These Kalitsounia Easter cookies from Crete have a crisp, slightly sweet dough and a creamy ricotta filling with orange and cinnamon. They look impressive on the table, but the dough and filling come together in simple steps.
In one glance
- ⏲️ Prep time: 20 minutes • 🔥 Bake time: 30 minutes • ❄️ Chill time: 30 minutes • 🍽️ Yield: 20 cookies
- 🥄 Calories: 109 kcal per cookie
- ⭐ Difficulty: medium
🥘 Key ingredients: self-rising flour, Greek yogurt, olive oil, honey, orange, ricotta, cinnamon - Allergens contains gluten (self-rising flour), egg, milk (Greek yogurt, ricotta).
Does not contain nuts, peanuts, fish (with standard ingredients, always check labels to be sure).
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Greek Kalitsounia Recipe - Sweet Easter Cookies
There's something cozy about cookies that are tied to a holiday. These Kalitsounia started as a "let's try something new for Easter" experiment and turned into a yearly habit. Mixing the dough with yogurt, honey and orange zest already smells like a sunny kitchen in Crete, even if you're just standing in your own busy one.
The first bite sold me: crisp, not too sweet pastry on the outside, then a soft cheese filling with orange and warm cinnamon inside. One cookie becomes two, then "okay, just one more." They look like you spent ages shaping them, but once you get the folding motion, it's actually quite relaxing - almost like edible origami.
Why This Works
- Self-rising flour, yogurt, honey and olive oil give a soft dough that bakes up crisp but not dry.
- Ricotta with egg, honey and cinnamon makes a smooth, lightly sweet filling.
- Orange juice and zest give a bright flavor that keeps the cookies from feeling heavy.
- Folding the edges into little points makes the cookies look very traditional and festive.
- You can chill the dough and filling before shaping, so you're not doing everything at once.
When to serve Kalitsounia?
These Kalitsounia are perfect for:
- A Greek-inspired Easter brunch or dessert table.
- Serving with coffee or tea in the afternoon.
- A cookie platter with other homemade cookies.
- A small homemade food gift in a tin or box.
What Do You Need?
Exact amounts are in the recipe card.
- Self-rising flour: gives structure and a bit of lift to the cookie dough. If you don't have self-rising flour you can substitute it with 2 cups of flour and 1 tablespoon of baking powder, mixed well.
- Greek yogurt: adds moisture and a slight tang to the dough.
- Egg: helps bind the dough and gives shine when brushed on top.
- Olive oil (Greek, fruity): adds flavor and richness to the dough.
- Honey: Light sweetness in both dough and filling.
- Orange zest and juice: bright citrus notes in the dough.
- Ricotta: soft cheese for the creamy filling.
- Cinnamon: a warm spice that finishes the flavor of the filling.
How to Make It?
You'll find the full, step-by-step recipe card below.
- Step 1: Mix all dough ingredients in a bowl and knead until you have a soft, cohesive dough. Wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes.
- Step 2: For the filling, stir ricotta, half the egg, honey and cinnamon together, cover and chill.
- Step 3: Preheat the oven, line a tray with baking paper and roll the dough out to about ¼ inch (3 mm) thick. Cut out circles.
- Step 4: Place a spoonful of filling in the middle and fold the edges up, pinching little points all around. Put the cookies on the tray, brush with the remaining egg mixed with water and bake until golden and crisp.
Top Tips
- Bring everything to room temperature so the dough comes together easier and the filling mixes smoothly.
- Cooling makes the dough less sticky and much easier to roll out thin.
- A small spoonful of filling per cookie is enough; too much will leak during baking.
- Dust your cutter or glass lightly so the dough circles release cleanly.
- Pinch the points of the cookies firmly so they hold their shape in the oven.
- If they brown too fast, you can tent them lightly with foil near the end of baking.
- Let them cool completely so the dough stays crisp and the filling sets.
Did you make this delicious recipe? Tag #byandreajanssen via Instagram! I love to see what your creation looks like and regularly share the most beautiful photos of you! Did you like this recipe? Then leave a rating on the recipe card! Your feedback helps other home cooks and me enormously.
Need more inspiration?
- You can find video recipes on my YouTube channel.
- And don't forget to save the recipes on Pinterest, so you can easily find them again next time!
📖 Recipe
RECIPE CARD
Crispy Kalitsounia Easter cookies from Crete with a sweet ricotta, orange and cinnamon filling. Easy Greek Easter cookie recipe with simple steps.
Ingredients
Dough
- 2 cups self-rising flour
- 3 tablespoons Greek yogurt
- 1 egg, size M
- ¼ cup olive oil, Greek fruity olive oil
- 4 teaspoons honey
- 1 orange zest
- 3 tablespoons orange juice
Filling
- 1 cup ricotta
- 1 egg, size M, (½ for filling, ½ for brushing)
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon water
All my recipes are written both in Metric (gram / ml) and US Customary (cups / pounds). Here you can select which type of amount you would like to see.
Instructions
Dough
- Put all dough ingredients in a bowl. Mix with dough hooks until you have a soft, cohesive dough (about 5-10 minutes).2 cups self-rising flour, 3 tablespoons Greek yogurt, 1 egg, ¼ cup olive oil, 4 teaspoons honey, 1 orange zest, 3 tablespoons orange juice
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Filling
- Mix ricotta, half the egg, honey and cinnamon in a bowl.1 cup ricotta, 1 egg, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Cover and refrigerate until well chilled.
Make and bake cookies
- Preheat the oven to
350 °F or 320 °F. - Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Roll the chilled dough out to about ¼ inch (3 mm) thick.
- Use a 3-inch (8 cm) round cutter (or cup) to cut circles.
- Put a circle in front of you and spoon about 2 teaspoons of filling in the center.
- Fold the dough edge up and pinch to form a point between two fingers; repeat all around the cookie.
- Place the shaped cookies on the baking tray.
- Beat the remaining half egg with the tablespoon of water and brush the tops.1 tablespoon water
- Bake for about 30 minutes, until golden. If they brown too fast, cover loosely with foil.
Notes
1. Can I use another cheese instead of ricotta?
Ricotta works best for the texture, but a smooth, mild fresh cheese with similar consistency can work if you keep the filling thick.
2. Do kalitsounia have to be for Easter only?
No. They’re traditional Easter cookies, but you can bake them any time you want a special cookie.
3. Can I prepare them in advance?
You can chill the dough and filling, then shape and bake them on the day you need them. Baked cookies keep well for a few days.
4. My dough feels sticky, what can I do?
Chill it a bit longer and dust your work surface lightly with flour when rolling.
5. Storage
- Room temperature: Store cooled cookies in an airtight tin for 2-3 days.
- Fridge: If your kitchen is very warm, keep them in a sealed container in the fridge and bring them to room temperature before serving.
- Freezer: You can freeze baked cookies, well wrapped, for up to 1 month. Thaw at room temperature.
- Serving: They're lovely at room temperature with coffee or tea, especially around Easter.
Nutrition
Calories: 109kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 4gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.002gCholesterol: 23mgSodium: 18mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 88IUVitamin C: 2mgIron: 0.3mg
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