These eggless and vegan Finger millet or Ragi cookies are great as a tea companion or as a snack just about anytime. Made with just 6 ingredients and using jaggery powder instead of sugar, this ragi cookie recipe is easy, healthy, and delicious.
Like all Millets, Ragi is highly nutritious, naturally gluten-free and alkaline. Considered to be the least allergenic and most digestible grains available, millets are also recommended for babies, growing children, pregnant and lactating mothers, and aged seniors, in India. In South India, Ragi (also known as nachni), is especially popular to make healthy snacks and cereal drinks for children because of its high calcium content.
These Eggless Ragi cookies are sweet and make a healthy snack for kids tiffins too. The same recipe can be used to make savory or salted ragi biscuits. Instead of jaggery powder, add salt to taste and some roasted cumin seeds.
Eggless Vegan Cookies – ingredient substitutes
- Dairy replacement: I’ve used Olive oil but in India usually ghee (clarified butter) is used to make ragi biscuits. When replacing oil for butter in baking use ¾th quantity of butter required. So for 1 cup of butter use ¾ cup of oil.
- Egg Replacement: I’ve also added a ‘flax egg’ which is nothing but 1 tbsp flaxseed powder (alsi) mixed in 3 tbsp water and left aside for 15-20 minutes. It not only makes the cookies softer but also adds more nutrition to them. Omit it if you don’t have flaxseed powder at home.
Are these ragi cookies gluten-free?
These cookies are not gluten-free as I do add a little wheat flour to it in 1:3 proportion — ¼th cup wheat flour for every ¾th cup ragi (finger millet) flour. But I am going to try some gluten-free ragi cookie recipes too for an even healthier cookie recipe.
When you mix all the ingredients just use your fingers to mix. All the ingredients will come together like bread crumbs or a crumble mixture. Then slowly add some water to knead into a soft dough.
If you have kids around, they will enjoy putting their (clean) fingers into the mixing bowl and bringing the dough together. Since the dough doesn’t have much gluten, they might not be able to press the cookies by themselves. But with little help, they will be great! An easier way is to make cookie dough balls and then press them down with the back of a measuring cup.
I use a fork to make a criss-cross design on the cookies. Instead of a fork, they can press in (lightly) any of their favorite designs too on the cookies. And if they want, add in some chocolate chips or cocoa powder into the mix for eggless chocolate ragi cookies!
Ragi Cookies – Eggless & Vegan Finger Millet cookies
Ingredients (1cup = 240ml; 1tbsp = 15ml; 1tsp = 5ml)
- ¾ cup Ragi flour (Finger Millet flour)
- ¼ cup wheat flour
- ½ cup jaggery powder
- 6 tbsp Olive oil (¼ + ⅛ cup)
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 flax-egg (1 tbsp ground flaxseed mixed in 3 tbsp water and left aside for 15-20 mins); optional
- a little warm water to knead the dough if and as required
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF/ 180ºC/ Gas Mark 4 and like a baking tray with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, sieve together wheat and ragi flour so that there are no lumps.
- Add baking powder, jaggery powder, flax egg and mix them all together using your fingers.
- Add oil and bring the mixture together in a dough. Add water if required. I had to add just about 2 tbsp of water.
- Divide the dough into 12 balls. Place on the prepared baking tray.
- Press down each ball with the back of a measuring cup to flatten and if you want press in a design too! I simply made crosses with a fork.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes. Remove from oven when the edges start to brown.
- Keep on the tray for another 5 minutes and then remove on a rack to cool.
- Enjoy with tea!
Notes
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Hi, these look delicious. I want to bake these using ghee. Can you ease tell me the exact quantity of ghee required? Thanks!
Hello Minoo,
Thanks so much. I haven’t tried making them with ghee so wouldn’t know for sure what should be the exact quantity. I will suggest you try with the same amount or slightly more as when replacing oil for butter in baking, oil is reduced in quantity.
Hope this helps and I’m sorry for not having the exact measure…