Let me tell you a little secret. It all started with Yiayia’s traditional koulourakia recipe, golden, citrus-scented, and the kind of biscuit that takes you back to Greek Easter mornings, with the smell of orange rind and vanilla sugar dancing through the house. But one day, in a chocolate-craving frenzy (hello post pregnancy hormones 👋), I thought… what if we gave these Greek Easter biscuits a little chocolatey twist?
And just like that, my Chocolate Koulourakia Greek Easter Biscuits were born.
Half the batch stays faithful to Yiayia’s recipe. The other half? Well, they get whisked away to the dark (chocolate) side. Still with the same buttery, melt-in-your-mouth texture, just with a rich cocoa swirl and a whisper of coffee to bring out the depth of flavour.
For the traditional koulourakia recipe click here. If you’re looking at making Tsourekia too, click here!
Let’s get into it.
Ingredients – Classic & Chocolate Koulourakia Greek Easter Biscuits
Base Dough
- 1.5 cups caster sugar
- 25 g vanilla sugar
- 11 eggs (one reserved for basting)
- 125 g unsalted butter
- 1 kg self-raising flour (keep an 500g aside – see notes)
- 1 cup milk
- Juice and zest of half an orange
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil (or any neutral oil)
- Sesame seeds (optional)
- 1 tbsp water (for egg wash)
Chocolate Twist (for half the dough)
- 2.5 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 tsp instant coffee
- 30 g melted dark or semi-sweet chocolate
- 1.5 tbsp hot water
- 1 tsp caster sugar
- Set aside 50-70g of self raising flour
Method
1. Make the Dough
Start by melting the butter and letting it cool for about 5 minutes. Then add in the lukewarm milk, oil, orange juice and zest.
In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, caster sugar, and vanilla sugar until the mixture becomes pale and fluffy. You want it airy and light.
Now, pour your egg mixture into the buttery milk mixture. Slowly start adding in the self-raising flour (don’t dump it all in at once; this is a trust exercise). Use your hands to bring it together until the dough is soft, pliable and no longer sticks to your fingers. Resist the urge to over-flour! Sticky just means you haven’t kneaded enough. Add 100g of additional flour then knead again. Only continue adding your additional flour you set aside until the right consistency is formed.
Once it’s smooth and not clinging to your fingers, let it rest for 30 minutes covered in plastic wrap in the fridge. Resting makes it easier to roll out.
2. Create the Chocolate Dough (for half the batch)
In a small bowl, combine cocoa powder, coffee, sugar, and hot water into a paste. Stir in your melted chocolate until smooth and glossy.
Take half your dough and knead in the chocolate mixture. If it starts getting too soft or sticky, just add a little of that extra flour (the 50-70g of flour you set aside earlier) one tablespoon at a time; until it firms up again.
Now you’ve got two doughs: the traditional golden one and the dark, moody chocolate one.
3. Shape Your Koulourakia
Lightly flour your bench and cut off 20–30g pieces of dough.
Choose your shape adventure:
- Twists: Roll into a rope, fold into a U, twist the ends.
- Snails: Roll and swirl into a snail shell.
- Rings: Form a rope and seal the ends together into a circle.
Mix and match chocolate and classic dough.
4. Egg Wash & Bake
Whisk that last egg with a splash of water. Brush it lovingly over each biscuit and sprinkle with sesame seeds if you’re going traditional.
Bake at 180°C fan for around 20 minutes or until golden brown. Start checking at 15 mins.
Notes from the Kitchen
- Your dough’s texture will vary depending on the weather. Cold day? You might need that extra cup of flour. Hot day? Probably not.
- If the dough feels sticky, do the ball test. Roll a piece between your palms; if it forms easily, it’s ready. If it’s still gloopy, you’ve got more kneading or a little extra flour to go.
Why You’ll Love These Chocolate Koulourakia Greek Easter Biscuits
They’ve got all the nostalgia of traditional koulourakia but with a delicious twist. The cocoa, coffee, and melted chocolate bring a rich, not-too-sweet layer of indulgence; perfect for dipping into coffee or wrapping up in cellophane for Easter gifts.
Chocolate Koulourakia Greek Easter Biscuits – A Sweet Twist on Tradition
Ingredients
Method
- Melt butter and let it cool for 5 minutes.
- Add in lukewarm milk, oil, orange juice, and zest.
- In a separate bowl, beat 10 eggs with caster sugar and vanilla sugar until pale and fluffy.
- Combine wet mixtures together in one bowl.
- Gradually add in self-raising flour (start with 1kg), mixing until a dough forms.
- Knead until the dough is smooth and doesn’t stick to your fingers. Only use extra flour (from the 500g reserved) if needed. Adding 100g at a time.
- Cover dough with plastic wrap and rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- In a small bowl, mix cocoa powder, instant coffee, 1 tsp sugar, and hot water into a paste.
- Stir in melted chocolate until smooth.
- Knead the chocolate mixture into half of the dough.
- If the dough gets sticky, add reserved flour 1 tbsp at a time until firm and pliable.
- Lightly flour your bench.
- Cut off 20–30g pieces of dough.
- Shape into:
- Twists – roll into a rope, fold in half, twist ends.
- Snails – roll into a rope, swirl into a spiral.
- Rings – form a rope and pinch ends into a circle.
- Place on a lined tray a few cm apart.
- Whisk 1 egg with 1 tbsp water.
- Brush over each biscuit.
- Sprinkle with sesame seeds (optional).
- Bake in a 180°C fan oven for 15–20 minutes until golden. Watch closely from 15 mins!