Gluten Free Melomakarona (Greek Honey Cookies)
These traditional Greek Christmas cookies are covered in just the right amount of a sweet honey syrup, topped with walnuts and have been modified to be gluten free!
Baking during the holidays is a big deal in most Greek houses. If there is one cookie that stands out most as a Greek Christmas cookie, it would for sure be Melomakarona.
I have many memories going to my Yia Yia’s house and helping her make these. The only difference was, she never measured anything… and they always turned out perfect! I used to always try and get her to measure things and she would chase me out of the kitchen with my measuring cups!
After she passed away, I knew I wanted to keep the tradition going with baking during the holidays, but let me tell you… trying to get exact measurements was quite a challenge! I asked two of my aunts and they both told me things like “a small dish of ___ and a teacup of ___” HA!
Don’t worry, I had each of them measure it out and I also have made them now many times and have traditional measurements! The best part… I’ve made them gluten free!
I promise, if you make these and bring them to your holiday celebration, no one will ever know they’re gluten free!
* Whenever baking, I always use and highly recommend Cup4Cup gluten free flour.
If you like this Greek recipe, you will also love:
{gluten free} Kourambiedes – Greek Christmas Cookies
{gluten free} Vasilopita- Lucky Greek New Year’s Cake
“{gluten free} Kourambiedes – Greek Christmas Cookies” — MsModify
{gluten free} Greek Easter Cookies “Koulourakia”
“{gluten free} Vasilopita- Lucky Greek New Year’s Cake” — MsModify
Enjoy!
Gluten Free Melomakarona (Greek Honey Cookies)
Recipe details
Ingredients
- 2 cups olive oil
- 2 cups vegetable oil
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 lemons juice of
- 2 oranges juice of
- 1/2 cup brandy
- 7 1/2 cups gluten free flour *I use Cup4Cup
- 4 tsp baking soda
- 1 cup walnuts chopped
Syrup:
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 cup honey
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 tsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Add both oils to bowl and mix.
- Add sugar, cinnamon, and brandy and continue mixing.
- Put orange and lemon juice in a cup. Add baking soda to cup and stir with a spoon. It will begin to foam, so let the mixture spill into the bowl. Continue mixing.
- Slowly add flour and continue to mix. Add flour as needed so the dough is not sticky.
- Pinch a portion of the dough off (about 2 Tbsp) and shape in your hands making an egg shape. Place on cookie sheet.
- Continue to shape cookies until you fill the cookie sheet.
- Using the tines of a fork, lightly press down on each cookie to slightly flatten them out.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until lightly browned.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool.
- In a saucepan, add the sugar, water, honey and cinnamon stick over medium-high heat. Continuously skim the foam off.
- Once it boils, reduce heat to low and add the lemon juice. Remove cinnamon stick.
- Dip each cookie in the simmering syrup, allowing excess syrup to drop off using a slotted spoon.
- Place cookies on the tray and sprinkle with chopped walnuts.
Comments
Share your thoughts, or ask a question!
I’d like to make these for my niece but she follows an anti- inflammatory diet. The gluten free flour is great. How would I substitute/replace the sugar?
They have 4 cups of oil in the cookies? Maybe I misread the recipe. Please confirm this. Thanks.