I love maamoul! They’re one of my favorite things to bake, eat, and gift. I’ve tested lots of maamoul recipes, and I’ve always loved the one in my book and the one on my website. But the question is: “Do I really need another maamoul recipe to share with my readers?”
If you’re looking for a quick recipe that doesn’t involve long periods of dough resting, or if you’ve struggled with other maamoul recipes, then the answer is yes—you need this recipe in your life!
This is a quick and easy version that even a novice baker can make with ease. The maamoul are melt-in-your-mouth delicious, and it’s impossible to eat just one without reaching for a second!
What makes this the easiest maamoul recipe is that the dough uses just a few ingredients: flour, ghee, mahlab, and sweetened condensed milk. Yes, you read that right—sweetened condensed milk!
Maamoul dough is often made with semolina, or a combination of semolina and flour, but this recipe calls for flour only, with no leavening. The maamoul cookies are just as fun to make as they are to eat.
Maamoul is one of the most popular shortbread cookies made for Eid and Easter in Lebanon and throughout the Middle East. Traditionally, it is baked and sold exclusively during these festive occasions, but we also prepare it year-round for gatherings with friends and family, satisfying our sweet cravings with a cup of coffee or tea.
This recipe is adapted from Chef Omar, an extremely passionate and immensely talented YouTuber and chef whose cooking shows I have watched and enjoyed over the years. I think of his channel as my go-to source for food and fun. While he teaches you how to prepare delicious recipes, his shows are also incredibly entertaining to watch from start to finish, thanks to his positive energy and wonderful sense of humor. If you understand Arabic, I highly recommend checking him out—he is truly an inspiration.
The only tweaks I made to his recipe were adding a little more sweetened condensed milk to make the dough more malleable, and adding an extra touch of aromatic mastic to the date filling!
Maamoul Ingredients: Best Dates, Ghee, Mastic & Mahlab for Perfect Date Maamoul
Dates
Use fleshy, soft, and moist dates such as Omani, Khudri, or Medjool dates. Avoid dry varieties, as the dates need to be transformed into a soft, smooth paste for the filling.
Ghee
Ghee is the backbone of this recipe, so using a high-quality, delicious brand is essential for successful maamoul. Not all ghee brands are equally reliable, so choose the best ghee you can find.
Mastic
Mastic adds a delicate, aromatic flavor to the date filling and takes the maamoul to a whole new level.
Mahlab (Mahleb)
Mahlab, also known as mahleb, is an aromatic white spice commonly used in Middle Eastern baked goods. It adds a subtle, distinctive flavor that complements the other ingredients beautifully.
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Date Maamoul with Sweetened Condensed Milk
Description
Ingredients
Dough
- 500 grams / 1 lb 2 oz / 3¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 250 grams / 9 oz / 1 cup ghee
- 200 ml / ⅔ cup sweetened condensed milk
- 1 teaspoon mahlab
Filling
- 500 grams / 1 lb 2 oz dates pitted
- 2 tablespoons ghee
- 2 tablespoons orange blossom water
- 5 granules of mastic gum crushed with a pinch of sugar
- A little extra water if needed, to loosen the date mixture
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, ghee, mahlab, and sweetened condensed milk. Use your hands to knead the mixture until everything is well incorporated. The mixture will initially be crumbly, so continue kneading until you have a smooth, malleable dough.Transfer the dough to a clean bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and place in the freezer for about 20 minutes, until cold but not frozen.
- In the meantime, prepare the filling: Pull open the dates and remove the pits by hand.
- Transfer the dates to a food processor and add the ghee, orange blossom water, and mastic gum. Blend until smooth and paste-like. If your food processor is having difficulty breaking down the dates or achieving a smooth consistency, add a couple of tablespoons of water and continue blending.
- Roll the dates into small balls, roughly the size of an apricot. If the dates are sticking to your hands, rub your hands with a little oil. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 220°C (430°F). Position the baking rack in the middle of the oven.
- Remove the dough from the freezer and knead it well. The dough should be pliable and easy to work with. If it is too dry, it may crack while baking. To prevent this, add a little sweetened condensed milk at a time until the dough is moist enough to shape easily.If the cookie dough is too sticky to work with, add a little flour at a time until you reach the desired consistency. Divide the dough into equal-sized balls, roughly the size of an apricot.
- Make a hole in the center of each ball. Using your finger, fill the hole with a date ball. Seal the hole by pinching the dough together, then roll it into a smooth ball.
- Transfer each stuffed ball into the mold, pressing it gently to level it with the mold. A simple trick to prevent the dough from sticking is to sprinkle the mold with a pinch of fine semolina (farina). It works like magic!
- Gently tap the mold on a countertop, turning it over, and the maamoul will come out.
- Place it on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat with the remaining dough and date filling. There is no need to leave space between the maamoul, as the absence of leavening means these cookies will neither rise nor spread.
- Bake for about 15–20 minutes, or until golden in color. The bottoms of the maamoul should be lightly browned but not burnt, so keep a close eye on them while baking. Remove from the oven and, while still warm, brush the top of each maamoul with a little ghee. This step is optional but highly recommended!
Video
Notes
10 Comments
I would loooove the recipe for your maamoul biscuits. I enjoy them soo much, and being diabetic I can eat dates. So I use artificial sugar where necessary, but enjoy the dates’ natural sweetness.
How can I obtain the recipe. I tried ordering your book, but I am unable to do so. Why I dont know. I liive in South Africa e-mail is launad@yahoo.com
Hi Hadia, i ‘ve made these as written. The best ever mamoul i made, seriously they tasted heaven. and so easy to make. I and hubby couldn’t stop eating. A reliable recipe, just like everything you post. Thank you so much.
First time making maamoule. I made this dough with pistachio and walnut fillings as well, to compare with your traditional maamoule recipe. Only 4 stars, because the general consensus was that everyone preferred the ones I made with your traditional recipe. However, the date filling was, according to my Lebanese husband, the best date maamoules he had ever tasted. And these ones were also polished off very quickly, so a good alternative “cheat’s” recipe!
[…] are times when Eid approaches I would spend all day on crafting date or pistachio maamoul, but this year I wanted to keep it healthy, date, nuts and and tahini dessert, […]
[…] Date maamoul […]