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.
Hi…
Wanted to try this recipe… I have a measuring cup that says 250ml… is this the same quantity cup that is mentioned in the recipe… please advice if not
Preeti
yes same quantity cup.
without oven plz
follow the same method of baking in pressure cooker as i have mentioned before. use an aluminum plate or tray to place the cookies. grease the tray very well.
links for reference:
pressure cooker cake: https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/pressure-cooker-cake-recipe/
pressure cooker pav: https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/pav-recipe-in-pressure-cooker/
And yes I did keep it in the mid rack with both elements on..
fine got it. i missed this when replying to your comment before.
Made these yesterday.. Halved the recipe.. The dough had more moisture and was sticky.. I used 1.5 tbsp of curd n 1.5 tbsp of milk.. May be I should have used 1 each.. When cutting the log it was difficult to make evenly thick slices.. With all these defects the cookies were pretty good.. My only query is that the cookie slices kept at the nearest n farthest rows from the oven door were good n crisp though black at the base.. The centre row cookies were soft in the centre..
Should I remove the outer ones two minutes earlier n let the centre ones cook for a few more minutes?
aarti, depending on the type and quality of flour, less or more liquid can be added. at times certain wheat flours absorb a lot of liquids and at times less liquids. by nearest and farthest rows do you also mean the cookies were kept near or close to the lower heating element. generally cookies turn black at the base when they are kept near the bottom heating element. also do you have fan in the oven. if there is a fan, then cookies close to the fan will get browned and crisp faster than the cookies far away from the fan. i have an OTG with a fan on the right hand side. so for anything be it pizzas or cookies, i have to turn the tray after some time for even baking. yes you can remove the cookies which are done before and let the ones which are not completely done stay in the oven.
made these cookies yesterday. they were very soft and inside texture was like sponge cake. Please advice what went wrong
oh… looks like the butter must have become soft or melted while mixing and gathering the dough. did you refrigerate the cookie dough?
Made these cookies yesterday. I halved the recipe and it was super duper awesome?Cookies Got over before they cooled down! Thanks for the lovely recipe that encourages novices like us to bake..
pleased to know this ashrita 🙂 thanks for positive feedback. you are welcome.
Just curious.. What is the purpose of making the flour look like bread crumb like? Some recipes call for melted butter or ghee.. What would be the outcome like?
ashrita, there are basically five methods to make cookies. the rubbing method shown here is one of them. with melted ghee or butter, the cookies turn out softer. with rubbing method, the cookies turn out crisp and flaky.
hi this might seems naive, but where you get unsalted butter in India, i usually heat the butter and remove the white foam to get unsalted butter.else i use white home made butter for any recipe. kindly guide if there is any other process to do that.
i buy from a local super store or at times i make at home. even amul has white butter. there are only two ways white butter can be made. one is through churning of cream and other is through churning of curd. the third one i just came to know from your comment of removing the white foam. i was not aware about this one 🙂
Hello. Can I halve the recepie. any changes in timings or temperature for baking to be done? Thanks.
payal, you can halve the recipe. baking time will be the same and temperature is also same.
They look great and i tried them out but didnt come nice. Not sure what went wrong ,i used baking soda as i wanted a soft texture for cookies,baked them for 17 minutes at 350F and had to take them out as they got dark brown from underneath . Cooled them and now they look undercooked from inside. Can you tell me what weng wrong and where so that i can make correct ones next time. Thanks!!
did you keep the baking tray close to the bottom heating element? i suspect they have baked well. they may look under cooked from the center, but once they cool down, the tetxure will be fine. if the tray is kept near or close to the bottom heating element, than the cookies do get too much browned from the bottom. while baking cookies, unless the recipe specifies, its better to bake them in the center rack of the oven with both the top and bottom heating elements on. this aids in even baking.
thank u, my otg is 28 , previously i bake a cakes sometimes it is un cooked in the middle.
welcome kavita. keep the cake in the center rack and use both the top and bottom heating element. this helps in even baking.
hai, iam using morphy richards otg, how long we will bake biscuits, and cakes also. please give some give some suggestions.
i do not know how much time it will take in a morphy richards otg. oven timings vary with the size, capacity and make of the oven. so no two ovens will take the same time for baking a recipe. the time also varies with the recipe of the cake or cookies. sometimes some cakes take a lot of time to bake. from what i have seen with the bakes i make, i usually take an average time of 35 minutes to bake cakes and 25 minutes for cookies at a temperature of 180 degrees celsius. you will have to try some recipes in your oven and then you will get an idea how much time does it take to bake.
hi amit i am great fan of yours because of i have so many excellant dishes and i start loving cooking so much.
your work is an inspirations for all the ladies who have talent and can do something good with it.
i just have one question that
can you help with microwave functions like how much temprature for these cookies recepie i would really love to try it
thank you parul. are you talking about the convection mode of microwave oven or the microwave mode? in the convection mode of microwave oven, you can bake at 170 degrees celsius. in the microwave mode this recipe will not work.
Hi,
I tried in 170deg only but still the middle part was uncooked.. what to do? I have Ifb oven with 20lt capacity.. I baked for 20mins.. outer part started getting overcooked so I had to stop the baking process.. pls suggest
in convection ovens the top does get baked faster. just cover with a aluminium foil and continue to bake. the top won’t get browned more.
Hi I loved this simple recipe but have two queries if u can answer me please, my dough wasn’t coming together after adding recommended yogurt and milk, I added more milk and extra tsp yogurt.. have kept in fridge for chilling now, fingers crossed..
so first query- where I went wrong why I needed more of milk and yogurt?
2nd query- can I use egg instead if so how much and what to substitute with (milk&yogurt )
Thank u so much
I am great fan of ur recipes
thank you teja. the quality of flour determines how much liquids need to be added. sometimes whole wheat flour depending on their ground texture, bran etc need more liquids. if there is too much bran also, there more liquids are needed. with egg i am not sure as the recipe may change. you can give a try though. i think 1 egg should be fine.
Hi, can we use dalda instead of butter?
vinutha, i would not suggest to use dalda as it is not good for health.
Thank you ??