121 Diwali Sweets Recipes: Festive Recipes for 2023

Glistening diyas, sparkling fairy lights, sweets and snacks that glitter the eyes and soul, and joy all around – this is the Diwali festival in India. Popular under the sobriquet ‘festival of lights,’ Diwali in 2023, falls on November 12. Since the festivities also mean the most delicious Diwali Recipes, both sweet and savory, I am sharing a personal favorite collection of 121 Diwali Sweets here. From ladoos and kheers to halwas and more – this list has a choice of mithai (sweet), that everyone can enjoy during the Diwali festive season.

collage of four diwali sweets with text on top

Significance of Diwali

The most common and celebrated story that is associated with Diwali festival is that of Lord Rama returning to Ayodhya along with his wife Sita and younger brother Lakshman after executing Lanka’s demon king Ravana.

To welcome them, Ayodhyavasis (people of Ayodhya) adorned their homes and streets with clay lamps.

Thus, the lit festivities, of which sweets too are an important part, signify that good is always triumphant over evil. Diwali also symbolizes hope over despair, light over darkness and knowledge over ignorance.

This is the reason different types of Diwali Recipes and Diwali Sweets are an absolute must while celebrating the Hindu festival of Diwali.

Diwali festival is usually a 5-day long affair, with each day signifying a particular thing. Here is what each day means:

  • First day – Dhanteras or Dhanvantari Triyodashi; it is believed that on this day the God of medicine, God Dhanvantari, emerged out of the ocean and with him, brought the science of Ayurveda for mankind.
  • Second day – Naraka Chaturdashi or Choti Diwali; according to legends, on this day Lord Krishna, Satyabhama (Krishna’s wife) and Goddess Kali killed the demon Narakasura. Another reason supporting the theory of victory of good over evil.
  • Third day – Lakshmi Puja, Badi Diwali or the actual day; this day is when Goddess Lakshmi is worshipped as it is believed that it is on this day, she descends to Earth to bless everyone with happiness, luck and prosperity.  
  • Fourth day – Govardhan Puja; it is believed that on this day, the people of Vrindavan were asked by Bhagwan Krishna, to offer their prayers to a hill named Giri Govardhan instead of Lord Indra.
  • Fifth day – Bhai Dooj; on this day, the bond between brothers and sisters is celebrated and honored. According to Hindu mythology, Yama, the Lord of Death on visiting his sister Yamuna, gave her a boon. This was whoever visits their sister on this day, shall be freed of all sins and will achieve moksha.  

Diwali Festival – A Sweet Affair

Diwali or Deepavali is truly the festival of lights, festivity and celebration. Since no major festival or any other special occasion is complete without sweets, so is the case with Diwali as well.

Also, because the real essence of Diwali festival lies in the victory of good over evil, sweets are a must to commemorate this success.

Thus, an important element in the festivities. Traditionally too in India, sweets are offered to Gods and Goddesses and made with purity and devotion.

I would suggest that you make sweets or mithai at home (just like olden times) rather than buying from the market.

This way, when you will share it with your family, friends and loves ones, the feeling and excitement will just amplify. For this, my curated list of Diwali Sweets will be at your service.

In many parts of India, it is customary to offer or gift sweets to neighbors as well on Diwali festival.

I specially remember those funny instances while I was growing up, when the mithai box which you had given to your neighbor, used to come back home after moving in a circle!

Since it is all about Diwali Recipes during this time of the year, it wouldn’t be possible to eat everything. So, people kept passing the sweet boxes further.

121 Diwali Sweets

While you try the sweets from this special list, check out this compilation of 124 Diwali Snacks as well for your savory cravings during Diwali festival.

For more Indian sweets, this category of Sweets Recipes is where you should head to.

Diwali festival is also the perfect time to begin something new or venture into positive deeds. So, donate your old clothes to the less-privileged or make any other kind of donation to help needy people. And what best way to start something novel than with some lovely recipes for sweets.  

Most of the recipes in this 121 Diwali Sweets list are not just easy to make, but also require the least efforts and still are decadent.

Even if you find something lengthy, just follow the recipes to the T, and make things simpler for yourself. Just for your ease of reading, I have divided this post into 7 parts.

Before I sum up, here’s wishing a very Happy and Prosperous Diwali to all our reader friends!

Find the most popular Diwali Sweets in this section, from all over India. I have also included some Bengali sweets in this list.

kaju katli stacked spirally
Moderate 20 minutes

Kaju Katli Recipe | Kaju Barfi

These Kaju Katli are the way they are actually meant to be – thin, smooth, melt in the mouth slices of cashew goodness. A popular Indian sweet made with cashews, sugar and water.
besan ke laddu, besan ladoo
Moderate 30 minutes

Easy Besan ke Laddu Recipe

Besan Ladoo or Besan ke Laddu is a popular Indian sweet made during festivals. These are round sweet balls made with gram flour a.k.a besan, powdered sugar and clarified butter (ghee).
rava ladoo in a circle with lit earthern lamp in center on a bronze plate
Moderate 30 minutes

Rava Laddu Recipe (Suji Ke Laddu)

An easy peasy method to make Rava Laddu for Diwali or any festival. This Rava Ladoo also known as Suji ke Laddu are sweet balls made with rava (sooji or semolina), coconut, powdered sugar, dry fruits, nuts and ghee.
gulab jamun served in a white bowl.
Moderate 45 minutes

Perfect Gulab Jamun Recipe

Delicious Gulab Jamun Recipe made with khoya or mawa (milk solids,) paneer and sugar in the traditional way. Gulab Jamun is a popular Indian sweet and this recipe is the classic traditional method of making these treats.
jalebi in a basket
Moderate 15 hours 45 minutes

Jalebi Recipe | Best Homemade Jalebi Recipe

Jalebi are funnel-cake style fried spirals that are doused in a sweet sugar syrup for a delightful treat. This homemade jalebi recipe makes for crispy, crunchy, syrupy, juicy jalebi and is traditional method.
kala jamun
Moderate 45 minutes

Kala Jamun | Black Gulab Jamun

This is an easy and delicious recipe of kala jamun made with khoya (mawa) and cottage cheese.
cubes of mysore pak on a wooden serving tray on a table.
Difficult 25 minutes

Mysore Pak Recipe

Mysore pak is a popular and super delicious Indian sweet from the city of Mysore in the Karnataka state in South India. Mysore pak is made with only three ingredients – gram flour, ghee and sugar. It is rich, luxurious and melt in the mouth sweet.
cham cham recipe
Moderate 40 minutes

Cham Cham Sweet Recipe | Bengali Chum Chum Recipe

Cham cham is a popular sweet from bengal made by curdling milk. Cham is also called as chum chum. This recipe will help you in making spongy & soft cham cham since a lot of tips and suggestions are included in the recipe post. 
overhead shot of two rasgulla with syrup in a glass bowl
Moderate 40 minutes

Rasgulla Recipe | How to make Soft Rasgulla

Rasgulla is a popular Bengali sweet and is also called as rosogolla. This Bengali rasgulla recipe will guide you in making soft and spongy rasgulla.
suji halwa recipe
Moderate 15 minutes

Suji ka Halwa Recipe (Sheera Recipe)

Suji ka halwa or Sheera is a classic Indian semolina pudding made with sugar, ghee and dry fruits. The recipe I have shared is a family heirloom recipe. We have been making this suji halwa recipe for decades during family get togethers, special occasions & festivals. The sooji halwa recipe can be easily halved, doubled or tripled.
squares of kalakand laid out on a piece of parchment
Easy 20 minutes

Kalakand Recipe | Kalakand Sweet

This two-ingredient, super fast recipe for Kalakand (a.k.a. Indian Milk Cake) comes together in just 15 minutes thanks to the help of a can of sweetened condensed milk.
closeup shot of malpua with rabdi served in a oval plate
Moderate 1 hour

Malpua Recipe (Classic Homemade Sweet)

Malpua is a traditional and popular Indian sweet of pan fried or shallow fried flour pancakes dipped in sugar syrup and served with rabdi or sweetened thickened milk. These crispy and fluffy pancakes are made with all-purpose flour, curd (yogurt), spices, khoya (dried milk solids) and topped with nuts.
top shot of rabri in red bowl with nuts and a light sprinkle of saffron powder from top.
Moderate 1 hour 20 minutes

Rabdi Recipe | Rabri Recipe

Rabdi or rabri is a classic, traditional Indian sweet of thickened sweetened milk filled with layers of clotted cream (malai). It is also known as lachha rabdi in Hindi language.
balushahi garnished with chopped pistachios and served in a ceramic tray with text layovers.
Moderate 40 minutes

Balushahi Recipe | Badusha Sweet

Balushahi Recipe is a popular Indian sweet having flaky, juicy and moist texture. It is a donut shaped sweet coated with sugar syrup. The Balushahi Sweet is popularly referred to as Badusha in South India.
closeup shot of brass spoon filled with basundi on top of a brass bowl with basundi
Moderate 25 minutes

Basundi Recipe | Basundi Sweet

Basundi is a flavored, thickened and sweetened milk made with whole milk, sugar, fragrant spices and nuts. It is a popular sweet made in the western parts of India. This basundi recipe is a quicker version made with sweetened condensed milk and comes together under 25 minutes.
4 balls of rasmalai in an oblong white serving dish covered with thickened milk and garnished with sliced almonds and saffron threads
Moderate 50 minutes

Rasmalai Recipe | Rasmalai Sweet

Rasmalai is a popular Bengali sweet of Indian cottage cheese (chenna or paneer) balls or discs soaked in thickened, sweetened milk that has been scented with cardamom and saffron. A creamy, melt in your mouth Indian dessert sweet.
7 cup burfi
Moderate 30 minutes

7 Cups Sweet Recipe | Easy 7 Cup Burfi | 7 Cup Cake

7 cup burfi is a easy and delicious South Indian sweet made with gram flour, ghee, fresh coconut, milk and sugar. It is also known as 7 cup cake or 7 cups sweet as it is made with 7 measures of ingredients.
7 peda pieces on a red plate placed on white doilies.
Moderate 15 minutes

Peda Recipe | Doodh Peda | Milk Peda

This rich peda recipe is a delightfully sweet fudge-like confection made with khoya (dried milk solids), sugar, nuts and fragrant spices. Make this simple and quick doodh peda recipe (milk peda) for any festival or celebrations.
top closeup shot of shankarpali filled in wooden bowl
Moderate 1 hour

Shankarpali Recipe

Sweet shankarpali are crisp, flaky, melt in the mouth fried and baked biscuits. Shankarpali is a popular festive snack from Maharashtra.
shakkar pare recipe, shakkar para recipe
Moderate 50 minutes

Shakarpara Recipe | Khurma | Shakkarpare

Shakkarpara or Khurma is a diamond-shaped, crunchy, flaky and fried flour cookies coated with crystallized sugar. Try my authentic Punjabi recipe of this scrumptious Shakkarpare snack that you can literally munch on, any time!
Top shot of Nankhatai on wire rack.
Moderate 40 minutes

Nankhatai Recipe | Nankhatai Biscuit

Nankhatai are a popular and traditional Indian shortbread cookies that are made with all-purpose flour, sugar and ghee (clarified butter) or butter and spiced with green cardamom. It is a popular snack found in most Indian bakeries. This delicious treat pairs perfectly with your evening cup of chai or tea.
rice kheer recipe
Moderate 50 minutes

Kheer Recipe | Rice Kheer

Rice Kheer is a popular Indian sweet dessert made with basmati rice, whole milk, nuts and saffron. Kheer recipe is easy and is made with a one pan or one pot method. Rice Kheer is basically Indian rice pudding and makes for a creamy delicious sweet dessert. 
seviyan kheer served in a glass bowl with text layover.
Easy 20 minutes

Seviyan Kheer | Vermicelli Kheer

This creamy seviyan kheer is a North Indian sweet made with wheat vermicelli, milk, sugar, dry fruits and flavored with spices. This incredibly easy recipe of semiya kheer comes together in 20 minutes and makes for an excellent dessert or sweet.
shahi tukda in a white oblong serving plate with a bowl of homemade rabri
Moderate 1 hour 30 minutes

Shahi Tukda Recipe | Traditional Shahi Tukra Sweet

Shahi Tukda is a rich, royal, indulgent and popular dessert from the Mughlai Cuisine. It is made of ghee fried bread slices that are soaked in rose & cardamom scented sugar syrup that are topped with fragrant, creamy, sweetened, thickened milk (a.k.a rabdi) that is flavored with exotic saffron. It is garnished with nuts like almonds, pistachios, cashews and sometimes even edible silver leaf (varak).
sandesh served in a white plate
Moderate 55 minutes

Sandesh Recipe

Sandesh (called Shondesh in Bengali language) is a popular milk based sweet from Bengal. It is made with chenna or paneer, sugar or jaggery, nuts and flavorings.
gujiya arranged neatly on a white plate placed on a white and blue checkered napkin.
Difficult 1 hour 15 minutes

Gujiya Recipe (Fried and Baked)

Gujiya is a popular and traditional North Indian sweet of a crisp, flaky pastry filled with a sweet khoya (evaporated milk solids) and dry fruits stuffing. They can be fried as well as baked. Get both the fried and baked versions in this recipe.
five karanji pieces on a white plate on a cream doily
Moderate 1 hour 20 minutes

Karanji Recipe (Authentic)

Karanji is a crisp, flaky, fried, moon-shaped pastry stuffed with a sweet filling of desiccated coconut, nuts and dry fruits. It is also one of the sweet snack that is made during Diwali festival.
top shot of six boondi laddu in pink muffin liners on a white plate placed on pink napkin
Difficult 35 minutes

Boondi Laddu (Boondi ke Ladoo)

Boondi laddu is a popular Indian sweet made by combining lovely little bits of fried and sugar-soaked batter (made with gram flour) with seeds and fragrant spices. Each bite is a delightful blend of smooth, soft, and melt-in-the mouth texture.
motichoor ladoo recipe, motichur laddu recipe, motichoor ke ladoo recipe
Moderate 30 minutes

Motichur Laddu (Motichoor ke Ladoo)

Motichur laddu are soft, delish melt in the mouth ladoo made mainly with gram flour, sugar, and spices.. One of the most popular Indian sweet.
closeup shot of rava kesari served in dark green plate.
Moderate 25 minutes

Kesari Recipe | Perfect Rava Kesari Recipe

Rava Kesari is a popular South Indian pudding like sweet that is made with rava or suji (semolina), ghee, cashews, raisins, sugar, water and saffron. This Kesari recipe gives you a really delicious melt in the mouth sweet that can be made in less time.
chhena poda recipe, paneer cake recipe
Moderate 40 minutes

Chhena Poda | Chenna Poda

Chenna poda is a popular sweet from odisha. Its made with chenna or fresh paneer. The entire dish is baked and can also be called as paneer cake.
besan halwa recipe
Moderate 30 minutes

Besan Ka Halwa

Besan halwa is a delicious sweet made from gram flour, ghee, sugar and cardamom powder.
poornam boorelu served on a green colored plate with text layovers.
Moderate 40 minutes

Poornam Boorelu | Andhra Poornalu Recipe (Boorelu)

Poornam boorelu also known as Poornalu is a deep fried snack made with a stuffing of chana dal+jaggery and coated with rice+urad dal batter.
four murukku pieces in a metal jar
Moderate 50 minutes

Murukku Recipe | Murukulu Recipe

Murukku is a popular South Indian crunchy and crispy snack made with rice flour and lentil flour. It is also known as murukulu, chakralu and jantikalu in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

Ladoo Recipes

Find some well-known and some unique ladoo variations in this listing. A variety of ladoos are a part of Diwali Recipes, and this list includes ladoos made from various cereal and lentil flours, paneer, nuts and dry fruits.

atta laddu served in a brown bowl with text layovers.
Moderate 15 minutes

Atta Laddu | Wheat Ladoo

These wheat ladoo make for a good sweet snack for kids as well as for the whole family. Easy and quick to prepare delicious ladoo made with whole wheat flour, sugar and ghee.
coconut ladoo placed in a circle and in the center on a white plate on a red table
Moderate 15 minutes

Coconut Ladoo Recipe | Nariyal ke Laddu Made In 3 Unique Ways

Make coconut ladoo with three recipes. The first one is a quick 3 ingredient recipe made with fresh coconut, milkmaid and cardamom powder. The second recipe has 2 ingredients – desiccated coconut and condensed milk. The third recipe is made with desiccated coconut and sugar.
dry fruit ladoo placed on a white plate on a yellow napkin
Easy 20 minutes

Easy Dry Fruits Laddu Recipe

Easy Dry fruits laddu recipe without any added sugar or fats like ghee or oil. Packed with nutrients, good fats and fibre, these energy balls are made with dates, figs and various nuts. Dry fruit laddu recipe gets done quickly and comes together under 20 minutes.
badam ladoo recipe, almond ladoo recipe
Moderate 10 minutes

Badam Laddu | Almond Ladoo

Here’s a Badam Laddu recipe that is quick, easy, tasty and made with almonds, jaggery and raisins. Make this delish Almond Ladoo the next time when you have a bag full of almonds. Use it for making these ladoos with minimal ingredients.
ragi ladoo recipe, nachni ladoo recipe
Easy 15 minutes

Ragi Ladoo

This is a quick, easy and tasty ragi laddu made with three ingredients – ragi, jaggery and ghee.
peanut ladoo served on a white plate.
Moderate 15 minutes

Peanut Laddu (Shengdana Ladoo)

Peanut Laddu is an easy 2 ingredient recipe of delicious and protein rich balls made with roasted peanuts and jaggery.
sattu ke ladoo recipe
Moderate 15 minutes

Sattu Ke Laddu | Sattu Ladoo

Sattu ke Laddu are quick and easy ladoo recipe made with roasted black chana flour, jaggery and ghee. Roasted Bengal gram flour or black chickpea flour is called Sattu in the northern and central parts of India, especially in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Moreover this rustic, healthy, age-old flour has been used for culinary purposes majorly in these regions.
til ladoo recipe, sesame seeds ladoo recipe
Difficult 20 minutes

Til Ke Laddu | Sesame Laddu

Til ke laddu is a healthy, delicious, and nutty ladoo prepared with sesame seeds, jaggery, peanuts, and desiccated coconut. A vegan recipe and also a Makar Sankranti festival special sweet.
moong dal laddu served on a white plate.
Moderate 17 minutes

Moong Dal Laddu

Moong Dal Laddu are nutty sweet balls made with moong lentils, ghee, sugar and flavored with green cardamoms. These Moong Dal Ladoo are quite addictive too.
sunnundalu or urad dal laddu served on a white plate.
Moderate 17 minutes

Sunnundalu Recipe | Urad Dal Laddu

Sunnundalu is a special and unique Andhra festive sweet made with urad dal (black gram), ghee and sugar or jaggery. These protein rich treats are tasty and keeps well for a few days at room temperature.
maladu recipe, maa ladoo recipe
Moderate 12 minutes

Maladu Recipe | Maa Laddu | Roasted Gram Ladoo

Maladu or Maa Laddu (Pottukadalai Ladoo) is quick South Indian recipe of ladoo made from roasted gram or roasted chana dal flour. Maladu is made with just 3 main ingredients – roasted gram flour, ghee and sugar.
narkel naru served on a white plate.
Easy 15 minutes

Narkel Naru (Coconut Ladoo With Jaggery)

Narkel Naru is a traditional sweet ladoo made with jaggery and coconut from the Bengali cuisine. These rustic ladoo can be sweetened with date palm jaggery or regular sugarcane jaggery or sugar.
aval laddu recipe, poha laddu recipe, atukula laddu recipe
Moderate 15 minutes

Aval Laddu | Poha Laddu

Aval laddu also called Poha Laddu are delicious ladoo or sweet balls made with thick poha or aval (flattened rice or parched rice), jaggery, cashews, raisins, milk and ghee. They make for an easy festive sweet.

Kheer & Payasam Recipes

Kheer is one of the easiest Indian desserts that you can make during any festival. What is known as ‘kheer’ in North India, becomes ‘payasam’ in South India. The method of making a payasam slightly differs from that of making kheer.

Usually nuts and dry fruits are fried in ghee and added towards the end once the kheer is cooked through. I have listed both kheer and payasam variations in this section.

Kheer

badam kheer recipe
Moderate 50 minutes

Badam Kheer

Badam kheer or almond payasam is a delicious creamy kheer made with blanched almond paste, milk and saffron.
closeup overhead shot of phirni with pistachios and almond slivers garnish on glass bowl on black board
Easy 30 minutes

Phirni Recipe | Firni

Phirni is a classic creamy slow-cooked sweet pudding made with ground rice, sugar, milk, almonds, saffron and cardamom powder. It is a popular North Indian sweet made during festive occasions.
sooji kheer recipe, rava kheer recipe
Moderate 20 minutes

Suji ki Kheer | Rava Payasam

Suji ki Kheer or Rava Payasam is a quick, tasty and easy to prepare pudding made with semolina, milk, nuts and flavored with green cardamom powder.
nolen gurer payesh recipe
Moderate 1 hour

Nolen Gurer Payesh

Nolen gurer payesh is rice kheer or rice pudding made with date palm jaggery. 
sheer khurma garnished with some saffron strands and rose petals in a white bowl
Moderate 30 minutes

Sheer Khurma Recipe

Sheer khurma is a rich creamy pudding made with vermicelli, milk, dates, nuts, dry fruits, sugar and ghee. 'Sheer' means milk and 'khurma' refers to dates in Persian language.
lauki kheer recipe, dudhi kheer recipe
30 minutes

lauki ki kheer

Delicious kheer made with bottle gourd or opo squash.
makhane ki kheer served in a black bowl with a spoon kept on it.
Moderate 35 minutes

Makhane ki Kheer

Makhane ki kheer is a sweet dessert pudding made with Makhana (foxnuts), milk, ghee, sugar and dry fruits. This is an easy and popular sweet that is often made during Hindu fasting days.
oats kheer garnished with chopped almonds in a glass bowl.
Moderate 15 minutes

Oats Kheer | Oats Payasam

Oats kheer is a delicious kheer made with quick cooking oats or rolled oats, milk, ghee and dry fruits. Flavorings in this Oats Payasam include cardamom, saffron and some dry fruits.
top shot of ragi kheer or ragi pudding served in bowls kept on a wooden table with text layovers.
Moderate 20 minutes

Ragi Kheer | Ragi Pudding

Ragi Kheer is a sweet pudding made with ragi flour (finger millet flour), milk, sugar, cardamom powder, nuts and ghee. An easy recipe that comes together in 30 minutes.

Payasam

paal payasam garnished with dried rose petal chiffonade in a brass bowl with text layovers.
Moderate 1 hour

Paal Payasam | Rice Payasam

Paal Payasam is a simple South Indian variant of a slow cooked rice pudding made with only 4 ingredients. This recipe is of a typical Tamil style Rice Payasam that is creamy and delicious.
semiya payasam garnished with cashews and raisins in a brass bowl
Easy 20 minutes

Semiya Payasam Recipe

Semiya payasam is a creamy, sweet vermicelli pudding from the South Indian cuisine. This cardamom scented vermicelli payasam recipe comes together in 20 minutes and can be made by beginners too.
20 minutes

Aval Payasam

Delicious poha kheer or payasam made with flattened rice, ghee and milk.
Moderate 20 minutes

Paruppu Payasam | Moong Dal Payasam

Paruppu Payasam is simply a Moong Dal Payasam. It is a creamy, decadent pudding of yellow moong lentils, jaggery, coconut milk and flavored with cardamom. This South Indian sweet treat is also called Pasi Paruppu Payasam.
chana dal payasam recipe
Moderate 2 hours 35 minutes

Chana Dal Payasam | Kadalai Paruppu Payasam

Chana Dal Payasam also called Kadalai Paruppu Payasam or Kadala Parippu Payasam in South Indian languages is a delicious sweet pudding made with chana dal, coconut milk, dry fruits, jaggery and some flavorings.
semiya payasam garnished with cashews and raisins in a brass bowl
Easy 20 minutes

Semiya Payasam Recipe

Semiya payasam is a creamy, sweet vermicelli pudding from the South Indian cuisine. This cardamom scented vermicelli payasam recipe comes together in 20 minutes and can be made by beginners too.

Halwa Recipes

Halwa is another sweet dish that is often made during Diwali festival or any other Indian festive occasion. Cereals, lentils, nuts, veggies, fruits – all can be used to make halwas. Here, you will find 2 sections – one, fruit and vegetable-based halwas and two, cereal, lentil or nut-based halwas.

Fruit & Veggie Halwa

overhead shot of gajar halwa or carrot halwa filled in a bronze bowl placed on a bronze plate
Moderate 1 hour 10 minutes

Gajar Ka Halwa | Traditional Carrot Halwa Recipe

A Carrot Halwa recipe made in the traditional way and slow-cooked – with just grated carrots, whole milk, ghee, sugar and some nuts. You will love this evergreen and popular Gajar ka Halwa recipe. Make this rich sweet for special occasions or during festivals.
beetroot halwa in a bowl
Moderate 1 hour 15 minutes

Beetroot Halwa

Beetroot Halwa is a tasty Indian sweet made by slow-cooking grated beetroots with milk, sugar, cardamom, dry fruits and nuts.
apple halwa recipe
Moderate 45 minutes

Apple Halwa

Apple halwa recipe made with apples, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla. Apple halwa is a delicious halwa that is easy to make. This apple halwa does not use sooji (rava), milk, khoya or milk powder. Just apples, sugar (optional) and ghee. Flavorings and nuts of your choice can be added to the halwa. 
papaya halwa recipe
Moderate 50 minutes

Papaya Halwa (Papaya Sweet)

Papaya Halwa is a Indian sweet or dessert made with papaya. This Papaya Sweet is prepared by slow-cooking semi-ripe papaya, sugar and almond powder in oil. With hints of lovely cardamom, it makes for tasty dessert to end your meals with.
ash gourd halwa recipe, kashi halwa recipe, white pumpkin halwa recipe
Moderate 40 minutes

Kashi Halwa | Dumroot Halwa | Ash Gourd Halwa

Kashi Halwa also called Dumroot Halwa is a unique, tasty and rich halwa made from ash gourd or white pumpkin, sugar, nuts, ghee, raisins and flavored with saffron.
sweet potato halwa garnished with fried cashews, rose petals and served on a white colored plate.
Moderate 40 minutes

Sweet Potato Halwa (Shakarkandi ka Halwa)

Sweet Potato Halwa also called Shakarkandi ka Halwa in Hindi is a delicious Indian sweet made with boiled and mashed sweet potatoes and scented with cardamom, saffron.
pineapple kesari recipe
Moderate 15 minutes

Pineapple Kesari | Pineapple Halwa | Pineapple Sheera

Pineapple Kesari also known as Pineapple Sheera or Pineapple Halwa is a delicious, melt in the mouth sweet made with rava or suji (semolina or cream of wheat), fresh pineapple, sugar, ghee and nuts.

Cereal, Lentils & Nuts Halwa

badam halwa recipe, badam ka halwa recipe
Moderate 1 hour 5 minutes

Badam Halwa Recipe | Rich South Indian Almond Halwa

Badam ka halwa is a rich, luxuruous and popular South Indian style delicious halwa made with blanched almonds, ghee and sugar. This recipe gives you one of best almond halwa that you can make.
banana halwa
Moderate 20 minutes

Banana Halwa | Banana Sheera

Banana Halwa or Banana Sheera is delish sweet pudding made with semolina or cream of wheat, bananas, sugar, dry fruits and is often made as a prasad for Ganesh Puja, Satyanarayan Puja, Devi Puja or for any auspicious occasion.
rava kesari with milk, kesari recipe with milk, rava milk kesari recipe
30 minutes

Rava Kesari With Milk

This Milk Rava Kesari is an easy to prepare delicious kesari variety made with milk, semolina (rava), sugar and dry fruits.
moong dal halwa recipe
Moderate 7 hours 10 minutes

Moong Dal Halwa

Moong Dal Halwa is an addictive and delicious halwa variant made with mung lentils, milk, sugar and nuts. It is popular in Rajasthan and some North Indian states. This sweet is rich, heavy and usually served during festivities and celebrations.
kesari bath recipe, kesari bhath recipe
Moderate 20 minutes

Kesari Bath Recipe | How To Make Kesari Bath

Kesari Bath is a rich sweet made with rava (cream of wheat), sugar, nuts, saffron, water and ghee. This popular sweet from the Karnataka cuisine is quick and easy to prepare. It has rava (also called sooji or suji in Hindi and semolina or cream of wheat in English) as its main ingredient.
fruit kesari recipe
25 minutes

Fruit Kesari

Fruit kesari is a rich South Indian sweet made with cream of wheat, mixed fruits and dry fruits.
ragi halwa recipe, nachni halwa recipe
Moderate 20 minutes

Ragi Halwa

Ragi halwa is a sweet dessert made from ragi flour, ghee, sugar and milk.
karachi halwa recipe, bombay halwa recipe, corn flour halwa recipe
20 minutes

Karachi Halwa

Karachi halwa is made with basically 4 ingredients – corn flour, ghee, water and sugar. Its soft, melt in the mouth and taste good.
bread halwa recipe
Moderate 30 minutes

Bread Halwa

Bread halwa is a variation of halwa made with bread slices. To make bread ka halwa, bread cubes are first fried or roasted in ghee and later cooked in milk. 
kada prashad served in a blue rimmed bowl with a spoon in it.
30 minutes

Kada Prashad Recipe

Kada prashad is a super delicious halwa that is served in gurudwaras as prasad. 
Moderate 30 minutes

Double Ka Meetha

Double ka meetha recipe. This is an easy and delicious recipe of Hyderabadi style double ka meetha made with sweetened condensed milk.

Barfi Recipes

There are so many varieties of barfi in Indian cuisine. Below listed are some barfi recipes that I have on my blog.

barfi recipe, khoya barfi recipe, mawa burfi recipe
Moderate 20 minutes

Barfi Recipe | Khoya Barfi

This easy, delicious Indian sweet is a quick Barfi Recipe. This Mawa Barfi is made with khoya/mawa (evaporated milk solids), sugar, nuts and some flavorings. It comes together in 20 minutes, right from the preparation to the cooking.
coconut burfi slices on a white platter with a rakhi in the background.
Moderate 1 hour 25 minutes

Coconut Burfi | Nariyal ki Barfi

This Coconut Burfi is a delish, melt in the mouth fudge made with sweetened condensed milk, milk, and desiccated coconut. 
dry fruit barfi recipe
Moderate 25 minutes

Dry Fruit Barfi | Date Rolls | Dry Fruit Halwa

Sweet, chewy, and irresistible, this Dry Fruit Burfi (also referred to as Dry Fruit Halwa or Date Rolls) is a simple, quick and easy sweet you can make during Diwali or any festive season. My simple vegan recipe for Dry Fruit Barfi is made without any added sugar, making it a totally guilt-free treat!
besan barfi recipe, besan burfi recipe
Moderate 30 minutes

Besan ki Barfi

Besan ki barfi is a traditional Indian sweet of a rich and decadent barfi made with gram flour, sugar and ghee. 
carrot barfi recipe, gajar burfi recipe
Moderate 35 minutes

Gajar Ki Barfi | Carrot Burfi

Easy, quick and tasty recipe of carrot burfi made with carrots, milk powder, ghee sugar and cardamom powder.

Homemade Sweet Snacks

Listed below are snacks or savories, which are sweet. These can be prepared in advance or a couple of days before and refrigerated. The fried sweet snacks obviously have a longer shelf life.

puran poli folded and served on a green color plate.
Moderate 2 hours

Puran Poli Recipe

Puran Poli is a sweet flatbread stuffed with a sweet lentil filling made from hulled and spilt bengal gram/chana dal, jaggery and ground spices. This traditional recipe is from the Maharashtrian cuisine.
puran poli recipe
Moderate 1 hour 30 minutes

Bobbatlu Recipe | Obbattu Recipe | Holige Recipe

Bobbatlu also called Holige or Obbattu is a South Indian festive treat of sweetened flat breads. These flat breads are stuffed with cooked and finely ground mixture of chana dal, jaggery, cardamom powder and ground nutmeg. This Bobbatlu Recipe makes for one of the best Bobbatlu made with a sweet chana dal stuffing. 
meethi seviyan garnished with almond slivers and served in a brown rimmed ceramic bowl.
Moderate 25 minutes

Meethi Seviyan | Sweet Vermicelli | Dry Seviyan

Meethi seviyan is a sweet dessert made from whole wheat vermicelli, ghee, milk, sugar and dry fruits.
banana appam recipe, banana paniyaram recipe
Moderate 50 minutes

Sweet Appam | Banana Appam

Sweet appam recipe made with ripe bananas, rice flour and jaggery. Also known as the Banana Appam or Banana Paniyaram these are an easy to make South Indian sweet snack.
unniyappam recipe, unni appam recipe
Moderate 3 hours 50 minutes

Unniyappam Recipe | Unni Appam

Unniyappam are sweet fritters from the Kerala cuisine and are made with rice, banana, a few spices and coconut.
wheat appam recipe, sweet paniyaram recipe with wheat flour, instant wheat paniyaram recipe
35 minutes

Wheat Appam

These are instant appams made with whole wheat flour, jaggery and bananas.
mangalore buns recipe, banana buns recipe
Moderate 4 hours 40 minutes

Mangalore Buns

Mangalore buns are sweet fried puffed bread made with mashed bananas, flour, sugar and spiced with a touch of ground cumin. These sweet banana buns or poori as they are known is a specialty dish from the Mangalore region in Karnataka.

Cakes & Desserts Recipes

During Diwali, many people gift chocolate or chocolate-based sweets, desserts, cakes or pastries to friends or relatives. Thus, I have shared some eggless, chocolate-based desserts and frozen desserts from world cuisine in this section.

closeup shot of a triangular wedge of eggless chocolate cake on a white plate
Easy 45 minutes

Moist Eggless Chocolate Cake Recipe

This easy (one-bowl!) Eggless Chocolate Cake is a simple vegan recipe you're sure to come back to time and again. Unbelievably soft and light, you won't believe that this decadent, chocolatey sponge cake is actually made with healthy whole wheat flour.
overhead shot of black forest cake on a black plate with a slice being removed
Moderate 50 minutes

Eggless Black Forest Cake Recipe (Whole Wheat)

This easy recipe for Eggless Black Forest Cake is not only delicious, it is also made a little healthier by using whole wheat flour. Don’t worry though, this beautiful chocolate layer cake still boasts a fabulous taste and texture that’ll have your guests coming back for more.
biscuit cake
Easy 20 minutes

Biscuit Cake | Chocolate Biscuit Cake (No Bake Recipe)

An easy recipe for no bake biscuit cake is perfect to make as a tasty and indulgent dessert. This chocolate biscuit cake features your favorite biscuits (cookies) soaked in coffee and layered with a homemade chocolate sauce
eggless choco lava cake recipe
Moderate 45 minutes

Lava Cake | Eggless Chocolate Lava Cake

This is a simple and easy recipe of molten lava cake or chocolate lava cake made without eggs. 
close up shot of thick slices of eggless vanilla cake on a square shaped white plate with fork by the side
Easy 50 minutes

Eggless Vanilla Cake Recipe (Soft and Moist)

This easy Eggless Vanilla Cake recipe makes a perfectly moist and flavorful sponge every time. It's delicious to enjoy with a homemade strawberry glaze, or use as a base for cream cakes and gateau.
closeup picture of thick slice of pressure cooker cake on white plate.
Moderate 1 hour

Cooker Cake | Eggless Pressure Cooker Cake

Eggless sponge cake recipe made in cooker with step by step photos. Spongy and a soft, light textured delicious egg free sponge cake recipe made in a pressure cooker.
slices of wheat cake kept neatly in a wooden bowl on a light grayish blue board
Easy 50 minutes

Wheat Cake Recipe

This easy wheat cake recipe is eggless and made with deliciously hearty whole wheat flour. It is simple to make with only a handful of ingredients and is great for enjoying plain or with any sweet spread or frosting.
eggless mawa cake recipe
Moderate 1 hour 5 minutes

Mawa Cake (Eggless Mawa Cake)

This eggless mawa cake is a cardamom-spiced eggless buttery cake with a caramelized milky flavor. Made with mawa or khoya, whole wheat flour and butter.
Easy 1 hour

Pound Cake

This is an easy eggless pound cake made with whole wheat flour, sweetened condensed milk, unsalted butter, milk and sugar. Serve as a sweet snack or dessert.
banana cake
Moderate 40 minutes

Easy Banana Cake Recipe (Eggless, Vegan & Whole Wheat)

Banana Cake is a delicious, one-bowl vegan recipe made from mashed ripe bananas and whole wheat flour. Tasty and healthier than traditional cakes, this quick and easy eggless banana cake recipe is refreshingly light, pillowy soft and incredibly moist.
orange cake slices with the loaf on a white oblong tray on a wooden board
Easy 55 minutes

Orange Cake (Eggless, Vegan & with Whole Wheat flour)

A soft, sweet and light orange cake made with fresh orange juice and whole wheat flour. This eggless orange cake recipe is easy to follow and a bit healthy, suitable for both vegetarians and vegans alike.
top shot of pineapple pastry cake on white plate.
Moderate 1 hour 30 minutes

Eggless Pineapple Cake | Pineapple Pastry Recipe

Pineapple Pastry is a delightful dessert bursting with sweet, tart, and tangy flavors. Fluffy and tender cake is layered with a creamy whipped frosting, and the bright taste of pineapple is in every bite.
three date cake slices on white plate with golden fork by the side.
Moderate 1 hour

Date Cake | Date and Walnut Cake

This Date Cake is a moist, light, soft, delightful cake made with dates, walnuts, coffee, almond milk, sugar and whole wheat flour. A slightly healthier Date and Walnut cake that can be served as dessert or a sweet snack.
chocolate zucchini bread partly sliced with one slice kept on top of the loaf on a white rectangular tray on a white marble background
Easy 1 hour

Chocolate Zucchini Bread (Eggless, Vegan, Whole Wheat)

A Chocolate Zucchini Bread that is moist, soft with a tender crumb and made with whole wheat flour. This is an easy eggless & vegan zucchini bread made with your regular pantry staple ingredients.
eggless chocolate chip cookies stacked and kept randomly on a white plate
Easy 35 minutes

Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

Buttery, crisp and crunchy Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookies made from whole wheat flour.
healthy chocolate chip muffins arranged neatly on a round plate placed on a bamboo board
Easy 30 minutes

Eggless Chocolate Chip Muffins Recipe

This eggless chocolate chip muffins recipe is easy to prepare, and perfect for a sweet treat or weekend breakfast. Made with whole wheat flour, these healthy chocolate chip muffins are made in just one bowl and are ready in 30 minutes or less.
eggless brownie recipe, eggless chocolate brownie recipe
Moderate 40 minutes

Eggless Brownies Recipe | Chocolate Brownie

An easy Eggless Brownies Recipe made with cocoa powder, whole wheat flour (or add atta that is used for making roti or chapati), sugar, baking powder and oil. So, the recipe is also a bit healthier and is vegan too.
eggless cheesecake recipe
Moderate 1 hour

Creamy Cheesecake Recipe | New York Cheesecake Recipe

Creamy, tasty and soft New York Style Cheesecake. This Cheesecake recipe is made without eggs and is a baked cheesecake. I also share a recipe of homemade chocolate sauce that complements the slightly tangy taste of the cheesecake very well.
panna cotta recipe
Moderate 15 minutes

Panna Cotta Recipe | How to make Panna Cotta

Panna Cotta is an Italian dessert made with milk and cream. This easy and delicious panna cotta recipe is made without gelatin and thus a vegetarian version of panna cotta. To set the dessert agar agar is used instead of gelatin.
Chocolate fudge squares stacked on top of each other placed on a white plate on a wooden tray.
Easy 15 minutes

Chocolate Fudge Recipe (3 Ingredients)

This chocolate fudge is a quick, no-bake recipe made with just 3 ingredients – chocolate, sweetened condensed milk and butter.
top shot of chocolate chip ice cream served in glass bowls with text layovers
Easy 10 minutes

Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

This easy Chocolate Chip Ice Cream is smooth, rich and creamy, and also does not require an ice cream maker.
chocolate pudding recipe
Easy 15 minutes

Chocolate Pudding

A homemade Chocolate pudding that is deliciously quick to make with only 4 ingredients. This easy eggless chocolate pudding comes together in 15 minutes and with a few hours to set it.
sliced kulfi with a spoon on a white plate
Moderate 35 minutes

Kulfi Recipe (Kulfi Ice Cream)

Denser and creamier than ice cream, Kulfi is a traditional Indian sweet that comes in myriad exotic flavors. This simple kulfi recipe is made with khoya, and only takes a few minutes to put together.
closeup shot of ice cream scoops in a glass bowl topped with grated chocolate.
Easy 15 minutes

Ice Cream Recipe – No Churn, No Ice Cream Maker

This homemade ice cream recipe is an easy and quick version of delicious ice cream made with only 3 ingredients. No cook, no churn and no ice cream maker required. This ice cream recipe yields a creamy, smooth and soft homemade ice cream without any ice crystals. 
chocolate ice cream in glass bowl
Easy 10 minutes

Chocolate Ice Cream Recipe

This is an easy and simple recipe for a creamy, smooth homemade Chocolate Ice Cream that is made with cocoa powder, milk, brown sugar, sweetened condensed milk and whipping cream . The recipe also does not need any ice cream maker.
fruit custard and garnished with pomegranate arils in a black and white bowl
Easy 30 minutes

Fruit Custard

Fresh fruit and a creamy vanilla custard sauce combine forces in this simple Fruit Custard recipe. Fruit custard is a popular Indian dessert.
top shot of trifle with top cream layer garnished with wheel like design with pomegranate seeds.
Easy 30 minutes

Trifle Recipe | Trifle Pudding | Fruit Trifle

This easy and delicious homemade trifle recipe made with sponge cake, mixed fruits, custard and whipped cream is the perfect dessert to brighten up your dinner table.
instant pot rice pudding
Easy 30 minutes

Instant Pot Rice Pudding Recipe

Creamy, cozy, and super comforting, this recipe for old-fashioned Rice Pudding is made in a jiffy using the Instant Pot. With fewer than 10 ingredients and just 5 minutes of prep time, you can have this deliciously rich and naturally gluten-free dessert.
eggless tiramisu recipe
Moderate 45 minutes

Tiramisu Recipe (Without Eggs)

My simple recipe for tiramisu is made without eggs or alcohol, making it a dessert that the whole family can enjoy. Creamy vanilla flavored mascarpone is layered with espresso-syrup soaked sponge cake for a delightfully energizing sweet that is simply perfect.

This collection of Diwali Sweets Recipes from the archives was first published in October 2013. It has been updated and republished on November 2023.

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Meet Dassana

Welcome to Dassana's Veg Recipes. I share vegetarian recipes from India & around the World. Having been cooking for decades and with a professional background in cooking & baking, I help you to make your cooking journey easier with my tried and tested recipes showcased with step by step photos & plenty of tips & suggestions.

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60 Comments

  1. The Recipes given by you are very accurate. I have tried most of them. You are really to the core. Thanks for sending the recipes of all the states. Very good venture and I appreciate you for all the pains taken.

  2. Thank you Dassana for your bounty of Diwali Sweet Recipes. Here’s wishing you a joyous and prosperous Diwali.
    Daulat Illavia.

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