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Pistachio Maamoul Cookies, (معمول بالفستق), are delicious Middle Eastern cookies that combine a rich, nutty flavor with a crisp, buttery texture. They’re perfect for any occasion, and mostly served during holidays like Eid, Ramadan, Easter, and Christmas.
If you love Ma’amoul cookies, be sure to try my Date Filled Maamoul Cookies as well.
What are Maamoul Cookies?
Ma’amoul cookies are mouthwatering traditional Middle Eastern cookies made from semolina flour (durum wheat) and/or all-purpose flour. The cookies are made with other staple ingredients like butter/ghee, sugar and yeast. Maamoul cookies are shaped using beautifully carved wooden molds that come in different designs, to distinguish between the stuffing of each cookie.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Authentic & Traditional: This recipe stays true to the classic Maamoul, made with semolina dough and a sweet date filling.
- Irresistibly Nutty Flavor: Pistachios bring a unique flavor that blends beautifully with buttery dough and a hint orange blossom flavor.
- Customizable: You can also make Maamoul with dates or walnut filling if you want a variety.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Semolina & AP Flour: Creates the tender yet slightly grainy texture of the dough. Fine and coarse durum semolina are needed for this recipe.
- Butter or Ghee: Provides richness and buttrey texture. If you don’t have ghee on hand, check out my post on How to Make Ghee.
- Milk: Warm milk helps bring the dough together.
- Pistachios: The star ingredient! They give these cookies their unique, crunchy texture and nutty flavor.
- Orange Blossom Water: Adds a beautiful aroma and depth of flavor to the filling and dough.
- Yeast: A very small amount is added. It can be replaced with baking powder if you don’t have it in hand.
- Sugar: I like using powdered sugar for this recipe.
- Mahlab: Mahlab is a spice that comes from the seeds of the mahaleb cherry tree. It has a distinctive flavor and is used in many Middle Eastern pastry recipes.
Types of Semolina
- Coarse Semolina: Texture is gritty and granular, with a larger particle size.
- Fine Semolina: Texture is smooth and powdery, with a smaller particle size.
How to Make Pistachio Maamoul Cookies
Step 1: Prepare the Maamoul Dough
- Prepare the night before.
- In a large bowl, mix the fine and coarse semolina as well as the flour.
- Add the melted (warm) butter/ghee. Rub it into the semolina mixture using your fingers or a stand mixer using a paddle attachment, until it looks like wet sand.
- Cover and let it rest overnight for best texture (about 12 hours).
- The next day, after resting, rub the dough again with your fingers to get a nice smooth sandy texture. Add the powdered sugar and mix.
- In a cup, warm the milk until lukewarm (just about 40 seconds). When it comes out, add the yeast and mahlab and give it a quick stir.
- Pour the warm milk mixture into the semolina mixture and gently knead until a soft dough forms. Cover and let it rest again for 30 minutes.
- When ready to form into balls, knead one last time for a few seconds and divide the dough into 22 equal portions (about 25 grams). Be sure to cover it if you have not yet formed the pistachio balls.
Step 2: Prepare The Pistachio Filling
- In a food processor, combine the pistachios, powdered sugar, orange blossom water, and water and pulse until the mixture collects and you have a dough like texture.
- Roll 2 teaspoons (about 18 grams) into small balls. You can just eye the balls and don’t have to weigh or measure each one.
Step 3: Assemble The Maamoul Cookies
- Take a piece of the dough ball and flatten it in your palm.
- Since the shape of the pistachio mold is longer in shape, it helps to squeeze the ball in your palm to adjust the shape. Add it in the center of the dough, then wrap the dough around it and seal it.
- Press into a Maamoul mold, then gently tap it out onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Step 4: Bake the Cookies
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Line the cookies on a baking pan over parchment paper.
- On the middle rack, bake for 15-17 minutes until lightly golden on the side and bottom. The exact time will vary depending on your oven.
- Let cool slightly then dust with powdered sugar. Cool completed before serving.
Important Recipe Tips
- Resting the dough: You must allow the semolina to rest overnight. If for any reason you can’t do this and you are desperate for same day ma’amoul, allow it to rest at least 6 hours.
- Don’t over mix the pistachio filling. It should be grainy.
- Best molds: Get a mold with deep grooves for the shape to hold. If you don’t get a perfect shape, don’t worry. Your cookies will still taste the same. Enjoy them and don’t sweat about it.
- Type of semolina: Every brand of semolina is different. If the dough is stiff, add one tablespoon of milk at a time to make it a little softer.
- Portions: You might have to increase or decrease the suggested portion size depending on the mold you are using.
- Do not overbake—Maamoul should be light in color and only golden on the bottom.
Maamoul Filling Variations
Walnut Filling: For the walnut filling, I only like to add powdered sugar and cinnamon. I feel like this combination is the best for a walnut filling. Rince walnuts with hot water before.
Date Filling: To the date filling you can add a choice of aromatic like ground cardamon, nutmeg, cinnamon, or rose water. You can also add crushed nuts like walnuts, pecans, and finely shredded coconut. A teaspoon of ghee or butter can also be added for a rich texture.
Storage Tips
Storing Maamoul: Let the Maamoul Cookies cool at room temperature and store them in an air-tight container. They will last at their best for 7-10 days, but up to 2 weeks. Don’t worry, they won’t last that long.
Freezing Maamoul: You can freeze maamoul however they will lose their crispiness. After baking and without dusting with sugar, store them in freezer bags or an airtight container and freeze for up to two months. Thaw at room temperature and dust with powdered sugar before serving.
Commonly Asked Questions
The Maamoul cookies are shaped in carved wood molds or plastic molds. The molds come in different shapes and patterns. Certain shapes are used for each type of Maamoul so people recognize what type of filling is inside. You can find them at most Middle Eastern grocery stores or online. 
Mahlab is a spice that comes from the seeds of the mahaleb cherry tree. It has a distinctive flavor and is used in many Middle Eastern pastry recipes.
You can shape the cookies by hand, rolling the dough into balls and pressing gently with a fork to create a pattern or use a pastry tong to create a unique design.
Ma’amoul is a sweet treat, so coffee and tea are the best options to serve with these delicious cookies. If you don’t like either of them, you can serve it with a cup of juice.
No, this is an important part of the recipe. It cannot be replaced.
Easy Lebanese Dessert Recipes
Lebanse Pistachio Ma’amoul Cookies are a delicious treats that perfect for as an afternoon snack or fo any occasion. With a few simple ingredients and a bit of time, you can enjoy these pistachio delights any day of the week.
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Pistachio Maamoul Cookies
Equipment
- Maamoul mold
Ingredients
DOUGH:
- 1¼ cup fine semolina, ferkha
- ¼ cup coarse semolina
- ½ cup flour, plus 2 tablespoons
- ⅔ cup butter or ghee, warm, melted butter
- ⅔ cup whole milk, warm
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 1½ tbsp. orange blossom water, ma-zaher
- ¼ tsp yeast
PISTACHIO FILLING:
- 2 cups pistachio, raw
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp. orange blossoms water
- 2 tbsps water, add more if needed, 1 tsp at a time.
Instructions
Prepare The Dough
- Prepare the night before. In a large bowl, mix the fine semolina and flour. Add the melted ghee. Rub it into the semolina mixture using your fingers or a stand mixer using a paddle attachment, until it looks like wet sand. Cover and let it rest overnight for best texture (about 12 hours).
- The next day, after resting, rub the dough again with your fingers to get a nice smooth sandy texture.In a cup, warm the milk and sugar until lukewarm (just about 40 seconds). When it comes out, add the yeast and mahlab and give it a quick stir.
- Pour the warm milk into the semolina mixture and gently knead until a soft dough forms. Cover and let it rest again for 30 minutes.
- When ready to form into balls, knead one last time for a few seconds and divide the dough into 22 equal portions (about 25 grams). You can just eye the size, you don't have to weigh them. Be sure to cover it if you have not yet formed the date balls.
Prepare The Filling
- In a food processor, combine the pistachios, powdered sugar, orange blossom water, and water and pulse until the mixture collects and you have a dough like texture.
- Roll 2 teaspoons (about 18 grams) into small balls. You can just eye the balls and don’t have to weigh or measure each one.
Assemble The Cookies
- Take a piece of the dough ball and flatten it in your palm.
- Since the shape of the pistachio mold is longer in shape, you want to squeeze the ball in your palm to adjust the shape. Add it in the center of the dough, then wrap the dough around it and seal it.
- Press into a Maamoul mold, then gently tap it out onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Line the cookies on a baking pan over parchment paper.
Bake the Cookies
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- On the middle rack, bake for 15-17 minutes until lightly golden on the side and bottom. The exact time will vary depending on your oven.
- Let it cool slightly then dust with powdered sugar. Cool completed before serving.
Notes
- Resting the dough: You must allow the semolina to rest overnight. If for any reason you can’t do this and you are desperate for same day ma’amoul, allow it to rest at least 6 hours.
- Don’t over mix the pistachio filling. It should be grainy.
- Best molds: Get a mold with deep grooves for the shape to hold. If you don’t get a perfect shape, don’t worry. Your cookies will still taste the same. Enjoy them and don’t sweat about it.
- Type of semolina: Every brand of semolina is different. If the dough is stiff, add one tablespoon of milk at a time to make it a little softer.
- Portions: You might have to increase or decrease the suggested portion size depending on the mold you are using.
- Do not overbake—Maamoul should be light in color and only golden on the bottom.
Is the milk ratio correct? I’ve used 2/3 milk per the recipe and my dough’s come out super runny, also at what point do i add orange blossom water to the dough? It’s in the ingredients list but not in any of the steps?
Yes. The ghee goes into the semolina mixture the night before. The next day the mixture is dry. The only liquid you’ll have is the milk. After you add it to the dough mixture it will be soft but when you let it sit for 30 min to an hour, the semolina and flour will absorb the liquid. It has to rest after you add the milk. You cant work with it right away. You can start with 1/2 cup if you like and keep adding 1 tbsp at a time “after the dough rests” if it’s stiff.
Hello! I’ll be trying this recipe this weekend. I didn’t see how much mahlab should be used. Can you clarify how much I should be using? Thank you so much. Looking forward to trying this!
thanks for pointing that out! it’s 1 tsp. I’ll update the recipe.