Maamoul
Updated May 11, 2025
Try this authentic Middle Eastern Maamoul cookie recipe with two option fillings, dates or walnuts, with step-by-step photos and instructions
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Learn to Make Authentic Maamoul
Maamoul cookies have always held a special place in my heart. They were a staple in our family during special occasions, and now I’ve learned to recreate them in an authentic way using my mom’s recipe to share with my family. I’ve always been fascinated by the traditional way of using a maamoul cookie mold to shape them, and their intricate designs are so beautiful and unique.
Maamoul is not your ordinary cookie! It’s a delicious cookie rooted in tradition and culture and found in many Middle Eastern cuisines, such as Lebanon, Syria, and Palestine. These cookies are crisp, and buttery and stuffed with either nuts or dates. They’re very lightly sweetened and have a unique preparation and presentation, making them definitely a labor of love to make during the holidays!
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
What is Maamoul
The word “maamoul” in Arabic means “filled,” which is exactly what this recipe is – a cookie stuffed with a mixture and then pressed into a wooden mold.
Maamoul is a traditional Middle Eastern cookie typically served during special occasions like Eid al-Fitr and Easter. The cookie dough combines semolina, butter, sugar, and yeast with a hint of fragrant orange blossom water and filled with either a crunchy nuts mixture (using walnuts or pistachios) or a sticky date paste. What gives it is iconic look is the wooden mold (with countless designs available) used to create elaborate designs and shapes.
Maamoul Ingredients
- Semolina flour: Semolina flour is the essential ingredient in maamoul cookies so don’t substitute it. Look for fine semolina from a Middle Eastern market or even your local grocery store.
- Mahlab: This fragrant spice is made from the cherry pit and gives maamoul its signature taste. You could also substitute ground cardamom or fennel or mix together ground cinnamon and clove in a pinch. The flavor won’t be exactly the same but it will add just the right amount of aromatic flavor. You can also add cinnamon, cardamom, or nutmeg into the dough to add extra flavor.
- Unsalted butter: You could also use ghee, or coconut oil for a vegan maamoul recipe.
- Dry active yeast: Because this recipe uses dry active yeast, it will need to go through the proofing stage when added to the flour and butter mixture, which only takes about 15 minutes.
- Salt and sugar: Salt balances flavors, and the small amount of sugar adds a hint of sweetness, which keeps these cookies a little on the savory side.
- Orange blossom water: This is a classic Middle Eastern addition to many recipes. You could also swap it for rose water or a different flavoring, such as almond extract.
- Filling: Walnuts, pistachios and dates are the most common, but you can also use another nut filling, such as almonds, or even hazelnuts. For the date paste, you can buy it at the grocery store or make your own date paste with just two ingredients!
How to Make Maamoul Dough
For Date Filled Maamoul
For Walnut Filled Maamoul
Maamoul
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 3 cups fine semolina
- 1 teaspoon mahlab
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup warm water
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon dry active yeast
- 2 tablespoons orange blossom water
For date filling
- 6 ounces date paste
For the nut filling
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar plus more for sprinkling
- 2 tablespoons orange blossom water
Instructions
- The night before, melt the butter in a large bowl and stir in the semolina, mahlab and salt until well combined. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature.
- The next day, stir the warm water with the sugar and yeast and wait 5 minutes to allow it to get foamy. Transfer on top of the semolina mixture along with the orange blossom water and stir until it forms a smooth ball of dough. Cover with the plastic wrap and allow it to rest for 15 minutes.
- In a small bowl, combine the walnuts, powdered sugar and orange blossom water to make the nut filling
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Remove 1 tablespoon of dough (about 24 grams) and continue until you have 32 dough balls. Press each dough ball to flatten it. Place 2 teaspoons of the date paste into 16 of them and 2 teaspoons of the nut filling into the remaining 16. Pinch the dough over it to seal.
- Place the dough ball inside the maamoul mold and pack well. Turn the mold over and tap the opposite side to remove from the mold. Repeat with remaining stuffed dough and place the maamoul on the prepared baking sheets about 1 inch apart
- Bake until the bottoms are golden, but the tops remain pale white, about 15 minutes. Sift powdered sugar over the top immediately and allow them to cool before serving
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Recipe Tips
- Let the dough rest. After preparing the dough, it’ll take several hours, or overnight, to allow the flavors to meld together. This is key to softening the semolina.
- Skip the mold. If you really want to try this recipe but can’t get your hands on a mold, there’s still a way! You can easily shape these cookies with your hands. They just won’t have the design the mold offers.
- Don’t overfill the dough. Adding too much filling can cause the maamoul to break apart during baking.
- Use a plastic wrap on the cookie mold. If you want to avoid tapping the mold on the surface 36 times, you can simply line with a thin plastic wrap and then lift the plastic to release the cookie. And it’s best not to oil the mold. It should release easily from the butter already in the cookie dough.
- Make the nut mixture in a food processor. The mixture will hold better together if you pulse it to make sure it’s finely chopped.
Frequently asked questions
Allow them to cool completely after baking, and then store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
Yes. To freeze your filled semolina cookies, start by wrapping them tightly in plastic wrap and then placing them in an airtight container or freezer bag. Frozen maamoul can be stored for up to three months. When ready to enjoy, simply thaw them at room temperature before serving.
A maamoul mold is a tool used to shape the stuffed dough by pressing it into the mold’s cavity. It creates equal-sized cookies, usually with a design carved into them, and can be made of wood or plastic. I found mine at a local Middle Eastern store, but you can also find many maamoul molds with varying designs online.
Comments
These look so yummy! I dont have any orange blossom water or rose water and not even almond extract on hand… could I just skip it or should I sub it with an equal amount of milk? Also, wondering if we could skip the yeast all together since there is no flour in the recipe? Thanks!
If you don’t have orange blossom water or rose water, I recommend just skipping it or adding 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. The 2 tablespoons missing liquid won’t affect the texture. Also, the yeast is important for this because it helps to soften the semolina texture. Semolina needs time to absorb the butter and liquid. The resting time with the yeast helps the semolina hydrate so the maamoul cookies aren’t gritty. I don’t recommend skipping the yeast. Hope you enjoy them!
Such an easy recipe! Turned out way better than expected. Will definetely make this every year for Easter.
Love that you tried it and found a new Easter recipe!
They came out perfect! I made these for friends and family for Eid. I do not live near an Arabic bakery, but still wanted to share these. The recipe was easy to follow and they came out perfectly! The only tricky part was getting them to come out of the mold towards the last 10 or so peices.
Love that you made them to share for Eid! Next time, you can line the cookie mold with a thin piece of plastic wrap. Then, all you need to do to release the cookie is lift the plastic!
Hi Yumna,
I’ll try that next weekend! I plan on making them again! Thank you!
It should help! Let me know how it goes!
The cookies didn’t retain their mold shape after coming out of the oven. Any advice?
Bummer, I’m sorry they didn’t keep their shape. That usually means the dough was a little too soft, too warm, or not packed firmly enough into the mold. Make sure the dough feels soft and smooth, but not wet or sticky. If it feels too soft after adding the yeast mixture and orange blossom water, let it rest a little longer so the semolina can absorb the liquid. If it still feels very loose, you can work in a tiny bit more fine semolina. And make sure you pack the dough firmly into the mold. If it’s loosely pressed in, the design won’t be defined enough to stay visible after baking. Lastly, you could try chilling the shaped cookies before baking. Even 10–15 minutes on the baking sheet can really help them hold their shape. I hope that helps if you try them again!
Can I replace the butter with sunflower oil to make it vegan?
Hi Mariana, if you want to make these vegan, I’d recommend using vegan butter, vegan ghee, or coconut oil. Let me know if you try it!
Love these cookies
Love that you love them, Olivia! They’re one of my favorites, I made them just last night!
It’s been hard for me to get over to the Middle East specialty shop this week to buy mahleb but I searched some lebanese recipe blog sources online for different substitute combos that could work. I ended up (since already had almond extract in my pantry) deciding on using a combo of almond extract and anise extract… the problem of course is that it’s not a powder. For this recipe I think using this substitute in Step 1 isn’t ideal because it would mess up the chemistry with the semolina and salt in forming the dough. What should I do? Just use the spices you suggest instead? (sigh, I really wanted to use the anise extract for this– could I put it in at another point in the directions or not really? (I’ll come back and give it a ‘rating’ when I do bake these, don’t worry.)
Hi! I completely understand and I think if you only add 1/2 teaspoon of anise extract it won’t mess up anything, so go ahead and use it and I’m sure it’ll turn out great! Enjoy!
Thanks, Yumna, will do that! Can’t wait to make them tomorrow!!
Does this work with coarse semolina? If not could you advise thanks xx
No, you will need finely ground semolina to make these cookies.
These are very similar to the cigar cookies my Syrian family makes. The only issue I’ve had is, this dough cracks when pressing and is more crumbly when eaten compared to other maamoul. Is there something in doing wrong, should I add more water?
Hmm, sorry to hear that! I think 1-2 tablespoons of water may help to hold it together. Let me know if you try it again!
I forgot the orange blossom water, duh. Made them again and they turned out perfect.
Ahh, that makes sense!! So happy you liked how they turned out with the orange blossom water!
I only have instant yeast, could I use this instead?
Yes, that should work out okay!
Just to check, is it really two tablespoons orange blossom water, not two teaspoons? It seems like a lot, compared to other recipes!
Yes, I use two tablespoons in my recipe. But you can use less if you prefer!
Hi. I only have two cups of semolina on hand. Can I substitute flour for the remaining cup needed?
In a pinch, yes, I think it will work! Semolina flour tastes the best though.
Can I use ghee instead of butter?
Yes, absolutely! I’d love to hear how they turn out for you using ghee.
Made these for gathering with some friends and they tasted amazing. Everyone loved them!! Thanks so much :).
Aww, I’m so happy you and your friends loved them! Thanks, Rayan!!
First time making them they are delicious and much easier then I thought!! ❤️
Aww I’m so glad, thank you!!
Hi, These look amazing! But I don’t understand why there is yeast in the recipe especially because there’s only semolina which is not really the sort of ‘flour’ that would benefit from yeast. So what is the purpose of the yeast or what effect does it have on the final cookie? (I was looking for a crumbly shortbread sort of cookie dough not risen)
You’re right actually. I asked my mom about this and she said that these cookies actually don’t need yeast. She said she originally used it in her recipe because she had a small amount of flour in there and because it gives it a special smell like it’s from a bakery. I’m going to retest the recipe without the yeast and get back to you! Thanks for the question!
Hello!
I wanted to know if there’s a difference in softening the butter instead of melting it?
My mom had a recipe where she uses softened butter instead but I’ve been wanting to try yours!
I think you can do it either way. The melted butter will make it more chewy while the softened butter will make it more airy and fluffy.
Tried it last year (first time in my life making maamouls) and came out perfect, trying it this year again. Lovely easy receipe and most importantly yummy. Thank you Yumna!
Aww, thanks so much!
Hello
I wanted to know if instant dry yeast would work here and how to proceed.
I happen to have this on hand.
Yes, that should work out ok.
I have never commented on a recipe but had to on this occasion.
I was so excited to try these, but also apprehensive, as baking has never been my strong suit (read: disastrous!) and this recipe contains a lot of ingredients I have never cooked with.
Well, imagine my utter delight when these turned out *exactly* as you described, every step of the way. I did find I needed to bake them longer, but just did short bursts of 5 and 2 minutes here and there. I also added orange blossom to taste, adding incrementally to be on the safe side. In the end I had around 24 mamool, not 32, and it took me some time to get used to the mould. Once I did though, deeply satisfying! I made the dough balls the size of golf balls, and learned they came out best when the mould was not over or under-filled, but rather the dough was smoothed in line with the mould top.
The flavours and scents are incredible. They remind me of my late grandmother, who was was born and raised in Alexandria. She would have loved them. Thank you so much!
Thank you so much for these kind words, I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe!
I had high hopes for this recipe as everything I’ve made from this blog has been a success.
The dough did not come together in a smooth ball, despite measuring each ingredient precisely. I made them by hand (no mould) and they crumbled. Also they are bitter (due to the orange essence maybe?). I was hoping for a sweeter cookie.
So sorry to hear that, Nadia. It sounds like something was off with the dough. Thank you for the feedback.
Thanks for the follow-up, Youmna! Indeed, some ovens are different. I am following up in case anyone else finds my comment useful, that I tested several more batches and found that baking continuously at 350 (not what I had done the first batch) works if you leave them for 20-24 mins depending on the thickness of the maamoul—for quite thin ones, 20 mins was perfect. I wanted to leave this second comment because my first said 28 mins which was only true because I re-baked them after they had cooled!
Thanks so much for following up! It is so helpful for people who go to make it and might run into the same issue.
Thanks for the recipe! The maamoul come out delicious, but I had some problems with the oven temp and cook time. 350 for 15 minutes was not nearly enough. I ended up almost doubling the cook time (28 mins total but not consecutively) and then doing another batch at 425 for 12 mins, which browned a bit too quickly. Perhaps this part of the recipe can be revisited. Thanks again.
Hi Maryam, so glad you like the maamoul. The temperature and cooking time is based on my oven, it was tested a few times, and I found that was what worked for me. BUT, we all know each oven has a temperature of its own, so it is good to experiment with it if you are finding that the 350 did not work. Maybe 375-400 might be better for your oven, and keep the cookies less browned.