These beautiful Ma’amoul cookies are a twist on the original classic, because not only are they made in a tray but they are Gluten Free, Sugar Free, and Dairy Free.  Feel free to indulge in a timeless favorite that is allergen-free and quicker to make. 

Ma’amoul are a well-loved cookie throughout the Middle East where it is traditionally served at the end of the fasting period of Ramadan for Muslims or Lent for Christians.  It’s a beautiful cookie with a spiced date paste tucked inside a shortbread dough and pressed into a mold that imprints intricate designs into the dough. 

My first experience with ma’amoul was actually through its cousin cookie, kahk, which I was taught how to make by the kind older sister, Laila Almasoudi, of a young Saudi student that I tutored, Safaa, years ago.  Kahk is similar to ma’amoul, but it also includes yeast in the recipe resulting in a less “short” texture at the end.  Equally delicious, just a different cookie.

But I loved the spice mix that Laila used for the date and walnut filling for the cookies.

Another Saudi student whose mother is from Egypt kindly brought me plastic ma’amoul cookie molds after a vacation home, and I embarked on the beginning of my ma’amoul making journey.  The molds definitely helped the process, but when I tried to make the recipe Gluten Free, things started to… fall apart.  Literally.

Flash forward ten years, and I found Reem Kassis’ outstanding cookbook The Arabesque Table.  Kassis is a remarkable cook with a truly impressive depth of knowledge about Palestinian and Middle Eastern food.  It’s a book that I’m looking forward to going through again and again.

What really blew my mind in Kassis’ cookbook, though, was her recipe for Ma’amoul Saniyeh.  “Saniyeh” means “tray” in Arabic, and that’s exactly what Kassis has made – a recipe for ma’amoul made in a tray.  Not exactly easy peasy, but definitely easier and faster than the usual recipe for ma’amoul which involves shaping and molding each cookie one by one.  I’m sure it’s a lovely way to spend an afternoon with a bevy of friends or family, but it’s labor and time intensive.

Plus, let’s get back to the point here, it’s hard to get Gluten Free dough to hold its shape around a filling and then to be pressed into a mold without falling apart.  Especially if you have added a coarse flour like cornmeal to replicate the texture of semolina which is traditionally included in ma’amoul dough.

When I saw Kassis’ recipe for Ma’amoul Saniyeh, I was floored.  Making ma’amoul in a tray could be THE solution for avoiding crumbly Gluten Free ma’amoul.

And it was.

Making the Ma’amoul in a tray with a layer of shortbread cookie then a layer of spiced date paste then a layer of walnuts and topped off with another layer of shortbread cookie worked beautifully.  The Ma’amoul stays together much better, and I actually like the more even proportion of date paste to shortbread cookie.  Just cut the finished cookie into diamond shapes, and you have delicious Ma’amoul cookies in a fraction of the time. 

I understand that there are as many variations on Ma’amoul fillings as there are people in this world.  I like the date filling to be extra full of the warming spices cloves, cinnamon, and (my favorite) star anise. 

For the dough, to get that perfect shortbread texture with just the right amount of crumble, I had to play around a lot with the amount of cornmeal to use.  In the end, the dough works with  one fifth cornmeal and the rest Gluten Free Flour.

I am just thrilled to share this recipe for Ma’amoul that is Gluten Free, Sugar Free, and Dairy Free.  I love these cookies, and I hope that you will, too.

Why You’ll LOVE this Recipe:

• Gluten Free
• Sugar Free
• Dairy Free
• Faster to make
• Spiced date filling

Ingredients for Gluten Free Ma’amoul Cookies:

• cornmeal, medium grind
• Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour
• cardamom
• nutmeg
• Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks
• vegetable oil
• liquid stevia
• orange blossom water
• baking powder
• ground mahlab
• salt
• egg yolks
• water
• date paste
• ground cloves
• ground star anise
• ground cinnamon
• walnuts

Notes on Ingredients:

Cornmeal – Cornmeal is being used in place of semolina to give the shortbread cookie a slightly coarse texture.  Ma’amoul should crumble just a bit, and the semolina (or cornmeal, here) makes that happen.

Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks – These are used in place of ghee.  Earth Balance has a milder flavor than ghee, but it’s also less greasy which works well with the Gluten Free dough.

Orange blossom water – You can find this in the Middle Eastern section of a grocery store.  It gives a wonderful perfume to the cookies which is essential.  Some recipes call for rose water instead, and some recipes use both.  My daughter and I tested all versions, and we preferred the cookie dough made with just orange blossom water.  It’s just personal preference.  Feel free to use rose water instead or along with the orange blossom water.

Mahlab – This is an amazing spice that is made from grinding the seed kernels of the pits of cherries.  It has a warm fragrance that is also slightly perfumed and floral.  It’s wonderful and kind of addictive – I find myself craving the taste of it in the Ma’amoul cookies.  It can be found in Middle Eastern grocery stores.  However, if you can’t find it, just leave it out entirely.

Date paste – You can find packages of date paste in Middle Eastern grocery stores.  The paste should be completely free of pits, and it should be very soft when you open it. 

Star anise – I couldn’t find star anise already ground in any grocery store.  So I just bought the whole star anise pods, and then I ground them myself using this coffee grinder which I use as spice grinder.  If that seems like too much work to do, just leave it out.  The cookies will still be full of warm spices and flavor. 

How to Make Gluten Free Ma’amoul Cookies From Scratch

Make the Shortbread Dough

In a large bowl, combine the cornmeal, Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour, cardamom, nutmeg, Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks, and vegetable oil.  Mix with your hands until the mixture resembles wet sand.  Cover and let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. 

Add the liquid stevia, orange blossom water, baking powder, mahlab, salt, and egg yolks.  Mix to combine.  Add the water, one tablespoon at a time, and mix with your hands until a clump of dough holds together. 

Prepare the Pan

Preheat the oven to 400 F. 

Prepare a 9” square or circular metal pan by lining it with parchment paper.  Cut the parchment paper larger than the pan so that some parchment paper hangs over the edges (this will make it easier to lift the cookies out of the pan after baking).

Make the Date Filling

In a small bowl, mix together the date paste, cloves, star anise, cinnamon, and vegetable oil.  Just use your hands.  It’s the easiest way.

Assemble the Layers in the Pan

Take half of the pastry dough and press it into a layer on the bottom of the baking pan lined with parchment paper. 

Roll out the date paste between two pieces of parchment paper.  Then, gently flip the date paste on top of the pasty layer in the baking pan.  Don’t worry if it breaks, just press it in until you have an even layer of date paste.

Cover the date paste layer with the chopped walnuts.  Press the chopped walnuts into the date paste layer.

Finally, put the remaining pastry dough on top of the layer of walnuts.  Use your fingers to press the pastry dough into a smooth layer.

Score the Cookies Before Baking

Use a sharp knife to score the layers of pastry and date paste all the way through to form a diamond pattern.  Don’t be delicate.  You want the knife to go all the way down, or it will be harder to get a neat cut after the cookies are baked.  Decorate with the walnut halves if you like.

Bake for 20 minutes just until golden at the edges.  Do not let the pastry turn brown.

Remove from oven and allow to cool completely at room temperature.  Use the parchment paper to lift the cookies out of the baking pan. 

Store in an airtight container.