Vegan Koulourákia - Greek Easter Cookies

Baking these traditional Greek Easter cookies fills your home with the intoxicating fragrance of orange & sugar. In our vegan version we substitute the traditional butter & eggs with applesauce & sunflower oil to keep the texture without the animal products.

They are called Greek Easter cookies but truth be told we enjoy them year-round in Greece. Eaten as a quick, on-the-go bite or paired with a cup of coffee, koulourakia are part of Greek everyday life. 

INGREDIENTS to make VEGAN GREEK EASTER COOKIES

3-5 cups all-purpose flour* 

1/2 cup orange juice

the zest from 1 orange

3/4 cup + 1 tbsp applesauce

1/2 cup sunflower oil

2/3 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

ALMOND MILK WASH

1/4 cup almond milk

MAKE YOUR VEGAN GREEK EASTER COOKIES

Place the sugar and applesauce in a pan and stir on low heat until the sugar dissolves. Then place the mixture into a mixing bowl, adding the sunflower oil, vanilla, and orange zest. Mix well.

Dissolve the baking soda in the orange juice and, as it fizzes, pour into the bowl and continue mixing until well-blended.

Combine the flour and baking powder in a bowl and whisk together. Start incorporating it into your dough (*start with three cups of flour, adding more as needed) to get to a soft dough that doesn’t stick to your hands. Be careful, though, not to overmix! either kneading gently by hand or using the hook attachment on your mixer. However, be careful not to overmix, as the cookies will toughen. There isn’t an exact amount of flour to add, it really depends on your other ingredients, but you want a fluffy and pliable dough, so you might need . cup less than indicated - you’ll just need to “go with your eye”, as our grandmothers did! Once you’ve mixed in the flour, cover your dough and let it stand for 20 minutes.

Preheat your convectional oven to 350.F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Shape the cookies into a braid shape (that’s the classic Greek Easter Cookie shape but you can make them in whatever shape you like - have fun!) and place them onto the baking sheets. Take a pastry brush and baste with the almond milk to give the cookies a nice sheen when they bake.

Bake for about 25 minutes until golden brown. Now the best part: open a jar ofCitrus Handmade Marmalade or Spoon Sweet and dip your Greek Easter Cookies. Pair this amazing treat with a cup of warm or cold Greek herbal tea and enjoy your Easter time like a Greek!

5 VEGAN GREEK EASTER RECIPES - Spring FREE eBOOK

The Vegan Greek Gyros recipe is part of our FREE Spring e-book "5 Vegan Greek Easter Recipes" that you can enjoy year round! Download the FREE "5 Vegan Greek Easter Recipes" e-book.