Ghriba (Moroccan Almond Cookies)

About This Recipe

Ghriba are Morocco's beloved crackled cookies, made with ground almonds and just enough flour to bind them, giving a texture that's crisp on the outside and dense, chewy, and slightly gooey within. They're a fixture of Moroccan celebrations -- Eid, weddings, and holiday gatherings -- rolled generously in powdered sugar before baking so the dough cracks dramatically as it spreads, revealing the golden cookie beneath a snowy white coating. The technique that defines ghriba is minimal handling and the sugar coating: the dough, enriched with ground almonds and a little oil or butter, should be mixed just until it comes together, then rolled into balls and coated heavily in powdered sugar before baking at a moderate temperature, which causes the classic crackle pattern as the cookie expands. Slightly underbaking is intentional -- ghriba should be pulled from the oven while the centers are still soft, since they firm up as they cool, and overbaking leaves them dry and crumbly rather than pleasantly chewy. Served at celebrations alongside mint tea, ghriba's appeal is entirely in that contrast -- a crackled, sugar-dusted exterior giving way to a soft, nutty, faintly chewy center.

Ingredients

Serves 8

• 2 cupsground almonds
• 0.75 cupsugar
• 0.5 cupall-purpose flour
• 0.5 tspbaking powder
• 0.25 tspsalt
• 2eggs
• 3 tbspneutral oil
• 1 tspvanilla extract
• 0.5 tspalmond extract(optional)
• 0.75 cuppowdered sugar(for coating)

Instructions

1. 1

   Mix the dry ingredients

   Combine ground almonds, sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.

2. 2

   Add wet ingredients

   Beat eggs, oil, vanilla, and almond extract if using. Fold into the dry ingredients until just combined into a soft, slightly sticky dough.

3. 3

   Chill

   Cover and refrigerate the dough 30 minutes to firm up for easier handling.

4. 4

   Shape and coat

   Roll dough into 1.5-inch balls. Roll each generously in powdered sugar until fully coated.

5. 5

   Bake

   Preheat oven to 170C/340F. Place balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet, spaced apart, and bake 12-15 minutes until cracked on top and just set at the edges but still soft in the center.

6. 6

   Cool and serve

   Let cool completely on the tray before moving -- they firm up as they cool. Serve at room temperature.

Variations

• •

  Ghriba bahla: use only almonds without flour for a flourless, more traditional version (denser and chewier).

• •

  Add orange blossom water to the dough for a fragrant, distinctly Moroccan floral note.

• •

  Use ground walnuts or a mix of almonds and coconut for a different flavor profile.

Storage

Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week; they stay soft and chewy well beyond that if sealed properly.

Frequently Asked Questions