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Make 2 delicious no maida no atta nankhatai recipes at home! Try eggless besan nankhatai and jaggery bajra nankhatai with simple ingredients.
No Maida No Atta Nankhatai – 2 Easy Besan & Bajra Nankhatai Recipes
Nankhatai is one of the most loved Indian cookies, especially when served with a hot cup of tea or coffee. These traditional, melt-in-mouth cookies are also a popular choice for festive celebrations and homemade gifting.
But what if you want to enjoy gluten free homemade nankhatai without using maida or regular wheat atta?
Today, I am sharing two delicious variations of homemade nankhatai using simple kitchen ingredients. The first is besan nankhatai made with gram flour and rice flour, while the second is bajra nankhatai prepared using pearl millet flour, besan and jaggery.
Both recipes are eggless and easy to prepare at home. They have different flavours and textures, so you can try both and decide which one you enjoy more.
Check out my other healthy homemade eggless cookies and biscuit recipes- rajgira almond cookies, thandai cookies, atta jaggery cookies, and oats coconut cookies
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Why You Will Love These Two Nankhatai Recipes
- No maida or refined wheat flour.
- Two different flavours in one recipe collection.
- Easy-to-find ingredients.
- Eggless homemade cookies.
- Besan and pearl millet flour-based recipes.
- Perfect for tea-time snacks and festive occasions.
- Easy to prepare in your home oven.
1. Besan Nankhatai Recipe
This is a simple Indian-style cookie made with gram flour, rice flour, powdered sugar and ghee. Cardamom adds a lovely traditional aroma.
The dough requires very little handling. You simply combine the ingredients without kneading, chill the dough briefly and shape it into small balls before baking.
Yow would also like my other healthy besan recipes- Besan katli, Besan chilla, stuffed besan chilla, mini bread pakora
Ingredients for Besan Nankhatai
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Besan (gram flour) | 50 g |
| Rice flour | 15 g |
| Powdered sugar | 30 g |
| Baking powder | 1/8 tsp |
| Melted ghee | As required for dough |
| Cardamom powder | A little for garnish |
Check out full recipe of Besan Nankhatai.
Tips for Perfect Besan Nankhatai
- Add ghee gradually to avoid making the dough too soft.
- Avoid kneading because excessive handling can affect the cookie texture.
- Refrigerating the dough helps make shaping easier.
- Do not wait for the cookies to become very dark in the oven. They will firm up as they cool.
- Allow them to cool completely before storing.
2. Bajra Nankhatai Recipe with Jaggery
If you enjoy experimenting with millet-based baking, this eggless bajra nankhatai recipe is worth trying.
It combines pearl millet flour with besan, butter and jaggery powder. Sesame seeds on top add a lovely finishing touch and a little crunch.
Pearl millet, commonly called bajra in India, is a traditional millet containing dietary fibre, protein and minerals. It is a useful grain to include in a varied diet.
You would also like to try my other bajra recipes- bajra khichdi, bajra thepla, bajra panjiri
Ingredients for Bajra Nankhatai
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Soft butter (room temperature) | 60 g |
| Jaggery powder | 40 g |
| Bajra atta (pearl millet flour) | 70 g |
| Besan | 40 g |
| Baking powder | 1/4 tsp |
| Baking soda | 1/8 tsp |
| Sesame seeds | For garnish |
How to Make Gluten-free and Eggless Bajra Nankhatai
- Take room-temperature butter in a mixing bowl and beat for a few seconds until smooth and slightly light.
- Add jaggery powder and beat until creamy and fluffy.
- Add bajra flour and besan.
- Add baking powder and baking soda.
- Gently combine everything to make a soft dough.
- If the dough feels dry, add a teaspoon of butter or oil. Avoid adding milk or water.
- Divide the dough into equal portions and shape into balls.
- Place the balls on a parchment-lined baking tray.
- Garnish with sesame seeds and gently press the cookies.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 160°C for approximately 15–17 minutes, with both heating rods switched on.
- Let the cookies rest on the tray for a few minutes before transferring them carefully to a wire rack.
- Cool completely before serving or storing.
Your delicious homemade bajra nankhatai is ready!
Ingredients Used and Their Role in These Recipes
Understanding the ingredients helps you get better baking results.
Besan (Gram Flour): Besan is made from ground chickpeas. It has a naturally nutty flavour and is commonly used in Indian sweets, savoury snacks and baking. It gives both nankhatai varieties their characteristic taste.
Rice Flour: Rice flour is used in the besan version to complement the gram flour. It helps create a different texture and structure in the cookies.
Bajra Flour (Pearl Millet Flour): Bajra is a traditional Indian millet. It gives the second variety a distinctive earthy flavour and makes it different from conventional wheat-based cookies. Pearl millet also provides dietary fibre and minerals.
Ghee: Ghee provides richness, flavour and tenderness to the besan nankhatai. Add it gradually to achieve the correct dough consistency.
Butter: Butter contributes flavour, richness and structure to the bajra cookies. Soft room-temperature butter is easier to cream with jaggery.
Powdered Sugar: Powdered sugar provides sweetness in the besan nankhatai and blends easily with the dry ingredients.
Jaggery Powder: Jaggery provides sweetness and a characteristic caramel-like flavour to the bajra nankhatai. Although it is less refined than white sugar, it is still an added sweetener.
Baking Powder and Baking Soda: These leavening agents help influence the cookies’ texture and spread during baking. Measure them accurately for consistent results.
Cardamom Powder: Cardamom adds a traditional Indian aroma to besan nankhatai.
Sesame Seeds: Sesame seeds add a nutty flavour and decorative finish to the bajra cookies.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve besan nankhatai with masala chai, ginger tea or coffee.
- Enjoy bajra nankhatai as an occasional homemade tea-time treat.
- Arrange both varieties in a festive cookie box for Diwali gifting.
- Serve them to guests alongside homemade savoury snacks.
- Pack in small airtight jars for homemade edible gifts.
Storage Suggestions
Allow both varieties to cool completely before storing.
- Store in a clean, dry, airtight container.
- Keep away from moisture and direct sunlight.
- Avoid packing warm cookies because trapped steam can affect their texture.
- Use a dry and clean hands when handling stored cookies.
For the best quality, follow the storage life you establish through your own recipe testing.
Kitchen Product I used and Recommend
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can I make nankhatai without maida?
Yes. These recipes use besan, rice flour and bajra flour instead of maida or regular wheat atta.
2. Is besan nankhatai gluten-free?
The listed ingredients are naturally gluten-free. However, if you need strict gluten-free food, check ingredient labels and prevent cross-contamination during preparation and baking.
3. Is bajra nankhatai made without wheat flour?
Yes. This recipe uses bajra flour and besan without wheat flour.
4. Can I use jaggery instead of powdered sugar in besan nankhatai?
You can experiment with jaggery powder, but it may change the sweetness, colour, moisture and texture. The quantities may need adjustment.
5. Why should I not knead nankhatai dough?
Nankhatai dough only needs gentle combining. Kneading is unnecessary and may affect the final cookie texture.
6. Why are my nankhatai soft immediately after baking?
Cookies are often soft when hot. Allow them to cool completely on a wire rack before judging their final texture.
7. Can I make these cookies in an air fryer?
You can experiment with an air fryer, but baking time and temperature may differ depending on the appliance and batch size. Test a small batch first.
8. Are these cookies suitable for people with diabetes?
These cookies contain carbohydrate-rich flours and added sweeteners. Jaggery is also a form of added sugar. Portion size and individual dietary requirements matter, so they should not be described as automatically diabetes-friendly.
Final Thoughts
These two homemade nankhatai recipes are a lovely way to explore Indian-style baking without maida or wheat atta.
Whether you prefer the traditional flavour of besan nankhatai or the earthy taste of bajra and jaggery cookies, both are worth adding to your homemade baking collection.
Try these recipes and let me know which one is your favourite
