Greek Desserts
Koulouria Rodou Recipe (Rhodes Sesame Ring Cookies)
Κουλουράκια Ρόδου koo-loo-RAH-kyah ROH-thoo · Koulourakia Rodou
In short
Koulouria Rodou are ring-shaped cookies from Rhodes, orange-scented and fully coated in sesame seed before baking, marking them out from the plainer, egg-washed koulourakia found on the mainland. They appear at Easter and name-day celebrations across the island.
Mainland koulourakia are usually finished with just an egg wash for their characteristic shine, but the Rhodes version takes a different route, coating the shaped rings fully in sesame seed before they ever reach the oven, giving a nuttier, crunchier finish that marks these out clearly as an island variation rather than a plain repeat of the mainland cookie.
The dough itself follows much the same logic as any koulourakia, a buttery, orange-scented base shaped by hand into rings or twists, but the sesame coating changes both the flavour and the texture of every bite in a way that is worth trying even if you already have a favourite mainland version.
As with any koulourakia, the shaping is the part of the process that takes real time, and it is genuinely more enjoyable done with company than alone.
Key preparation steps
- Make a buttery, orange-scented dough.
- Shape into rings or twists.
- Brush with egg wash and roll fully in sesame seed.
- Bake until deeply golden.
The dough
Butter creamed with sugar, then eggs beaten in one at a time, followed by orange zest and juice, with flour and a little baking powder folded in gently to a soft, workable dough, exactly as with mainland koulourakia. Fold in only until combined, since overworking the flour toughens the finished cookie.
Shaping and the sesame coating
Roll small portions of dough into ropes and shape into simple rings, twists or coils, whichever your family tradition favours, keeping the thickness consistent across the batch so everything bakes evenly. Brush each shaped cookie generously with beaten egg, then roll it in a shallow tray of sesame seeds, pressing gently so the seeds coat the whole surface rather than just the top.
Baking
Bake in a moderate oven until deeply golden and the sesame coating has toasted to a rich, nutty brown, around eighteen to twenty minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack before storing, since they firm up further as they cool.
Tips from my kitchen
Brush the egg wash generously before coating
This is what makes the sesame seeds stick properly to the whole cookie, not just the top.
Keep the ropes an even thickness
Uneven ropes bake at different rates, leaving some cookies underdone while others overdo.
Cool completely before storing
They firm up as they cool, and storing them warm can make them soft and steamy in an airtight container.
Koulouria Rodou Recipe (Rhodes Sesame Ring Cookies)
Κουλουράκια Ρόδου · by Kalliopi Andreou · updated 2026-07-31
- Prep
- 45m
- Cook
- 20m
- Total
- 1h 5m
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oven to 180C fan 160C and line two baking trays.
- Beat the butter and sugar together until pale and light.
- Beat in the 3 eggs one at a time, then the orange zest and juice.
- Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt, then fold in gently until a soft dough forms.
- Roll small pieces of dough into ropes and shape into rings or twists, keeping the thickness even.
- Beat the extra egg and brush each shaped cookie generously.
- Roll each cookie in the sesame seeds, pressing gently to coat the whole surface.
- Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until deeply golden and the sesame is well toasted.
- Cool completely on a wire rack.
Nutrition, per 1 cookie
- Calories
- 168
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 20 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Sat fat
- 5 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
These figures are calculated estimates based on the ingredients listed, not laboratory analysis. Actual values vary with brands, cuts and portion size.
Frequently asked questions about Koulourakia Rodou
How are these different from mainland koulourakia?
Rhodes koulouria are fully coated in sesame seed before baking, giving a nuttier, crunchier finish, where mainland koulourakia are usually finished with just an egg wash for shine.
How long do koulouria Rodou keep?
Two to three weeks in an airtight container at room temperature, similar to mainland koulourakia.
Can you freeze the shaped, unbaked cookies?
Yes, they freeze well on a tray until solid, then bagged, and bake from frozen with a couple of extra minutes added.
