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    Home » Recipes » Vegetarian

    Published: Oct 14, 2022 · Modified: May 20, 2023 by Nisha · This post may contain affiliate links · 11 Comments

    Nankhatai | Eggless Shortbread Cookies

    Jump to Recipe
    5 from 9 votes

    Nankhatai is an Eggless Indian Shortbread Cookie made with flour, butter, powdered sugar, cardamom, and nuts.

    Nankhatai | Eggless Shortbread Cookies

    My mom always bought us Indian cookies from the desi grocery store - Punjabi Jeera Biscuits, Atta Biscuits, Nankhatai, and how can anyone forget the classic Parle-G biscuits?

    These cookies pair beautifully with masala chai, hence why they're a favorite for most Indian households - we love our chai. What I love about Indian cookies is they're light and not loaded with sugar.

    What are Nankhatai Cookies?

    Nankhatai biscuits are buttery with a hint of cardamom and simply delicious. My version of Nankhatai is made with a touch of rosewater and almond flour, and thus you can call these Rose Almond Nankhatai Cookies.

    The rosewater and cardamom combo is a classic pairing when it comes to Indian desserts. Enjoy them with a cup of tea.

    Nankhatai | Eggless Shortbread Cookies

    Why You'll Love Nankhatai Cookies

    • Eggless cookies
    • Indian shortbread cookies
    • Butter Cookies
    • Made with simple ingredients
    • Easy to prepare
    • Flavored with cardamom and rose water
    • They're perfect with a cup of tea
    • Pretty cookies for any event - Diwali, Bridal Shower, Baby Shower, Mother's Day

    Ingredients

    • All-Purpose Flour - A cup of all-purpose flour or white flour is needed for this recipe.
    • Almond Flour - Traditionally speaking, almond flour is not used for Nankhatai, but I love the nutty flavor of this flour. You can also use almond meal.
    • Salt - A pinch of salt brings out the flavor of this cookie.
    • Baking Soda
    • Cardamom Powder
    • Butter - You can use ghee or butter for this recipe, but I prefer the flavor of butter to ghee.
    • Rose Extract - I used this rose water extract - a little bit goes a long way.
    • Powdered Sugar - You will need powdered sugar, not cane sugar for this recipe.
    • Ghee - Just a teaspoon of ghee is needed to bind the dough.
    • Pistachios & Almonds - Chop the nuts and add them to the cookie just prior to baking.
    Nankhatai | Eggless Shortbread Cookies

    How to make Nankhatai Cookies recipe

    Prepare Nankhatai cookie batter

    1. In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients - flour, almond flour, salt, baking soda, and cardamom powder. Mix and set aside.

    2. In a large bowl, add room-temperature butter.

    3. Cream the butter until light and fluffy.

    4. Add powdered sugar and rose water. Blend the mixture until light and creamy.

    Nankhatai | Eggless Shortbread Cookies

    5. Now add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in 2 batches. Using an electric mixer, mix until all the ingredients are incorporated.

    6. This is what you should have - the result will be a crumbly mixture.

    7. Now using your hands, form a dough. This should only take about 1-2 minutes.

    8. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.

    Eggless Indian Shortbread Cookies

    Form Nankhatai cookie dough balls

    9. In the meantime, chop the almonds and pistachios.

    10. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Once the mixture is out of the fridge, add a teaspoon of ghee and knead the dough for a minute.

    Nankhatai | Eggless Shortbread Cookies

    11. Now using a mini-scoop, you'll need 1 ½ mini-scoops to form the cookie dough balls.

    12. Roll them up and place them on a greased baking sheet tray.

    13. Using a sharp knife, form a kris cross pattern on each cookie.

    14. Top each cookie ball with the chopped nut mixture. Place into the oven for 22 minutes at 350 degrees. Do NOT overbake these.

    Nankhatai form cookie dough balls

    15. Out of the oven. The cookies will still be soft to the touch, but they will cool and harden. Enjoy these Indian butter cookies with a cup of tea.

    Nankhatai cookies freshly baked

    Substitutions

    • Almond Flour - instead of almond flour, you may substitute chickpea flour (besan).
    • Pistachios / Almonds - if you have a nut allergy, simply omit nuts, including almond flour.
    • Butter - if you'd like a richer cookie or prefer the taste of ghee, use ghee in place of butter.

    Storage

    Store Nankhatai cookies in a cookie jar or a pyrex dish. They keep well for up to 5 days outside the fridge during the cooler months.

    Tip for Best Nankhatai Recipe

    -> Make sure the butter is at room temperature before making these cookies.
    -> Do NOT overbake these cookies.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    How can I make Nankhatai cookies vegan?

    Simply use vegan butter in this recipe.

    Can I substitute rose water with rose extract?

    Absolutely not!

    Rose extract is very concentrated - a little bit goes a long way, whereas rose water is more diluted.

    By using rose water instead of rose extract, you will throw off the consistency of these cookies as you will need about 2 teaspoon of rose water (I haven't tested this). Please use rose extract which you can find on amazon.

    Are almond flour and almond meal interchangeable?

    Yes. You will most likely find almond meal that is the same as almond flour. You can use either one.

    Eggless Indian Shortbread Cookies

    More Eggless Desserts

    • Ras Malai Mousse
    • Eggless Mawa Cake
    • Eggless Marble Cake
    • Rose Barfi
    • Besan Ladoo

    📖 Recipe Card

    Nankhatai | Eggless Indian Shortbread Cookies

    5 from 9 votes
    By: Nisha
    Nankhatai is an Eggless Indian Shortbread Cookie made with flour, butter, powdered sugar, cardamom, and nuts.
    Prep Time 20 minutes mins
    Cook Time 22 minutes mins
    Total Time 42 minutes mins
    Servings 11 cookies
    Calories 179 kcal
    SaveSaved! Pin Print

    Ingredients
      

    Dry Ingredients⁠

    • 1 cup all-purpose flour⁠
    • ½ cup almond flour⁠
    • pinch of salt
    • ¾ teaspoon baking soda
    • ½ teaspoon cardamom powder

    Wet Ingredients⁠

    • ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature⁠
    • ⅛ teaspoon rose extract
    • ½ cup powdered sugar
    • 1 teaspoon ghee

    Garnish⁠

    • 1 tbsp pistachios, chopped⁠
    • 1 tablespoon almonds, chopped⁠

    Instructions
     

    Prepare Nankhatai cookie batter

    • In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients - flour, almond flour, salt, baking soda, and cardamom powder. Mix and set aside.
    • In a large bowl, add room-temperature butter.
    • Cream the butter until light and fluffy.
    • Add powdered sugar and rose water. Blend the mixture until light and creamy.
    • Now add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in 2 batches. Using an electric mixer, mix until all the ingredients are incorporated.
    • This is what you should have - the result will be a crumbly mixture.
    • Now using your hands, form a dough. This should only take about 1-2 minutes.
    • Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.

    Form Nankhatai cookie dough balls

    • In the meantime, chop the almonds and pistachios.
    • Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Once the mixture is out of the fridge, add a teaspoon of ghee and knead the dough for a minute.
    • Now using a mini-scoop, you'll need 1 ½ mini-scoops to form the cookie dough balls.
    • Roll them up and place them on a greased baking sheet tray.
    • Using a sharp knife, form a kris cross pattern on each cookie.
    • Top each cookie ball with the chopped nut mixture. Place into the oven for 22 minutes at 350 degrees. Do NOT overbake these.
    • Out of the oven. The cookies will still be soft to the touch, but they will cool and harden. Enjoy with a cup of tea.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 179kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 3gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 23mgSodium: 76mgPotassium: 29mgFiber: 1gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 261IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 18mgIron: 1mg
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine Indian
    Tried this recipe?Mention @honeywhatscooking or tag #honeywhatscooking!

    « Paneer Makhani (no butter, no cream)
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    Comments

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Jenny sethi says

      November 16, 2023 at 6:34 pm

      5 stars
      So yummy! Everything you make is amazing!

      Reply
    2. Mannar says

      November 15, 2023 at 4:52 am

      5 stars
      This recipe is SO good and VERY simple to make!! It is the perfect amount of buttery and crumbly which will melt in your mouth. I made little smaller sized cookies than mentioned and adjusted the baking time to 15mins. These were a major hit for all age groups at our Diwali party!

      Reply
    3. Vikram says

      October 08, 2023 at 12:31 am

      Followed the instructions to a T but somehow the cookies got burnt 🙁 Actually I took them out of the oven at 19 minutes so I didn't overbake them for sure. Temp was 350F. What am I missing? I'll try baking them again and check on them at the 9-10 Mt mark.

      Reply
      • Nisha says

        October 11, 2023 at 12:10 pm

        HI Vikram. I am so sorry about this. My only guess is the oven - were the cookies placed super high up in the oven? I've made these cookies multiple times and that is the correct time. As you've seen from the reviews below, others who have made this recipe had the same results as myself. I honestly don't know what the issue could be except maybe the ovens are different - is your oven special? more high-end? Yes, try at the 9 minute mark and see how it is, and keep checking every couple of minutes. So sorry!

        Reply
    4. Purvi Bhatt says

      November 18, 2022 at 4:55 pm

      5 stars
      Thank you for this recipe! This nankhatai turned out great!

      Reply
      • honeywhatscooking says

        November 19, 2022 at 1:06 am

        So glad to hear that Purvi. Thanks for sharing!

        Reply
    5. Shivani says

      October 24, 2022 at 10:20 am

      5 stars
      Hi Nisha,

      Thank you for a great recipe for a favorite snack. I made this for Diwali and it turned out delicious. Best part is they are easy to make! Will surely be making these again!

      Reply
    6. Dipa says

      October 23, 2022 at 8:51 am

      5 stars
      This recipe was super easy to make, directions are very clear. Thank you Nisha for sharing this wonderful recipe.

      Reply
    7. Reshma says

      October 18, 2022 at 6:15 pm

      5 stars
      Amazing recipe so easy to make and really soft and yummy. Husband approved!!!
      Thank you for the amazing recipe 🙂

      Reply
    8. sangita says

      October 16, 2022 at 6:19 am

      Hi, Am i missing something, Cant see the exact measurements
      looks delish and want to make it.

      Reply
      • honeywhatscooking says

        October 16, 2022 at 8:52 am

        Sangita - so sorry. My recipe card was missing, not sure how that happened. This is now fixed.

        Sorry!!

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Nisha! I'm a foodie who is passionate about healthy-ish living and mindful eating. You'll find a little bit of everything here. I use mostly organic real ingredients and incorporate seasonal produce in my cooking. I believe food is medicine. Come join me on this soul-searching journey as I share my love for good food, and I hope somewhere along the way, I inspire you to eat better.

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