Coconut and Lime Ghraybeh with Pistachios

Name: Coconut and Lime Ghraybeh with Pistachios
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 32 min
Yield: 24 servings
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: ¾ cup (180 ml) coconut oil, virgin, solid, cold, cut into small cubes; ¾ cup (90 g) powdered sugar; ½ cup (45 g) shredded coconut, unsweetened; 1 large fresh lime, zest only, zested on a microplane, finely grated; 1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh lime juice; 1½ cups (180 g) all-purpose flour; ¼ cup (30 g) cornstarch; ¼ teaspoon (1½ g) fine sea salt; 24 whole roasted unsalted pistachios, whole

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Delicate, buttery Middle Eastern shortbread cookies infused with the tropical brightness of coconut and lime, topped with a roasted pistachio. Ghraybeh is traditionally made with clarified butter and semolina or flour for a tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture. This version uses coconut oil for richness and adds shredded coconut and lime zest for aromatic citrus notes. The result is a refined cookie that's both familiar and unexpectedly fresh—perfect with coffee or tea.

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 12 min
Wait: 30 min
Total: 1 hr 2 min
Makes: 24 cookies

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Steps

Before you start

Preheat your oven to 325°F (163°C)
Use solid coconut oil that is firm at room temperature; if it's too soft, refrigerate it briefly
Bring the lime to room temperature for easier juicing
Line your baking sheets with parchment paper

1
Cream coconut oil and sugar
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the cold coconut oil cubes and powdered sugar.
- Beat on medium-low speed for 3–4 minutes, scraping down the bowl halfway through, until the mixture is pale, fluffy, and resembles wet sand.
- The coconut oil should be incorporated but still create some texture; do not overmix or the dough will become greasy.
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Ready when: Mixture is pale, fluffy, and resembles coarse breadcrumbs
Tip: Keep the coconut oil cold throughout creaming; if it softens, the dough will become oily rather than tender. Work quickly and chill between steps if needed.
2
Add lime and coconut
- Add the lime zest and lime juice to the creamed mixture, then add the shredded coconut.
- Mix on low speed for 30 seconds until just combined and evenly distributed.
- Scrape the bowl once to ensure all ingredients are incorporated.
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Ready when: Lime zest and shredded coconut are evenly distributed throughout
Tip: Do not overmix at this stage or the dough will become tough. A few gentle folds by hand after mixing on low is fine.
3
Mix flour, cornstarch, and salt
- In a small bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, and fine sea salt to combine and aerate the dry ingredients.
- This prevents lumps in the final dough.
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Ready when: Dry ingredients are evenly combined with no visible lumps
4
Combine wet and dry
- Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and fold gently by hand or mix on the lowest speed for 1–2 minutes, until just combined.
- The dough should hold together without any visible streaks of flour.
- Do not overmix or the cookies will be tough instead of tender.
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Ready when: Dough is evenly combined with no streaks of flour
Tip: Overworking ghraybeh dough develops gluten and makes the cookies tough. Stop as soon as the flour is fully incorporated.
5
Chill and rest dough
- Transfer the dough to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- This allows the flavors to meld, firms up the dough for shaping, and helps prevent the cookies from spreading too much in the oven.
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Ready when: Dough is chilled and holds its shape when pinched
Tip: If the dough becomes too cold or hard to shape, let it sit at room temperature for 5 minutes to soften slightly.
6
Shape cookies with pistachio topping
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator.
- Using a small spoon or 1-inch (2.5 cm) melon baller, scoop about 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of dough and place it on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Repeat with the remaining dough, spacing the cookies about 2 inches (5 cm) apart to allow for slight spreading.
- Gently press one roasted pistachio into the center of each cookie ball, pressing lightly so it adheres.
- Keep dough chilled until you're ready to bake.
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Ready when: 24 cookie balls are evenly spaced on baking sheets with a pistachio on each
Tip: Keep the dough balls as round and uniform as possible so they bake evenly. If the dough becomes soft, return it to the refrigerator for 10 minutes.
7
Bake until pale goldenOven 325°F / 165°C
- Bake in a preheated 325°F (163°C) oven for 12–14 minutes.
- The cookies should remain pale with just the lightest golden color at the edges.
- They will firm up as they cool and should still be quite tender when removed from the oven—not crispy or dark.
- If using two racks, rotate the baking sheets halfway through baking to ensure even cooking.
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Ready when: Cookies are pale golden at the edges, set but still tender
Tip: Do not overbake these cookies or they will become hard and lose their delicate, melt-in-your-mouth texture. They should look slightly underdone when you remove them from the oven.
8
Cool completely
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes to firm up slightly, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- This prevents them from breaking and allows them to set to the proper texture.
- They will continue to firm up as they cool.
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Ready when: Cookies are completely cool and set
Tip: Do not move the cookies while they are still very warm or they may break. Patience here ensures a beautiful, intact finished product.

Good to know

Tips

Ghraybeh is all about achieving a melt-in-your-mouth texture. The keys are cold fat, gentle mixing, low-temperature baking, and not overbaking. The cookies should look slightly underdone when you pull them from the oven.
Freshly grated lime zest has far more bright, aromatic oils than bottled zest. Use a fine microplane grater and zest the lime right before using it for maximum flavor.
If your coconut oil is too soft at room temperature, chill it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before cutting it into cubes. Cold fat creates the tender, shortbread-like crumb.
These cookies are delicate and pair beautifully with strong, bitter coffee, mint tea, or cardamom chai. Serve them on the day they are baked for the best texture, though they will keep for up to 5 days in an airtight container.

Make ahead

Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. They can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 1 month; thaw at room temperature for 1 hour before serving. Unbaked dough can be frozen for up to 2 weeks; thaw in the refrigerator overnight and bake as directed.

Storage & reheating

Room temperature: Up to 5 days in an airtight container, away from heat and humidity. Refrigerator: Not recommended, as the cookies may become hard. Freezer: Up to 1 month in an airtight container; thaw at room temperature for 1 hour. To refresh slightly warm cookies, place them on a baking sheet and warm in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 2–3 minutes.

Substitutions

coconut oil, virgin, solid → Unsalted butter, cold. Use the same amount of cold butter as a 1:1 replacement. The cookies will be slightly less aromatic but still delicious. Ghraybeh is traditionally made with butter, so this is a very authentic substitution.
shredded coconut, unsweetened → Finely ground pistachios. Reduce the amount to ¼ cup (25 g) ground pistachios to keep the dough texture correct. This creates a pistachio-focused cookie with a slightly less coconut flavor.
fresh lime juice → Fresh lemon juice. Use the same amount (1 tablespoon / 15 ml) for a slightly more tart, less sweet citrus note. The cookies will be equally delicious with a different flavor profile.
cornstarch → Fine semolina flour. Use the same amount. Semolina is the traditional ghraybeh binder and creates an even more tender, sandy texture. The cookies will look slightly golden rather than white.