Noon Berenji are Persian rice cookies infused with the beautiful flavors of cardamom and rose. They’re a delicate, crumbly texture after they’re baked, so they melt in your mouth with a sip of hot Persian tea.

In a Persian home, tea is offered all day from morning until night and always served a few Persian cookies and sweets as a sweet treat. Persian cookies like these are usually small, usually less than 1-inch in diameter, making them a wonderful bite-sized treat.

You’ll also find Noon Berenji served at Nowruz, which is a holiday celebrating the Persian New Year. It marks the beginning of spring, and the first day of the Iranian calendar.

Cookies with poppyseeds on a countertop.

🌟Why this recipe works

  • Noon Berenji are made with rice flour, making them gluten-free. Rice flour has a higher protein content than wheat flour, and it produces a light, fluffy texture.
  • This recipe uses rose water instead of rose extract. Using rose extract in cooking can often be overpowering, but a small amount of rose water goes a long way to give these cookies a kiss of rose flavor. You can even make your own homemade rose water from dried or fresh petals.
  • The dough is chilled before it is baked so the cookies don’t spread in the oven. Letting the dough chill overnight (preferably) or a minimum of 2 hours helps the flavor develop while it is resting and allows the sugar to infuse into the dough.
  • The dough is kneaded/mixed for a minimum of 5 minutes, which helps bind the dough and keep the cookies from falling apart.

🧾Ingredients in this recipe

Ingredients to make persian cookies like rice flour and rose water.
  • Powdered sugar – also known as confectioners sugar.
  • White rice flour – The rice flour helps create the airy, fluffy texture in the cookies. You can use brown rice flour with success, but it isn’t traditional.
  • Ground cardamom – This is a floral spice enjoyed in Persian desserts and tea.
  • Vegetable oil – this recipe works best with vegetable oil. I have made it with olive oil, but the flavor is overpowering.
  • Egg yolks – Do not substitute egg yolks for anything else in this recipe.
  • Rose water – Do not substitute for rose extract as this will be overpowering. Do not use more rose water than suggested in the recipe or the cookies will dry out and crack.
  • Poppy seeds – These don’t add any flavor, but add a pop of texture that these cookies are known for.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

👩‍🍳How to Make This Recipe

Start by sifting together the dry ingredients in a large bowl or bowl of your stand mixer: the powdered sugar, rice flour, and ground cardamom. Fit the stand mixer with the paddle attachment if using it.

Next, add the yolks, oil, and rose water. Turn the hand or stand mixer up to medium speed and mix the ingredients for 5 minutes, not less.

Make sure to scrape the sides of the bowl halfway through, and at the end.

Refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours, and preferably overnight.

Once the dough has chilled, roll the dough into 1.5-teaspoon-sized balls and place on a parchment or silicone-lined baking sheet (12 cookies per quarter sheet pan, 24 cookies per half sheet pan). 

Freezer Tip

This dough makes 48 cookies, so feel free to freeze the rolled dough balls on a baking sheet, then transfer them to a zipper bag or similar once frozen.

Cookie dough balls on a baking sheet.

The next step is to gently press the center of each dough ball with your thumb or a small spoon to create an indentation. Then, sprinkle a small number of poppy seeds in the center of each cookie. This is an optional addition and can be left off if you like.

Now you’re ready to pop the cookies in the refrigerator while you preheat the oven to 350F.

Bake the cookies for 13-18 minutes. These cookies will always stay white in color, so don’t try to brown them. You’ll know they are ready when they slide easily off the baking sheet.

Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet. Brew a pot of hot Persian tea and enjoy these cookies!

Cookies on a silicone baking sheet.

Store these cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days, in the refrigerator for 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Three cookies with poppy seeds and one with a bite taken out of it.

My collection of Persian recipes includes some delightful sweets you’ll fall in love with.

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Three cookies with poppy seeds and one with a bite taken out of it.
Author: Candice Walker

Noon Berenji (Cardamom Rose Cookies)

5 from 4 votes
Print Recipe Save
Small, melt-in your mouth rice cookies with cardamom and rose that are perfect to serve with a hot cup of Persian tea!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Resting Time2 hours
Total Time2 hours 28 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Persian
Diet: Gluten Free, Kosher, Vegetarian
Servings: 48 small cookies
Calories: 31kcal

Ingredients

  • 90 g powdered sugar ¾ cups
  • 280 g white rice flour 1 ¾ cups
  • 1.5 tsp ground cardamom
  • 180 g vegetable oil ¾ cup + 1 tablespoon
  • 2 egg yolks
  • ¼ cup rose water
  • ¼ teaspoon poppy seeds optional for decoration

Instructions

  • Sift together the powdered sugar, flour, and cardamom into a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer fit with the paddle attachment.
  • Add the yolks, oil, and rose water. Turn the hand or stand mixer up to medium speed and mix the ingredients for 5 minutes, not less. Scrape the sides of the bowl halfway through and at the end.
  • Refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours, and preferably overnight.
  • Once the dough has chilled, roll the dough into 1.5-teaspoon-sized balls and place on a parchment or silicone-lined baking sheet (12 cookies per quarter sheet pan, 24 cookies per half sheet pan).
  • Gently press the centers of each ball with your thumb or a small spoon to create an indentation. Then, sprinkle a small number of poppy seeds in the center of each cookie.
  • Pop the cookies in the refrigerator while you preheat the oven to 350F.
  • Bake for 13-18 minutes. These cookies stay white in color, so don’t try to brown them. They are ready when they slide easily off the baking sheet.
  • Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet.

Notes

These cookies are meant to be crumbly, not as you’re preparing them, but after they are baked.
This dough makes 48 cookies, so feel free to freeze the rolled dough balls on a baking sheet, then transfer them to a zipper bag or similar once frozen.
Do not substitute the rose water for rose extract as this will be overpowering. Do not use more rose water than suggested in the recipe or the cookies will dry out and crack.
Store these cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days, in the refrigerator for 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Calories: 31kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 0.5g | Fat: 0.3g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 0.4mg | Potassium: 6mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 11IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 2mg | Iron: 0.1mg
Did you try this recipe?I’d love to hear what you think! Leave a Review to let us know how it came out, if you have a successful substitution or variation, or anything else.

6 Comments

  1. The flavour is amazing but my cookies never stay together 🙁 super crumbly… what am
    I doing wrong ? Would like to get it right

    Reply

    1. They are crumbly after baked, but should stay together. Before baking, they shouldn’t be crumbly. It is likely that the yolks and oil were not completely distributed throughout the dough since that would cause them to fall apart… that is why the recipe calls for mixing for 5 complete minutes. If you’re using a stand mixer that isn’t properly adjusted (you can watch this YouTube video to check it using this dime test) then it won’t properly mix the ingredients together. I hope this helps, and let me know if you have any other questions!

      Reply

  2. 5 stars
    I always crave a little something in the afternoon, and these hit the spot. A lot easier to make than I thought as I’m not a cookie maker. Came out really great! Love the hint of rose in these.

    Reply
5 from 4 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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