Maamoul With Dates

This maamoul with dates recipe is for traditional Lebanese semolina shortbread cookies, shaped with distinctive patterns and filled with velvety date paste.

Of all the maamoul varieties, date maamoul has always been my favorite.

I grew up with maamoul being the scent of celebration. The warm aroma of butter, semolina, and floral water meant family was gathering and the kitchen was alive. These cookies may look delicate, but they are deeply comforting. Now that I make them myself, I truly understand the patience and care my mother put into every batch.

Maamoul is typically served with Arabic coffee or tea when offered to guests, or arranged on dessert tables during holidays. While date maamoul is rich and smooth (yes please!), walnut maamoul and pistachio maamoul cookies are just as loved, each with its own character. I still shape mine the way my mother does, gently enclosing the filling and stamping each cookie in a wooden mold to create that familiar pattern.

Ingredients

For the dough

My family's traditional Lebanese maamoul dough uses a mix of coarse semolina and fine semolina, which gives the cookies their signature crumbly yet tender texture. Left over semolina can be used to make namoura cake.

My mother uses ghee, but I make mine with a lightly salted dairy free butter to suit my diet without compromising flavor. I have tried it with vegetable ghee and found the taste not appetizing.

Orange blossom water, rose water and mahlab give maamoul its unmistakable aroma. I keep all on hand and use them sparingly so they perfume the dough without overpowering it. I've linked below where to source these from online, otherwise these can be bought from your local Middle Eastern grocer.

Instead of yeast, I use a very small amount of baking powder. It does not cause the dough to puff, but it helps create a soft melt in the mouth texture.

A splash of dairy free milk brings the dough together once the semolina has hydrated.

For the filling

I avoid pre made date paste whenever possible. It rarely tastes as fresh as I like.

I use pre pitted dates, softened gently with dairy free butter, a touch of sugar, and a pinch of salt, then blended until completely smooth. The filling should be soft and cohesive with no chunks. This ensures the cookies stamp cleanly and bake evenly.

Shaping and Stamping Maamoul

Here's how to put date maamoul together - the full set of instructions are in the recipe card below.

Weigh the dough and filling separately, then roll each into 10 even portions.

Flatten each dough portion with well-floured hands, then place the date filling in the center.

Carefully seal the dough around the date paste until fully enclosed, then roll into a smooth ball.

Press the filled dough gently into a well-floured maamoul mold until evenly shaped.

The back of the maamoul should look like this before releasing it from the mold. To unmold, flip the mold so the maamoul is face down, then gently tap the tip of the mold on a hard surface until it releases into your hand. Watching the video for this step is highly recommended.

Transfer the shaped maamoul to a parchment-lined baking sheet, ready for baking.