Make Your Diwali Special With Enticing Homemade Sweets

Deepavali celebration is incomplete without traditional namkeen and mithai. India is famous for its authentic and traditional Diwali mithai. Whether you like it super sweet or a hint of sugar, there is something for everyone. Chirote, Rava Maida Shankarpali and Besan Ladoo are classic recipes. And Chhanar Payesh, Rasgulla, Karanji, Adhirasam Seimurai are all-time favourites. This festive season, satisfy your sweet tooth cravings with these yummy Diwali treats.

Enjoy The Festive Season With 10 Authentic Diwali Sweets

1. Goan Nevri

While layered karanji recipe could be the trend but why not add some sweetness to your festive fervour with Goan karanji. This traditional Konkani recipe of karanji is made up of coconut and almonds stuffing. 

Preparation Time: 5-7 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients: 

For the dough:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour (maida)
• 1 cup butter 
• water to mix

For the filling:

• 1 cup grated coconut
• 1 cup of sugar
• 1 Tablespoon poppy seeds (khus khus)
• 1 teaspoon cardamom powder (elaichi)
• 1 tablespoon chopped almonds
• Oil (for deep-frying)

Method:

1. Mix ¼ cup of ghee in maida and knead it into stiff dough. Let it rest for about ½ an hour. 
2. Prepare the filling by mixing the coconut, sugar, khus khus, elaichi, and almonds. Roll out the balls out of the dough and roll it into approximately 1 cm in thick rounds.
3. Now take the 1 cm rolled disc, wet the edges with water, and place some filling over one portion of the disc. Fold the half over and press the edges to seal then cut off the edge with a fancy cutter.
4. Heat oil in a kadhai and add the nevris to the hot oil. 
5. Turn them over and fry till golden brown. Lift it out and leave it to drain.
6. Enjoy this Goan style recipe of karanji. 
7. You may store the nevris in an air-tight container. 

2. Badam & Akrod Halwa

Enjoy some homemade Diwali sweets. Here’s a crunchy and nutty flavoured halwa which is a must-try recipe this Diwali. 

Preparation Time: 5-7 minutes

Cooking Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients: 

• 2 cups of walnuts (akroad)
• 6 tablespoons ghee
• ½ cup of milk
• ½ cup sliced almonds
• 2 tablespoons semolina (rava)
• 1 cup of sugar
• 1 teaspoon cardamom powder (elaichi)
• Water

Method: 

1. Firstly, make sugar syrup by adding 1 cup of water and sugar in a pan. Cook until the syrup is of one string consistency. 
2. Now, place another deep bottomed pan on low-medium flame and add ghee to it. 
3. Add rava and sauté until light brown. Add some crushed akroad, almonds, and keep stirring the mixture.
4. Once the mixture starts drying out, add milk to the mixture, and cook for about 15 minutes. Once the mixture is cooked add elaichi powder and mix it well. 
5. Transfer the halwa to the serving bowl.
6. Garnish the halwa with some walnuts and almonds on top.
7. Savour this homemade Diwali sweets with your loved ones.

3. Shahi Tukda

This Diwali sweets recipe is loaded with the richness of flavours so don’t just eat, but relish the royalty of Shahi Tukda. 

Preparation Time: 10-12 minutes

Cooking Time: 1 hour

Ingredients: 

• 6 slices of white bread
• Ghee for frying
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• 2-3 crushed cardamoms (elaichi)
• 1-liter full cream milk
• 15-20 saffron strands
• ½ teaspoon rosewater
• Chopped almonds and pistachios (for garnishing)

Method:

1. Cut off the corners of bread slices then cut the slices diagonally.
2. Heat the ghee and deep-fry the bread slices until it turns golden brown.
3. Now, to make a sugar syrup, heat water in a pan and add ½ cup of sugar to it. Then, add elaichi to the sugar syrup.
4.  Take a pan and add water, bring it to boil then heat water in a pan and add crushed elaichi to the water.
5. Once it is boiled for about 7-8 minutes keep it aside and let it cool.
6. Heat milk in a kadhai and bring it to boil. Add saffron and rosewater.
7. Let this milk simmer until it reduces to half like a rabri. Keep stirring.
8. Now, add sugar and thicken it a little more.
9. Meanwhile, dip bread slices in sugar syrup for 5-10 seconds.
10. Plate the bread slices and top it with the rabri and garnish this Diwali sweet recipes with almonds and pistachios.

4. Mohanthal

Diwali sweet recipes could never be complete without Mohanthal. A traditional Gujarati sweet dish made up of besan, ghee, and nuts is a delicious savoury one must try.

Preparation Time: 7-10 minutes

Cooking Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup gram flour (besan)
• ½ cup ghee
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon cardamom powder (elaichi)
• 7-8 soaked saffron strands
• 4 tablespoons chopped almonds and pistachios

Method:

1. Heat a deep pan and add 1 cup sugar and 3/4 cup water and keep stirring. Cook it on high flame for about 3 minutes then turn heat to low flame and cook it for another 5 minutes.
2. Add soaked saffron soaked and elaichi powder. Boil for a minute.
3. Let the sugar syrup boil till it forms 2 string consistency. Keep stirring the syrup occasionally.
4. Now, mix besan, 1 tablespoon of ghee, and 3 tablespoons of milk in a bowl.
5. Mix well and gently press the mixture and mix it with your fingertips. Cover it with a lid and set it aside for about 30 minutes.
6. Now, break the lumps with your fingertips and sieve it then set it aside.
7. Take a pan and heat 1/2 cup of ghee on medium heat and add the besan mixture and stir well.
8. Cook this mixture on low-medium heat till the mixture turns golden brown. Keep stirring the mix continuously.
9. Remove from the heat and set it aside to cool down for about 15-20 minutes and add the sugar syrup to the cooled mixture.
10. Stir the mix continuously for about 2-3 minutes till the mixture thickens up.
11. Now, grease a thali with ghee and pour and spread the mixture evenly with a flat spatula.
12. Sprinkle it with chopped pistachios and almonds. Let it cool for about 2 hours and cut it into equal squares.
13. Relish this wonderful and traditional Gujarati Diwali sweets dessert.

5. Kaju Katli

This Diwali, try Kaju katli at home and indulge in this all-time favourite dessert with your loved ones.

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 10-12 minutes

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup powdered cashews
• ½ cup of sugar
• ¼ cup of water
• 2 teaspoons cardamom powder (elaichi)
• Saffron (kesar)
• 1 teaspoon ghee
• Silver vark (optional)

Method: 

1. Grind cashews into a smooth powder.
2. Now, heat a non-stick pan and make sugar syrup by adding ½ cup of sugar with ¼ cup of water. Stir the sugar syrup until it forms 1 string consistency.
3. Meanwhile, sieve the ground cashew powder and add it to the sugar syrup.
4. Then add elaichi and saffron to the sugar syrup and continue to mix till it starts releasing from the pan.
5. Once the cashew paste turns to the dough and starts leaving the pan add a teaspoon of ghee to the kaju katli mix.
6. Keep the mixture stirring until the ghee melts completely.
7. Take the pan off the heat and grease the butter paper with ghee.
8. Now, transfer the kaju katli dough onto the butter paper and knead it for about 30 seconds into smooth dough.
9. Press the dough to form it in a uniform layer then roll the dough with a rolling pin.
10. Cut the edges into perfect diamond shapes.
11. Decorate it with a layer of silver vark.
12. Enjoy your all-time favourite Diwali sweets recipe at home.

6. Chocolate Gujiya

Give the usual recipe of karanji a twist of flavours with chocolate stuffing and dripping all over the Gujiyas. This could turn out to be your little one’s favourite dish to relish.

Preparation Time: 10-12 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients: 

For the dough:

• 1 cup flour
• 3 tablespoons ghee
• Salt
• 1 cup water

For the filling:

• 2 cups mava
• 2 cups of sugar
• A pinch of cardamom powder (elaichi)
• ½ cup Chocolate chips
• Oil
• Sugar syrup

For garnish:

• 250 grams cream
• 250 grams chocolate
• 50 grams cardamoms (elaichi)

 Method: 

1. Knead the dough by adding flour, ghee, and salt and add water slowly to knead it into hard dough and leave it for about half an hour.
2. Now, take a pan and cook mava until its brown then add sugar and continue to cook. Later, add elaichi powder to it.
3. Let the mixture cool and then add some chocolate chips to it and mix well.
4. Take a small piece of dough and roll it well into a round shape.
5. Wet the edges with water, and place some filling over one portion of the disc. Fold the half over and press the edges to seal then cut off the edge with a fancy cutter.
6. Fry the chocolate gujiyas till its golden brown
7. Meanwhile, take a bowl of fine chocolate, add some fresh cream, and microwave it for 2 minutes and keep stirring after every 30 seconds.
8. Once all the gujiyas are cooked, dip it in the sugar syrup and pour the chocolate syrup on it.
9. Garnish it with elaichi and serve these mouth-watering Diwali sweets.

7. Mysore Pak

Just like Adhirasam Seimurai, Mysore Pak is also one of the yummy and truly traditional Diwali sweets of India. It is a well-known and treasured recipe of Karnataka. This Diwali, try this delicious and authentic preparation. 

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of sugar
• ½ cup of water
• 1 cup gram flour (besan)
• 1 ­cup ghee
• 1 cup oil

Method: 

1. Heat a kadhai and add ghee and oil to it. Bring it to a boil.
2. Meanwhile, take a non-stick kadhai and add sugar and water to it 
3. Keep stirring the sugar syrup till it attains one string consistency.
4. Now, add sieved besan little by little in 3-4 batches and keep stirring the mixture. Make sure no lumps are formed.
5. Then, add hot ghee and oil. Keep stirring the Mysore Pak mixture till the oil is absorbed completely.
6. Add another spoonful of hot oil and ghee till it starts to froth at the top.
7. Keep repeating the procedure 4-5 times till the mixture starts to separate from the kadhai.
8. Now, quickly transfer the mixture to a greased tin with enough depth. 
9. Approximately, 5-10 minutes later cut the Mysore Pak into pieces and let it cool for about 35 minutes.
10. Indulge in this yummylicious Diwali sweet delicacy. 

8. Raghavdas Ladoo

This preparation is all but coconut and rava concoction. This recipe is made up of the usual kitchen ingredients but as you savor these laddoos the flavours will explode in your mouth.

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients: 

• ½  cup fresh grated coconut  
• 1 ½ cups fine semolina (fine rava) 
• 1/3 cup of ghee 
• 1 ½ cups of sugar 
• 1 tablespoon milk 
• ½  teaspoon cardamom powder (elaichi)
• 2-3 tablespoons raisins 

Method: 

1. Take a non-stick kadhai and roast coconut till it turns golden brown then transfer it to a bowl.
2. In the kadhai, sauté rava in ghee by stirring it continuously until it turns light brown.
3. Now, take the kadhai off the heat, add coconut, elaichi powder, and raisins and stir well. Reserve a few raisins for decoration.
4. In another pan, prepare sugar syrup by adding sugar and 3/4 cup of water. Keep it stirring until it forms one-string consistency.
5. Then, add the rava-coconut mixture and mix it well. Set it aside for 15 minutes.
6. Shape the mixture into ladoos by decorating it with a raisin.
7. Enjoy this sweet pleasure with your loved ones.

9. Gulab Rabri

Get an all new experience of rich gulab flavours with this rabri recipe. Make your Diwali extra special with this enticing sweet dish.

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients: 

• ¾  litre milk
• 1/3 cup of sugar
• 8 to 10 strands of saffron
• ½  teaspoon raw beetroot juice
• ¼  teaspoon rose essence
• 1 tablespoon chopped almonds and pistachios 

Method: 

1. Heat a heavy-bottomed pan and add milk to it. Bring the milk to a boil until it’s reduced to half of the original quantity. 
2. Scrape the sides of the pan to get the malai out of the edges and add it to the boiling mil and let the milk thicken. 
3. Now, add saffron and sugar to the milk. 
4. Let it simmer for about 5-7 minutes.
5. Then, add the raw beetroot juice to the milk
6. Keep stirring the milk and let it simmer for another 5 minutes.
7. Add the chopped nuts and rose essence to the rabri and take it off the heat.
8. You may savour this wonderful gulab rabri either warm or chilled.

10. Saffron Pistachio Seviyan

Seviyan recipe is cooked in amazingly different ways but this is an absolutely divine dessert recipe to relish.

Preparation Time: 5-7 minutes

Cooking Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup seviyan
• 2 ½  cups milk
• 1 ½  tablespoon ghee
• ¼ cup of sugar
• 4-5 strands of saffron (soaked in 2 tablespoons of warm milk)
• ¼ cup chopped pistachio 
• ¼ teaspoon cardamom powder (elaichi)
• 1 ½ tablespoons milk powder

Method: 

1. Take a deep pan and add ghee and seviyan to it. 
2. Roast it for about 3-4 minutes then add elaichi powder and 2 tablespoons of pistachios.
3. Now, add milk and saffron to the seviyan mixture and keep the mixture stirring continuously till milk comes to a boil.
4. Let the seviyan simmer in milk for about 4-5 minutes then add sugar to it.
5. Boil the milk till it becomes slightly thicker.
6. Meanwhile, mix 2 tablespoons of water in dry milk powder and mix it into a paste.
7. Add the milk powder paste to the seviyan mixture and bring it to a boil. 
8. Take it off the heat and let it rest for about 5 minutes (this will make the seviyan thick and extra creamy).
9. Now, transfer the relishing seviyan to a serving bowl and top it up with chopped pistachios and saffron.
10. An irresistible pick from the list of Diwali sweet recipes, your yummy seviyan dish  is ready to relish.

Here is a variety of mithais and desi desserts you can make at home. Some are classic Diwali sweets, some are unique but all of them are delicacies. Add some sweetness to your Diwali with these utterly delicious treats and share it with your loved ones.