Ghraybeh Cookies
Updated Dec 06, 2025
Simple to make with only a few ingredients, these Ghraybeh shortbread cookies are made with rosewater and filled with jam for a tasty treat.
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A Middle Eastern Classic Cookie
Made with only three ingredients for the base, Ghraybeh (also called ghorayba or graybeh) is a popular Middle Eastern shortbread cookie with a smooth and buttery texture, and delicate, sweet flavor. To give it more flavor, I add rose water and pistachios, but the only necessary ingredients are butter, sugar and flour – it’s like the shortbread cookie of the Middle East that we make often during Ramadan and for the Eid.
Happy Baking!
– Yumna
Ghraybeh Ingredients
- All-purpose flour: Don’t substitute with cake flour, gluten-free flour or self-rising flour. All purpose flour gives the cookies the best texture without them becoming too soft with cake flour or too crumbly with self-rising flour.
- Butter: Use unsalted softened butter, but make sure it is not melted. Salted butter will throw off the taste. You can substitute with ghee, but do not melt it.
- Powdered sugar: You need the light consistency of powdered or confectioners sugar to mix with the butter to create a buttercream frosting. You won’t get the right texture if you use granulated sugar. And you would get too much moisture and the wrong color on the cookies if you use brown sugar.
- Rose water: This is not a must, but I love bringing out that Middle Eastern flavor of the ghraybeh cookings by adding rose water.
- Pistachios: Just one or half a pistachio in the middle of the cookies adds a crunch and nutty flavor.
How to Make Ghraybeh
Ghraybeh
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened, 2 sticks
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons rose water
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 30-32 pistachio pieces
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl of a stand mixer or using an electric hand mixer, cream together the softened butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Add the rose water and beat until dissolved.
- Add the flour, one cup at a time, and use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to mix until well combined. You may want to use your hands because the dough can feel crumbly.
- Scoop 1 tablespoon of the mixture, roll into a ball and place on the prepared baking sheet so they’re about 2 inches apart. Press one pistachio in the center of each and flatten slightly.
- Bake for 13-15 minutes or until cookies are firm, slightly expanded and the bottoms are lightly golden. They will stay looking white and won’t get much darker.
- Cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
RECIPE VIDEO TUTORIAL
This video was sponsored by Cortas and uses the Cortas apricot jam in the middle of the cookies instead of pistachios. It’s a fun alternative way to make the cookies! The video also uses slightly more flour (2 ½ cups instead of the revised 2 cups, which I found to create a better consistency)
Recipe Tips
- Be careful not to over mix the dough after adding the flour. You want to make sure there are no flour streaks and that you can form a dough ball with your fingers easily without seeing cracks. But, if you overmix, it can dry out the texture.
- Chill the dough for an hour before forming the dough balls. This will help them hold better together so they are not crumbly to the touch. This also allows the cookies to maintain their shape and not spread too much in the oven.
- Make sure the ghraybeh doesn’t brown in the oven. After baking in the oven, the cookie with lightly expand, but the color essentially stays the same and may look underbaked.
- Don’t skip the cooling process. Allow them to cool in the baking sheet. This will help them retain their structure since the cookies have a very delicate consistency.
- Shape them into a log. Instead of making small dough balls, you can also form the ghraybeh cookie batter into a long long and then slice it into 24 pieces.
FAQs
Since these cookies are eggless, they will last longer than traditional cookies made with eggs. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge for up to two weeks.
Yes, these are great to make in advance and store in the freezer until ready to bake. Shape the cookies and place on a baking sheet. When frozen, you can transfer them to a freezer safe bag or container for up to one month. When ready to bake, there’s no need to thaw. Just bake as directed and add an additional 2-3 minutes of baking time.
Comments
Great recipe, I used weight measurements instead of cups and it worked just fine for me. They taste amazing, just how I remember!
I plan on making these for my sister’s wedding alongside an “American” cookie to blend our two cultures and surprise our Egyptian family with a taste of home! I’m excited to find real recipes to help me connect with my culture more!
Aww, I love that!! Thank you so much for sharing, Alia! I’m so happy you love the cookies. I hope the rest of your family enjoys them too at your sister’s wedding!!
The dough was completely dry and unusable. It went in the trash. If I can find a way to make it just moist enough to keep the cookies together, I’ll give it another shot. I think they would’ve been delicious!
Oh no, so sorry to hear that! It sounds like you may have overmixed the dough after adding the flour. That can dry out the texture. Next time, make sure there are no flour streaks and that you can form a dough ball with your fingers easily without seeing cracks. Hope that helps!
I bungled this recipe 🙁 The dough turned out too crumbly and the cookies ended up underbaked. What might have I done wrong?
I am so sorry to hear that! I am not sure what could have happened. If they turned out underbaked your oven may run on the colder side. There is a video on the page for the recipe, maybe that will help?
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