Jeera biscuit is the sweet-and-salty tea-time cookie that tastes like Papa's two favorites, Parle Monaco and Britannia 50-50, rolled into one bite. I've always loved sweet-and-salty snacks. They're impossible to resist. My Papa grew up dunking those classic biscuits into his evening chai, and if you grew up in India, you probably remember them too. These jeera cookies are the sweet-and-salty sibling to our whole-wheat Punjabi atta biscuits, both born from the same tea-time tradition. Just the right sweetness, a hint of hand-crushed cumin in every bite. Sometimes I swap the jeera for ajwain and they turn out just as good. Whether it's afternoon chai, a lunchbox filler, or a Diwali gift box, these biscuits show up and disappear fast.
More of our recipes live on Instagram @thebellyrulesthemind.official and Pinterest @Bellyrulesdmind .
Jump to:
My Papa's biscuit tin always had a mix of sweet and salty favorites. ❤️He has always loved the balance of flavors. The perfect combination of something savory with something sweet.In our Punjabi Mumbai home, chai time was never just about tea. It was a moment to sit, share stories, and enjoy simple treats together.And here's a little secret… my Papa still loves that sweet and salty combination. He even enjoys namkeen upma with sweet sheera because that blend of flavors has always been his favorite.Some food memories stay with you forever. ❤️
I started baking jeera biscuits in my Virginia kitchen because I wanted that same flavor in one biscuit, without a store-bought pack. Sweet on the front, salty on the finish, toasty cumin sitting in the middle. Ronav grabs a couple with his after-school snack. Rijak takes a stack on his way out the door. Raminder puts two on his saucer every time I bake a batch.
Ingredients for jeera biscuits
See the recipe card below for exact quantities.
- Melted unsalted butter: carries the sweet-salty flavor and gives the biscuit its short, crumbly texture. Cool it after melting. Hot butter cooks the flour into a gummy mess.
- Powdered sugar: blends smoother than granulated sugar so you don't get grainy pockets. It also lets you taste the cumin without a sugar crust on top.
- Hand-crushed cumin seeds (jeera): the star. Crack whole seeds in a mortar and pestle right before mixing. Pre-ground cumin loses its oil in the jar and tastes flat here.
- All-purpose flour (maida): gives you the classic bakery-cookie texture. Whole wheat atta works too, just add a splash more milk.
- Baking powder: a small lift so the biscuits don't turn rock-hard as they cool.
- Salt: the salty half of sweet-and-salty. Don't skip it and don't shortcut it.
- Milk: brings the dough together into a soft, sliceable log. Whole milk works best. Plant milks work too if that's what's in your fridge.
How to make jeera biscuits
- Preheat the oven and prep the tray. Set the oven to 350°F. Line a baking tray with parchment. If you're using an air fryer, set it to 320°F. Getting the temperature right before the dough is ready keeps you moving.
- Whisk the melted butter and sugar. The butter should be melted and cooled, not hot. Add the powdered sugar and whisk until smooth. You want it silky, no lumps.
- Crush the jeera fresh and stir it in. Grind the whole cumin seeds in a mortar and pestle right before you mix. Fresh-crushed jeera releases an oil you can smell across the kitchen. Stir it into the butter mixture so it distributes evenly.
- Add the flour and form the dough. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl, then add to the butter mixture. Mix until crumbly. Pour in the milk and bring it together into a soft, firm dough. If you're using whole wheat atta, add an extra splash or two of milk until the dough comes together.
- Shape into a log and chill. Transfer the dough onto a sheet of cling wrap. Roll into a log about 10 to 12 inches long and 1½ to 2 inches thick. Wrap tightly and refrigerate for at least 10 minutes. If you have time, chill it longer (up to overnight). A colder log slices cleaner.
- Slice and arrange. Cut the chilled log into rounds about ¼ inch thick. Arrange on the parchment-lined tray with a little space between each biscuit. They won't spread much, but a small gap helps them bake evenly.
- Bake and cool. Bake at 350°F for 12 to 15 minutes until the edges turn lightly golden. Air fryer: 320°F for 10 to 12 minutes. The centers will look soft when you pull them out. That's fine. Let them cool on the tray. They crisp up as they cool.
Soniya's Top Tip
Hand-crush the whole jeera seeds in a mortar and pestle right before you mix the dough. Pre-ground cumin sitting in a jar has already lost most of its oil, so you get color in the biscuit without the toasty aroma that makes it taste like a bakery cookie.
Common mistakes to avoid
| Mistake | What happens | How I fix it |
|---|---|---|
| Using hot melted butter | Flour cooks on contact, dough turns gummy, biscuits spread flat and lose their crispness | Use room tempature butter |
| Using pre-ground cumin powder | You get color in the biscuit but not the toasty aroma; it tastes flat | Crush whole jeera seeds fresh in a mortar and pestle right before mixing |
| Skipping the chill | Log softens on the counter and slices tear instead of cutting clean | Refrigerate the wrapped log for at least 10 minutes, longer if you can spare it |
| Cutting slices too thick | Centers stay doughy while edges brown, so the bake is inconsistent | Aim for ¼ inch rounds. Use a sharp knife and press straight down, don't saw. |
| Baking past golden edges | Whole wheat variant especially scorches fast and the sweet-salty balance tips bitter | Pull the tray when the edges are lightly golden. They finish on the tray as they cool. |
Substitutions
- Jeera to ajwain: swap 1:1 for a peppery variation. Ajwain is stronger than jeera, so if you're new to it, start with a little less.
- Maida to whole wheat atta: works 1:1. Add a splash more milk because atta absorbs more liquid. If you want the whole-wheat and gur (jaggery) bakery-style version instead, try our Punjabi atta biscuits next. Same tea-time tradition, different flavor family.
- Butter to ghee: swap 1:1. Ghee gives a nuttier flavor and a slightly denser biscuit. Still delicious, just a different vibe.
- Milk to plant milk: almond or oat milk both work if you want an accidentally dairy-free biscuit (still not vegan because of the butter, unless you also swap that).
Storage
| Can it be saved? | How long? | How to store |
|---|---|---|
| Room temperature | Up to 2 weeks | Airtight tin or glass jar on the counter. Moisture is the enemy, so make sure they're fully cooled before you close the lid. |
| Refrigerator | Up to 1 month | Airtight container. Bring to room temperature before serving or they lose their crispness. |
| Freezer (baked biscuits) | Up to 2 months | Freeze in a single layer, then transfer to a freezer bag. Thaw at room temperature. |
| Freezer (unbaked dough log) | Up to 2 months | Wrap the shaped log in cling wrap plus a freezer bag. Thaw in the fridge overnight, then slice and bake fresh. |
Serve with
- Masala chai: the archetypal pairing. Jeera biscuit and chai are a match on purpose.
- Punjabi atta biscuits: the whole-wheat gur cousin, for a tea-time platter that covers both flavor camps.
- Mango lassi: for the summer version of tea-time when chai feels too warm.
- Kaju katli: on a Diwali platter next to these biscuits, the sweet-and-salty jeera balances the pure sweetness of the katli.
More Indian tea-time recipes
If you're building a tea-time repertoire, these are the cookies and sweets we bake most often for chai, potlucks, and festive gift boxes.
FAQ
Can I make jeera biscuits with whole wheat flour?
Yes, swap maida for whole wheat atta 1:1. Atta absorbs more liquid, so add a splash or two more milk until the dough comes together into a firm log. The finish will be a little denser and nuttier, closer to a bakery-style atta biscuit. Watch the bake time carefully because whole wheat browns faster than maida.
Can I substitute ajwain for jeera in this recipe?
Yes, swap ajwain in the same quantity. Ajwain is stronger and more peppery than jeera, so if you've never baked with it before, start with a little less and adjust the next batch to taste. The rest of the recipe stays the same.
Why do I need to chill the dough before slicing?
The chill firms up the butter in the dough so the log holds its shape when you cut it. Warm dough tears and squishes under the knife, giving you ragged, uneven biscuits. Ten minutes is the minimum. If you can chill it longer (an hour or overnight), the slices come out cleaner and the biscuits hold their round shape in the oven.
Can I make jeera biscuits without an oven?
Yes. The air fryer works well. Set it to 320°F and bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Work in small batches so the biscuits have room to bake evenly. You can also use a heavy-bottomed pot on the stovetop with a wire rack inside and a lid on top, though the oven or air fryer gives you more consistent results.
Why aren't my jeera biscuits crisp?
Usually one of two things. Either the butter was too hot when you mixed the dough (which makes the flour gummy and the biscuits soft), or you pulled the tray before the edges turned golden. The biscuits crisp up as they cool on the tray, so give them 10 minutes there before moving them. Also make sure they're fully cooled before you store them, or trapped steam will soften them inside the tin.
Final thoughts
Bake two jeera biscuit logs at once because the first will vanish before tomorrow's chai.
Jeera Biscuit (Indian Sweet-Salty Cumin Cookies)
Servings:
biscuitsCalories:
Ingredients
- ½ cup melted unsalted butter cooled to warm, not hot
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon hand-crushed cumin seeds (jeera) crush whole seeds fresh in a mortar and pestle
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (maida) whole wheat atta works too; add extra milk
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup milk whole milk best; add 2 to 3 tablespoons more if using atta
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a baking tray with parchment. For air fryer, preheat to 320°F (160°C).
- Whisk the melted (and cooled) butter with the powdered sugar in a mixing bowl until smooth. The butter should be liquid but not hot.
- Crush the whole cumin seeds fresh in a mortar and pestle. Stir into the butter mixture.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to the butter mixture. Mix until crumbly.
- Pour in the milk and bring the dough together into a firm log. If using whole wheat atta, add an extra 2 to 3 tablespoons of milk until the dough comes together.
- Transfer the dough to a sheet of cling wrap. Shape into a log about 10 to 12 inches long and 1½ to 2 inches thick. Wrap tightly and refrigerate for at least 10 minutes (longer is better).
- Slice the chilled log into rounds about ¼ inch thick. Arrange on the parchment-lined tray with space between each biscuit.
- Oven: bake at 350°F for 12 to 15 minutes until the edges are lightly golden. Air fryer: bake at 320°F for 10 to 12 minutes.
- Let the biscuits cool completely on the tray. They crisp as they cool. Store in an airtight container once fully cooled.
Video
Notes
- Cool the melted butter before you use it. Hot butter cooks the flour on contact and turns the dough gummy, so the biscuits spread flat and lose their sweet-salty balance.
- Chill longer if you have time. Ten minutes is the minimum; an hour or overnight gives cleaner slices and a snappier bake.
- Keep slices the same thickness. Uneven slices bake unevenly, so thin edges scorch while thick centers stay doughy.
- Pull them when the edges are just golden. The centers keep cooking on the hot tray and firm up as they cool.
- Swap jeera for ajwain if that's your childhood flavor. Same quantity, gives you a peppery, thyme-adjacent biscuit instead.
Leave a Reply