Cucina Nicolina

  • Gluten-Free Recipes
  • Cookbook
menu icon
go to homepage
  • About
  • GF Summer Recipes
  • Recipe Index
  • Cookbook
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • About
    • GF Summer Recipes
    • Recipe Index
    • Cookbook
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Desserts

    Moroccan Ghriba Cookies

    Published: May 13, 2019 by Nicole Spiridakis ·

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    These Moroccan ghriba cookies are a traditional, not-too-sweet cookie with a nutty, cinnamon-laced base and rolled in just a little powdered sugar.

    A bowl of cookies and tea.

    Easy Moroccan Ghriba Recipe

    In my current and new iteration as a homeowner, I've mentally fallen prey to the idea that my house should be "finished" before I invite anyone over. Fortunately, we have not given way to this in reality as I've realized it will never be "finished" and old couches can be slipcovered and there's no time like the present to have friends over for a meal! We've been doing some lunch parties and a few dinners and when my husband does the cooking he always makes a big couscous feed -- vegetable tajine and a lamb dish -- I make a cucumber-tomato salad, and we finish with these little cookies.

    Morocco ... six years ago we were about to leave for that adventure and it is starting to feel like a long time ago. But I am blessed - or cursed - with a very vivid memory and so sometimes the days there still feel very close. I can't say we ate ghriba in Casablanca but we probably did and I just didn't know what they were called.

    The simplest ingredients are blended together to create a dense, not-too-sweet morsel in this recipe for Moroccan ghriba cookies. Walnuts are the star so if you love walnuts you'll be very pleased. If you don't, try almonds instead. A bit - but just a bit - of powdered sugar makes these cookies into the little treats they are supposed to be, and I love one or two cookies with a late-morning cup of coffee. There's no white horse clip-clopping his way past my kitchen window but we have ample birds and the merest glimpse of a goat in the field behind our backyard. No palm trees but redwoods and old oaks. There are lots of mourning doves cooing through the morning fog, however, the sound of whom will always take me straight back to our time in North Africa and the Middle East. The same but oh so different.

    A bowl of ghriba cookies and a cup of tea.

    What You'll Need to Make Ghriba Cookies

    • Unsalted butter
    • Egg
    • Sugar
    • Ground cinnamon
    • All purpose flour - sub whole wheat pastry or almond flour.
    • Baking powder
    • Walnuts - sub almonds.
    • Powdered sugar
    Ghriba cookies.

    Serving Suggestions

    • With coffee! Ghriba is so lovely with coffee, and for fun, you can make Turkish/Arabic coffee to serve in little cups alongside.
    • With tea, especially Moroccan mint tea. It's worth trying your hand -- and pour - at making Moroccan mint tea, which is delicious and so fragrant.
    • As dessert. You could serve glasses of lemon sorbet with ghriba for garnish, or a bowl of vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce and ghribas.
    • On a cookie plate. You could absolutely tuck these cookies on a holiday cookie plate or on a general cookie plate when you have guests over (for tea or coffee ... of course!).

    Storage

    Store cookies in an airtight container on the counter for 5 days (between you and me they last longer than that). They also freeze well - place cookies in a freezer bag and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. Bring to room temperature to serve.

    A bowl of gluten-free ghriba.
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ghriba Cookies

    Nicole Spiridakis
    Simple ingredients are blended together to create a dense, not-too-sweet cookie called ghriba. A Moroccan treat.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 5 minutes mins
    Chilling Time 30 minutes mins
    Total Time 45 minutes mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine Moroccan
    Servings 20 cookies
    Calories 33 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
    • 1 egg large, at room temperature
    • ¼ cup sugar
    • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • 3 tablespoons flour
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • 2 ¼ cups walnut pieces, coarsely ground in a food processor to form a meal. You can grind them longer to make them finer but be careful not to overprocess them because they can turn into walnut butter.
    • 1 cup powdered sugar

    Instructions
     

    • In a large bowl, beat the egg and butter together with an electric mixer on medium speed. Add sugar and cinnamon and beat well to combine.
    • In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder. Beat into the batter and then add the ground walnuts. Mix on low speed until smooth. Place bowl in the fridge and chill for 30 minutes.
    • When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350° F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Place powdered sugar in a bowl.
    • Remove the dough from the fridge and roll into 1-inch balls. Roll in sugar and place on baking sheet 1- inch apart. Place in the oven and bake for four minutes; then rotate sheets and bake cookies until they are golden, firm at the edges, and slighly cracked on top, another 3-5 minutes. Remove from oven, let cool on the sheet, and dust with more powdered sugar before serving.
    • Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 5 days.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 33kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 0.001gFat: 0.01gSodium: 21mgPotassium: 0.3mgFiber: 0.01gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 0.1IUVitamin C: 0.001mgCalcium: 12mgIron: 0.03mg
    Disclaimer: Nutrition information is automatically calculated and is an estimate (I'm not a nutritionist and can't guarantee accuracy!). Even when not specified, be sure to check that all the ingredients you use are gluten free if you need them to be by reading labels on all packaging and/or confirming with the manufacturer.
    Did you make this recipe?Let me know in the comments how it went!

    More Dessert Recipes

    • A loaf of gluten free coconut loaf cake with a slice cut from it.
      Gluten Free Coconut Loaf Cake
    • A pan of gluten-free rhubarb crisp with a spoon.
      Gluten-Free Rhubarb Crisp
    • A serving of gluten free rhubarb crumble on a plate.
      Gluten Free Rhubarb Crumble
    • A serving of strawberry rhubarb crumble and a cup of coffee.
      Gluten Free Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble

    Comments

    1. Mr.MeMe says

      February 17, 2025 at 9:39 am

      5 stars
      Nom Nom

      Reply
    2. Aaron Rowell says

      December 24, 2024 at 11:08 am

      How am I supposed to apply "mix until smooth" to apparently unprocessed whole walnuts, and 3 TB of almond flour?

      Reply
      • Nicole Spiridakis says

        December 24, 2024 at 4:23 pm

        Hi there, As stated in the recipe directions, you coarsely grind/process the walnuts in a food processor, before mixing them with the rest of the ingredients including all-purpose flour. I will add a note to mention how fine to grind the walnuts. Hope that helps.

        Reply
    3. L Sakellaropoulos says

      May 17, 2019 at 6:27 am

      Love reading about your life abroad... I shared a similar experience and am back in NorCal once again.

      Can you substitute almond flour and make these gluten-free?

      Efharisto.

      Reply
    4. Helen says

      May 14, 2019 at 7:44 pm

      Nice post... yummy cookies and I remember that horse & carriage. What a time you have had

      Reply
    5 from 2 votes (1 rating without comment)

    I'd love to hear from you! Please leave me a note. Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Welcome!

    Cucina Nicolina is your home for easy gluten free baking recipes made with simple, wholesome ingredients. I'm a writer, recipe developer, and cookbook author who loves to share all things yummy and gluten free. Learn more about me.

    My Popular Recipes

    • An oat flour blueberry muffin is cut in half on a blue and white plate.
      Oat Flour Blueberry Muffins
    • Slices of oat flour cake on plates with the cake in the background.
      Oat Flour Cake
    • A piece of vanilla cake on a blue and white plate.
      Oat Flour Vanilla Cake
    • An oat flour scone on a plate.
      Oat Flour Scones

    Hooray for Summer!

    • Sliced strawberries top gluten free strawberrry shortcake.
      Gluten Free Strawberry Shortcake Cake
    • A bowl of gluten free blueberry crisp with vanilla ice cream.
      Gluten Free Blueberry Crisp
    • A gluten free peach pie on a white background.
      Gluten Free Peach Pie
    • A pan of gluten-free rhubarb crisp with a spoon.
      Gluten-Free Rhubarb Crisp

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    Info

    Terms and Conditions

    Privacy Policy

    Accessibility

    Newsletter

    Sign up for my newsletter

    About

    About Me

    Writing Work

    Contact

    © Copyright 2025 Cucina Nicolina

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.