The Christmas Sweet of Ancient Greece
There are certain smells that instantly take you back home.
For me, one of them is the scent of orange, cinnamon, and honey filling the kitchen in December.
Every Christmas, without fail, my husband (Greek) and my daughter make Melomakarona: traditional Greek honey cookies that are soaked in warm syrup and finished with walnuts. They’re messy, fragrant, sticky, and completely irresistible. And once you start, it’s very hard to stop at just one.
This recipe is inspired by Akis Petrezikis, one of Greece’s most loved chefs, whose version is a true classic. Over the years, it has become part of our own Advent ritual: made slowly, shared generously, and enjoyed with coffee, tea, or just sneaked straight from the tray.
Melomakarona are not just a dessert. They’re about togetherness, about filling the house with warmth, and about taking the time to do something by hand during the busiest season of the year.
What Are Melomakarona?
Melomakarona are traditional Greek Christmas cookies, made with olive oil, orange juice, spices, and flour. After baking, they are dipped in warm honey syrup and finished with chopped walnuts.
Unlike butter-based cookies, Melomakarona are naturally dairy-free and rely on olive oil, a key ingredient of the Mediterranean diet, known for its health benefits. Their soft, syrup-soaked texture and warm spices make them a true winter comfort food.
They are traditionally prepared during the Christmas period and are one of the most beloved holiday sweets in Greece.
🍯 Traditional Melomakarona (Inspired by Akis Petrezikis)
Ingredients (about 40–45 cookies)
For the cookies
- 400 ml orange juice
- Zest of 2 oranges
- 170 g sugar
- 400 ml seed oil (sunflower or mild olive oil)
- 50 ml olive oil
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp clove
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 kg all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
For the syrup
- 300 g honey (we like Greek pine tree honey)
- 300 ml water
- 300 g sugar
- Zest of 1 orange
- 1 cinnamon stick
To finish
- 150–200 g finely chopped walnuts
- A little extra cinnamon (optional)
How to Make Them
1. Prepare the syrup
Start with the syrup so it has time to cool.
In a pot, add the water, sugar, orange zest, and cinnamon stick.
Bring to a boil and let it simmer for about 5 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in the honey.
Set aside to cool completely.
(This step is important: hot cookies + cold syrup = perfect texture.)
2. Make the dough
In a large bowl, mix the orange juice, orange zest, sugar, seed oil, olive oil, cinnamon, and clove.
In a small bowl, dissolve the baking soda in a little of the orange juice mixture. It will foam. then add it back to the bowl.
In another bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder.
Add the dry ingredients gradually to the wet mixture, mixing gently by hand.
Do not overwork the dough. It should be soft and easy to shape.
3. Shape & bake
Preheat your oven to 180°C (fan).
Shape the dough into oval cookies and lightly press them with a fork or grater to create texture on top.
Place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and bake for 20–25 minutes, until golden and crisp.
4. The magic part: syrup
As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, dip them hot into the cold syrup for a few seconds.
Remove and place them on a tray.
Sprinkle generously with chopped walnuts and, if you like, a little cinnamon.
How We Enjoy Them
Melomakarona are even better the next day, once they’ve absorbed all that honeyed goodness.
We keep them in a tin on the kitchen counter, and somehow they disappear faster than expected.
They’re perfect with:
- a morning coffee
- afternoon tea
- or as a sweet ending to a long winter day
If you’ve never made them before, I truly encourage you to try. They’re simple, comforting, and full of Mediterranean warmt, exactly what December calls for.
If you do make them, I’d love to know.
And if you share them with someone you love… even better.
Καλά Χριστούγεννα & Feliz Navidad 🤍