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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
Michele Kennedy says
My YiaYia used to make them round. I love these!! Of course your way makes larger cookies (lol). MMMM. Do you have any other Greek cookie receipes? I remember another cookie she used to make that were similar but the dough was more dense(?) and they were shaped sort of like a musical clef.
Steve M. says
Koulourakia
http://bakelab.blogspot.com/2010/12/koulourakia-greek-butter-cookie.html?m=1
Selene says
Hi all: E asked … “When do you put these cookies into the powdered sugar”? I have this recipe from a friend from Greece / It’s a little different version of it; She told me to first put the hot cookies (right out of the oven) into the powdered sugar and also a 2nd coating of powdered sugar when they are cooled. I guess it coats it better that way? Very nice of Nicole to post this recipe. It is soooo easy and delicious.
Nat says
I know the same way as you!
Juanita says
Just wondering what I would use in place of all purpose flour as we do not have all purpose flour here in Oz 🙂
Meri says
Juanita, all purpose flour is another name for plain flour which we have in Oz
Ramya says
Hi Nicole, this recipe looks yummy… Can we make this eggless?
Thanks, Ramya.
Nicole says
Ramya — there are no eggs in the recipe!!
shannon says
really?? seems you had a while before it was perfect online… you sure this recipe is correct??
ME SUE says
NO EGG ? WHAT? LOOK AT PIC ABOVE
Kourabiedes (Greek Butter Cookies)
Author: Nicole-Cooking for Keeps
Ingredients
•1 pound unsalted butter, room temperature
•1 large egg
•2 ½ teaspoons pure almond extract
•8 tablespoons powdered sugar
•1/8 teaspoon baking soda
•5 to 5 ½ cups flour
•Pinch of salt
Read more: https://www.cookingforkeeps.com/2012/12/12/kourabiedes-greek-butter-cookies/#ixzz381DIkPRC
elizabeth marie says
My mother was Greek, and I was raised on Kourabiedes, Koulouraikia, Baklava, etc. Tomorrow, I’m going to bake a half batch of Kourabiedes for some friends, and I can’t wait. I’ll hold out a few for my family, of course (there are only three of us locally). In the recipe I have from my mama’s ancient cookbook, a tiny pinch of cloves is included along with a bit of Brandy. No egg. We also shape ours into diamonds instead of crescents and sift the sugar over them once we’ve transferred them to the container where they will live until consumed.
Ricia says
I have made small round Kourabiedes for over 40 Years, always used real butter and NEVER used an Egg. If you drop the cookie in the sifted powdered sugar while warm and remove carefully it will congeal with the butter and make a smooth coating that when cooled will be like a frosting. If not you can re-roll again.
I sometimes divide the dough or make two kinds. Putting spices in the second for larger slightly flattened and pressing into chopped nuts before baking, then and drizzling w honey syrup after baking instead of powdered sugar.
Eleni mardas says
I have been making the cookies for years … I always made them crescent and always stuck a clove in the middle… It was the way my yiayia made it my mother and now myself … Want to wish everyone a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year… Καλή επιτοίχια
Nicole says
You too Eleni!!!
Diana says
The Greek lady I work with gave me her recipe but it was a mixture of butter and Crisco
Have you tried it with a 50/50 mixture to see how it turned out
Also her recipe called for rose water ? Can I skip that ??
Wish me luck. She’s expecting to sample them on Monday
Nicole says
Everyone has their own recipe, which I love! Every Greek has their own way of doing it. I don’t really think there is a wrong or right way, so just go with your gut! I don’t use rose water, so I’m sure it would be fine to omit it in her recipe. Thanks for stopping by Diana!