Maamoul Recipe | Semolina Stuffed Cookies

4 from 81 votes
Left side: Several round, intricately patterned cookies on parchment paper. Right side: One of the same cookies on a plate, broken in half to reveal a filling of dates or nuts, with powdered sugar dusting on top.

Maamoul cookies are semolina cookies that are usually stuffed with dates or nuts. In this recipe I made two version of maamoul cookies. The first stuffing is the classic maamoul, with dates, the second version is with pistachios. If you’ve never tried you these middle eastern cookies, you should know that they are melt in your mouth. These cookies are perfect for Christmas, for Ramadan or just with a cup of tea.

Left side: Several round, intricately patterned cookies on parchment paper. Right side: One of the same cookies on a plate, broken in half to reveal a filling of dates or nuts, with powdered sugar dusting on top.

Maamoul Recipe | Semolina Stuffed Cookies

4 from 81 votes
Prep Time 4 hours
WORK TIME 1 hour
DIFFICULTY Medium
Cuisine Middle eastern
Servings 24 yields

Ingredients
 

For the dough:

  • 2 cups 350g Semolina
  • 1 cup 125g All-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup 30g Cornstarch
  • â…” cup 87g Powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon Salt
  • ½ cup + 1 Tbsp 130g Butter
  • ¼ cup 60ml Oil
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon Rose water optional
  • ¼ cup 60ml Milk

For the date filling:

  • 200 g Medjool dates
  • Cinnamon optional

For the pistachio filling:

  • 200 g Pistachios
  • ¼ cup 50g Sugar
  • ½ teaspoon Cinnamon optional
  • 2 tablespoons 30g Butter, softened
  • 1 teaspoon Rose water optional

Instructions
 

  • DIRECTIONS
    1. Make the dough: in a large bowl or in a bowl of a stand mixer, mix semolina with melted butter and oil. Mix well, cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
    2. Take the dough out of the fridge. If the dough is too hard, allow to rest at room temperature for 30-60 minutes. Add flour, cornstarch, powdered sugar, salt and baking powder. Mix until combined.
    3. Add milk, vanilla extract, rose water and mix until dough forms. Cover and let rest for 1 hour. Then, shape the dough into small balls and set aside.
    4. Make the date filling: in a food processor place pitted dated and cinnamon. Process until smooth paste forms. Shape into small balls and set aside.
    5. Make the pistachio filling: place pistachios, sugar and cinnamon into the food processor and pulse for 10-15 seconds, add butter and rose water, pulse for 10 seconds more. Shape the mixture into small balls.
    6. How to assembly maamoul cookies: Press a ball of the dough into a flat shape, place the filling ball on the flattened dough, wrap the filling with the dough and roll into a smooth ball. If you making the chocolate maamoul, just place a 1-2 teaspoons of chocolate spread int the middle.
    7. Press the filled dough into a maamoul mold, then release gently from the mold. If it's too sticky flour the mold before using.
    8. Arrange all the cookies on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
    9. Preheat oven to 180C (350F).
    10. Bake for 20 Minutes until the cookies are very slightly golden.
    11. Dust generously with powdered sugar. Allow to cool before serving.
    Frequently asked questions:
    How to store maamoul cookies?
    You can store maamoul cookies, covered in the fridge for up to 5 days.
    Where can we buy maamoul mold/maamoul spoon?
    You can easily buy plastic maamoul mold/maamoul spoon here: https://amzn.to/3D2bSYW
    Or wooden Maamoul mold here: https://amzn.to/3E1jU5r 

Video

YouTube video
Nutrition information is automatically generated and thus we can not guarantee it is 100% accurate.

7 Comments

  1. Dinaz Avari says:

    Made Maamoul yesterday and they turned out really nice! Made them without a mould as didn’t have one. Thank you for a lovely recipe as its definitely a keeper!

    July 14, 2021
  2. Beija Bestani says:

    Do you use unsalted butter?

    October 12, 2021
  3. Coarse or fine semolina ?

    August 8, 2022
    1. ALYSON B VOGEL says:

      definitely fine

      September 6, 2022
  4. Lisa Schwartz says:

    I made this recipe and it was delicious. This was my first time making a cookie like this. Although time consuming, I would definitely recommend it.

    February 24, 2023
    1. The Cooking Foodie says:

      Hi Lisa,
      Glad you liked it 🙂

      February 27, 2023
  5. Love this recipe! Ideas how I can bake it free from gluten?

    February 22, 2024
4 from 81 votes (81 ratings without comment)

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