Moroccan · Dessert
Chebakia (Moroccan Honey and Sesame Cookies)
Authentic Moroccan chebakia, flower-shaped sesame cookies fried until crisp and soaked in honey and orange blossom syrup. The classic Ramadan sweet.
No Moroccan Ramadan table is complete without a pyramid of chebakia, intricate, flower-shaped cookies fried until golden, drenched in fragrant honey and showered with sesame seeds. They sit right beside the harira, and the contrast of sweet, sticky cookie with savory soup is one of the great pairings of Moroccan cooking.
Chebakia is as much craft as recipe. The dough is rich with ground sesame, anise and cinnamon, tinted gold with a pinch of turmeric. The real art is in the shaping: each piece is slit, then pinched and folded into a little rose. It takes a few tries to get the fold right, so don’t be discouraged if your first batch looks rustic; they’ll taste wonderful regardless.
The two finishing moves make all the difference. Fry at a steady 340°F (170°C) so the cookies cook through while staying crisp, then plunge them straight from the oil into warm (not boiling) honey scented with orange blossom water. A few minutes in the syrup lets them drink it up without going soggy, and a final sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds seals the deal.
Because they keep for weeks in an airtight tin, chebakia are traditionally made in large batches at the start of Ramadan. Brew a pot of mint tea, and you have the most Moroccan of afternoon treats.
Baking by weight is the secret to consistent dough, so use the Cookspeed cups to grams converter and baking conversion chart, and the Fahrenheit to Celsius converter to dial in your frying temperature.
Ingredients
For the dough
- 4 cups (500 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (140 g) toasted sesame seeds, ground
- 1/2 cup (60 g) toasted almonds, finely ground (optional)
- 1 tsp ground anise seed
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric (for color)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp instant yeast dissolved in 2 tbsp warm water
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) olive oil
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) melted butter
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp white vinegar
- 1 tbsp orange blossom water
- Warm water, as needed to bind
To finish
- Neutral oil, for deep frying
- 3 cups (1 kg) honey
- 1 tbsp orange blossom water
- 1 cup (140 g) toasted sesame seeds, for sprinkling
Yield: About 40 cookies
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, ground sesame, ground almonds, anise, cinnamon, turmeric and salt. Add the dissolved yeast, olive oil, melted butter, egg, vinegar and orange blossom water.
- Mix, adding warm water a little at a time, until you have a firm, smooth dough. Knead for 10 minutes, then cover and rest for 1 hour.
- Roll the dough thin and cut into rectangles. Make four lengthwise slits in each, then pinch and fold to form the traditional flower (rose) shape. (Pinching opposite corners through the slits creates the classic chebakia twist.)
- Heat the frying oil to 340°F (170°C). Meanwhile, gently warm the honey with the orange blossom water in a separate pot until runny but not boiling.
- Fry the shaped cookies in batches until deep golden and crisp, about 3 to 4 minutes, turning once.
- Using a slotted spoon, lift the hot cookies straight into the warm honey. Let them soak for 5 to 7 minutes so they fully absorb the syrup.
- Lift out, letting excess honey drip off, and immediately sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds. Cool completely on a rack, they crisp up as they set.
Tips & notes
- Shaping takes practice, so your first few will be rough, and that's fine. They taste just as good.
- Frying at a steady 340°F (170°C) keeps the cookies crisp; too cool and they soak up oil, too hot and they brown before cooking through.
- Stored airtight, chebakia keep for 3 to 4 weeks, which is why they're made in big batches for Ramadan.
Nutrition (approx. per serving)
- Calories 240 kcal
- Protein 4 g
- Carbs 34 g
- Fat 11 g
Nutrition is an estimate and will vary with brands and portion sizes.
Frequently asked questions
When are chebakia eaten in Morocco?
Chebakia are the signature sweet of Ramadan, served alongside harira soup to break the fast. The honey gives a quick energy boost after a day of fasting, and they keep for weeks.
What does chebakia taste like?
Crisp and flaky on the outside, lightly chewy inside, with warm notes of anise, cinnamon and sesame, all wrapped in floral orange-blossom honey. They're sweet but fragrant rather than cloying.
Can I bake chebakia instead of frying?
Traditional chebakia are deep-fried, which gives them their signature crunch. You can bake them at 350°F (175°C) until golden for a lighter version, but the texture will be firmer and less flaky.
