Dessert

Vegan Melomakarona

Name: Vegan Melomakarona
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 2 h 50 min
Yield: 12 servings
Cuisine: greek
Ingredients: 250 ml water; 200 g sugar; 1 pcs orange peel from 1 orange; 1 pcs cinnamon stick; 3 pcs clove whole; 120 g honey; 200 ml olive oil; 100 ml orange juice freshly squeezed; 50 g sugar; 1 tsp baking soda; 1 tsp baking powder; 1 tsp cinnamon ground; 0.5 tsp clove ground; 500 g all-purpose flour; 50 g walnut chopped

These traditional Greek honey cookies are made vegan with olive oil and orange juice. Spiced with cinnamon and cloves, they are soaked in a fragrant syrup for a delightful holiday treat. Perfect for sharing with friends and family.

An original recipe by Forkin

Total time: 2 hr 50 min
Serves: 12
Difficulty: Medium
Per serving: 434 kcal

Vegetarian

Allergen information: may contain gluten, nuts, and tree nuts. Always check ingredient packaging if you have an allergy.

Mise en place

Ingredients

syrup

250 mlwater
200 gsugar
1 pcsorange peel, from 1 orange
1 pcscinnamon stick
3 pcsclove, whole
120 ghoney

dough

200 mlolive oil
100 mlorange juice, freshly squeezed
50 gsugar
1 tspbaking soda
1 tspbaking powder
1 tspcinnamon, ground
0.5 tspclove, ground
500 gall-purpose flour

garnish

50 gwalnut, chopped

Equipment

saucepan · slotted spoon · large bowl · baking sheet · parchment paper · whisk

The method

Step by step

1
Prepare the syrup: Combine the water, sugar, orange peel, cinnamon stick, and whole cloves in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
About 15 min
2
Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the honey. Let the syrup cool completely; it should be cold when the cookies are baked.
About 1 hr 30 min
Cook’s note: Cooling the syrup completely prevents the cookies from getting too soggy.
3
Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
About 10 min
4
In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, orange juice, and dough sugar until the sugar dissolves.
About 3 min
5
In a separate bowl, combine the baking soda, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and ground cloves with the all-purpose flour.
About 2 min
6
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing gently with your hands until just combined. Do not overmix the dough, as this can make the cookies tough.
About 5 min
Cook’s note: Overmixing develops gluten, which is not ideal for these tender cookies.
7
Take small portions of the dough, about the size of a walnut, and shape them into an oval or egg shape. You can use a fork to create a pattern on top if desired.
About 10 min
8
Place the shaped cookies on the prepared baking sheet, leaving some space between them.
9
Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until golden brown. They should feel firm to the touch.
About 20 min
10
Immediately after removing the cookies from the oven, immerse them in the cold syrup, turning them to ensure they are fully coated. Let them soak for about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
About 5 min
Cook’s note: The hot cookies absorb the cold syrup better.
11
Remove the soaked cookies from the syrup using a slotted spoon and arrange them on a serving platter.
About 2 min
12
Garnish with chopped walnuts before serving.
About 1 min

Per serving

Nutrition

57%Score

Calories: 433.7kcal
Protein: 4.9g
Carbs: 62.7g
Fat: 18.5g
Fibre: 1.7g
Sugar: 30.1g

Estimated from the recipe’s ingredient quantities. Values can vary with brands and substitutions.

Keep it good

Storage

Store melomakarona in an airtight container at room temperature.