Greek Cretan Biscuits Recipe (Easy Almond Cookies)
greek cretan biscuits are soft, buttery little cookies of ground toasted almonds, garnished with egg white and almond flakes before baking. They’re lightly sweet, golden all around the edges and perfect with coffee or tea.
These cookies have that classic bakery-style bite: soft in the middle, a touch crisp around the edges and rich from real butter. The toasting and the grinding of the almonds are that little extra step that makes all those flavors go pop.
They’re also a perfect make-ahead cookie. After baking and cooling, they’ll keep their texture for days and freeze like a dream.
Table of contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- You taste a lot of almonds from the toasted, fresh ground almonds
- Light, buttery texture, with just a bit of crispness around the edges
- Basic pantry staples
- Simple to find and bake evenly
- Good for gift giving, holidays or everyday snacking
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- Blanched almonds – 2/3 cup (100 g)
- All-purpose flour – 2 1/2 cups (about 300–315 g) (Assumption: flour weight varies by how you scoop)
- Baking powder – 4 tsp (about 16 g)
- Salt – 1 pinch
- Unsalted butter, softened – 1 cup + 2 tbsp (250 g)
- Granulated sugar – 3/4 cup (about 150 g)
- Large egg – 1
- Vanilla extract – 1/2 tsp
Almond Decoration
- Egg white – 1, beaten lightly
- Almond slivers / sliced almonds – 1/4 cup ( approximately 20 g)
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
- Blanched almonds: These are almonds without their skins. If all you have are almonds with the skins on, then blanch them first though know that their color and texture will be different.
- Butter: You’ll need softened (not melted) butter. If it is too warm, the dough will spread more.
- Sugar: Normal granulated sugar is fine! Caster sugar is fine too.
- Almond slices: Sliced almonds (the same idea, ideal for being sprinkled) are found in U.S. shops.
- Vanilla: not necessary but definitely my recommendation for more rounded flavor. Or you can use almond extract instead (beginning with 1/4 tsp).
How to Make Greek cretan biscuits
- Toast the almonds. Scatter the blanched almonds on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for (6-10 minutes), shaking the pan once, until very light golden and fragrant. (Note: temp/time are based on standard almond toasting.) Cool completely.
- Grind the almonds. Place cooled toasted almonds in the bowl of a blender or food processor and pulse until they are finely ground (like coarse flour). Don’t over-blend into almond butter.
- Mix the dry ingredients. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together in a bowl.
- While butter and sugar cream, mix the dough. In a large bowl, cream together softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Mix in the ground almonds. Add dry ingredients and mix until just combined into a soft dough.
- Portion and shape. Spoon into little balls and roll smooth. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet, allowing room between cookies.
- Add the topping. Brush the whisked egg white over each ball of dough. Sprinkle with almond flakes (sliced almonds).
- Bake. Bake in a 350°F (175°C) oven until light golden on the bottoms and set on tops, 10 to 14 minutes. Cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack.
- Serve. Serve warm or completely chilled with a cup of coffee, tea,or milk.
Expert Tips
- You’ll want the toasted almonds to cool completely before grinding so that they don’t go oily.
- For cookies that look more even, use a small cookie scoop (about 1- to 11/2-tbsp).
- Measure flour by spooning into the measuring cup and leveling (too much flour will make them dry).
- Just mix the flour in until combined so you keep it tender.
- If dough seems too soft to roll, refrigerate 10–15 minutes.
- Also, almond topping adheres best when brushed thin with egg white rather than painted on heavy.
- Pull the cookies when they are just set — they firm up as they cool.
- Cool on parchment for clean release before transferring.
Storage & Freezing
- Room temp: Keep in an airtight container for 4–6 days.
- Fridge: None needed, but store 10 days in the fridge (let sit at room temp before serving to ensure ideal texture).
- Freezer (baked cookies): Freeze in a plastic freezer bag or container for up to 2 months.
- Defrost: Defrost at room temperature for 30-60 minutes. For a baked-fresh feel, warm at 300°F (150°C) for 3–5 minutes.
Variations
- Orange zest: Mix 1 tsp orange zest into the dough for a citrusy zing.
- Almond extract: Replace vanilla with 1/4 tsp almond extract.
- Powdered sugar version: Omit almond topping and dust cooled cookies with powdered sugar.
- Do a chocolate drizzle: Drizzle cooled cookies with melted chocolate.
- Sesame topping: Replace almond flakes with sesame seeds for a different kind of bite.
greek cretan biscuits
Buttery Greek-style cookies made with toasted ground almonds and topped with almond flakes for a golden, bakery-style finish.
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment.
- Spread blanched almonds on a baking sheet and toast for 6–10 minutes, shaking once, until lightly golden. Cool completely.
- Pulse toasted almonds in a blender/food processor until finely ground (stop before it turns pasty).
- In a bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In a large bowl, beat softened butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.
- Beat in the egg and vanilla. Mix in the ground almonds.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix just until a soft dough forms.
- Scoop and roll dough into balls. Place on the lined baking sheet with space between.
- Brush tops lightly with egg white and press on almond flakes/sliced almonds.
- Bake 10–14 minutes until set and lightly golden on the bottom. Cool 5 minutes on the pan, then transfer to a rack.
Nutrition
Video
Notes
- Toasting almonds boosts flavor; cool them fully before grinding to avoid oily almond “butter.”
- If dough feels too soft, chill 10–15 minutes before rolling.
- Spoon and level flour for best texture; too much flour can dry the cookies.
- Almond flakes are typically sold as sliced almonds in US stores.
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!FAQs
Do I have to toast the almonds?
Yes, but toasting yields a deeper, nuttier flavor. If you omit it, the taste of almond won’t be as strong.
Can I substitute almond flour and avoid the hassle of grinding almonds to a fine powder?
You can, but the flavor is just so superior with freshly toasted-ground almonds. (Half that if you are working with almond flour — which is fine here, and loose enough to work into the dough.)
Why did my cookies spread too thin?
Butter could have been too warm or the dough was overmixed. If you’d like, chill the dough for 10–15 minutes before baking.
How can I tell when they’re cooked?
They should look set on top and very lightly golden underneath. They will firm as they cool.
Can I make the dough ahead?
Yes. Cover the dough and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Let it sit at room temp 10–20 minutes to make rolling out the dough easier.
Is it necessary for me to use egg white on top?
It allows the slivers of almonds to stick and provides a shiny finish, though you can substitute a little milk (the topping won’t adhere as effectively).
Key Takeaways
- Greek cretan biscuits are soft, buttery cookies made with toasted almonds, perfect for coffee or tea.
- These cookies have a light texture with a crisp edge and are easy to store and freeze.
- The recipe uses basic pantry staples and allows for variations like orange zest or chocolate drizzle.
- To prepare, toast and grind almonds, mix the dough, and bake until lightly golden.
- These biscuits keep for several days at room temperature and freeze well for up to two months.
Estimated reading time: 8 minutes
