Name: Grandma’s Greek olive oil cookies
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 280 g all-purpose flour; 120 g olive oil; 45 g coconut sugar; 70 g orange juice; 20 g vinegar; 1 tbsp Ceylon sugar; ½ tsp cloves; 1 tsp baking powder; ½ tbsp baking soda; sesame seeds and hemp seeds

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What happens when the little hands ask for Grandma’s olive oil cookies that have 2 cups of sugar? You roll up your sleeves, put on your apron, and start experimenting! The biggest challenge was to make them taste exactly like Grandma’s, while still being Mom’s, that is, healthy and sugar-free. Every time a batch came out of the oven, the whole house smelled amazing, and they were so tasty! But the experiment was finally crowned with success by the fourth test. That means, I managed to create olive oil cookies tasting exactly like the traditional Cretan cookies I grew up with! Crunchy, delicious, aromatic olive oil cookies with no sugar, a good recipe for Lent that the little hands can’t stop asking for and devouring! JUMP TO RECIPE

Grandma’s recipe

Here, in Crete, one can find olive oil cookies everywhere, with or without sesame seeds. There’s a recipe in every household, and they can accompany breakfast, milk, coffee, religious feasts, or simply eaten because they’re delicious. Grandma also has her recipe, and I recall her making them ever since I was a little girl, and we all loved them. Now, though, I have my own child, as well as different dietary habits, so I had to find a way to make olive oil cookies for everyone, and as healthy as possible. Evolve the tradition, if that’s even possible! We finally managed to do it, and along with little hands, we experimented 4 times, singing “I’m making cookies with my two little hands.” The best thing was how much we enjoyed it—though the little hands enjoyed it even more! So, we created memories together like those I have, and he enjoyed the cookies as much as I did, eating them two at a time.

Can you guess what’s that piece of paper you can see under the cookies? It’s Grandma’s handwritten recipe, from her cookbook! We should remember our roots…

What we are going to need

Olive oil. A good quality olive oil is the central ingredient of this recipe. We’re making olive oil cookies, after all!
Flour. The recipe calls for all-purpose flour, but I started the experiments with whole grain, though it ran out. I also tried emmer flour, but with this flour, they weren’t crunchy in the morning. Good or bad, gluten is good for some recipes.
Orange juice. Freshly squeezed orange juice for aroma and sweetness. You can also use orange zest if you want, for an even more intense color. If you’re wondering why I didn’t use any, it’s because I had to make it as close to Grandma’s recipe, and there was no zest in the original recipe. If you do use the zest, make sure the oranges aren’t waxed.
Vinegar. Grandma’s recipe called for cognac which isn’t vinegar, of course, but I wanted to add some to make them extra crunchy.
Spices. “Cinnamoncloves” said Grandma, and I’m following her directions!
Baking powder and baking soda. So that the cookies rise. Dissolve the baking soda in the juice and then add it to the mixture. Try to do it next to the bowl as you’re preparing your mixture, because, as you can imagine, it might spill out. If your little ones aren’t next to you, call them to see it and to do it themselves, because they’ll love the reaction.
Coconut sugar. Grandma’s recipe had a huge quantity of crystal sugar, and there was no way we’d add any ourselves. I chose coconut sugar because it has the lowest glycaemic index and it’s suitable for all ages. Also, I suggest you skip it for children under the age of one. You can also adjust it to your tastes since the cookies are as sweet as necessary.

Tips and storage

The ingredients make about 25–30 cookies.
Store the cookies in a container that seals well to keep them crunchy.
Baking time is not carved in stone, each stove is different. Use the color to judge whether they’re ready or not. You can also cook them for less time if you want them softer. We prefer them crunchier.
Suitable for children over the age of 9 months old, and they’ll certainly love them for their little teeth. It’s best to skip coconut sugar at these ages, though.
If you decide to change part of the flour with whole grain, I’d suggest sifting it.
For the sesame seeds to stick better, moisten them lightly. I placed hemp seeds along with sesame seeds.
If you make many trays, bake them using convection as my mother does.

We suggest you check out:

Grandma’s traditional recipe, adjusted for the little hands.

Prep Time30 minsCook Time20 minsTotal Time50 mins

280 g all-purpose flour

120 g olive oil

45 g coconut sugar

70 g orange juice

20 g vinegar

1 tbsp Ceylon sugar

½ tsp cloves

1 tsp baking powder

½ tbsp baking soda

sesame seeds and hemp seeds

Mix the oil and the coconut sugar in a large bowl.

Add the vinegar and mix.

Mix the orange juice with the baking soda in a glass—attention, do it over the bowl—and add it to the mixture.

Continue by adding the baking powder and the spices.

Finally, add the flour little by little and mix with your hands.

Mix well with your hands until a dough forms. Don’t forget to gather the flour from the walls of the bowl.

Let the dough rest for 20 minutes before forming the cookies. You can skip this step.

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Preheat the oven at 170°C, set to fan. If you don’t have a convection oven, set to 180°C.

Put the sesame seeds in a strainer and wet them.

Strain the sesame seeds well and place them in a deep plate. You don’t need extra moisture.

Start forming the cookies and roll each of them through the sesame with gentle motions. Each cookie should be 20–22 grams.

Place the cookies on the baking sheet and continue with the rest. The cookies shouldn’t be touching one another.

Bake for 20–25 minutes.

Ingredients