Home ยป Desserts ยป Ghraybeh (Arabic Shortbread Cookies)

Ghraybeh (Arabic Shortbread Cookies)


This easy to make vegan Ghraybeh is a popular Eid dessert to enjoy with a cup of coffee or tea. Arabic Shortbread Cookies that melt in the mouth, with a smooth floral hint in every bite. Topped with pistachios and rose petals for the ultimate treat.

Vegan Ghraybeh (Arabic Shortbread Cookies)

About The Recipe

  • Vegan | Dairy-Free
  • Eid Dessert
  • Made with only 5 Ingredients
  • Done in the food processor

What Is Ghraybeh?

Ghraybeh (Gh-ray-beh) is a famous Arabic Shortbread Cookies that’s made with only 3 ingredients (plus 2 more for flavouring). It’s a popular dessert that’s often served during Eid visitations when celebrating with family and friends. It’s got a crispy bite on the outside that melts in the mouth.

Vegan Ghraybeh (Arabic Shortbread Cookies)

Ingredients You’ll Need

Arabic Shortbread Cookies ingredients.
  • All purpose flour: Make sure to properly scoop and measure the flour on a scale for best results.
  • Powdered sugar: Also known as confectioner’s sugar.
  • Vegan Butter: Dairy-free room temperature butter is needed to make these soft and buttery cookies.
  • Rosewater: Essential for the hint of floral scent in every bite. Or use orange blossom water instead.
  • Pistachios: Used to top off each cookie.

How To Make Ghraybeh

Combine the room temperature butter with powdered sugar in a food processor with dough blade attachments (or a stand mixer). Blend with a hint of rosewater. Gradually sift in the flour in batches to knead. The dough should look crumbly yet sticky enough to hold together. Empty into a bowl to fold and knead by hand until smooth – donโ€™t over do it. Cover with food wrap, then chill in the fridge for 1 hour.

Making dough in food processor

How To Shape Ghraybeh

Ghraybeh can be shaped in two popular ways. The classic round cookies, with a pistachio on top. Simply take out a tablespoon’s worth of the dough and squeeze by hand to roll into a ball. Push down the top with a pistachio. Or make the fun ‘S’ shaped cookies instead. Roll into a thick line (after squeezing in hand), then fold/pinch inwards on opposite ends to make the โ€™Sโ€™.

Vegan Ghraybeh (Circle shape)
Vegan Ghraybeh (S shape)

Video Recipe

Watch this short video recipe for how to make vegan Ghraybeh here:


Related Recipes

Check out more vegan Arabic dessert recipes to enjoy over Eid. From the popular Knafeh, to the famous Maamoul, Awameh, Atayef, and more!

Vegan Knafeh with homemade cheesy filling
Knafeh
Maamoul - Arabic Butter Cookies - Stuffed with Dates
Maamoul
Awameh - Fried Dough Balls
Awameh
Vegan Atayef (Qatayef) - Middle Eastern Pancakes - Arabic Ramadan Desserts
Atayef

Vegan Ghraybeh Recipe

If you have any questions about this recipe, or gave it a try, I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below. Remember to rate the recipe with โญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธ. This will help us sustain Plant Based Arab.

Snap a photo of your dish, and tag us on Instagram @PlantBasedArab, so we can see and share your remake!

Ghraybeh (Arabic Shortbread Cookies)

Recipe by Waseem HijaziCourse: Dessert, Sweets, CookiesCuisine: Arabic, Middle Eastern, EidDifficulty: Easy
Servings

20

cookies
Prep time

30

minutes
Baking time

15

minutes
Total time

45

minutes

This easy to make vegan Ghraybeh is a popular Eid dessert to enjoy with a cup of coffee or tea. Arabic Shortbread Cookies that melt in the mouth, with a smooth floral hint in every bite. Topped with pistachios and rose petals for the ultimate treat.

Ingredients

  • 113g plant based butter, room temp

  • 60g icing sugar, sifted

  • 200g all purpose flour, sifted

  • 1 tsp rosewater

  • 1/2 cup pistachios

Directions

  • Making The Dough:
  • Combine butter with sugar in a food processor/mixing bowl. Pulse then process on low for 5 minutes. See Notes (2)
  • Add in the flour in batches – 1/2 cup at a time. Continuously pulse to combine – about 20 seconds. Repeat for remaining flour.
  • Once crumbly – yet sticky – empty into a bowl and knead by hand for a minute until smooth. Cover in food wrap to chill in the fridge for an hour.
  • Shaping The Ghraybeh:
  • Take out 1 tablespoon’s worth of the dough at a time – covering the bowl immediately. Squeeze then roll into a ball using your palms.
  • Place on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Gently and slightly push down to flatten the top. See Notes (3)
  • Add half a pistachio to the centre. Cover with a towel to continue working on the remaining dough.
  • Baking or Air Frying: See Notes (4)
  • To bake, preheat the oven to 325 F (or 160 C) before the previous step – Shaping The Ghraybeh. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes on middle rack.
  • To air fry, set to 300 F (or 150 C). Air fry for 13 to 15 minutes.
  • The cookies should be lightly golden/pale – not browned. Remove and cool in the sheet pan/” target=”_blank”>air fryer basket for 15 minutes.

    They’ll still be soft while hot, but they’ll firm up once cooled down completely on a separate plate – at least for another hour.

Notes

  • (1) Make sure to measure the vegan butter, sugar, and flour using a kitchen scale for best results.
  • (2) ย Use a stand-mixer or bowl with a hand-mixer if a food processor is not available. Simply whip the vegan butter with the sugar long enough until itโ€™s thick and creamy.
  • (3) ย There are two main ways to shape the Ghraybeh cookies. Besides the round balls, you can shape them like an โ€™Sโ€™. Simply roll into a thick line (after squeezing in hand), then fold/pinch inwards on opposite ends to make the โ€™Sโ€™.
  • (4) ย Itโ€™s important to bake/air-fry the Ghraybeh cookies at a low temperature to avoid from browning/burning. Adjust the settings based on the size of the cookies, and your own individual oven/air-fryer.
  • (5) Make sure to watch the video recipe in this post for the step-by-step tutorial.

In This Post:

5 1 vote
Rate This Recipe ๐Ÿ‘‡๐Ÿผ
Subscribe
Notify of
guest

0 Comments
Oldest
Newest
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments