Cheesy and buttery, with Italian flavors, these Pizza Cookies are a uniquely delicious savory cookie that is perfect as an appetizer, for a tea-time party, as a Diwali snack, on your cheese board, or even as an edible gift!
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While I love sweets and desserts, I often find myself maxed out on the sugar intake during festivals.
So how about savory cookies?
I’ve got a really fun snack recipe for the upcoming Diwali to share with you guys.
I’ve already shared a slew of delicious Diwali recipes in the last couple of weeks – like Besan Ladoo, Bhakarwadi, Balushahi, and these amazing Nankhatai.
Today’s recipe is Cheese Pizza Cookies which is effortless, easy, and simple.
These savory Cheese Pizza Cookies are just as amazing as they sound! They are great as a snack for Festivals.
Plus, these cookies come together in a cinch and can even be made in a food processor or standing mixer.
Just like any shortbread cookies, butter/ghee is the main ingredient for these savory cookies. But these are savory cookies, so there is not a lot of sugar. Sugar is added only in small quantities to balance the other flavors.
These cookies are flavored with Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, parmesan cheese, and sun-dried tomatoes – insanely addictive and flavorful.
Ingredients required
Whole wheat flour
I have used Atta (Whole wheat flour) to make these cookies wholesome.
All-purpose flour
This cookie can be made with only all-purpose flour (maida) or skip If you want to make these cookies refined flour-free flour and use more whole wheat flour.
Fat
Fat is VERY important in this savory cookie. I have used Ghee here as I was out of butter. Though ghee works fine, If you have unsalted butter on hand, then use it.
Make sure ghee/butter is not melted.
Cheese
I would say of all the cheese in the world, Parmesan is one of my favorites if not the favorite!
I have used parmesan cheese for these savory cookies in this recipe since it goes well in pizzas. I would highly recommend you to use freshly grated parmesan cheese here. Try to avoid a green can of parmesan cheese.
You can substitute it with a different type of cheese as well if you like. Some options are,
- Monterey jack
- Pepper jack
- Sharp or mild cheddar (the color of the cheese cookie will change then).
Spices
I have used Italian seasoning and chili flakes as spices. Since we love spicy, red pepper flakes are an absolute must for us. You can reduce the number of chili lakes or leave it out if you’re making these cheese cookies for kids or for someone who isn’t a fan of spices.
Sugar
Sugar is completely optional here. I have used it to balance the other flavors.
Sun-dried tomatoes
This recipe is best with dehydrated tomatoes but the ones packed in the olive oil will work too. Infect, I have used the oil-packed ones since I dint have the dehydrated one on hand.
I simply took the tomatoes out of the oil and pat dry with a paper towel.
You can use dried tomato powder too instead of sun-dried tomatoes.
Milk
I have used regular whole milk to bind the cookie dough. Use as required.
Baking powder
How to make it? Step by step process
Take ghee/butter, sugar, salt, red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, and chopped sun-dried tomatoes in a bowl. Whisk them good, for about a minute or 2 or until creamy. Keep it aside.
Take whole wheat flour (atta), all-purpose flour, baking powder, and cheese to a big bowl. Mix well.
Add the whisked ghee-spices mixture into the flour mixture and mix them well using your fingers and palm. You can make this in a food processer or in a standing mixture too.
Now add milk and start mixing until everything comes together and it forms a dough.
Wrap the dough with a cling sheet and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
Then pinch a marble-sized ball from the dough and flatten the ball between your palms. The thickness should be around ¼ inch. Do the same process with the remaining dough. Total, I got 24 such cookies out of this dough.
Arrange all cookies onto a baking sheet, leaving a little space between each.
Bake at 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) for 14 minutes on one side, then take them out from the oven, flip each cookie with a thong and place it again in the oven for 6 minutes. So in 20 minutes, I got crispy and flaky cookies. Check at 18 minutes especially if your oven runs too hot.
Once cookies are baked, take them out and let them cool completely. Store these Pizza cookies in an airtight container and enjoy with Coffee or chai!
Notes, pro-tips and FAQs
- The very important point is working gently with the dough. You shouldn’t activate the gluten-the flour protein. When gluten is activated, the finished cookies won’t be crunchy. So be gentle and don’t knead the dough.
- You can use roll the dough and use different shaped cookie cutters.
- You can Prick them with a fork if you want lat top cookies.
- Baking time – For me, the time and temperature that works for a nice crispy cookie is 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) for 20 minutes. Every oven is different so the time will depend on that and also how you mould (thin or thick) the cookies. If your oven runs too hot, reduce the baking time. Also if you mould the cookies very thin (like around ⅛ inch thick) then they will cook faster.
Yep, the dough can be made a few days ahead and kept in the fridge, OR a month ahead, and stored in the freezer.
And then when you’re ready to bake, simply thaw out the dough in the fridge, mold, and bake. Couldn’t be simpler, right!
Store these cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. They should be good for up to 2 weeks.
This recipe is easily customizable. Instead o Italian seasoning, red chili flakes, sundried tomatoes, and cheese, you can try the below combinations –
Parmesan cheese, fresh thyme olives
Only chopped olives
Indian spices like red chili powder, turmeric powder, Kasuri methi, and carom seeds
With Chai masala
With curry powder
Pumpkin spice mix
perfect as an appetizer,
for a tea-time party,
as a Diwali snack,
on your cheeseboard
enjoy them as a snack or with a hot cup of masala chai!
And if you want to indulge in some festival spirit, these cheese cookies are perfect for sharing and gift-giving too.
Do give this a try on upcoming Diwali or Christmas, you’ll get so many compliments when your guests taste these cookies! Kids will go crazy over these cookies.
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Cheese Pizza Cookies (savory cookies)
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup Whole wheat flour atta
- ¼ cup All-purpose flour Maida
- ¾ cup – Parmesan cheese
- ¼ teaspoon – Baking Powder
- ½ cup – Ghee or Unsalted butter See notes
- 1½ tablespoon – Italian seasoning
- ½ tablespoon – Red Pepper flakes use according to your liking
- 1 teaspoon – salt
- 1 tablespoon – Powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon – Sun-dried tomatoes chopped into small pieces (see notes)
- 2 tablespoon – milk
Instructions
- In a bowl, take ghee/butter, sugar, salt, red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, and chopped sun-dried tomatoes. Whisk them good, for about a minute or 2 or until creamy. Keep it aside.
- To a big bowl, take whole wheat flour (atta), all-purpose flour, baking powder, and cheese. Mix well.
- Add the whisked ghee-spices mixture into the flour mixture and mix them well using your fingers and palm. You can make this in a food processer or in a standing mixture too.
- Now add milk and start mixing until everything comes together and it forms a dough.
- Wrap the dough with a cling sheet and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
- Then pinch a marble-sized ball from the dough and flatten the ball between your palms. The thickness should be around ¼ inch. Do the same process with the remaining dough. Total, I got 24 such cookies out of this dough.
- Arrange all cookies onto a baking sheet, leaving a little space between each.
- Bake at 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) for 14 minutes on one side, then take them out from the oven, flip each cookie with a thong and place it again in the oven for 6 minutes. So in 20 minutes, I got crispy and flaky cookies. Check at 18 minutes especially if your oven runs too hot.
- Once cookies are baked, take them out and let them cool completely. Store these Pizza cookies in an airtight container and enjoy with Coffee or chai!
Video
Notes
- This cookie can be made with only all-purpose flour (maida) or skip If you want to make these cookies refined flour free flour and use more whole wheat flour.
- I have used Ghee here as I was out of butter. Though ghee works fine, If you have unsalted butter on hand, then use it. Make sure ghee/butter is not melted.
- I have used parmesan cheese for these savory cookies since it goes well in pizzas. I would highly recommend you to use freshly grated parmesan cheese here. Try to avoid a green can of parmesan cheese. You can substitute it with a different type of cheese as well if you like. Some options are,
- Monterey jack
- Pepper jack
- Sharp or mild cheddar (the color of the cheese cookie will change then).
- I have used Italian seasoning and chili flakes as spices. Since we love spicy, red pepper flakes are an absolute must for us. You can reduce the amount of chili lakes or leave it out if you’re making these cheese cookies for kids or for someone who isn’t a fan of spices.
- Sugar is completely optional here. I have used it to balance the other flavors.
- This recipe is best with the dehydrated tomatoes but the ones with packed in the olive oil will work too. Infect, I have used the oil-packed ones since I dint have the dehydrated one on hand. I simply took the tomatoes out of the oil and pat dried with a paper towel. You can use dried tomato powder too instead of sun-dried tomatoes.
- I have used regular whole milk to bind the cookie dough. Use as required.
- The very important point is working gently with the dough. You shouldn’t activate the gluten-the flour protein. When gluten is activated, the finished cookies won’t be crunchy. So be gentle and don’t knead the dough.
- You can use roll the dough and use different shaped cookie cutters.
- You can Prick them with a fork if you want lat top cookies.
- Baking time – For me, the time and temperature that works for a nice crispy cookie is 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) for 20 minutes. Every oven is different so the time will depend on that and also how you mould (thin or thick) the cookies. If your oven runs too hot, reduce the baking time. Also if you mould the cookies very thin (like around ⅛ inch thick) then they will cook faster.
- For quick FAQs, please scroll up.
Nutrition
Warm Regards,
Dhwani.
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