Butter cookies are a decadently rich yet wonderfully simple treat. They are lightly crispy and so delicious, and made with only a handful of pantry staples – including whole wheat, cardamom, and butter, of course. Here you’ll find step-by-step instructions with photos to make the best eggless butter cookies recipe.
About These Butter Cookies
Who doesn’t love a warm, crisp, and slightly chewy homemade cookie? We are certainly big fans, and make cookies from scratch on nearly a weekly basis. And because we enjoy cookies often, I tend to use eggless recipes and whole wheat flour for a healthy(ish) treat. But that doesn’t mean they are any less tasty than “traditional” baked goods!
These fantastic butter cookies are lightly spiced, perfectly crisp around the edges, and are super buttery through-and-through. They have just the right hint of sugar and are not as sweet as a sugar cookie. However, the taste is still indulgent and will certainly satisfy your sweet tooth.
Use this easy eggless butter cookies recipe to make a batch (or two!) to enjoy as a tea time snack, after dinner dessert, or even with a hot cup of coffee for breakfast. They are also great to package and gift during the holiday season. If you’re willing to share!
How to Make Butter Cookies
Make the Cookie Dough
1. In a blender or grinder, add ½ cup sugar and seeds of 4 to 5 green cardamoms (or add ½ teaspoon cardamom powder).
NOTE: If you do not have green cardamoms, then omit adding them. Add instead ½ teaspoon of pure vanilla extract at step 11.
2. Grind to a fine powder. Set aside. You can also use ¾ cup powdered sugar or confectioner’s sugar instead of grinding the sugar to a powder.
3. In a mixing bowl, add 2 cups whole wheat flour (240 grams) and ½ teaspoon baking soda or baking powder.
You can add either baking soda or baking powder in this recipe. Baking soda gives a softer texture whereas baking powder gives a crisp texture.
4. With a spoon or spatula mix everything well. You can also choose to sift the dry ingredients instead of mixing them with a spoon or wired whisk.
5. Add 100 grams (about 7 to 8 tbsp) of chilled unsalted butter cut into cubes or shredded on a cheese grater.
6. With your fingertips break the butter and mix with the flour. You can cut the butter in the flour with two knives, too. This can also be achieved with a food processor or a stand mixer or pastry cutter.
If the butter melts while mixing with your hands, place the mixture in the fridge for several minutes until it firms up a bit, and then start again.
7. Mix till you get a bread crumb-like texture in the mixture.
8. Add the prepared powdered sugar and ¼ teaspoon of grated nutmeg or ground nutmeg powder to the butter and flour mixture.
9. Mix well with a spoon or spatula.
10. Now add 3 tablespoons yogurt. Here I am replacing egg yolks with yogurt. Don’t worry as they do not make the cookies taste sour. They also help in giving a lighter and softer texture in these cookies.
11. Lightly mix with a spoon, and then add 2 to 3 tablespoons of cold milk. At this point you can add ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract if you have decided to omit green cardamoms.
12. Mix and gather the entire mixture together to a dough. Don’t knead.
2 Ways to Cut the Cookies: Sliced Circles or Fun Shapes
There are two different ways that you can shape and then bake the butter cookies. Either form the dough into a log and slice disc-shapes, or roll the dough out and use cookie cutters to make fun shapes.
First, I share steps to make classic circular cookies:
1. Make a log or roll of the dough. Cover with a cling film or place the rolled dough log covered in a bowl. Refrigerate the cookie dough for 30 minutes.
You can also divide the dough into parts. Roll each to a log. After refrigerating, slice them neatly to make smaller cookies.
2. After 30 minutes, remove and then slice the dough in 0.75 cm to 1.25 cm (1/3 to 1/2 inch) cookies. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit) before you bake these cookies.
3. Place the butter cookies in a baking tray with an inch gap between them. You can also press some dry fruits in the center.
If you prefer line the baking tray with parchment paper and place the cookies on the parchment paper.
4. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees celsius/350 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 to 25 minutes or more till the butter cookies are light golden or golden. Temperatures vary from oven to oven, so do keep a check whilst the cookies are baking.
TIP 1: For slightly moist and crumbly texture, don’t brown the cookies. For a crisp texture, brown the cookies lightly.
TIP 2: Depending on the size of the butter cookies, it may take more or less time for the cookies to bake.
TIP 3: Keep the cookie tray in the center rack if using an OTG. Don’t keep it on the tray touching the bottom heating rods. Or else the butter cookies burn from the base.
5. Once baked, remove while still hot and place them on a wired tray or wire rack to cool the butter cookies.
Here are steps to make butter cookies in fun shapes
1. Chill the dough without rolling in a log. After 30 minutes, remove the cookies dough and spread some flour on the work surface as well as on the dough.
You can also halve the dough and then roll each dough halve.
2. With a rolling pin, roll the dough. This rolling takes quite an effort. Roll the dough to a thickness of 0.50 to 0.75 cm (¼ to ⅓ inch).
3. Use your choice of cookie cutter shapes to cut the dough. Gather the remaining dough lightly and again roll. Cut with the cookie cutters and repeat the process.
Bake Eggless Butter Cookies
4. Then place the cookies in a baking tray with an inch gap between them. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees celsius/350 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 to 25 minutes or more till the butter cookies are light golden or golden.
TIP 1: These cookies can also be baked in the convection mode of microwave oven with the same temperature.
TIP 2: You can also bake the butter cookies in batches, if you have a small oven. Just place the cookies in the fridge before you bake them in batches.
5. Here is a photo of the baked cookies fresh from the oven.
6. Once baked, immediately remove the cookies with a spatula while still hot and place them on a wired tray or rack to cool.
7. Once they cool down at room temperature, enjoy them with a cup of coffee, ginger tea or milk.
FAQs
Certainly! I like to use whole wheat for the earthy flavor and because it is a bit healthier with more nutrients. However, you can swap all purpose flour if you prefer.
Swap traditional flour with your favorite gluten-free baking flour alternative to make tasty GF-friendly cookies.
Yes this recipe is easy to tweak for however many servings you need. As-is this recipe will make approximately 52 to 54 cookies, about 4 ½ dozen total. Simply halve or quarter the ingredients to make 1 or 2 dozen butter cookies. You can double the ingredients and work in batches to make over 100 cookies – perfect for the holidays and special celebrations!
Store the cookies in an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to a week. The cookies can also be wrapped individually in plastic wrap, placed in an airtight bag together, and stored in the freezer for up to 1 month. Defrost on the counter at room temperature for an hour or so.
More Cookies To Try!
World Recipes
Eggless Cookies & Biscuits
Eggless Cookies & Biscuits
Eggless Cookies & Biscuits
Please be sure to rate the recipe in the recipe card or leave a comment below if you have made it. For more vegetarian inspirations, Sign Up for my emails or follow me on Instagram, Youtube, Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter.
Butter Cookies (Homemade & Whole Wheat)
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole wheat flour – 240 grams
- 4 to 5 green cardamoms – seeds kept and husks removed, swap with ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 100 grams Butter unsalted and cold, about 7 to 8 tablespoons butter
- ½ teaspoon baking powder or ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg or ground nutmeg powder
- 2 to 3 tablespoon milk cold or at room temperature, add more milk if required
- 3 tablespoons yogurt (curd)
- ½ cup raw sugar or white sugar or ¾ cup powdered sugar or confectioner's sugar – 125 grams
Instructions
Making cookie dough
- In a blender or grinder, add the sugar and seeds of 4 to 5 green cardamoms. Swap green cardamoms with vanilla extract, but add the vanilla when you add milk to the flour mixture at step 8.
- Grind to a fine powder. Keep aside. You can also use ¾ cup of powdered sugar or confectioner's sugar instead of grinding the sugar.
- In a mixing bowl, take whole wheat flour and baking soda or baking powder.
- With a spoon or spatula mix everything well.
- Add the cold or chilled butter. With your fingertips break the butter and mix with the flour. You can cut the butter with two knives too. This can also be achieved with a food processor or a stand mixer or a pastry cutter. If the butter melts while mixing with your hands, keep the mixture in the fridge for some minutes and then start again..
- Mix till you get a bread crumb like texture in the mixture.
- Add powdered sugar and grated nutmeg or ground nutmeg powder. Mix well with a spoon or spatula.
- Add yogurt. Lightly mix and then add 2 to 3 tablespoons milk. If using vanilla extract, add it at this step.
- Mix and gather the entire mixture together to a dough. Don’t knead.
- Keep the cookie dough covered in a bowl, in the fridge for 30 minutes.
making butter cookies
- Before baking and cutting the cookies, preheat the oven at 180 degrees Celsius/356 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Remove the dough and spread some flour on the work surface as well as on the dough. Divide or cut the dough into two equal parts.
- With a rolling pin, roll the dough. Roll the dough to a thickness of 0.50 to 0.75 cms.
- With cookie cutters, cut the dough. Gather the remaining dough and again roll. Cut with the cookie cutters and repeat the process.
Baking butter cookies
- Then place the cookies in a baking tray with an inch space between them.
- Bake the cookies in a preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius/356 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 to 25 minutes or more till the cookies are light golden or golden.
- Once baked, remove when still hot and place them on a wired tray or rack. So that the cookies cool down.
- Once they cool down at room temperature, place them immediately in an airtight jar or box.
- Serve butter cookies plain or with milk or tea.
Notes
Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)
This butter cookies recipe post from the archives, first published on December 2014 has been republished and updated on 5 November 2021.
My daughter, 11 year old loves to bake. She is a frequent visitor to your blog, checks the recipes frequently and bakes. She finds that all your recipes have come out really well.
I enjoy browsing your blog and have used it for many dishes.
Thanks
Veena
welcome veena. thanks for this sweet feedback. glad to know this.
Hi.
I was searching online for some homemade snacks for my baby 14 months old.
She is a fussy eater.
I found this recipe. Pretty interesting.
I would like to ask you can i use homemade butter ? The butter we use to make ghee. Can i use that butter?
thankyou sonal you could use home-made butter for this recipe. do share your experience with us thankyou.
My recipe become soft but it is not crisps can i no the reason
i suppose the cookies have not been baked well enough. just bake for a few more minutes.
Excellent recipe, I just baked this recipe. And it was the first time I ever baked anything, it came out super yummm. Thank you
pleased to know this arundhati baking could be fun all the best and thankyou.
Thanks for detailing process of baking eggless cake and cookies
Mam i take a small electronic oven for bakery
Start my bussiness
we all are vegetarians
So how i make delicious cake to serve my locals
How i learn
all the best for your business. i would suggest you to experiment with a eggless recipes and if they come out good, then make on a medium to large scale. you can also invest in some baking books, especially eggless baking. plus there is a lot of info on the internet too.
Hi, can we bake these cookies in microwave plus convection mode? As I have only microwave oven, am confused in which way to bake them, pls suggest!
anuradha, these can only be baked in the convection mode. don’t use both microwave + convection mode. the cookies will become hard and can get burnt too.
Any subsitute for yogurt? Extra milk?
no substitute. just add more milk till the dough binds well.
Thanks for the recipe. I made these today, it came out very good.
There were approx 45 cookies using above measurements ( I use medium size ginger man cookie cutter).
pleased to know this ritu thankyou 🙂
Hi Dassana, I tried out this receipe it’s amazing. My kids loves it. Thanks
thankyou sharmila and you are always welcome 🙂
Hi, can we use cinnamon powder instead of nutmeg powder?
yes you can add cinnamon powder.
Can we use maida instead of atta in this recipe?
yes you can use maida. if using maida, you may need to add less of the curd and milk to bind the mixture.
Hi, can we replace the whole wheat flour with multigrain flour? Or is there any adjustments that should be done? Thanks 🙂
You can replace but i am not sure how the results will be.
Whats the purpose of using nutmeg powder?
Is their any other substitute for it?
just to give a nice aroma to the cookies. skip it if you don’t have.
Can we skip nutmeg powder or is there any substitute for it?
you can skip nutmeg powder.
Hi,
can I use amul dahi for yoghurt?
yes you can use.