Famous Damascene cookies — thin rounds of dough coated on one side with toasted sesame and on the other with pistachios, baked until golden and crisp. A hospitality treat with a low glycemic load per piece. Contains gluten, sesame, tree nuts, and dairy.
Barazek are a celebrated and ancient Damascene cookie, among the most famous sweets of Syria — exported and gifted around the world. Thin discs of dough coated on one side with toasted sesame and on the other with Aleppo pistachios, baked until crisp.
Damascus and its storied confectioneries made them famous, and they became a symbol of Levantine hospitality and a treasured souvenir. Served with coffee and tea at celebrations and festive occasions. The combination of crisp dough, toasted sesame, and pistachios is the secret behind their worldwide renown.
Mix the flour and sugar, then add the ghee and oil and rub in, followed by the yeast dissolved in the milk and the vanilla. Knead into a soft, cohesive dough. Cover and let it rest for half an hour. The rest makes it easy to roll.
Toast the sesame in a dry pan until golden (if not already toasted), then mix with a little diluted molasses or honey so it adheres. Crush the pistachios. Sesame on one side and pistachios on the other are the defining mark of barazek.
Take a small ball of dough and flatten it into a thin disc (about half a centimetre thick). Barazek are thin to be crisp, not thick. Roll it into a ball first, then flatten with your hands or a small rolling pin.
Press one side of the disc into the sesame-molasses mixture until fully coated, then flip and press the other side into the crushed pistachios. Sesame on one side, pistachio on the other is the identity of barazek. Arrange on a baking sheet, pistachio side up.
Bake in a 180°C oven for about 12 to 15 minutes until the base is golden, the sesame is golden, and the disc is crisp. Watch them closely — thin cookies brown quickly. Golden colour and toasted sesame signal they are done.
Let the barazek cool completely on a rack to crisp up (they are slightly soft while hot and crisp once cooled). Serve with coffee or tea. Barazek are a celebrated Damascene cookie, traditionally offered at hospitality and celebrations and sent as a gift from the Levant. Their toasted sesame, pistachios, and crunch are the secret to their worldwide fame.
The glycemic index (GI) measures how quickly a food raises blood sugar, while the glycemic load (GL) measures how much a full serving raises it. Together they give the complete picture.
A low value (≤55) means a gradual rise in blood sugar — the most suitable range for diabetes and insulin resistance.
Glycemic load reflects the impact of the full serving. To lower it: take half a serving, or pair the recipe with a source of protein and fiber.
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet per FDA food-label reference values — your daily needs may be higher or lower. Values are derived from the recipe's ingredients via the USDA database.
The most common problems when preparing Barazek (Damascene Sesame and Pistachio Cookies), and how to fix them:
The dough was too thick or over-baked. Roll them thin (half a centimetre), bake just until coloured, and let them cool completely (they crisp as they cool). Thick ones never get crisp.
Not enough molasses or honey binder. Mix the sesame with a little molasses or diluted honey, press the disc into it, and push gently. The binder holds the sesame on the surface.
The dough was too dry or they were moved while still hot. Add a little milk to the dough if it is dry, and let the barazek cool before handling — they are fragile when hot.
Oven too hot or baked too long. Bake at 180°C and keep watch — sesame burns quickly once golden. Remove them the moment the sesame turns golden.
Too much yeast or too thick. Barazek should be thin and flat — use a small amount of yeast and roll them thin. A little yeast gives crispness without puffing.
Store in a sealed container at room temperature for two to three weeks (they stay crisp as long as the container is airtight and away from moisture). A long-lasting sweet — great to make ahead and gift.
Freeze baked cookies for two months in a sealed container; thaw at room temperature. Or freeze the shaped unbaked discs and bake directly from frozen.
Prepare days before the occasion and store in a tin — they keep well and stay crisp. Ideal for Eid hospitality and gifts.
Let the barazek cool completely before storing (hot cookies sweat in the tin and lose their crispness). Store in a sealed container away from moisture.
| Original Ingredient | Tested Substitute | Ratio | Flavor Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aleppo pistachios | Crushed almonds or pine nuts | Same amount | Pistachios are the classic and most prestigious choice for barazek; almonds are a more affordable alternative. Both are tree nuts. |
| ghee | Butter or a butter-and-oil blend | Same amount | ghee is closest to the traditional flavor; butter gives a lighter taste. |
| Sugar | Slightly less sugar | To taste | Sesame and pistachios give a rich flavor, so you can reduce the sugar slightly. |
| Number of pieces | Flour | Sesame seeds | Pistachios |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 (half recipe) | 1.5 cups | 0.5 cup | 0.25 cup |
| 24 (base) | 3 cups | 1 cup | 0.5 cup |
| 48 (Eid hospitality) | 6 cups | 2 cups | 1 cup |
Barazek are hospitality cookies, and relatively lighter than syrup-soaked sweets: no syrup is poured over them, and each piece is small so the glycemic load per piece is low. The sesame and pistachios add healthy fats and some protein and calcium. Their challenge is the fat from the ghee. Moderation is key: one or two pieces with coffee. For people with diabetes: one small piece on an occasion, with mindfulness.
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