Lebanese Maamoul Cookies

There are hundreds upon hundreds of Lebanese pastries, but there’s something special about Lebanese maamoul cookies. They’re typically made with a super soft dough that’s filled with a sweet and luscious date paste or rich nut filling.

Whether you call them Eid Cookies, Ramadan date cookies, Arabic cookies, date paste cookies, or simply maamoul, they are still a delectable treat all day and every day. Each bite is like a little burst of flavor that will have you craving for more.

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A Delectable Maamoul Cookie

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What are Lebanese Ma’amoul Cookies?

Lebanese date cookies or maamoul biscuits are a divine dessert. A beloved Lebanese tradition as per the cultural traditions is to serve these special treats on all special occasions and religious holidays. These include the end of Ramadan with Eid Al-Fitr, any Eid celebrations, Lent, Easter, and many other holiday celebrations or special events.

In fact, making these scrumptious, soft, date-filled cookies represents a huge family event in many Middle Eastern homes. Families gather to make big batches using ma’amoul mold presses to make the maamoul pastries.

The Lebanese aren’t the only ones making this yummy mamule pastry (Yes, it can be spelled in many many different ways!).

Although it’s not the easiest of the Lebanese dessert delicacies to make, it’s not the most difficult either, even if it’s your first time making these delicious cookies.

The ma’amoul cookie has been perfected through many different recipes. There are quite a few different ways to make it, yet playing around with the ingredients yields varying results, all good results, though. It’s also considered a type of art form to sculpt or shape these maamool cookies using special molds.

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The Best Dessert for Any Occasion

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A Clearer Description

Therefore, maamoul is a shortbread cookie with a traditional filling of dates.

Its soft dough can vary from more fine semolina than wheat flour to baking powder as leavening, to yeast-based, to more all-purpose flour or pure flour (which incidentally would actually be ka’ak – another Arabic cookie).

However, you make it, I can tell you one thing for sure: IT’S ADDICTIVE! I love having it with black coffee while many others enjoy it with their tea.

It’s also a common practice in the Middle East to serve it with juice, particularly pineapple juice🍸!

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Ingredients

For the Dough

Flour: All-purpose flour works well. Just sift it well first.

Semolina: While semolina has various textures, choose fine semolina for this specific recipe.

Ghee or Butter: It has to be unsalted and softened.

Powdered sugar: It gives that soft texture to the cookies.

Baking powder: This is a rising agent that makes all the difference.

Warm Milk: For the vegan version, you can replace it with a non-vegetarian alternative.

Rose water: It adds a unique fragrance to the dough. You can replace it with orange flower water, blossom water, or orange blossom water.                              

For the Filling

Date Filling

Date paste: You can either buy it ready-made or prepared at home. For the best paste, use Medjool dates. Check out my 2 Ingredient Date Paste.

Pistachio Filling

Ground pistachio: You can grind the pistachios in the food processor.

Powdered sugar: It makes it into a soft filling.

Rose water: It adds a special fragrance to the stuffing.

Walnut Filling

Ground walnuts: Try not to make them finely ground for a crunchy taste.

Powdered sugar: It melts smoothly onto the other ingredients for a soft paste.

Rose water: It is necessary as a fragrance agent.

(Scroll down for more details in the recipe card.)

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Maamoul Cookies: A Perfect Blend of Tradition and Taste

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A Variety of Fillings

While the most common filling in the authentic recipe is date paste, you can choose another type of filling. I have mentioned before the pistachio filling and walnut filling which are also popular in the Middle East.

The idea of the filling is that it has to be soft so that it can be molded along with the soft dough and cooked at the same temperature.

You can even try your favorite dried fruits like figs or apricots, Nutella or cookies N cream, or other options as long you turn them into paste form. The options are endless!

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A Classic Middle Eastern Dessert

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Variations of Middle Eastern Date Cookie

As I mentioned earlier, the Lebanese maamoul cookies are originally soft cookies with a yummy date filling.

Over the years, people have come up with some variations. So, let’s take a closer look at other Middle Eastern cookies.

Egyptian Date Cookies

Ara’eesh Agwa (Agwa meaning thick date paste) is another name for a type of maamoul cookie. It’s a super popular pastry in Egypt, and just as popular in Syria.

Of course, all over the Middle East, you can find something similar to date ma’amoul. Their preparation is easier in the sense that no mold is needed.

To make ara’eesh, roll out two pieces of cookie dough into a rectangular form, layer them with date paste in the middle, and cut them out into mini-squares or rectangles. After that, sprinkle some sesame seeds on top and bake until golden brown. It’s a light, heavenly snack.

Palestinian Maamoul Recipe

The Palestinian version of maamoul cookies is closer to a larger bread date ring.

To make Palestinian maamoul, start by rolling out individual pieces of maamoul dough into rectangles. Then, roll out your ajwa or date ball into a string shape with the palm of your hand, and place it on the center of the dough.

Finally, roll the dough ball on a hard surface to close it over the date paste form and bring the two edges of the dough together to create a circular ring. You can also add sesame seeds to the outside if you’d like.

Middle Eastern Maamoul Mad Pastry

Maamoul Mad (read as med) is an open maamoul cookie. The flattened dough for this one has more semolina flour to create a crumblier texture. Also, instead of shaping the dough and giving it a pattern, you have to roll out the dough into two pieces.

In a prepared baking sheet lay one piece at the bottom of a greased baking tray, layer your filling of choice, and then lay the second layer atop. Bake it in the oven until golden and eat up as much as your heart desires.

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A Middle Eastern Delight: Pistachio-Filled Maamoul Cookies

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Healthy Maamoul Recipe

If you’re looking for a healthier version of this heavily buttered pastry, then it’s simple. You can opt for a less crumbly dough and use a healthier oil option instead of butter. But, keep in mind, that the dough will be softer and more bread-like instead of cookie-like.

Also, you can use less sugar or a sugar substitute of your choice. Finally, you can opt out of the powdered sugar sprinkle at the end before serving.

To make this recipe vegan, you can use a plant-based butter or coconut oil.

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Crunchy and Nutty: Maamoul Cookies with Walnuts

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Frequently Asked Questions

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Tips for the Best Maamoul Cookies

For added flavor, use Mahlab (you can find it at a local Middle Eastern market) or a substitute like mixing mastic with a teaspoon of sugar.

If you don’t have the special wooden molds of maamoul, you can roll your dough into equal-sized balls with the palm of your hand and then press with tongs or a fork to make patterns of different shapes out of the filled dough.

The more semolina is in ratio to flour in the Lebanese maamoul cookies, the smoother the dough and the more crumbly the result is.

For a glossy look, you can brush the Lebanese maamoul cookies with egg whites or spray them with your oil of choice before baking.

If you don’t mind the extra calories, ghee makes for a crumblier semolina cookie and an enhanced nutty flavor. Use it instead of the butter.

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Storage Tips

Maamoul cookies stay fresh for two weeks on your kitchen counter when stored in an airtight container at room temperature.

To preserve maamoul cookies for a longer time, freeze them in an airtight container for up to 2 months, but I recommend eating them fresh. Once you’re ready to enjoy them, just thaw cookies at room temperature, dust them with powdered sugar, and enjoy the delicious flavor.

What should I do with the remaining dough?

You can place it in a deep bowl and keep it covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated to use it within 4 days. Make sure it is at room temperature the next time you want to work with it.

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A Feast of Maamoul Cookies

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Other Recipes You May Want to Try

• Date Filled Ka’ak
• Date Biscuit Nut Bars
• Tasty Date and Biscuit Balls
• Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal Cookies
• No Bake Marshmallow Crunch Cookies
• No-Bake, Pumpkin Spice Energy Bites
• Homemade Peanut Butter Cups
• Healthy Oatmeal Date Bars
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
• Chocolate Quinoa Cookies

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