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These Kourabiedes (Greek Butter Cookies) are a classic Greek cookie. Some call them wedding cookies, some call them Christmas cookies, I just call them delicious! They’re buttery, crumbly, sweet, but not too sweet, and the perfect holiday treat!
Kourabiedes (Greek Butter Cookies)
Everyone has that “thing” they do around the holidays, right? Whether it’s making fudge, toffee, cookies, or candies to give to friends and family, generally everyone has something special they do around this time of year for loved ones. As a food blogger, and daughter of an avid cook, you won’t be surprised to find out that our family tradition is to give out an assortment of homemade cookies to our family and friends every year.
When I first stated making holiday cookies, we only made two different kinds and today’s Kourabiedes or Greek Butter Cookies happened to be one of them. While they aren’t overly fancy, they are DELICIOUS. They have a buttery taste similar to a shortbread cookie, but they’re slightly more crumbly. Our version has plenty of almond flavoring, a pinch of salt, and is coated in plenty of powdered sugar.
Ingredient List
- butter
- powdered sugar
- almond extract
- egg
- baking soda
- kosher salt
I’ve gotten some heat for putting an egg in our recipe, but that’s just how my Grandma did it, so that’s what I also do. I trust in the recipe. I do however, add more almond extract than her recipe called for because I adore the flavor of almond. I also add in a lot more salt, because I’m basically addicted to the salty/sweet combo.
How to make Kourabiedes (Greek Butter Cookies)
- Beat butter in the bottom of a stand mixer on a medium-high speed for 20 minutes.
- Add egg and almond extract, mix until combined. Sift ½ cup powdered sugar, baking soda, flour and salt together in a large bowl. With the speed on low, add mixture a little bit at a time until completely incorporated. If the dough is too sticky, add a little bit more of flour.
- Roll about 2 tablespoons of dough into crescents and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silt pad. Bake for 15-20 minutes until very pale brown and cooked through.
- If serving cookies right away. Let them cool slightly and toss in powdered sugar. Serve within 24 hours. If you want to bake them and then serve later, store in an airtight container in the fridge (or we store them outside when it’s cold). When ready to serve, pop in a warm oven until warm, then roll in powdered sugar.
Can these be made ahead of time?
Yes! Since we give them out throughout the holidays, we actually let them cool completely and store them in an airtight container in the fridge. When I’m ready to give them away, I pop them in a 300 degree oven until they’re warm again, then coat them in powdered sugar and let them cool completely before packaging them up or serving. You can also freeze them in an airtight container for up to six months. Again, freeze them without powdered sugar and coat them just before serving.
Substitutions and Tips and Tricks to making perfect Kourabiedes
- Beat the butter for 20 minutes. Yes, 20 minutes!!! This makes the cookies tender, promise. You’ll know it’s ready when it turns from pale yellow to white.
- When you mix the flour in, mix as little as possible until it’s all combined. Do not overmix.
- Let the cookies cool slightly, and then roll them in powdered sugar. You want them to still be warm when rolling them in the sugar.
- If you love the flavor of almond, add more. If it’s not your thing, add less and a splash of vanilla.
- Only bake them until they are VERY pale brown on the bottom – not on the sides or top. They become too crumbly if you cook them too long.
Kourabiedes (Greek Butter Cookies)
Ingredients
- 1 lb unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 large egg
- 1 Tbsp Almond extract
- 1/2 Cup powdered sugar, plus another cup for coating
- 1/8 tsp baking soda
- 5 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
Equipment
- stand mixer
- baking sheet
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat butter in the bottom of a stand mixer on a medium-high speed for 20 minutes. Add egg and almond extract, mix until combined.
- Sift ½ cup powdered sugar, baking soda, flour and salt together in a large bowl. With the speed on low, add mixture a little bit at a time until completely incorporated. If the dough is too sticky, add a little bit more of flour.
- To Form: Roll about 2 tablespoons of dough into crescents and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silt pad. There is no need to place cookies very far apart, as they do not spread much. Bake for 15-20 minutes until very pale brown and cooked through.
- If serving cookies right away. Let them cool slightly and toss in powdered sugar. Serve within 24 hours. If you want to bake them and then serve later, store in an airtight container in the fridge (or we store them outside when it’s cold). When ready to serve, pop in a warm oven until warm, then roll in powdered sugar. *These can be frozen for up to 3 months in an airtight container.
Nutrition Information
Karyl says
I made the Kourabiedes last night Nicole; absolutely delicious! Next: peanut butter balls.
Emily Cohen says
My Greek mother’s recipe: 2 1/2 lbs sweet butter, 6 tbs powder sugar, 3 oz ground almonds, Juice from 3 oranges, 3 egg yolks, 1 1/4 (measured shot glass) whiskey, 2 1/2 lbs flour mixed with 5 1/2 tsp baking powder. After you creamed butter add all the above except the flour and baking powder, mix well. In a large bowl (add flour mixed with the baking powder) a little at a time, kneading as you go along. Keep adding flour until mixture does not stick to fingers. Shape cookies, bake 350 until golden brown, about 24 minutes. Remove from oven, In fine sprayer bottle (filled with some whiskey) lightly spray cookies with the whiskey and place a clove in each cookie. Sprinkly with powder sugar. Makes 95 cookies. Do not half this recipe, because I halved the recipe from 200 cookies. Sorry but my mother made that many cookies at one time, she never measured so I was able to measure each step of the way as she was putting the recipe together.
Iris says
Don’t know if you omitted an ingredient but this recipe was too buttery to ever get ingredients to stop sticking to fingers. Even added more flour. Total disaster to the tune of $20!
And I was so sure this was the one my mother use to make.
Angilique falcon says
I made these for my son’s World History AP class. They were studying Arête: The Greek Way. We signed up for dessert and I’m glad we did. These cookies were super easy (especially with my Kitchen Aid mixer). The gentle fragrance made the downstairs smell wonderful. We needed to find a recipe without nuts and this was perfect. I’m adding this one to my cookie rotation.
Nicole says
Wonderful! Glad they turned out well for you!
Jennifer dunham says
I am taking to party and substituting 1.5 t vanilla and 1t bourbon like I saw in another recipe and I am also mixing some ground cloves into dusting sugar because of a slightly different variation where you stick a whole clove on the cookie during baking.
Nicole says
Awesome!! Let me know how it goes!!
anna says
is it possible to freeze the mixture and defrost at a later time and cook the kourabeides?
Nicole says
I haven’t tried to freeze the dough before, but you can make all the cookies before, forgo the powdered sugar coating, and freeze them in even layers in an airtight container for when they’re ready to be eaten.
Mara says
If I freeze the cookies after baking, will I be able to roll in powered sugar after they are defrosted and achieve the same result? Or – should I freeze them already coated in sugar? We’d like to give these as wedding favors and I’d like to get the baking done ahead of time if the cookies can hold up.
Nicole says
Mara, freeze them without the powdered sugar, just cool completely and store in an airtight container with parchment paper separating the layers. When you are ready to use, defrost completely, then roll in powdered sugar. Let me know if you have any other questions!
Rena says
When you defrost completely spray with rose water and then add icing sugar it helps for the sugar to adhere better
Angie says
Thank you for sharing. Would we be able to substitute real almonds for the almond extract? And in what quantity would you suggest if so?
Nicole says
Angie, adding almonds, whole or ground would change the texture of the dough, I would stick with the extract!
cherri wilmont says
my sister-in-law makes them with pecan chips in them- AWESOME!
Nicole says
Yum!!!
Janet says
I lived in Greece and these would be piled high on plates like snow mountains at Christmas. I have added a few flaked almonds to the dough .. doesn’t change the light texture just adds a more authentic taste of almond. My recipe always pierced each biscuit with a clove for taste … taken out before adding icing and rosewater. I recall it has Christian tradition .. the nails of the cross or thorns ??
Mary Bender says
I use ground almonds and they turn out delicious!
Nicole says
Awesome!! Thanks so much for your comment Mary!
Kathy says
Hello
About 25 years ago, a Greek co-worker made these cookies. Loved them so much, she gave me recipe. I have been making these every Christmas since then. They have become family/ friend favorite. Will be making these for the Cookie exchange at work this year. I have lost touch with the co-worker, but think about her every time I bake these cookies.
Kathy
Nicole says
What a nice story Kathy!
Barbara says
40 years ago, when I was first married, I attended a Greek Cooking Class at my local Orthodox Church. The recipe given to me by the Greek ladies is just like yours except for beating the butter for 20 minutes. I am definitely trying it your way.
Barbara
Nicole says
Barbara I love this story! My Grandma swears by beating the butter that long, I used to think it was crazy but now I swear by it too.
Clover says
Yes the beating the butter is the ONLY way i do 30 mins…. what i did find is the more humid the conditions the more flour necessary and if you understand the FEEL of the cookies you will have success every time….I have had to use as little as 3.5 cups to as much as 6.5 cups of flour….you don’t want it dry but it needs to release and not stick….
Phyllis howard says
I lived next door to a Greek family in my early years. The grandmother made these without a recipe. She could not speak English, so I sat in her kitchen and wrote down what she did .there was no almond extract. She used I egg yolk, the juice of an orange & a shot of whiskey. She also clarified the butter. They called them Greek wedding cookies. I just made 1/2 recipe for a cookie exchange and they look beautiful I in silver cup cake liners. They are always a hit.
Phyllis howard says
I hope you received my comment . Let me know. Thanks, phyllis
Nicole says
I did Pyhllis, just responded, thank you so much!
Nicole says
I just love these stores, so many people have given me their memories of Kourabiedes, thanks so much for sharing!! Aren’t they pretty gifts??
Theresa says
I come from a Greek family…dad’s folks both from Greece .. mom’s dad from Greece…I remember sitting at the table watching my dad’s mom (YaYa) cream the butter and she would go one directions with her mixer and cream for a whole 30 min. !!!! She shaped them into crescents with her wonderful patient hands and when in the oven you NEVER opened the door! She know by the smell when they were done and she was correct each and every time…God I mess those days spent with her!
Nicole says
Love this story!
Kathy says
OK. Just starting my baking tonight. Butter has been sitting at room temp. I am grateful for my Kitchen Aid stand up mixer tonight. Yes, I remember how the person that taught me how to make these stressed how important to mix for 20 minutes. My mother in law just asked me yesterday if I would be making these cookies anytime soon. She was delighted to hear my response. Remembering my old co-worker Edie tonight.
Kathy says
I didn’t think about it until now, but I have a new oven with convection setting. Just wondering if anyone uses convection oven for these cookies. Heard that cookies come out great with convection oven, but I have never tried it
thanos says
I’m from Crete and my mother and grandmother always used vegetable fat instead of butter and the secret to these old traditional Greek biscuits is the rose flower water mixed with orange blossom water that is added into the mix that makes them so dinstictive and aromatic.