia rise a bit and have a great texture.
Butter The unsalted butter in these cookies is really obvious! They have a lovely buttery flavour and the texture of the cookie is a perfect mix of crumbly and cake-like. So good!
Icing sugar I use icing sugar in these cookies – it gives a softer and more crumbly texture to the koulourakia than I would get using granulated sugar.
Vanilla For flavour, nothing beats vanilla! In this recipe I use vanilla extract, but you can also use vanilla powder.
Egg To help bind the cookies I use a large egg in the dough.
Salt I like to use unsalted butter, so that I can then control the amount of salt I add to my recipes. Salt is so important in both sweet and savoury dishes, to really bring out the flavours of the other ingredients, and tie everything together!
Egg yolk I use an egg yolk, mixed with milk, to create the egg wash for these cookies.
Cocoa powder To make the chocolate dough I use unsweetened cocoa powder
Granulated sugar To make the chocolate dough I use some additional sugar. In this case I use plain white granulated sugar because it is going to melt when heated along with the cocoa and boiled water.
How to make
Step 1 – Prepare the cocoa mixture
In a medium size bowl combine the cocoa powder, the sugar, salt, boiled water and whisk to combine until smooth. Set aside to cool.
Step 2 – Combine dry ingredients
In a medium bowl whisk together the flour and baking powder, and set aside.
Step 3 – Beat your butter
Place your softened butter in the bowl of your stand (or hand held) mixer and beat using the paddle attachment of your mixer until smooth, approximately 3 – 5 minutes.
Step 4 – Beat wet ingredients well
Add the icing sugar to the butter and beat at medium speed for 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat together at medium speed for an additional 3 minutes.
Step 5 – Combine wet and dry ingredients
Begin adding your flour to the butter, sugar and egg mixture. Add half the flour, mix well and then add the rest of the flour; mix well until just combined. Be careful not to over mix. The dough will be a little dense, and slightly crumbly. This is okay! Transfer the dough to another mixing bowl and mix with your hands until the dough holds together.
Step 6 – Portion out dough
If you have a scale, weigh your dough and separate it into two . One of the halves will become your chocolate dough. If you don’t have a scale, eyeball it as much as you can.
Step 7 – Create chocolate dough
Add one of the halves back into the mixer and slowly add in your cooled chocolate, and 1/4 cup flour. Mix until the chocolate is incorporated.
Step 8 – Rest dough and preheat oven
Let all your dough rest at room temperature for 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 9 – Shape koulourakia
Weigh out 15 grams of vanilla dough and 15 grams of chocolate dough for each cookie. If you don’t have a scale, take ½ tablespoon of each dough for each koulouraki (a total of 1 tablespoon dough per cookie). To shape your koulourakia, roll out the chocolate and the vanilla dough so that you make two long pieces, each about 2 – 3 inches long. Attach them together so that you end up with one long roll of dough that is 4 – 6 inches in length. Shape into a U shape and twist to shape your koulouraki. Transfer your cookies to a parchment lined baking pan. See Recipe Note for a simpler way to make these cookies.
Step 10 – Add egg wash
Once your tray is full, brush each cookie with the egg wash, made by whisking together the egg yolk and milk.
Step 11 – Bake
Bake in the middle rack of your oven for about 20 minutes, until the tops are golden. Remove from oven and let the koulourakia cool on the baking sheet for 2 – 3 minutes before carefully transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Recipe substitutions
Instead of vanilla extract you can use half the amount of vanilla powder. If you do use vanilla powder then add it to the dry ingredients and mix to combine.
You can choose not to add egg wash to the cookies; I like the look that it gives, but you can definitely omit it.
Baking tips
A simpler way to shape your koulourakia: Knead the vanilla and chocolate dough pieces separately, then combine the two colours. Don’t manipulate the dough too much so you can still retain the chocolate and vanilla swirls. Take 30 grams (1 tablespoon) of dough for each cookie; shape a 4 – 6 inch long piece of dough, form into a U and twist to shape the koulourakia.
If you don’t have a kitchen scale, it is not the end of the world. Having said that, it is pretty easy to order an affordable one off of Amazon. I have this kitchen scale, and I love it! If you make these cookies without a scale, use a measuring spoon to portion out your dough. The important thing is to have them uniform in size, as much as possible, so that they bake evenly.
If using the egg wash, brush it onto the cookies very lightly. Too much and you can get cookies that are too dark on top.
Recipe variations
If you prefer not to do the chocolate twist, then simply omit the part where you portion out the dough and add the cocoa mixture to it. Keep your dough vanilla and it will still be wonderful and excellent.
Frequently asked questions
What are koulourakia?
Koulourakia are Greek cookies that are usually quite simple, and often shaped into twists, braids or rounds. They are usually flavoured with vanilla or orange or grape must. Sometimes they are vegan, and sometimes they are made with butter the way these are. There are many different varieties of koulourakia, but they are all pretty great for dunking into coffee!
How do I make the koulourakia twist?
To make the koulourakia twist I roll out a long piece of dough (between 4 – 6 inches long) and I think fold it over to create a U shape that’s inverted. Then, I begin to twist the two long parts of the U together.
Can I make other shapes of koulourakia?
Sure! I often make koulourakia into circles. Sometimes I make an S pattern as well.
How to serve
Serving these Greek koulourakia with a chocolate twist is easy! You can actually enjoy them just as they are, and they make a great snack to pack along in a lunch bag. I like to dip mine in a cup of coffee, or a glass of milk. When I am feeling particularly nostalgic, I make myself a cup of Milk and coffee, grab a few koulourakia and enjoy!
Related recipes
Greeks love koulourakia, and if you enjoy this recipe then I think you will also want to check out these other cookies:
Koulourakia I consider these the classic koulourakia! They are soft and doughy inside because they are made with baking ammonia – that is what is used as the leavening agent! These cookies are great!
Easy 5 ingredient Greek koulourakia Like the name says, these are EASY! If you want a great cookie fast, this is the recipe for you 🙂
Koulourakia with orange These vegan koulourakia are perfect for lent because they contain no eggs and no dairy. The flavour of orange is so perfect!
How to store
Store in a well covered container at room temperature for 5 – 7 days. Otherwise, keep them in the refrigerator for longer storage. These cookies also freeze very well.
Greek butter koulourakia with a chocolate twist
Equipment
- 1 kitchen scale optional, but highly recommended
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups flour, regular all-purpose
- 2 tsps baking powder
- ¾ cup + 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup icing sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 egg, large
For the egg wash:
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tbsp milk
For the chocolate:
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder, unsweetened
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup boiled water
- pinch of salt
- 1/4 cup flour
Instructions
- In a medium size bowl combine the cocoa powder, the sugar, salt, boiled water and whisk to combine until smooth. Set aside to cool.1/4 cup cocoa powder, unsweetened, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup boiled water, pinch of salt
- In a medium bowl whisk together the flour and baking powder, and set aside.2 ½ cups flour, regular all-purpose, 2 tsps baking powder
- Place your softened butter in the bowl of your stand (or hand held) mixer and beat using the paddle attachment of your mixer until smooth, approximately 3 – 5 minutes.¾ cup + 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
- Add the icing sugar to the butter and beat at medium speed for 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat together at medium speed for an additional 3 minutes.1 cup icing sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 egg, large
- Begin adding your flour to the butter, sugar and egg mixture. Add half the flour, mix well and then add the rest of the flour; mix well until just combined. Be careful not to over mix. The dough will be a little dense, and slightly crumbly. This is okay! Transfer the dough to another mixing bowl and mix with your hands until the dough holds together.
- If you have a scale, weigh your dough and separate it into two . One of the halves will become your chocolate dough. If you don't have a scale, eyeball it as much as you can.
- Add one of the halves back into the mixer and slowly add in your cooled chocolate, and 1/4 cup flour. Mix until the chocolate is incorporated.1/4 cup flour
- Let all your dough rest at room temperature for 10-15 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 350 °F.
- Weigh out 15 grams of vanilla dough and 15 grams of chocolate dough for each cookie. If you don't have a scale, take ½ tablespoon of each dough for each koulouraki (a total of 1 tablespoon dough per cookie). To shape your koulourakia, roll out the chocolate and the vanilla dough so that you make two long pieces, each about 2 – 3 inches long. Attach them together so that you end up with one long roll of dough that is 4 – 6 inches in length. Shape into a U shape and twist to shape your koulouraki. Transfer your cookies to a parchment lined baking pan. See Recipe Note for a simpler way to make these cookies.
- Once your tray is full, brush each cookie with the egg wash, made by whisking together the egg yolk and milk.1 egg yolk, 1 tbsp milk
- Bake in the middle rack of your oven for about 20 minutes, until the tops are golden. Remove from oven and let the koulourakia cool on the baking sheet for 2 – 3 minutes before carefully transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Store in a well covered container at room temperature for 5 – 7 days. Keep in refrigerator, or freezer, for longer storage.
I make koulourakia with butter. This year they were flat, and rather dry. What did I do wrong?
Hi Alice, Did you use a new recipe this year? Perhaps there was too much flour, or the mixture was kneaded for too long, or they were overbaked. Hope you try our recipe one day; follow in carefully and you will be super happy with the result!
Bessy