This recipe will let you create beloved Greek Easter cookies with no dairy or eggs! These cookies have become part of my little Greek-American family’s holiday celebrations, and I hope you’ll enjoy their buttery flavor and soft texture as much as I do.
When I was growing up, Greek Easter weekend was the time I stayed up past bedtime and shouted, “Christ Come!” and then happily tucked into bowl after bowl of avgolemono and tsoureki bread.
It was also a time of koulourakia, woven Greek butter cookies. Koulourakia is associated with Passover or Easter, but it can be enjoyed throughout the year as part of the celebration.
Family friends would bring homemade tins of koulourakia to my grandmother’s apartment or buy them by the pound at Greek bakeries around the city.
As a result, throughout the week of Easter, silver POTS filled with koulourakia were everywhere.
I remember long Sundays at my grandmother’s house when I would open the cookie tin, smell a buttery sweet smell, and braid a little braid or two myself.
I made plant-based versions of avgolemono soup and tsoureki bread as an adult. This year, it’s time to add a vegetarian koulourakia recipe to holiday meals.
After much experimentation, I found vegetarian koulourakia, which helps me and my mom stay traditional.
What is koulourakia?
Koulourakia is a sweet, vanilla-flavored butter cookie.
They’re harder to define because they don’t align with many popular cookie varieties.
Koulourakia is not as crisp or buttery as a pretzel, and it’s not nearly as sweet as American cookies; you can think of it as medium sweet.
The texture of these cookies is challenging to determine, as it will vary from recipe to recipe. I’ve had some very crunchy koulourakia and some as soft as bread.
The texture of the vegetarian koulourakia I’m sharing today is similar to the cookies I ate as a child: fluffy and soft but not very smooth and chewy.
Figuring out how to achieve this texture is a challenge! In the biscuit experiment, many sticks of butter and flour were sacrificed, and the result was that the biscuit was too hard, too flat, too crisp, and too like bread.
Finally, I found a recipe that I liked.
What makes these koulourakia vegetarians?
The trick to making vegan koulouri—as with tsoureki and many types of cookies—is to use vegan butter and some sort of egg substitute.
It sounds simple, right? However, both of these alternatives can be tricky in baking, especially finding a suitable egg substitute.
Honestly, there are a lot of baked goods that don’t need to replace eggs. I often make quick bread – pancakes, waffles, buns, muffins, cakes – without flax eggs, aquafaba, Ener-G, or any other egg substitute.
It depends on the cookie. Some cookies do well with aquafaba instead of eggs, while others require flax flour.
It took me some time and experimentation to make vegetarian koulourakia as soft and structured as traditional egg biscuits.
Ultimately, I chose aquafaba, which helps the cookies stay fluffy and light while giving them structure.
Work with water aba
Most of my readers are familiar with aquafaba, and I know some of you are aquafaba baking experts. If you’re new to this ingredient, here’s a brief explanation.
Aquafaba is a canned brine, or “chickpea water,” with chickpeas in a can.
We often discard this fluid, which can be used as a versatile and practical egg replacement.
Aquafaba is the best vegan egg substitute for more delicate baked goods like cakes and sugar cookies.
Due to its protein content, soy milk’s mixing process is very similar to that of egg whites. It can even be used to make a true vegetarian pavlova or macaroon.
I use canned beans in the kitchen, so I’ve only ever used aquafaba from canned beans.
I’ve used many brands of canned chickpeas so far, and I have yet to find one that doesn’t work. My only advice is to use a can of low-sodium chickpeas, so your watercress won’t have an arbitrary salty taste when you bake with it.
Which particular vegan butter should I use?
The easiest thing to measure and bake is a variety of vegan butter served on sticks rather than in a bathtub.
So, I recommend choosing a vegan butter brand that makes butter sticks, such as Earth Balance, Miyoko’s Creamery, or Country Crock Plant Butter.
You can choose the brand that fits your preferences and budget within this range. I usually bake with the original Earth Balance stick, which is a bit salty, so if I choose another brand of butter, I try to use one that doesn’t contain salt.
Butter is also a matter of trial and error. My vegetarian koulourakia used more butter than some traditional recipes, a choice I made when test batches were always too dry and not rich enough.
I realized aquafaba replaced the structure usually provided by the egg white, not the yolk fat. To compensate for this change, I need to add a little extra vegan butter.
They say butter makes everything better, and whether that’s true or not, that’s exactly what this dish does!
How to make vegetarian kouourakia
Koulourakia is relatively easy to make, but they do unfold in stages.
If the recipe seems a little scary, don’t worry. These cookies are interesting in shape and twist, and the sweet, buttery, aromatic end product is well worth your effort and patience.
Step 1: Stir the dry ingredients together
The ingredients are simple: all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt.
Flour, baking powder, and salt are the simple dry ingredients required for the cookies.
You will pour these dry ingredients into a stand mixer or another bowl, which you may use as a mixing bowl with a spout.
Step 2: Cream butter and sugar
Next, you can beat the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer or a hand-held mixer on low speed.
Like many cookie recipes, making koulourakia starts with whisking together (vegan) butter and sugar. This process takes 2-4 minutes, and you end up with a pale yellow, fluffy, creamy mixture.
I used to get confused about “whipping” butter and sugar. Is that any different than a simple blend?
Whipping cream is mixing butter and sugar long enough until the sugar is evenly dispersed into the butter. The cream butter and sugar should be pale yellow, light, and fluffy.
Adding too much cream to the butter and sugar may cause the mixture to look loose and greasy. I’ve made this mistake many times!
It’s easier to add too much cream to the mixture if you use a hand-held mixer instead of a stand mixer – in that case, it’s trickier to beat slowly.
I recommend mixing it by hand for 2-3 minutes at a medium-low speed or using a stand mixer for 3-4 minutes at a medium speed, which will work well.
Step 3: Add other wet ingredients to a blender
Other wet ingredients are soy milk, vanilla extract, tangerine flavor or orange zest, and 1/2 cup (120 ml) of non-dairy milk. I usually bake with pure soy, oats, cashews, or almond milk.
About the taste of oranges: This is similar to an extract. It is usually infused with alcohol or oil to help add an orange aroma and flavor to baked goods. Many of you will only use it at home if it’s a niche ingredient.
Many koulourakia recipes call for a little orange juice or orange zest (or both). The koulourakia I grew up with did have a hint of orange and lots of vanilla.
I like to use orange and lemon flavors when I want to make a citrusy cake or cookie. The extracts and seasonings are easy to use and precise.
Cakes, instant breads, and muffins all love the orange flavor, so if you’re curious, this is a versatile little jar.
If you want to avoid keeping the orange flavor in your home, use two tablespoons of orange zest instead.
Add the ingredients to the blender and blend slowly for another half minute. aquafaba and milk will be wet and messy, but that’s okay.
Step 4: Add dry ingredients to a blender
Next, you’re going to add the dry ingredients to the blender. You may need to do it little by little. Your blender should be on a low speed the entire time.
Continue mixing the dry ingredients to form a soft, sticky dough. Once well mixed, the dough is ready to cool; Try to avoid over-mixing.
Mix over low heat for a few minutes or until the dough is well combined. If you overmix, the cookies will become complicated, so stop mixing as soon as the dough sticks.
The dough should be soft and sticky. Don’t worry; you’ll cool the cookie before you try to shape it.
Step 5: Cool the dough
I cannot emphasize this step enough!
Cooling the dough helps moisten the flour, resulting in a soft, chewy dough. It also makes the dough easier to shape and ensures that the cookies don’t spread out too much and flatten out during baking.
You need to cover and refrigerate for at least two hours. It’s perfectly fine to keep it in the fridge overnight.
When I make these cookies, I almost always do it in two days: the first day to make the dough and the second day to make the shape and bake.
Step 6: Shape the cookie
These cookies need shaping, but this is a fun dough shaping technique: it’s imprecise and playful and doesn’t require a rolling pin or cookie cutter.
To shape the koulourakia shape, lightly dust flour on a clean, flat work surface.
Knead the dough a few tablespoons at a time. Roll the dough into a string about 8 inches / 20 cm long.
Fold the rope in half and twist it into a twisted rope shape.
Koulourakia is made by making a long, thin piece of dough, folding it in half, and winding two strands together.
Transfer the cookies to the baking sheet, then repeat the process with all the remaining dough.
Ensure the cookies are at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart on the baking sheet.
Step 6: Brush cookies with vegan egg wash
While aquafaba helps replace eggs technically, the 1:1 blend of maple syrup and non-dairy milk helps replace eggs decoratively!
This mixture is a simple, all-purpose glaze that can be used instead of egg wash when baking bread or cookies. It gives the vegan koulourakia a smooth appearance and helps the optional sesame garnish stick together.
You brush the cookies twice: once before baking and once during baking. This ensures that they are smooth and even.
Step 7: Bake
Bake the cookies in an oven at 375°F / 190°C for 12 minutes or until golden brown.
At this point, you need to remove the cookies from the oven and coat them with another thin layer of “egg wash.” Sprinkle sesame seeds on the cookies if you like—that’s how I grew up eating cookies, and it’s a nice touch.
Put the cookies back in the oven and bake for another 5-8 minutes or until golden brown.
The cookies he finished would be golden brown and smell sweet with vanilla and a hint of orange.
If you need to check if the cookies are done, take them out of the oven. Cookies will bake longer after they come out of the oven, so it’s better to underbake than overbake.
Step 8: Cool and enjoy
For the best results, allow the cookies to cool on the paper for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack. This step is crucial in ensuring the cookies achieve the perfect texture.
Allow to cool for another 15 minutes before serving. I love to eat these cookies as a snack with a cup of plant-based milk, a hot cup of coffee, or both.
They are also a delicious meal after the meal, which I often eat during Greek Easter.
Due to its sweet but not too sweet taste, vegetarian koulourakia can be a great snack or dessert or paired with hot drinks anytime.
Store
Vegetarian Kulucia can be kept for up to four days in an airtight container at room temperature.
If you want to keep them longer, just put them in an airtight container, freeze them for six weeks, and thaw them at room temperature before enjoying them.
Ingredients
3 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (420g)
One and a half teaspoons of baking powder
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
10 TBSP vegetarian butter (140g)
3/4 cup cane sugar (150g)
1/4 cup aquafaba, lightly beaten (60ml)
One and a half teaspoons of vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon orange flavor (substitute 2 tablespoons grated orange zest, or omit)
1/2 cup plain soy, oats, cashew, or almond milk at room temperature (120ml)
For vegetarian “egg washing” and garnish
2 tablespoons plain soy milk, oat milk, cashew milk, or almond milk at room temperature
1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup or agave syrup
2 tablespoons sesame seeds (optional, for garnish)
Instructions
Prepare the koulourakia dough.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
- Place butter and sugar in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat the butter and sugar on medium speed for 2-4 minutes or until the mixture is pale yellow and creamy. Alternatively, using a hand-held mixer and mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar for 2-3 minutes or until the texture and appearance are achieved.
- Add aquafaba, vanilla extract, orange juice or zest, and milk in a blender and blend on low speed for half a minute.
- Add the flour, baking powder, and salt to the blender while setting the machine on low speed. Mix until the flour is well combined and a soft, thick dough is formed. Try to avoid over-mixing. Cover the dough and refrigerate for at least two hours and up to one night.
Shaping and baking
- Preheat the oven to 375F / 190C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Lightly dust a clean, flat work surface with flour. Knead the dough a few tablespoons at a time. Roll the dough into a string about 8 inches / 20 cm long. Fold the rope in half and twist it into a twisted rope shape. Transfer the cookies to the baking sheet. Repeat with all remaining dough. Leave at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) of space on the baking sheet.
- Combine the remaining 2 tablespoons of non-dairy milk and maple syrup in a small bowl. Brush the mixture over the top of the cookies. You won’t run out, so save the extra.
- Transfer the cookies to the oven and bake for 12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove the cookies from the oven and brush them with another layer of milk and syrup “egg wash.” Sprinkle with sesame seeds, if desired.
- Return the cookies to the oven for another 5-8 minutes or until the tops are golden brown. Check the biscuits after 5 minutes; it is best to remove them early to avoid burning.
- Take the cookies out of the oven. Let them cool on the paper for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire cooling rack. Allow to cool for another 15 minutes before serving. Allow the cookies to cool completely, then store them in an airtight container for up to four days. These cookies can also be frozen for up to 6 weeks.
