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Home » Baking

Koulourakia: Traditional Greek Orange & Butter Cookies

Last Modified: Apr 21, 2025 · This post may contain affiliate links

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Welcome to The Storied Recipe Podcast, a podcast about food, culture, and love.

This Greek Koulourakia recipe came from my podcast guest, Regina Frances, a holocaust survivor. Make sure you listen to her episode A Holocaust Survivor Shares Her Story while you make Regina's Traditional Greek Orange Cookies!

An aerial shot of a blue-tiled counter filled with wooden cutting boards with cut up oranges, Koulourakia cookies on wire racks and on decorative blue and white plates, orange zest in a wooden bowl, orange slices on a wooden plate, orange juice in mason jars, a cup of coffee, and purple flowers

For a traditional cookie, you need a traditional recipe! This Koulourakia recipe comes from a Jewish Greek household that dates their Greek heritage all the way back to the dispersal of Jews throughout the Roman empire! My podcast guest, Regina Frances, learned the recipe for these famous Greek cookies with zest orange flavor from her mother, who learned them from her mother. 

For those of us lucky enough to learn from her recipe, let's follow the Frances family tradition of sharing a few with our neighbors and co-workers. There will be more than enough!!

Pair these with a strong cup of coffee (and sit down to listen to France's episode!) or as dessert after a meal of healing Spanish Sopa de Ajo or Mediterranean Kofta. 

A silver plate of a pile of Koulourakia cookies that sits on a white, gauzy tablecloth

Regina's Memories of Making Recipe

Once Regina's family immigrated to the United States, about a dozen years after the Holocaust ended, she never remembers a time when her family's kitchen counter didn't have a glass jar full of these delicious orange cookies.

In fact, when Regina's uncle was going through chemotherapy and was admitted to long-term hospital care, he always had a jar of Koulourakia cookies by his hospital bed!

Later, Regina called her centenarian mother daily and asked her what she had for breakfast. The answer was always the same, "Two koulourakia and a cup of coffee."

Koulourakia cookies on a blue counter top with a bowl of orange zest, a mason jar full of orange juice, a cutting board with orange slices and a glass jar filled with purple flowers

Top Tip

Pay attention to the dough as you add the final cups of flour!

  • This is a simple recipe! The key to success is adding flour until the texture is perfect - like Regina says, it should be pliable, smooth, and not sticky - just like a baby's cheeks 🙂
  • To arrive at the right texture, you'll need to not worry too much about the recipe's suggestion of 8-9 cups of flour. Instead, pay more attention to the dough itself.
  • Too little flour and the dough will stick to your hands. You should be able to shape the dough without flouring your hands. The dough may be a little greasy (yay butter!), but it should not be sticky.
  • Too much flour and the dough will crack as you try to shape it.
A person's hand pour cream in a decorative coffee cup filled with coffee on a small plate filled with Koulourakia cookies

Second Top Tip

Beat the egg whites until frothy before brushing on!

  • You don't want gloopy egg whites. This will result in areas of the cookie with lots of egg whites and areas with none at all.
  • The key is to beat the egg whites (a fork or whisk works fine) vigorously until they are frothy and have an even, runny consistency.
  • Once you've done this, use a pastry brush to evenly brush the whites all over the cookies.
  • The result will be a gorgeous, glistening, golden brown coating!
Koulourakia dough in decorative shapes surrounded by oranges

Ingredients & Substitutions

Traditional Koulourakia are made from the most simple ingredients!

Just don't skip the orange zest! - That's the flavor that brings the magic.

  • Unsalted butter (room temperature)
  • Sugar
  • 8 eggs - 2 whole, 6 separated
  • Orange juice
  • Brandy
  • Baking soda
  • Vanilla extract
  • Orange rind
  • Baking powder
  • All purpose flour
A silver plater of Koulourakia cookies and two cookies each on a seperate plate with Koulourakia cookies

Variations on Recipe

  • Regina explains that Koulouria just means shaped or round, and true Koulouria is not a cookie, but a round pastry, similar to a bagel. Here's a video from Dimitri's Dishes all about making Koulouria, traditional Greek Bread Rings. These are usually covered with sesame seeds.
  • A few do make Koulourakia with sesame seeds and olive oil (especially if you'd prefer Vegan Koulourakia).
  • You can always substitute a different citrus zest for the orange zest, although the traditional recipe very definitely is orange flavored!
A close up shot of the middle section of a Koulourakia cookie

Instructions

  • You'll cream the butter and sugar, then slowly add in everything else, scraping down the sides of the bowl of your stand mixer as you go. Remember to add flour to FEEL, not to the recipe! 😉
  • You'll probably need to use a strong wooden spoon to add the final cups of flour.

Why Add the Baking Soda to Brandy?

  • Generally, you add the leavening agent to the dry ingredient, however, Regina's recipe calls for us to add the baking soda to the brandy.
  • I asked Regina why and she said, "Because my mother did." 😉
  • I've researched and - frankly - I can't say for sure.
  • I think the best explanation comes from a reader's answer to this Food52 post. The reader says, "Most baking soda on the market is "double-acting" which means that it helps something leaven right when it's mixed with wet ingredients and then again when it's baking. My best guess is that the recipe writer wants to get the first leaven done so that whatever you're making doesn't rise too much. Would that make sense for the recipe?"
  • If you know, please let me know!!!!
A close up shot of a pile of Koulourakia cookies, the top one is in the shape of a heart

Shaping the Koulourakia

The really fun part is creating the variety of shapes!!! If you include kids, you'll have even more fun. Mine had all the best ideas 😉

  • Begin by grabbing about a golf ball portion of dough.
  • Roll to about a 1/2 inch in diameter and 7-9 inches long. If it gets too long, just pinch out the end.
  • Snails/Spirals: Just anchor one end in place and coil around into a spiral shape.
  • Elephant's ears: Lay the log flat, then spiral both ends in toward each other.
  • Heart: Take the elephant's ears, then pinch the flat part into a heart.
  • Braid/Twist: Create an X with both close to the center. Continue to cross the dough until you get to the ends.
  • S shape: Lay the log vertically, then roll the ends in opposite directions until the S shape forms. Continue to roll until there is no space between the two ends of the S.
The first in a eight part series of a boy's hand rolling out the Koulourakia dough into a thin log shape
2nd part is a boy's hand curling the Koulourakia dough log into a spiral
3rd part is the boy showing the coiled Koulourakia dough
4th part is the boy shaping the Koulourakia dough into a decorative S
5th part is the boy curling both ends of the Koulourakia dough into itself
6th part is the boy shaping the Koulourakia dough into the shape of a heart from the previous shape from the 5th parth
7th part is the boy twistinng the Koulourakia dough together with an eye hook at the top of the twist
8th and final part shows the boy shaping the Koulourakia dough by pinching the top and bottom of the S shape dough

Baking Time

  • This is the one place where I quibble with Regina's recipe - hers says 35 minutes, but I found 15 at 350 was adequate, using my oven. I'd suggest starting with 15 in your oven and adding time from there.
  • Although I didn't use parchment paper, I do suggest it. My cookies stuck just a bit to the baking pans.
  • Cool on a wire rack.

Chilling/Freezing

  • If you're not ready to shape immediately, that's fine. Tightly cover or wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate (covered) or freeze (well-wrapped, up to 3 months).
  • Because this recipe makes such a large quantity, you may like to set half aside for later. Either refrigerate or freeze.
  • When you're ready to shape, allow the dough to come up to room temperature.
  • You can also freeze the cooked and cooled cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
An aerial shot of Koulourakia cookies on wire racks

Equipment

  • A stand mixer makes this one a lot easier!
  • Parchment paper
  • Cookie sheets and cooling racks
  • An orange zester!

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Listen to Regina's Episode

A headshot of my podcast guest and recipe provider Regina Frances

This is the story of a Holocaust survivor. It is a complicated story, with layers of historical and political realities I had no idea of before this interview, reminding us story is different than a simple narrative - and that we can never assume someone’s story without actually listening to them. 

And Regina’s story is actually two stories of two families - both Greek, one Jewish and one not. It is a story of survival, yes, and it is also a story of sacrifice, love, and gratitude. 

After you listen - tell me - do not these things not leave a legacy that is greater and more enduring than acts of hate and destruction? 

Print

Recipe

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Koulouakia cookies in heart and swirl shapes

Koulourakia Recipe: Traditional Greek Orange Cookies


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5 from 2 reviews

  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 120 servings 1x
Print Recipe

Description

Traditional Greek Koulourakia is a buttery orange cookie with a perfect bite, a crumbly soft inside, and a zesty bright flavor.


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 4 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2 2/3 cups sugar
  • 2 eggs, whole
  • 6 egg yolks, save the whites
  • 1/2 cup orange juice
  • 2 tablespoon brandy
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda (to put in the brandy)
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 tablespoons orange rind
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 8 cups (to 9 cups) flour


Instructions

Cue Up The Episode!

  1. Make sure you listen to Regina's episode on The Storied Recipe Podcast, A Holocaust Survivor Shares Her Story while you make her beautiful Koulourakia cookies!

Make The Recipe

  1. Cream butter and sugar.
  2. Separate 6 of the 8 eggs. Set aside the 6 whites.
  3. Add two eggs and 6 yolks to the butter and sugar.
  4. Add all ingredients except flour.
  5. Mix 1 teaspoon baking powder into 1 cup of flour. Add to mixture.
  6. Add flour one cup at a time until the dough is smooth and just past the point of sticky. You should be able to handle and shape the dough without flouring your hands. You may need to use a spoon to stir in the last few cups of flour.
  7. Beat the egg whites until frothy and not gloopy.
  8. Brush cookies with egg whites.
  9. Bake for about 15 minutes until golden brown.

Notes

Make sure to listen to Regina's episode, A Holocaust Survivor Shares Her Story, while you make her Koulourakia cookies.

  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Category: Cookies, Dessert
  • Cuisine: Greek, Mediterranean

Nutrition

  • Calories: 53
  • Sugar: 5
  • Sodium: 14
  • Fat: 0.4
  • Saturated Fat: 0.1
  • Carbohydrates: 11
  • Fiber: 0.2
  • Protein: 1
  • Cholesterol: 13

There's a story behind this recipe!

Tune in to The Storied Recipe Podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to hear more!

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Welcome, Friend!

I’m Becky Hadeed, a mother to 4, curious home cook, lover of extraordinary light, and host of The Storied Recipe Podcast. I consider it a great honor that my guests entrust me with their stories and allow me photograph and share their most treasured family recipes.

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Welcome, Friend!

I’m Becky Hadeed, a mother to 4, curious home cook, lover of extraordinary light, and host of The Storied Recipe Podcast. I consider it a great honor that my guests entrust me with their stories and allow me photograph and share their most treasured family recipes.

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