Four festive nankhatai cookies from one simple eggless dough, plain, chocolate, filled, and pinwheel swirls.
Chocolate nankhatai is a twist on the traditional shortbread biscuits originating in India. This recipe lets you try out making your own homemade traditional nankhatai, chocolate nankhatai or a fun mixed dough pinwheel nankhatai.
Nankhatai is an eggless Indian shortbread cookie. Chocolate nankhatai is a variation of these traditional biscuits.
This recipe makes both a traditional nankhatai dough and a chocolate dough that can be baked on their own as plain and chocolate cookies, or combined two ways: chocolate dough with a plain filled center, and pinwheel swirls. Four cookies from one recipe.
Nankhatai are eggless, light, airy and very buttery. These cookies are a perfect alternative to mithai like coconut burfi or chocolate barfi for Diwali, Raksha Bandhan, Christmas or any other festive time.
Ingredients You'll Need:
Below are some notes on key ingredients. In addition to these, you will need salt, double acting baking powder, granulated sugar and vanilla.
- All purpose flour, whole wheat flour, semolina flour: all purpose flour is the base of the cookie, while whole wheat keeps it soft and earthier and the semolina adds a sandy texture.
- Cardamom, nutmeg: the primary flavor notes in the cookie.
- Unsalted butter and ghee: I use a combination of ghee and butter to keep the cookie a little softer.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder: This is where the chocolate flavor comes from so use a good quality brand.
4 Ways To Make These Nankhatai
I made these cookies in 4 different variations using two doughs, one plain and one chocolate. Full instructions for all the different types of nankhatai are in the recipe card below.
Plain Nankhatai: This is the straightforward version that is traditional. It's garnished with either pistachio or an almond in the center.
Chocolate Nankhatai: This is made from the cocoa flavored dough. You can garnish it with almond like the plain version or even cocoa nibs to add to the fusion of flavor.
Filled Dough Nankhatai: The chocolate cookie dough has a smaller plain dough ball pressed into the center. I garnished with cocoa nibs but you can use nuts here too.
Pinwheel Swirl Nankhatai: This pattern can be challenging but it works and is the showpiece version. Roll out both doughs separately, stack them and roll together into a log. Chill and slice before baking. If you want more detailed photos on this process check out my Christmas Nankhatai Cookies post which swirls together different colored dough.
Storage and Make Ahead
You can store baked nankhatai in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. They do not need to be refrigerated. The raw dough or shaped dough can be made a day ahead and chilled in the refrigerator.
Looking for more to fill your festive spread? Try these rangoli cookies or pistachio white chocolate bark with cardamom and rose.
Eggless Chocolate Nankhatai
Chocolate nankhatai is a twist on the traditional shortbread biscuits originating in India. Make your own homemade traditional nankhatai, chocolate nankhatai or a fun mixed dough pinwheel nankhatai.
Ingredients
For the regular dough
- 1 ¼ cups all purpose flour
- 1 ¼ cups whole wheat flour
- ¼ cup fine sooji or semolina flour
- 3 teaspoon cardamom
- 2 teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tsp double acting baking powder
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup ghee or clarified butter
- 1 ⅜ cup sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla
For the chocolate dough
- 1 ¼ cups of all purpose flour
- 1 ¼ cups whole wheat flour
- ¼ cup fine sooji or semolina flour
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 3 teaspoon cardamom
- 2 teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tsp double acting baking powder
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup ghee or clarified butter
- 1 ⅜ cup sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
For the regular dough
- In a large bowl, sift together the three flours, cardamom, nutmeg, salt, and baking powder. In an electric mixer, beat the butter, ghee, and sugar until white and fluffy. Stir in the vanilla. On low speed, add the dry mixture and mix until combined.
For the chocolate dough
- In a large bowl, sift together the three flours, cocoa powder, cardamom, nutmeg, salt, and baking powder. In an electric mixer, beat the butter, ghee, and sugar until white and fluffy. Stir in the vanilla. On low speed, add the dry mixture and mix until combined.
To make the cookies
- Divide the doughs according to the type of cookie you want to make. For regular cookies and chocolate cookies, measure out 20g balls of dough and round out using your hands and flatten slightly. Press in a pistachio or almond for garnish.
- For the mixed cookies, make slightly smaller balls of chocolate dough. Take a small amount of regular dough and press into the center of the chocolate dough, flattening slightly. (I garnished mine with cocoa nibs.)
- For the pinwheel cookies, roll out the regular dough onto parchment paper to about ¼ inch thickness. Similarly roll out the chocolate dough onto parchment. (If it is really sticky, chill the dough for 30 minutes)
- Transfer the chocolate dough on top of the regular dough by flipping it on top and carefully peeling away the parchment. Slowly roll the doughs together into a tight log. Do this by pushing on the parchment not the dough. Chill the entire log for at least an hour. Slice the log into ¼ inch pieces. reshape as needed.
- All cookies should be chilled after shaping and prior to baking for at least an hour. Set the oven to 275°F. Bake the cookies for 30 minutes or until barely golden. Turn off the oven and let them cool for a bit in the warm oven.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 80 Serving Size: 1 cookieAmount Per Serving: Calories: 138Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 28mgCarbohydrates: 16gFiber: 1gSugar: 7gProtein: 1g
This nutrition information is only an approximate provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. Information comes from Nutritionix, an automated nutrition calculator.
Paula says
Beautiful cookies, all of them! I love that you have a special day celebrating the bond between brothers and sisters. Wonderful!
Sarah@buttered-up says
I've never seen these or had them before and they look amazing. I can smell the spices melding with the cocoa already. Beautiful. Thanks for sharing.
anita menon says
Each one of them looks so good. Beautiful hai Urvasheeji.
BOokmarked
calcuttachow says
Urvashee, I love your recipes and pictures! I'm hoping to try lots of them out. Would love to meet up sometime.
Tadka Pasta says
Those are real works of art. How nice that you decided to go with a chocolate theme, lovely story!
Vasanti says
Your naan khatais are gorgeous and so is your blog! Gonna try making them soon :)
Rita says
Wow these are so amazing. Nan Khatai are my favorites! Thanks for sharing.
javeria says
Wow ! Thanks for sharing .... I used to make plain naan khatai for sale and when I made them your choc. flavor .. i got appreciation from every one ...... these are really nice and a
different one.... Thanks for sharing .......