20 Indian Dessert Recipes You've Never Made Before (2024)

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20 Indian Dessert Recipes You've Never Made Before (1)Christina HerbstUpdated: Mar. 15, 2024

    Full of aromatic spices, topped with pistachios or soaked in rose syrup, these traditional Indian dessert recipes will light up your tastebuds with the wonderful flavors of India.

    20 Indian Dessert Recipes You've Never Made Before (2)VEENA NAIR/GETTY IMAGES

    Indian desserts have a different flavor profile than most Western desserts. Sweets range from spongy milk-based treats to ice cream drinks. The captivating flavors are enjoyed year round, but especially during Diwali. The “Festival of Lights,” which falls on November 12 this year, boasts a feast of Diwali food, snacks and Indian desserts. Get a taste with the treats listed below.

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    Sandesh

    Probably one of the simplest Indian desserts, or mishti, out there, sandesh is made of only three ingredients! All you need is milk, lemon juice and sugar to make these Bengali sweets. Pistachios are optional (but definitely recommended) for a pretty presentation and a little bite. Sandesh are the perfect addition to any holiday (especially on a Diwali sweets platter!) or celebratory food platter.

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    20 Indian Dessert Recipes You've Never Made Before (4)

    Srividhya Gopalakrishnan For Taste of Home

    Gulab Jamun

    Gulab Jamun is high on the list of the most popular Indian desserts! I mean, who doesn’t love donuts dunked in rose sugar coating? That sounds right up my alley. You can find gulab jamun at festivals and celebrations—it’s a common food to serve during Diwali.

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    3/20

    Rasmalai

    Spice Craving’s modified rasmalai recipe makes it easier for you to make this popular dessert—her recipe shaves off about half the time it would take you to make the traditional dish. But no worries, her take is just as delicious with all the traditional rasmalai ingredients like rasgulla (chenna or paneer soaked in sugar), milk and spices like saffron and cardamom.

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    4/20

    Jalebi

    Think of Jalebi as the equivalent to American funnel cakes: fried, crispy and sugar-coated. They’re a common street food in India, typically sold in the Northern and Western regions. To much surprise, it’s also a popular breakfast food served with a glass of warm milk on the side.

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    5/20

    20 Indian Dessert Recipes You've Never Made Before (7)

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    Falooda

    Falooda is a popular ice cream dessert made with vermicelli, jelly, rose syrup, sabja seeds, milk and ice cream. There are many variations to this dish. Blogger Swasthi’s Recipes’ version is like an ice cream float.

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    20 Indian Dessert Recipes You've Never Made Before (8)

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    Kalakand

    Kalakand is an Indian sweet cheese fudge. The texture is similar to an Italian cheesecake. It’s often flavored with cardamom, but there are mango and even rose variants of the treat. Swasthi’s Recipes’ quick version can be made in just 10 minutes!

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    20 Indian Dessert Recipes You've Never Made Before (9)

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    Nankhatai

    Nankhatai are shortbread biscuits that are popular in Northern India. They are eggless cookies that are crisp and light. While traditionally made with all-purpose flour, semolina, sugar and ghee, there are many variants of the snack that play around with flour and spice. Check out Swasthi’s Recipes version.

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    8/20

    20 Indian Dessert Recipes You've Never Made Before (10)

    Anvita Bhatnagar Mistry for Taste of Home

    Kheer

    Grab your spoons for this Indian pudding. Served warm or cold, creamy rice kheer is a staple in many Indian homes. It’s easy to make, too—you can cook it in an Instant Pot!

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    9/20

    20 Indian Dessert Recipes You've Never Made Before (11)

    Taste of Home

    Kulfi

    This spiced, nutty custard is melt-in-your-mouth delicious. Kulfi is very similar to ice cream, but just a tad thicker and creamier. You can even find other versions of kulfi on the market like mango and strawberry.

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    10/20

    20 Indian Dessert Recipes You've Never Made Before (12)

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    Chomchom

    Chomchom, also known as chum chum or cham cham, is made by curdling milk, shaping them, and then coating them in sugar syrup. Popular garnishes include coconut and pistachios. Swasthi’s Recipes’ tops hers with chopped pistachios.

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    11/20

    Rasgulla

    Rasgulla, a common East Indian delicacy, are bite-sized cheese balls soaked in floral sugar syrup. The secret to perfecting rasgulla is ice! Throwing a handful of ice cubes into your saucepan before straining will help get the perfect rasgulla texture. If you have extra rasgulla on hand, use them to make rasmalai.

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    12/20

    Peda

    A popular Indian sweet for Hindu festivals like Diwali, Holi and Rakshabandhan, peda are made of milk solids and fragrant, aromatic seasonings like saffron and cardamom. It’s another fairly easy Indian dessert you can whip together in under an hour. Neha Mathur from Whisk Affair claims she hasn’t bought peda from the store ever since she first tried this recipe.

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    20 Indian Dessert Recipes You've Never Made Before (15)

    Courtesy Eat More Art By Sonal

    Laddoo

    Ladoo, also known as laddu, are soft dessert balls commonly served for Diwali. This besan ladoo recipe gets its golden color from roasting ghee (clarified butter) and besan (chickpea flour) over heat.

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    14/20

    Soan Papdi

    Flaky, light soan papdi first originated from the Northern region of India. Nowadays, it can be found in Indian sweet shops across the country. Traditionally, it was sold loose in paper cones, but you’ll find it more commonly cut into squares like in this soan papdi recipe.

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    15/20

    Gajar Ka Halwa

    If you’re gluten-free or paleo, you’ll have to give this gajar ka halwa recipe a try. This decadent Indian carrot pudding is super flavorful. In India, you’ll often see gajar ka halwa served in the North regions during the winter and Diwali seasons.

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    20 Indian Dessert Recipes You've Never Made Before (18)

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    Barfi

    Barfi is a word used for several variations of similar sweets. It is often used for flatter, milk-based sweets and are usually cut into squares, diamonds or circles. You’ll often find nuts—like cashews, pistachios and peanuts—spices like cardamom, rosewater and sometimes fruit.

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    Mysore Pak

    Melt-in-your-mouth Mysore pak is often made one of two ways. The first (and most popular) version is crumbly with a stiffer texture; the other being a bit softer and creamier. This Mysore pak recipe marries the best of both: it’s buttery smooth while still keeping its shape.

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    20 Indian Dessert Recipes You've Never Made Before (20)

    Taste of Home

    Mango Lassi

    Mango lassi is the perfect summer drink that mango lovers everywhere will love. It’s sweet and refreshing. This recipe only has six ingredients.

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    19/20

    Modak

    Filled with jaggery, cardamom and poppy seeds, modak is a small, sweet dumpling typically served at Ganesh Chaturthi. They’re typically shaped using a special modak mold, but if you don’t have a mold on hand, Piping Pot Curry has the best method on how to create that classic modak shape by using your hands and a toothpick.

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    20/20

    Malpua

    The best way to describe malpua? Fried pancakes dunked in sugary, sweet syrup. And just like American pancakes, malpua tastes its best hot off the stove.

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    Next: check out this popular Indian street food,chaat.

    Originally Published: January 25, 2021

    20 Indian Dessert Recipes You've Never Made Before (23)

    Christina Herbst

    Christina is a Social Media Editor for Taste of Home. She enjoys trying out local restaurants and coffeehouses and adding copious amounts of garlic and cheese to any recipe she can get her hands on. In her free time, you can find her hunting down one-of-a-kind furniture pieces at thrift and vintage stores and DIYing trendy home decor crafts.

    20 Indian Dessert Recipes You've Never Made Before (2024)

    FAQs

    What is India's No 1 sweet? ›

    Officially the most loved dessert in India, Gulab Jamun has a fan base of its own. The funny thing is, the base of Gulab Jamun is actually not Indian! It is said that Gulab Jamun actually originated in Persia, and Indian chefs used “khoya” instead of the original ingredients to make it their own.

    What is the national dessert of India? ›

    Do you know that Jalebi is the national sweet of India and you will find this sweet in every corner of India and the taste of the Jalebis of this shop is wonderful and you will like to visit it for other reasons like the liveliness of the place and the activities taking place nearby it.

    What is the ancient Indian dessert? ›

    One of the earliest Indian desserts, believed to date back two thousand years, is kheer or payasam or payesh—all meaning “milk” in different regions and languages. Considered an auspicious sweet, kheer is a simple preparation of milk, rice or seviyan (vermicelli), sugar and cardamom.

    What is the traditional sweet of India? ›

    North
    NameMain ingredients
    Gulab jamunFried milk balls soaked in sweet syrup, such as rose syrup or honey.
    ImartiSugar syrup, lentil flour.
    JalebiDough fried in a coil shape dipped in sugar syrup, often taken with milk, tea, yogurt, or lassi.
    Kaju katliCashews, ghee with cardamom and sugar.
    23 more rows

    What are the three famous sweets of India? ›

    Indian desserts have a variety of classics to offer. From gulab jamun, rasgulla to ghevar, kaju katli, and more, these delectable treats always make our mouth water just by their sight.

    What is the king of dessert in India? ›

    "Laddu" is often referred to as the "King of Sweets" in India, and it is a very popular sweet dish that is made from flour, sugar, and ghee. It is a spherical-shaped sweet that is often offered as a prasad (offering) to deities and is also served during festivals, weddings, and other special occasions.

    What do Hindus eat for dessert? ›

    Indian sweets are diverse and range from simple to complex recipes. They are made from a variety of ingredients, such as milk, sugar, ghee, flour, and nuts. Some of the popular Indian sweets include rasgulla, gulab jamun, laddoo, barfi, jalebi, peda, and halwa.

    What is the most popular Indian dessert? ›

    Gulab jamun is one of the most popular Indian sweets appearing at festivals, birthdays and weddings. While soft little dumplings soaked in syrup exist around the world, what sets gulab jamun apart is that the dumplings are made from milk.

    What are the forgotten desserts of India? ›

    Malpua, Elaneer Payasam, Sarbhaja, Thaen Mittai, and Kharwas are some of the oldest sweets that have gained a legendary reputation worldwide. Although they have been quite popular in the past, they seem to be increasingly replaced by other, more popular varieties.

    What is the oldest sweet in India? ›

    Malpua, a sweet deep-fried pancake dipped in sugar syrup, is one of India's most popular and oldest desserts, having been around for hudreds of years. Malpuas are essentially consumed on special occasions such as Holi, Janmasthami, or any rituals that include fasting.

    What is the flaky dessert from India? ›

    Soan papdi (also known as san papri, shompapri, sohan papdi, shonpapdi or patisa) is a popular dessert in the Indian subcontinent. It is made of gram flour (besan), all-purpose flour, ghee, sugar and milk. It is usually cube-shaped or served as flakes, and has a crisp and flaky texture.

    Which Indian sweet last long? ›

    Milk-based sweets: Sweets like Rasgulla and Sandesh typically last 2-3 days when stored in the refrigerator. Dry sweets: Dry sweets like Barfi and Chikki can last up to 2 weeks when stored in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.

    What is the white sweet from India? ›

    White Peda is an easy Indian sweet recipe made with condensed milk and milk powder and flavored with cardamom and pistachios.

    What is the yellow Mithai called? ›

    The yellow coloured sweet dish that is traditionally eaten on Basant Panchami is called kesar kulfi. It is a frozen dessert made with condensed milk, cream, sugar, and saffron.

    Who is the king of sweets in India? ›

    "Laddu" is often referred to as the "King of Sweets" in India, and it is a very popular sweet dish that is made from flour, sugar, and ghee. It is a spherical-shaped sweet that is often offered as a prasad (offering) to deities and is also served during festivals, weddings, and other special occasions.

    What is India's favorite candy? ›

    What is the most popular candy in India? As per our study, Swad Digestive Drops and Parle Melody Chocolaty Toffee are two of the most popular candies in India.

    Which is the most expensive sweet of India? ›

    Exotica, a mithai of unparalleled opulence, has been delighting the elite and sweet enthusiasts since 2009. Crafted with the utmost precision and extravagance, it boasts the finest selection of nuts and dried fruits sourced from various corners of the globe, adorned with the ultimate embellishment: 24-carat gold.

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