These gluten-free chickpea cookies are buttery soft, crumbly and will just melt-in-your-mouth. Flavored with cardamom, rose water and topped with pistachios, they are so easy to make and will absolutely win you over!
Chickpea Cookies
Your search for the perfect, naturally gluten-free cookies ends here! These Persian chickpea cookies, known as Nan-e Nokhodchi, are amazingly fragrant and mouth watering, much like Persian rice cookies.
The flavor profile is reminiscent of some popular Indian treats, because of similar ingredients used. You can customize the flavors to your taste as well.
These cookies are popular at the time of Persian new year (Norouz). They are so easy to make and can be a fun project to do with kids and family. Make a lot of these and share it as gifts.
Traditional Persian cookies are in a four-leaf clover shape. But you can try making with any cookie cutters or even a smooth tablespoon measuring spoon.
Your perfect gluten-free treat for the holidays.
Recipe Ingredients
- Ghee: It is available at most grocery stores or online. But you can easily make ghee at home (see recipe notes). Other options are clarified butter or oil (check vegan variation below).
- Oil: Use a neutral tasting oil, such as light olive oil.
- Powdered Sugar: Also known as confectioner's sugar.
- Cardamom: Good quality cardamom pods are plump and green in color. And this is important for optimal flavor.
- Rose Water: It pairs so well with the other flavors in these cookies.
- Salt: Just a pinch of salt to enhance the sweetness.
- Chickpea Flour: For perfect results, get the fine chickpea flour that is made from roasted chickpeas. It is available at Persian grocery stores and online. Or you can purchase roasted chickpeas and process it into a flour.
- Pistachios: I used bright green Persian pistachios available online. Make sure that the nuts are unsalted
How to Make It
Brief overview below. *Full recipe for chickpea cookies at the end of blog post.
- Dough: Take all the ingredients and combine into a dough.
- Shape: Flatten the dough and make cookies.
- Bake: Arrange on baking sheet, bake and cool very well.
Top Tips
- Make sure that the ghee is melted well. If it thickens, melt it again but it should not be hot.
- It is easier to work with the crumbly dough, when using hands and at room temperature. The warm hands also helps a bit.
Ghee (clarified butter) gives these chickpea cookies a rich and nutty flavor.
Variations
Chickpea flour cookies are vegetarian, gluten free, egg free, soy free and grain free.
- Vegan and Dairy Free: To make them vegan and dairy free, skip the ghee and use only oil or combine coconut oil with light olive oil.
- Nut Free: Replace pistachios with pumpkin seeds or sesame seeds. You can also try dried coconut flakes.
- Reduced Sugar: The sugar contributes to the required texture for these cookies. You can try to lower sugar to ½ cup and increase chickpea flour to 2¼ cups. The cookies will be less sweet.
Storage
These Persian chickpea cookies are very delicate and crumbly. Cool them completely and handle with care. Store in an airtight container. The cookies can also be frozen for a month.
What to Serve Along
Try it with our homemade dried fruit tea, saffron tea or healthy hot cocoa (made with walnuts).
Are Chickpea Cookies Good For You?
Chickpea cookies are gluten free. With the rising occurrence of gluten allergies and other conditions requiring a gluten free diet, there is always a need for gluten free recipes. So this would be a great cookie option for that.
Also, chickpea flour has more fiber and protein compared to all purpose flour, which is commonly used for making cookies.
It is essential to use "roasted" chickpea flour and not the regular raw chickpea flour because it makes a world of difference. The sifted and roasted fine chickpea flour gives these cookies that incredible sandy and crumbly texture.
More Dessert Recipes
- Cake Yazdi (Persian Cardamom Rosewater Cupcakes)
- Date Walnut Dessert (Ranginak)
- Vanillekipferl (Vanilla Crescent Cookies)
Full Recipe Tutorial Video
★ DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? PLEASE COMMENT AND GIVE IT A STAR RATING BELOW!
Chickpea Cookies (Nan-e Nokhodchi)
Ingredients
- ¼ cup ghee clarified butter or light olive oil
- ¼ cup olive oil light
- ¾ cup powdered sugar sifted
- 2 teaspoons ground cardamom freshly ground green pods, adjust per taste
- ½ tablespoon rose water
- 1 Pinch salt
- 2 cups fine chickpea flour sifted
- 1 tablespoon pistachios unsalted, slivered
Equipment
- Measuring Spoons smooth tablespoon, optional
- Vitamix Blender optional for homemade flour
- Food Processor optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a mixing bowl, combine melted ghee, oil, sifted powdered sugar, ground cardamom, rose water and salt. Make sure that there are no lumps. Then add the sifted roasted chickpea flour, combine well and knead to make a dough. Tip: Sift the sugar and flour directly into the bowl.
- On a smooth work surface, flatten the dough to about ¾ inch in thickness. It may be a bit crumbly, but using warm hands and working at room temperature is helpful. Scatter pistachios on the dough and lightly press the nuts into it.
- Press the cookie cutter into the dough and move it a bit to grab the dough. Then release it gently and transfer to a parchment paper lined baking sheet, with the pistachio side facing up. Repeat with remaining dough. (See notes for making cookies using measuring spoon.)
- Space cookies at least one inch apart and bake for about 14 to 18 minutes until they turn a very light golden color. You will notice delicate cracking on the surface when the cookies are baked well.
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven and allow the cookies to cool very well. Carefully transfer the delicate cookies to a serving platter or an airtight container.
Notes
- Chickpea flour: Use "roasted" fine chickpea flour and not the regular raw chickpea flour. It is available at Persian grocery stores or online and I have linked to it on the site. Or make your own homemade flour in a vitamix, using roasted split chickpeas available at Indian grocery stores.
- Ghee:
- Readymade ghee is available at most grocery stores or online.
- Homemade: To prepare ghee, melt unsalted butter and let it simmer at a low setting. Allow the milk solids settled at the bottom of the pan to toast to a light brown. Strain the light golden liquid ghee from the top.
- Make sure that the ghee is melted well. If it thickens, melt it again but it should not be hot.
- Shaping Cookies With Tablespoon Measure: Place pistachios in the center of a smooth tablespoon measure. Fill up the tablespoon with dough and pack it really well using your palm and fingers. Then carefully scoop out the cookie dough.
- Storage: Chickpea cookies are very delicate and crumbly. Cool them completely and handle with care. Store in an airtight container and the cookies can also be frozen for a month.
- For more information on ingredients, variations (vegan, dairy-free, nut-free and reduced sugar) and serving suggestions, scroll up the page to the blog post.
Nutrition
This post was first published in November 12, 2016 and has been updated with pictures, video, improvements in recipe formatting, tips and additional enhancements.
Gloria says
Can I use artificial sugar like Splenda or monk fruit
Roxana Begum says
I have not tried that. Allulose is another alternative that works like sugar. You could explore that.
Tami says
The powdered sugar is a sweetener and textural thing. It’s essential for the sugar to “melt”. It’s what holds the cookie together. So, probably a hard no.
Waseema says
Hi.. can i replace confectionery sugar with brown sugar.. or powdered jaggery...
Roxana Begum says
I have not tried but I think that would not give you the same results.
Jan says
Success! Despite using regular chickpea flour, omitting rose water, cookies were delicious. I used coconut & canola oils to make cookies vegan AND gluten free. Wonderfully sandy, crumbly texture. Easy instructions.
Maryam says
Hi Roxana,
I used besan flour after roasting it for 5 mins but it didn't seem to work. Should I have roasted it for longer or it's not going to work with besan?
Thanks.
Roxana Begum says
I recommend using fine roasted chickpea flour and I have linked to it in the post. You can alternatively try grinding roasted split chickpeas (dalia split) into a fine flour. These products are available at Indian and middle eastern stores.
Anonymous says
do i need to roast the chick pea flour?
Roxana Begum says
It is best to use the fine roasted chickpea flour as mentioned and linked. However, other readers have had success roasting regular chickpea flour (not coarse).
Morchella says
I added a full TBSP extra of ghee to make this work. InsteAd of pistachio, I used toasted pine nut and some crushed dried rose petals. They are delicious.
Roxana Begum says
Pine nuts and rose petals sounds good. Thanks for sharing. This is a traditional recipe. The ghee should be melted and kept that way. If it cools down a bit and becomes even slightly thicker, then more ghee or oil will be needed. The consistency of the dough is also different than most cookie dough recipes. It is meant to be a bit crumbly.
Anonymous says
Can I use 1/4 cup of butter instead of light olive oil?
Roxana Begum says
I have only made it with oil and ghee/butter combination. It may work. You may have to work with it quicker as the butter may solidify the crumbly dough.
Marion Goodwin says
I ran out of chick pea flour can I make up the difference with semolina flour?
Roxana Begum says
I don't think it may work that well. Because semolina flour may be coarser and also it may depend on how much of it you need to use. But let me know if it works for you.
gwenda ellwood says
Hi Roxana,
Could I pan-roast my raw chickpea flour before adding it to the cookie dough?
Thanks,
Gwenda
Roxana Begum says
Some people have said that it worked for them. Just be sure to watch and roast it lightly.
Maria says
Really love these cookies! I made them with just coconut oil and had to increase the amount a little to get a moldable dough. I didn't have roasted chickpea flour so I roasted the raw flour in a pan. Seemed to work out well. Anyway, thank you! It's a wonderful treat.
Roxana Begum says
So happy you liked it and thanks for sharing your feedback.
Donna Quigley says
Hi Roxana, thank you for this recipe which I've just made. They're a fabulous texture and flavour. They also look like yours! I had hoped but they're too fragile to even put into a box. Any suggestions as to how to firm them up, please? Donna
Roxana Begum says
Hi Donna. So happy that you liked it :) These traditional cookies are more crumbly and delicate than most other cookies. However, they can be easily stored in boxes. I do that all the time. They are very crumbly right out of the oven. I cool the cookies completely for a while and then they are firmer. I use a combination of oil and butter or ghee. But using only butter or ghee and then letting it cool completely would perhaps make it a bit firmer. You may have to increase the amount of butter or ghee slightly to make a dough that is easy to work with. Also the ingredients are in US measures. I have to update it to metric measures.
Dinna says
Hi Roxana, Thank you. I’ll try your suggestion. They’re so gorgeous. I can work with US so no rush there. Merry Christmas, Donna
Roxana Begum says
Hi Donna. You are very welcome. Thank you. I have updated the metric measures too. Wish you a wonderful time with your family and friends.