These delicious Finger Millet Cookies (aka Ragi Biscuits) are made with a few simple, highly customizable ingredients to create a perfect balance of flavor to satisfy even a picky eater. Ragi cookies are soft and buttery, are naturally gluten-free, and can be made vegan with an easy swap. These were inspired by my Sorghum Cookie recipe.
These delicious ragi biscuits or finger millet cookies are a great afternoon snack for a cup of coffee. To make them spread more, increase the amount of fat, and to make them crispier, simply bake a few more minutes. You can use jaggery, coconut sugar, or regular white and brown sugars for ragi cookies if you prefer. These are very close to my millet cookie recipe.
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Why You Will Love These Cookies
- Easily customizable - you can make them soft, chewy, crispy, or crunchy with various add-ins like chopped nuts, chocolate chips, dried fruits, and more, just like my buckwheat oatmeal cookies.
- Gluten and egg-free - these cookies are made without wheat flour and eggs, making them a great option for celiacs and even vegans, just like these buckwheat shortbread cookies.
- Nutritious - finger millet flour is a nutritional powerhouse, packed with protein, fiber, iron, and calcium to boost your bones, digestion, and energy levels!
Is Xanthan Gum Safe?
Short answer? Yes.
Longer one: xanthan gum is just a fermented sugar, kind of like how yogurt or kombucha is made. It's FDA-approved, widely used, and even in hospital thickeners for folks with swallowing issues. You’re just using one teaspoon in the whole batch!
Ingredients for Finger Millet Cookies
- Butter - you can use coconut oil instead, just use less (about 80g of melted coconut oil).
- Sugar - coconut sugar can be used instead.
- Xanthan gum - don't leave out this ingredient, or the cookies will be very crumbly.
See the recipe card for quantities.
Variations
- Add chocolate chips or chunks for a chocolate chip cookie, like in my gluten-free sourdough cookie recipe.
- Mix in soaked raisins or candied citrus peel for added sweetness and a bite, like you would in gluten-free Easter bread.
- Add candied ginger and cinnamon for Fall vibes.
- Mix in chopped walnuts or pecans for a crunch.
How to Make Finger Millet Cookies
Step 1. In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients and whisk to incorporate.
Step 2. Place the butter into a small saucepan and melt it on the stove over medium-high heat. Once the butter starts bubbling, begin whisking it continuously until it turns amber-brown and smells nutty. Turn off the heat and set it aside.
*If using coconut oil, simply melt it and go to the next step.
Step 3. Add the sugars and the milk to the browned butter and whisk until there are no brown sugar lumps left and everything looks incorporated.
Step 4. Add the wet ingredients to the bowl with the dry ingredients and bring the dough together with a silicone spatula or a wooden spoon. Cover the dough and let it chill in the refrigerator for 20 minutes (or up to 12h). You can freeze the ragi cookie dough at this point if you want to bake later.
The finger millet cookie dough will be sticky and wet, but it will thicken as the flour absorbs the liquids and chills in the fridge.
Step 5. Preheat the oven to 175°C / 350°F. Line your baking tray with non-stick parchment paper or a silicone mat. Scoop nine 1 tbsp-sized finger millet cookies onto the tray (or use wet hands for shaping) and bake for 15 minutes. Let the cookies chill on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes after baking before transferring them to a cooling rack (they are fragile while hot). Repeat with the rest of the dough. Enjoy!
Expert tips
- Cookies spread too much? Reduce the amount of fat (butter or oil) and/or sugar.
- Not crispy enough? Let the cookies bake for another 2 minutes.
- Baking at high altitude? Reduce the baking powder slightly, add an extra tablespoon of flour, and bake a couple minutes less.
- Let the cookies sit and firm up 5 min right after baking, or they might fall apart as you transfer them.
Common Questions
Yes, with a little help of xanthan gum, you can create wonderful and flavorful cakey cookies without any additional flours. You can also make ragi roti with a little bit of psyllium husk.
These cookies are perfectly soft and chewy thanks to the right balance of fat, sugars, and flour.
Keep them in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to a week or freeze them for up to 2-3 months.
Yes, you can add chocolate chips and/or nuts when you mix the dough. Add as many as you prefer, they won't spoil your ragi biscuits!
More Gluten-Free Recipes You Will Love
If you tried this Finger Millet Cookie Recipe or any other recipe on my blog please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
100% Finger Millet Cookies
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 200 grams finger millet flour (ragi flour)
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- 120 grams butter or 80g coconut oil
- 100 grams white sugar
- 50 grams brown sugar
- ⅓ cup milk dairy or plant-based
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Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients and whisk to incorporate.200 grams finger millet flour (ragi flour), 1 teaspoon xanthan gum, 2 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt
- Place the butter into a small saucepan and melt it on the stove over medium-high heat. Once the butter starts bubbling, begin whisking it continuously until it turns amber-brown and smells nutty. Turn off the heat and set it aside.*If using coconut oil, simply melt it and go to the next step.120 grams butter
- Add the sugars and the milk to the browned butter and whisk until there are no brown sugar lumps left and everything looks incorporated.100 grams white sugar, 50 grams brown sugar, ⅓ cup milk
- Add the wet ingredients to the bowl with the dry ingredients and bring the dough together with a silicone spatula or a wooden spoon. Cover the dough and let it chill in the refrigerator for 20 minutes (or up to 12h). You can freeze the ragi cookie dough at this point if you want to bake later.The finger millet cookie dough will be sticky and wet, but it will thicken as the flour absorbs the liquids and chills in the fridge.
- Preheat the oven to 175°C / 350°F. Line your baking tray with non-stick parchment paper or a silicone mat. Scoop nine 1 tbsp-sized finger millet cookies onto the tray (or use wet hands for shaping) and bake for 15 minutes. Let the cookies chill on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes after baking before transferring them to a cooling rack (they are fragile while hot). Repeat with the rest of the dough. Enjoy!
Notes
- Cookies spread too much? Reduce the amount of fat (butter or oil) and/or sugar.
- Not crispy enough? Let the cookies bake for another 2 minutes.
- Baking at high altitude? Reduce the baking powder slightly, add an extra tablespoon of flour, and bake a couple minutes less.
- Let the cookies sit and firm up 5 min right after baking, or they might fall apart as you transfer them.
Natasha Levai says
A great ragi cookie recipe with a perfect balance of sugar and flour to make up for the specific flavor of ragi flour not everyone likes.