Lebanese Maamoul Cookies
Whether you prefer them crumbly or soft, these Lebanese maamoul cookies are characterized by their rich flavor and the sweet taste of the date, pistachio, or walnut filling.
Servings: 40 cookies
Equipment
- Maamoul mold
- Large mixing bowl
- baking sheet
- Parchment paper
Ingredients
Dough
- 2¼ cups All-purpose flour
- 3 cups + 3 tablespoons Fine semolina
- 1 cup Softened ghee or 2 sticks (1 cup) softened unsalted butter
- ¼-⅓ cup Warm whole milk
- ¼ cup Rose water orange blossom water
- 1½ teaspoons Baking powder
- ¾ cup Powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon Mahlab optional but traditional
Date Filling
- 8 ounces Date paste
Pistachio Filling
- 1 cup Ground pistachios
- ¼ cup Powdered sugar
- 4 tablespoons Rose water
- 1 tablespoon Softened butter optional
Walnut Filling
- 1 cup Ground walnuts
- ¼ cup Powdered sugar
- 4-5 tablespoons Rose water
- 1 tablespoon Softened butter optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly grease it.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, semolina, baking powder, powdered sugar, and mahlab. Mix well.
- Add softened butter or ghee, rose or blossom water, and milk gradually. Using your hands, mix until a soft, moldable, slightly grainy dough forms. The dough should hold together without cracking and should not be sticky.
- Cover the dough and let it rest at room temperature for 30–60 minutes to allow the semolina to hydrate and improve texture.
- Prepare pistachio and walnut fillings by mixing ingredients until soft and slightly sticky. Add rose water 1 teaspoon at a time if needed.
- Form the dough into 2-inch balls. Press your finger into the center of each ball to create a deep pocket. Fill with about 1 inch of date paste or a spoonful of nut filling. Gently seal the dough and roll it back into a smooth ball.
- Place the stuffed dough into the maamoul mold and press gently with your palm. Tap the mold firmly onto the prepared baking sheet to release the cookie.
- Repeat with the remaining dough and fillings.
- Bake for 18–22 minutes, until the bottoms are lightly golden while the tops remain pale. For extra color, increase oven temperature to 375°F for the final 2 minutes if desired.
- Allow cookies to cool completely, then dust generously with powdered sugar before serving.
Notes
Rest the dough for best texture: Allowing the dough to rest for 30–60 minutes gives the semolina time to hydrate, resulting in softer, more tender cookies that won’t crack during shaping.
Add liquid gradually: Semolina absorbs liquid at different rates, so add the milk slowly until the dough is soft and moldable but not sticky.
Use soft, not melted, butter or ghee: The fat should be softened at room temperature. Melted butter or ghee makes the dough greasy and affects the cookie’s structure.
Don’t overfill the cookies: Use just enough filling to create a generous center without stretching the dough too thin, which can cause tearing during molding.
Press gently in the mold: Light, even pressure helps the cookies release cleanly from the maamoul mold while preserving the decorative pattern.
Keep the tops pale: Maamoul should remain light in color. Bake until the bottoms are lightly golden and avoid overbaking to prevent dryness.
Dust sugar after cooling: Always wait until the cookies are completely cool before dusting with powdered sugar so it sticks evenly and doesn’t melt.
Nutrition
Serving: 40cookies | Calories: 161kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 0.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 17mg | Potassium: 124mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 14IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 1mg