Eggless Whole Wheat Atta Biscuits

These homemade atta biscuits are crisp, lightly sweet, buttery, and made without maida. They’re simple to prepare with everyday ingredients and make a lovely homemade snack with a cup of tea or coffee.

Ingredients

• 1 cup whole wheat flour (atta)
• ¼ cup powdered sugar
• ¼ cup melted butter
• 2 tbsp milk, plus more if needed
• ¼ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp cardamom powder
• 1 pinch salt
• ½ tsp vanilla essence (optional)

How to Make Atta Biscuits

1. Prepare the dry ingredients: In a bowl, mix whole wheat flour, powdered sugar, baking powder, cardamom powder, and salt.
2. Add butter: Add melted butter and mix with your fingertips until the mixture looks crumbly and resembles breadcrumbs.
3. Make the dough: Add milk little by little and bring everything together to form a soft dough. Do not knead the dough, as overworking it can make the biscuits hard.
4. Rest the dough: Cover and let it rest for about 5–10 minutes. This step isn’t essential, so you can also roll the dough immediately if you’re short on time.
5. Roll: Place the dough between two sheets of parchment paper and roll it to approximately ½ cm thickness.
6. Cut the biscuits: Use a cookie cutter to cut your biscuits. Gather the leftover dough, gently bring it together, and cut again.
7. Prepare for baking: Place the biscuits on a lined baking tray. You can prick them lightly with a fork if you like a traditional biscuit look.
8. Bake: Preheat your oven to 170°C. Bake for approximately 15–18 minutes, or until the edges become lightly golden.
9. Cool completely: Remove the tray from the oven and allow the biscuits to cool for a few minutes. Transfer them to a wire rack and let them cool completely. They become noticeably crispier as they cool.

How Do You Know When Atta Biscuits Are Done?

Don’t wait for the entire biscuit to become dark golden. The edges should be lightly golden and the surface should look set. The biscuits may still feel slightly soft when they first come out of the oven—that’s normal. They will firm up as they cool.

Recipe Tips

• Don’t add all the milk at once. Atta absorbs liquid differently depending on the flour.
• Avoid kneading the dough.
• Keep the biscuits around ½ cm thick for a nice crisp texture.
• If your biscuits are thicker, they may need a few extra minutes.
• Keep an eye on them after 12–13 minutes because oven temperatures can vary.
• For a richer flavour, you can replace a little of the butter with ghee.
• Add 1–2 tbsp desiccated coconut for coconut atta biscuits.

Storage

Once completely cooled, store the biscuits in an airtight container. They should stay crisp for approximately 7–10 dayswhen stored properly at room temperature.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make these biscuits without resting the dough?
Yes. Resting for 5–10 minutes can make the dough easier to handle, but it isn’t essential.

Why did my atta biscuits become hard?
The most common reasons are over-kneading the dough, adding too much flour, or over-baking the biscuits.

Can I use ghee instead of butter?
Yes. Ghee can be used in the same quantity, although it will give the biscuits a slightly different flavour and texture.

Can I make these biscuits with jaggery?
Yes, but powdered jaggery can change the colour and texture of the biscuits. For a more predictable crisp texture, powdered sugar works better.