Koulouria are traditional Greek Easter biscuits. Growing up my aunties would proudly exchange koulouria platters wrapped in bright red cellophane during the Holy week. The rebels would throw in a few Cadbury chocolate Easter eggs to keep the kids happy and secure their position as favourite aunt.
The ritual of baking Greek koulouria during Easter is passed down from generation to generation. This is my gluten free version of our traditional family recipe. The combination of ouzo, vanilla, lemon and orange zest produces the most beautifully aromatic gluten free koulouria which are light, crispy and delicious.
Easter is a time for giving so traditionally everyone bakes enough koulouria to feed an army, but to keep things simple I halved our family recipe so you can enjoy them any time of the year. Get the kids involved in twisting and plaiting the dough. All you need to do is roll the dough into thin logs and then you can be as creative as you like.
Gluten free dough is quite soft so I would suggest chilling your dough for at least one hour prior to rolling to firm it up first. If your dough is still too sticky, just dust with some extra flour. To stop the dough from sticking to your hands it is a good idea to grease your palms with a little olive oil prior to rolling.
On Easter day Greeks greet each other with “Christos Anesti” which translates to “Christ has risen”. It is also customary to exchange a triple kiss and eat an abundance of koulouria. Luckily I don’t like to break from tradition, especially when biscuits are involved.
- 125g unsalted butter, softened
- 220g or 1 cup caster sugar
- 3 eggs
- ¼ cup milk
- 2 tsp ouzo
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tsp orange zest
- 455g or 3½ cups plain gluten free flour*
- 1 tbs baking powder
- To brush
- egg yolk, lightly whisked
- Optional - sesame seeds to sprinkle
- *I use Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 plain gluten free baking flour
- Preheat oven to 180C.
- Beat butter and sugar in mixing bowl for 1 minute until pale and fluffy.
- Add eggs to butter mixture one at a time and beat until fully incorporated.
- Add milk, ouzo, vanilla extract, both zests and beat to combine.
- Sift flour and baking powder together and add to dough, beat until combined. The dough is quite soft so chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour to make it easier to roll.
- Roll dough into thin 15 cm logs. If your dough is too sticky add more flour. Fold, twist or plait each log into desired shape.
- Place koulouria on lined baking tray and brush with egg wash. Optional - sprinkle with sesame seeds.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
- Preheat oven to 180C.
- Mix butter and sugar in Thermomix 30 sec/speed 5 until pale and fluffy.
- Add eggs to butter mixture one at a time on speed 4 until fully incorporated.
- Add milk, ouzo, vanilla extract and both zests. Mix 10 sec/speed 4.
- Sift flour and baking powder together and add to Thermomix. Beat 10 sec/speed 4 until a soft dough forms. The dough is quite soft so chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour to make it easier to roll.
- Roll dough into thin 15 cm logs. If your dough is too sticky add more flour. Fold, twist or plait each log into desired shape.
- Place koulouria on lined baking tray and brush with egg wash. Optional - sprinkle with sesame seeds.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
Wonderful recipe.I like this and I think this is very delicious.
I am going to make this recipe for my family and husband
Thanks for sharing
Could you explain what ouzo is? These look delicious!
Ouzo is an anise flavoured alcohol liquor originating from Greece. You can easily find it in liquor shops or European delis.
Is Bobs red mill all purpose gluten free baking flour ok to use in this recipe or do you need to add xanthum gum with this flour?
Hi Tina
Yes Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 plain gluten free flour is fine you don’t need to add xantham gum. I use the packet with the BLUE label not the RED label (the RED one has bean flour in it).Merry Xmas!
Thanks Helen, thanks for the response. I can’t find the blue label in Brisbane so I’ve purchased the red label flour. Will this give the same result if I add some xanthum gum?
Or should I use white wings gluten free plain flour instead?
Just tried this recipe and it turned out great. I like that it’s not a large batch. Other recipes call for 6 cups of flour and make 50 biscuits but I have a small family and definitely don’t need that many. I also exchanged the ouzo for 2 tablespoons orange juice, which is more traditional for my family and they are very aromatic that way. Thanks, finally a gf recipe I can use.
PS I am in Australia and the recipe translates to Australian measurements.
Thank you so much for your message Nancy. I’m so glad you had great success with the gluten free koulouria and yes I did think a more manageable quantity of ingredients would be a better option. Have a lovely Easter. Helen xx
Hi Helen
Just a quick question I want to make the
Koulouria but my Daughter cannot have a can I substitute it with the egg substitute powder can you let me know thank you
Hi Dimi
I have never used an egg substitute powder but you could try that. Just follow the packet instructions to create a sticky yolk. Good luck and Happy Easter.
Hi. Made these up and they are great! Does the recipe work the same for non-gluten-free flour?
Thanks Elissa. Yes it does.
Awesome! Thank you.
My daughter is gluten free but others are not and prefer non-gluten free flour.
Happy Easter to you 😊🐣
Amazing recipe! Thank you sooo much. I just got diagnosed a coeliac and wasn’t sure how I would cope with no koulouria…
When I made them, they expanded quite abit in the oven, so they taste amazing however don’t look as pretty as yours. Any tips or suggestions? Where did i go wrong?
Hi Tamie,
Glad you enjoyed them. Yes the gluten free koulouria do expand in the oven so if you prefer them smaller roll the logs thinner before you plait them. You can also reduce the baking powder a little if you prefer less of a rise. Happy Easter.
Can’t wait to make these! Can I use ordinary gluten free plain flour?
Hi Josie,
I have recommended Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 plain gluten free flour because this is my preferred brand. You can use a different brand but the final result may differ because gluten free flour brands vary greatly in quality. You could try the brand you already have on hand and see how you go.
Helen.
This recipe is delicious! Thank you for posting Greek gluten-free recipes! Καλή Ανάσταση!
Thank you Marika. Glad you loved my gluten free koulouria recipe. Happy Easter to you too. Helen.
Hello
I came across this recipe while looking for gluten free koulouria. I have only ever made them as a child with my Yiayia. Now needing to be gluten free, in lockdown with my two kids and wanting to mark Greek Easter in some way..this recipe was so great! The kids loved the smell of the orange and lemon zest. I substituted the ouzo for a little bit of lemon juice and we used coconut sugar since we couldn’t find any caster sugar (the whole world is on a baking kick as they are all confined to home). Thank you! This recipe worked out so well even with our subs. Kali Anastasi.
Hi Stacy,
I’m so glad you can enjoy koulouria again and your substitutions sound great. Coconut sugar is what I recommend to those who prefer a refined sugar free option in biscuits. Have a beautiful Easter. Helen.
This is a fabulous recipe – thank you! Just eating a batch I made last night, for Greek Easter
Thank you Hrisanthi glad you love my gluten free koulouria recipe. Happy Easter.
Helen
xxx
Hi Helen,
I made these koumouria for Easter and loved them! I’m actually making a batch right now just because…!
Can you please confirm if the 180 degree temp is for fan forced oven?
Thanks
Yes it is.
Thank you!!
Hi Helen, finally found a GF version that is absolutely fabulous. It was a hit with all the family – they were gone as soon as they came out of the oven. I reduced the sugar by half and we’re still yummy. Thanks Helen.
Regards Tanya
So glad you loved the gluten free kourabiethes Tanya. xx
What if you don’t add xanthangum w/GF all purpose baking flour?
This recipe does not require extra xantham gum, it is already in the flour mix.
If your brand of gf flour does not contain xantham gum that is fine, the final result will vary brand to brand though.
This was amazing!! Perfect texture and flavour, my born in Greece dad was super impressed!! So glad I don’t have to be “naughty” and cheat to have some being a coeliac! Next on the list, my fav biscuit, melomakarona!
Hi Kat
So glad you loved the gluten free koulouria recipe. Happy Easter.
Hiya! I have a Greek cookbook and I have made a certain recipe from it. When I search for it by the Greek name, it brings me to your site, and when I search for the English words it brings me to your site as well. They are not the same thing. In my book, Koulouria are called sesame rings, but they are a bread covered in sesame seeds. Kids wear them as bracelets. Your site is all about a cookie or sweet. Could you maybe help me find out what I’m looking for?
The term koulouria is used interchangeably. Some people use it to refer to savoury sesame rings whilst others use it to refer to sweet Easter biscuits. Not sure which recipe you are seeking, please clarify.
Thank you so much for this recipe! I made my yiayia’s recipe for my kids, who eat gluten, but it was SO nice to have a recipe for koulouria I can eat eat too!
I did make a couple of substitutions, based on how my yiayia made her her koulouria. I replaced some of the milk with orange juice (I can’t remember if I replaced one tablespoon or two), used all orange zest (no lemon), and replaced the ouzo with brandy.
The cookies turned out delicious. I never would have known they were GF. In fact, I threw some in a bag to take with me somewhere a couple of days ago, and after I bit into one, I had a moment of panic when I thought I’d taken and eaten the gluten-filled koulouria instead. I figured out that I did have the right cookies; the texture is just that perfect that I couldn’t tell the difference!
Fantastic Erica. I’m so glad you are enjoying all the treats you grew up with again.