With playful textures, bright hues, and whimsical flavors like rose, saffron and cardamom, these Indian desserts are sure to bring a touch of magic to your table.
22 Delightful Indian Desserts to Try at Home
Updated on Jan. 27, 2025
1/22
Mango Lassi
Skill Level
Beginner
Total Time
10 min
Servings
2 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
Learn how to make a mango lassi, the perfect summer drink. Mango lassi is a sweet and refreshing treat that needs only six ingredients. —Namrata Telugu, Terre Haute, Indiana
Mango lovers, this recipe is for you! With only six ingredients, a mango lassi is simple and wonderfully refreshing on a hot summer day.
2/22
Gulab Jamun
Skill Level
Intermediate
Total Time
35 min
Servings
about 1-1/2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
If there is one dessert that you can find at all Indian weddings, parties and festivals, it’s gulab jamun. Patience is key when making these deep-fried dough balls, but they're worth it. —Srividhya Gopalakrishnan, Hayward, California
Gulab jamun is high on the list of the most popular Indian desserts! I mean, who can resist bite-sized doughnuts dunked in a rose and cardamom-infused sugar syrup? Serve gulab jamun for weddings, festivals or celebrations like Diwali.
3/22
Kulfi
Skill Level
Intermediate
Total Time
30 min
Servings
6 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
I grew up near Little India in California, and I loved the desserts from Indian sweets shops. One of the shops sold kulfi, a spiced and nutty frozen custard in cone molds. Here I use a shortcut method to make kulfi quickly and without any special equipment. If you'd like, you can replace the whole milk with mango pulp for mango kulfi. —Justine Kmiecik, Crestview, Florida
This refreshing cold treat is melt-in-your-mouth delicious. Kulfi is similar to ice cream but thicker, creamier and denser, thanks to its traditional preparation of slow-cooked milk. Also much like ice cream, the flavor options for kulfi are endless, but the most popular flavors are pistachio, mango and saffron.
4/22
Air-Fried Pumpkin Shakarpara
Skill Level
Intermediate
Total Time
35 min
Servings
7-1/2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
We love shakarparas, which are crispy fried Indian snack cookies. My family makes these traditional treats every year for the holidays. I wanted to put my own twist on them, so I added pumpkin and fall spices. —Jessica Burke, Chandler, Arizona
If you grew up in an Indian American household like me, you’re probably familiar with the art of blending traditional and American flavors. This shakarpara recipe is a perfect example. It combines the crunchy, lightly sweet bite of shakarpara (aka diamond cuts or sweet tukdi) with a seasonal nod to fall. The easy-to-make version also uses an air fryer, reducing the oil needed to create these tasty bites.
5/22
Indian Rice and Carrot Pudding
Skill Level
Beginner
Total Time
3 hours
Servings
9 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
This Indian carrot pudding recipe is rich in flavor and very easy to prepare. —Daljeet Singh, Coral Springs, Florida
If carrot halwa and rice kheer had a dessert baby, it would be this pudding. Also known as gajar ki kheer, this iconic Indian and Pakistani dessert is a true delight. Warm notes of cinnamon and ginger are accented by bright touches of green cardamom and rose water. I enjoy it warm, which pronounces the spices more boldly, but you can also eat it chilled for an equally flavorful experience.
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!
6/22
Sandesh
Mishti is a broad category of desserts traditionally eaten as part of special occasions, religious holidays or weddings. Here we make one of the simplest mishti: sandesh. And we need only three ingredients for this recipe, so it’s easy enough to make as an everyday treat! 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 tray (especially a Diwali sweets platter!) or celebratory food platter.
7/22
Besan Ladoo
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.
8/22
Burfi
Burfi (aka barfi) is a word used for several variations of similar sweets. It is often used for flatter, milk-based sweets that are usually cut into squares, diamonds or circles. You’ll often find burfi made with nuts like cashews and pistachios, spices like cardamom and rosewater, or sometimes fruit.
9/22
Rasmalai
Spice Cravings’ modified rasmalai recipe makes it easier for you to make this popular dessert—the recipe shaves off about half the time it would take you to make the traditional dish. This version 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.
10/22
Rasgulla
This East Indian delicacy features bite-sized balls of cheese soaked in floral sugar syrup. The secret to perfecting rasgulla is ice—adding a handful of ice cubes to the saucepan before straining helps create the perfect rasgulla texture. And if you have extra rasgulla on hand, you can use them to make rasmalai.
11/22
Jalebi
Think of jalebi as the equivalent of American funnel cake: fried, crispy and sugar-coated. They’re a common street food in India, typically sold in the northern and western regions.
12/22
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. The version from Swasthi’s Recipes is like an ice cream float.
13/22
Kalakand
Kalakand is an Indian sweet cheese fudge with a texture similar to an Italian cheesecake. You can flavor it with cardamom, as is often done, or make mango and even rose variants of the treat, which are delicious as well. Swasthi’s Recipes’ quick version can be made in just 10 minutes!
14/22
Nankhatai
Nankhatai are shortbread biscuits 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 this version from Swasthi’s Recipes.
15/22
Cham Cham
Make cham cham, also known as chum chum or chom chom, by curdling milk, shaping the results and then coating the treats in a sugar syrup. Popular garnishes include coconut and chopped pistachios.
16/22
Peda
A popular Indian sweet for Hindu festivals like Diwali, Holi and Raksha Bandhan, 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. In fact, Neha Mathur from Whisk Affair claims she hasn’t bought peda from the store since first trying this recipe.
17/22
Soan Papdi
Flaky, light soan papdi first originated in the northern region of India and was traditionally sold loose in paper cones. Nowadays, you can find it in Indian sweet shops across the country. And as in this soan papdi recipe, cutting it into squares is more common.
18/22
Gajar Ka Halwa
If you’re gluten-free or paleo, you’ll have to give this gajar ka halwa recipe a try. But don’t confuse this with Middle Eastern halva. This decadent Indian carrot pudding is super flavorful. In India, you’ll often see gajar ka halwa served in the northern regions during the winter and Diwali seasons.
19/22
Mysore Pak
You can make melt-in-your-mouth Mysore pak in one of two ways. The first (and most popular) version is crumbly with a stiffer texture; the other is a bit softer and creamier. In this Mysore pak recipe, we marry the best of both: It’s buttery smooth while still keeping its shape.
20/22
Modak
Filled with jaggery, cardamom and poppy seeds, modak is a small, sweet dumpling typically served at Ganesh Chaturthi. You can shape the treats 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.
21/22
Malpua
The best way to describe malpua? Fried pancakes dunked in a sugary, sweet syrup. And just like American pancakes, malpua tastes the best hot off the stove.
Indian Desserts FAQ
What are the most popular desserts in India?
The most popular desserts in India include gulab jamun, jalebi, kheer or various types of ladoo. However, the popularity of sweets varies greatly depending on regional nuances. Each area in India boasts unique cultural influences, including religion, ingredient access, and use of Indian herbs and spices.
What are some easy Indian desserts I can make at home?
If you want easy Indian desserts, you can’t go wrong with kheer, gajar ka halwa or a mango lassi. These recipes require minimal ingredients and use simple Indian cooking methods, like extended simmering or one-button blending. Also, they’re generally forgiving if you happen to add too much or too little of an ingredient.
What are the best Indian desserts for Diwali?
The most popular Diwali sweets are the ones that capture the magic of the festival on a plate. Think golden yellow ladoos, twinkling barfi or spiral-shaped jalebi.
22/22
