Greek moustokouloura cookies (Grape must cookies with petimezi)
Amazing traditional Greek grape must cookies called moustokouloura that are sweetened with petimezi (grape molasses) and honey. No mixer needed to make them from scratch! These cookies are made without dairy or eggs, making them perfect for periods of Lent.
Growing up in a Greek family we always had dairy and egg free cookies available to enjoy on fasting days when we avoid those ingredients. Examples of these cookies include melomakarona, honey tahini cookies and orange flavoured koulourakia. Moustokouloura were always a favourite because they are simple to make and when they are baking the whole house smells amazing thanks to the spices and the petimezi!
Why I love them
These cookies smell so great when they are baking! The fragrance from the spices and petimezi will fill your home with intense aromas of cinnamon and cloves. A batch of moustokouloura in the oven always reminds me of my mama! Imagine how happy I was to make these for the first time on my own and present them to her and my Baba. They were thrilled!
I also love that these cookies are so easy to make. You don’t even need a mixer! The dough is made by hand, which is a fun way to get little kids involved in the kitchen!
These cookies do not contain eggs or dairy, making them perfect for vegans (if they consume honey) and during fasting periods. If you are looking for more amazing lenten recipe options, be sure to download our FREE Nativity Fast Meal Plan, 2024.
Key ingredients
Grape must molasses or Petimezi This is basically grape molasses and is the syrup which is produced when boiling down grape juice. It is one of the original sweeteners, before cane sugar!
Olive oil I love the flavour and aroma that olive oil gives to these cookies
Vegetable oil I balance the strong flavour of the olive oil with some vegetable oil, which provides the fat but not the flavour or aroma of the olive oil.
Honey As I usually do I use either locally sourced honey or good Greek honey when I make these cookies.
All purpose flour Also called regular or plain flour, this is a basic baking ingredient! Versatile, easy to find, and perfect for baking.
Orange juice I use freshly squeezed orange juice when I can, but a good quality bottled OJ will also work well.
Brandy or cognac I don’t use much but I find that a small bit of alcohol like brandy or cognac really makes these cookies extra special.
Baking powder & baking soda These classic leavening agents make my cookies turn out beautifully, with a great texture.
Spices To flavour these cookies I use cinnamon and cloves (and salt of course, but that is not a spice!).
Sesame seeds Although not essential I really like to add sesame seeds to this recipe. They add flavour, texture and visually they make the cookies look extra special.
How to make
One of the things that I love about making these cookies is that I don’t need to pull out my mixer! I can mix the entire thing by hand, which is fun as well as simple. These are the simple steps you will need to follow to make these Greek moustokouloura.
Step 1
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 2
In a large size bowl mix all your wet ingredients together (petimezi, orange juice, honey, brandy or cognac, and the oils).
Step 3
In a large bowl whisk together all of the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, spices). Next add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well together until combined. Use your hands and mix and knead your dough. Be careful not to overmix it!
Step 4
Allow your dough to rest at room temperature for about 10 minutes and then start shaping the cookies. Take a piece of dough (around 35-37 grams) and knead it in your hands and shape into a ball. Roll the dough into a 5 inch long strip. If using sesame seeds sprinkle some sesame seeds onto your board and roll the dough onto the seeds, Join the 2 ends together to form a circle, pinching the ends. Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet.
Step 5
Bake for 12 – 15 minutes on the middle rack of your oven until the cookies are lightly browned. The longer you bake the cookies, the firmer they will get.
Step 6
Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cook on the baking sheet for 3 – 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Baking tips
Mix and knead the dough only until all the ingredients are incorporated and you have a uniform dough. If you overmix your dough you will develop too much of the gluten and this will impact your cookies.
Try to keep your cookies the same size, so that they bake evenly.
The baking time indicated in the recipe ranges from 12 – 15 minutes. If you like your moustokouloura on the softer side the way I do, you will need to bake them for only about 12 minutes. If you bake them longer they will get a little firmer. Both ways are delicious!
Recipe substitutions
You can definitely use all olive oil (or all vegetable oil) in this cookie recipe. The flavour will change based upon your choice, but not the texture.
You can use different spices in the cookies, even though cinnamon and cloves are traditional. You can add some ground ginger or some ground nutmeg to the cookie mix as well – it really is to your taste. For example, when I make these cookies for my sister Billie, I tend to omit the cloves because she really hates the taste!
If you prefer not to use alcohol in the cookies then simply replace it with orange juice.
Frequently asked questions
What is petimezi?
Petimezi is the Greek name for grape molasses. This traditional Greek syrup is made by boiling down grape must, which is the fresh juice that you get when you crush grapes. Petimezi is thick (but not as thick as traditional molasses usually), sweet, tangy and a beautiful dark colour. It is often used in Greek cooking. I have even used it to make this beautiful Semolina halva with petimezi.
What are moustokouloura made of?
These dairy and egg free cookies are sweetened with honey and petimezi. Aside from that they are made with basic baking ingredients, like flour, baking soda and baking powder. The spices add are traditionally cinnamon and cloves.
Where can I purchase petimezi?
You can find petimezi in the baking section of most large markets that have a well stocked Mediteranean section. Otherwise, you can find it online.
What is a good substitute for petimezi?
There isn’t really a perfect substitute, but you could try using pomegranate molasses, dark corn syrup, or maple syrup. Keep in mind that the end result will be very different, and could not be called moustokouloura.
How to serve
One or two (or five) moustokoulora go really well with a cup of Greek coffee, some Greek mountain tea or a warm drink of milk and coffee.
How to store
Moustokouloura will keep at room temperature for a long time (a few weeks) in a well covered container. You can also keep them in the refrigerator.
You can freeze moustokouloura too, making them a really handy cookie to have on hand when you have either unexpected compnay, or when a sweet craving hits!
Related recipes
If you love cookies that contain no dairy and no eggs, I think you will love these!
Vegan chocolate and strawberry cookies Nothing could be easier than these cookies that have a secret ingredient – strawberry jam!
Isli – Greek Christmas cookies stuffed with walnuts A lesser known Greek cookie, but it should really be known by everyone! Making these stuffed cookies is almost as great as eating them!
Vegan shortbread cookies I love these cutout cookies! You can design them to meet every holiday, and they truly taste remarkable.
Greek moustokouloura cookies (Grape must cookies with petimezi)
Equipment
- Bowls (1 medium and 1 large)
- kitchen scale optional, but recommended
Ingredients
- 200 ml Grape must molasses petimezi
- 3/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1 tbsp brandy or cognac see Recipe Notes
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves see Recipe Notes
- 4 ⅓ cups all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup sesame seeds optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 °F.
- Add the wet ingredients to a bowl and use a whisk to combine. Set aside.200 ml Grape must molasses, 3/4 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup vegetable oil, 1/2 cup honey, 1 tbsp brandy or cognac, 1/4 cup orange juice
- In a large bowl combine the dry ingredients and whisk them together to combine.1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/4 tsp salt, 2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ground cloves, 4 ⅓ cups all purpose flour
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry. Using your hands, mix and knead to combine. The dough will be soft and a little sticky. Be careful not to overmix.
- Let the dough rest at room temperature for 10 minutes; this will make it easier to handle.
- Take a piece of dough (around 35-37 grams) and knead it in your hands and shape into a ball. Roll the dough into a 5 inch long strip. If using sesame seeds sprinkle some sesame seeds onto your board and roll the dough onto the seeds, Join the 2 ends together to form a circle, pinching the ends. Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet.1/4 cup sesame seeds
- Bake for 12 – 15 minutes on the middle rack of your oven until the cookies are lightly browned. The longer you bake the cookies, the firmer they will get. We like them soft on the inside, therefore, we bake them for approximately 12-13 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let them cook on the baking sheet for 3 – 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Enjoy!