An amazing super easy traditional Greek recipe for Moustokouloura (Grape must cookies) made in only 35 minutes from scratch!
These Moustokouloura cookies are really delicious and fragrant. While baking them the sweet intense aromas of clove and cinnamon permeate the air and bring back childhood memories. The whole recipe is very simple to make and doesn’t require any special equipment, so they are always fun to make with the kids.
Greek Moustokouloura (Grape must cookies) are actually very healthy as they don’t contain any butter or dairy products (vegan) and are also ideal during Lent season, together with my Greek olive oil cookies. Serve with a Greek coffee or tea and you will have a match made in heaven!
Moustokouloura recipe – What is Grape molasses (petimezi)?
For this moustokouloura recipe we use grape molasses which in Greek is called petimezi. Petimezi is the juice of the grape (grape must) that has been condensed into a sweet syrup. It is thought to be one of the first sweeteners before cane sugar were introduced in the Mediterranean regions.
Its flavor is sweet with slightly bitter undertones. The petimezi syrup may be dark or lighter in color, depending on the variety of grapes used. Grape molasses is rich in energy, iron and calcium. It includes antioxidants, vitamins A, B, C, and minerals.
Tips to make the perfect Moustokouloura
Making Moustokouloura is really simple and I have a few tips for you to succeed every single time. First of all make sure to sift the flour so that the mixture does’t get lumpy. It is also important not to overwork the dough for the Moustokouloura, because this will cause the oil to separate from the mixture.
If you like your Moustokouloura crispy and crunchy bake them according to the recipe instructions below. But if you prefer them soft and chewy just cover the baking pan with another baking pan before baking them. (The above pan should not touch the cookies). This little trick will keep the moisture inside and will make your cookies soft.
To prepare this Greek moustokouloura recipe add in a large bowl the petimezi and water and whisk using a hand whisk.
Add the vegetable oil, olive oil and honey. Mix thoroughly for about 5 minutes with a hand whisk, until the sugar dissolves.
In the same bowl add the baking ammonia and baking soda and whisk to dissolve completely.
In another bowl add the sifted flour, ground cinnamon and ground clove ad mix with a spoon.
Add the flour mixture into the liquid mixture and mix with a spoon until the mixture is thick and can be handled with your hands. Be careful not to knead the mixture too much, to prevent the oil from separating.
This moustokouloura recipe make 20-22 cookies depending on the size you make them. So divide the dough to 20-22 pieces.
Take each piece of the dough and knead into a rope (approx. 10 cm) and join the edges together to form a circle.
Place the moustokoloura into a baking pan, lined with parchment paper, leaving 2-3cm distance between them.
Bake the moustokouloura for approx. 15-20 min. Be careful not to over-bake them. If you prefer them slightly softer, bake them covered with some foil, remove it 15 minutes in and let it bake uncovered for the last 5 minutes.
I’ve never tasted these before, so my Greek curiosity got to me. I had all the ingredients on hand, so I made a batch. The house smells like a Greek bakery. I made half recipe as stated and other half covered with a baking sheet for soft chewy cookies….I love them both. This is a definite keeper, plan on making these often. Your recipes never dissapoint!!!!
Really nice. I found that if you cover for most of the cooking time, and then cook uncovered for the final two minutes at the end you get lovely soft cookies, but also the nice darker colour. Thanks for the recipe
I used cake flour because that was Google’s description of soft flour. I had to use almost twice as much flour as the recipe called for. Next time I will use all purpose flour and hope for better results. I’ve done this twice and the cookies came out nice but it is a little scary. It made a lot more than 22. Has anyone had to add more flour using all purpose?
Hi: I made these and they are delicious. But, they did not rise that much (i.e. they seemed flat). Just the look… The only difference between what I did is I used baking powder rather than ammonia… could that be it?
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I’ve never tasted these before, so my Greek curiosity got to me. I had all the ingredients on hand, so I made a batch. The house smells like a Greek bakery. I made half recipe as stated and other half covered with a baking sheet for soft chewy cookies….I love them both. This is a definite keeper, plan on making these often. Your recipes never dissapoint!!!!
Thank you very much Konstantina!! 🙂 So glad you loved them!
Really nice. I found that if you cover for most of the cooking time, and then cook uncovered for the final two minutes at the end you get lovely soft cookies, but also the nice darker colour. Thanks for the recipe
that’s a great tip! I’ve tried it and added it in the recipe! Thank you 🙂
Hi, I was just wondering where in the recipe to add the sugar..I didn’t see it mentioned.
Thanks!
Which kind of flour grade do you use?
All purpose flour – or plain flour depending on where you live 🙂
I used cake flour because that was Google’s description of soft flour. I had to use almost twice as much flour as the recipe called for. Next time I will use all purpose flour and hope for better results. I’ve done this twice and the cookies came out nice but it is a little scary. It made a lot more than 22. Has anyone had to add more flour using all purpose?
Hi: I made these and they are delicious. But, they did not rise that much (i.e. they seemed flat). Just the look… The only difference between what I did is I used baking powder rather than ammonia… could that be it?
did i get my mixture right because my do was very sticky and impossible to roll
When do you add the sugar? You did not answer this question when previously asked. I would add it with the oils, is this correct?
I want to make the cookies so bad. If you can also please translate the measurements in ounces and cups it will be easier to follow
Thank you