Moustokouloura are traditional Greek crunchy and spiced Grape Molasse Cookies. Made with olive oil and no dairy!
Moustokouloura cookies are truly unique and a must-try. These healthier, sugar-free cookies are made with an ancient sweetener known as grape molasses. They're flavored with cinnamon, cloves, brandy, and orange.
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They take only a few minutes to make as long as you have some ready-made grape molasses at hand. If you don't, you can easily make it at home or even buy some. But first, let's explain what it is.
What's Grape Molasses?
Grape Molasses is Grape juice that's reduced by simmering for quite some time. It's a very sweet liquid that can be as light as syrup or thick like honey (depending on the cooking time). Here's How To Make Grape Molasses At Home. I will also include a link (affiliate) if you prefer to buy some instead of making it. Here's where you can buy some.
I don't have a thing for cookies, not even for chocolate chip cookies. But Moustokouloura I just can't stop eating. They were my favorite since I was a kid. Around this time of the year when it's time to make wine, all bakeries will sell these Grape Molasses Cookies along with other grape season goodies such as Moustalevria (Grape Must Pudding).
The winemaking takes place from the first days of September until mid-October. In other words, when it's pumpkin season for some, for Greeks it's Grape season.
You May Also Like These Other Greek Cookies Recipes:
- Sesame Seed, Olive Oil, Orange Cookies
- Traditional Greek Easter Cookies
- Walnut Stuffed Christmas Cookies
- Almond Meringue Cookies
Grape Molasses Substitutes
Here are a few of the best substitutes for grape molasses. To use for making Moustokouloura or other sweets made with grape molasses.
- Carob Syrup (in Greece we refer to it as Carob Honey). Its flavor is strong and earthy and resembles chocolate. Also, its color is dark so it's one of the best substitutes for Grape Molasses.
- Date Syrup is another great earthy, fruit sweetener with a deep color.
- Molasses just plain sugar molasses works also but you better skip the honey in this case.
How To Make Moustokouloura
The process of making Moustokouloura Cookies is very simple. You begin by whisking the wet ingredients (olive oil, orange juice, grape molasses, honey) with the spices (cinnamon, cloves) orange zest, and baking soda.
Mix well until uniform. The mixture will get slightly frothy because the baking soda will get activated by the acidity of the orange juice.
Combine flour with baking powder and mix into the wet ingredients gradually. The dough will be very soft and slightly sticky.
NOTE: You may need to use slightly less or more flour than what the recipe calls for. This will depend on how thick is the grape molasses you're using, and how strong is the flour.
Serve With
These Grape Molasses Cookies are one of the best things to serve with coffee. And especially Greek Coffee or Turkish Coffee (same thing). Their unique earthy and deep sweet flavor along with the spices goes heavenly well with the bitter taste of coffee.
Not that a cup of strong black tea wouldn't go as well!
Storing
Moustokouloura are kept at room temperature. My favorite way to preserve them is inside a cookie tin or airtight food container so their texture won't spoil. You can store like this for up to 3-4 months.
Recipe
Grape Molasses Cookies (Moustokouloura)
Ingredients
- 200 ml Grape Molasses ( see how to make here or buy online here)
- 250 ml (1 cup) olive oil
- 100 grams (⅓ cup) honey
- 2 tablespoons brandy or red wine or Raki (Tsipouro)
- 60 ml (¼ cup) orange juice
- 1 orange zest
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 650-700 grams (5½ to 5¾ cups) all purpose flour
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 175°C / 350°F.
- Combine wet ingredients (grape molasses, honey, olive oil, orange juice, brandy) in a mixing bowl using a whisk.
- Add cinnamon, cloves, orange zest, and baking soda. Whisk until uniform.
- Combine flour and baking powder. Gradually incorporate into the wet ingredients. The dough will be soft and slightly sticky, but shapeable without leaving fragments on your hands.
- Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Shape. Take a piece of the dough (about 30-40 grams) and squeeze it in your hands to remove excess air. Shape it into a ball and then into a cord (about 10-12cm). Stick the edges together to create a ring. Repeat the process for the remaining dough and place the cookies on the pan with 2 fingers space in between.
- Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes until the cookies get a honey-brown color all over.
- Serve with a cup of Greek coffee!
Like what Paul from Oregon said..... I wasn't sure at first but these were really good! I had to use some leftover grape molasses + flour mix, found these, wasn't sure because from the recipe they sound very different from the American and German cookies that I'm used to, but they're really yummy 🙂 they remind me of Lebkuchen or other soft gingerbread cookies but without the ginger. I rolled them in sesame seeds and I think I might make them with my leftovers again next time I make simit!
Strangely addictive. If you like not so sweet European cookies, like biscotti and the texture of lebkuchen, I'd say give these cookies I try.
Years ago I bought some grape must (petimezi) & didn't know what to do with it.
Well thanks to this recipe found a way to make something new & unique. Would I go out of my way to buy some more petimezi? Probably not but then again I've eaten more than a few Moustokouloura & they're still on the cooling rack.