14 Diwali Sweets So Rich and Festive Your Kitchen Will Smell Like a Celebration

Diwali, the festival of lights, arrives in early November, and in millions of homes it means one thing first: sweets. Boxes of mithai are shared with neighbors, friends and family as a sign of love and good luck. Many of these Diwali sweets are easier to make than you think, using milk, sugar, ghee, nuts and a little cardamom. If you love holiday treats from around the world, see our Christmas desserts from around the world too. Which sweet would you make first..

A Plate of Diwali Sweets to Share

A plate of pistachio barfi next to a glowing diya is the picture of Diwali for so many families. Barfi is a fudge like sweet made by cooking milk and sugar until thick, then setting it in a tray and cutting it into diamonds or squares. Pistachio gives it a pretty green color and a nutty flavor. It is one of the easiest Diwali sweets for beginners. Would you share yours or keep the whole tray?

You will need: 2 cups milk powder, 1/2 cup ghee or butter, 1/2 cup milk, 3/4 cup sugar, 1/2 cup ground pistachios, 1/2 teaspoon cardamom, chopped pistachios to decorate.

How to make it: Melt the ghee in a nonstick pan and add the milk and sugar. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Add the milk powder and ground pistachios and stir over low heat for 8 to 10 minutes until it pulls away from the pan. Add the cardamom. Spread into a greased tray, top with chopped pistachios and cool. Cut into squares.

Gulab Jamun, the Most Loved of All Diwali Sweets

Soft, spongy balls of milk dough are fried until deep golden, then soaked in a warm syrup scented with cardamom and rose water. Gulab jamun is the sweet nobody can resist at weddings and festivals. Fry them slowly on low heat so they cook all the way through. Serve them warm, or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a fun twist. How many can you eat before you need a break?

You will need: 1 cup milk powder, 1/4 cup flour, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, 2 tablespoons ghee, 1/3 cup milk, oil for frying. Syrup: 1 1/2 cups sugar, 1 1/2 cups water, 4 cardamom pods, 1 teaspoon rose water.

How to make it: Simmer the syrup ingredients for 5 minutes. Mix milk powder, flour and soda, rub in the ghee, then add milk to make a soft dough. Roll into smooth balls with no cracks. Fry on low heat, turning often, until deep brown. Drop into warm syrup and soak at least 1 hour.

Crispy Jalebi Spirals

Jalebi is pure fun: a batter is piped into hot oil in swirls, fried until crisp and then dunked in sugar syrup. The result is crunchy outside and juicy inside, with a bright orange color that looks like festival lights. In India, people often eat it hot with a glass of milk. Use a squeeze bottle to pipe the spirals. Do you like yours extra crispy or soft and syrupy?

You will need: 1 cup flour, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 cup plain yogurt, water as needed, pinch of saffron or orange food color, oil for frying. Syrup: 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup water, cardamom.

How to make it: Mix the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, yogurt and water into a thick batter and rest 1 hour. Make a sticky syrup. Pipe spirals into medium hot oil and fry until crisp. Soak in warm syrup for 1 minute and drain.

Kaju Katli, Classic Diwali Sweets for Gift Boxes

These thin, diamond shaped cashew sweets are the star of almost every Diwali gift box. Made with just cashews, sugar and water, they melt in your mouth like marzipan. Many people decorate them with edible silver leaf for an extra festive look. Grind the cashews in short pulses so they do not turn into butter. Have you ever received a box of these as a gift?

You will need: 1 1/2 cups raw cashews, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 cup water, 1 teaspoon ghee, 1/4 teaspoon cardamom.

How to make it: Grind the cashews to a fine powder. Boil the sugar and water to a one thread syrup. Add the cashew powder and stir on low heat until it forms a soft dough. Add ghee and cardamom. Cool slightly, knead, roll thin between parchment and cut into diamonds.

Rasmalai in Saffron Milk

Rasmalai might be the most elegant Indian dessert of all. Soft cheese patties are cooked in syrup, then soaked in thick, sweet milk flavored with saffron and cardamom. It is served cold and topped with pistachios. Using store bought rasgulla is a smart shortcut that saves a lot of time. Poll: A) rasmalai, B) gulab jamun, C) jalebi or D) kaju katli, which is your favorite?

You will need: 4 cups whole milk, 1/2 cup sugar, pinch of saffron, 1/2 teaspoon cardamom, 12 rasgulla squeezed of syrup or homemade chhena patties, chopped pistachios.

How to make it: Simmer the milk until reduced by half. Stir in sugar, saffron and cardamom. Gently flatten the rasgulla and add them to the warm milk. Simmer 3 minutes. Chill for at least 4 hours and top with pistachios.

Soft and Spongy Rasgulla, Light Diwali Sweets

Rasgulla comes from eastern India and is famous for being light, bouncy and juicy. Fresh cheese called chhena is kneaded until smooth, rolled into balls and cooked in boiling sugar syrup until they puff up. When you bite in, sweet syrup bursts out. They are lighter than many Diwali sweets, which makes them a great choice after a big meal. Do you like them warm or chilled?

You will need: 8 cups whole milk, 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1 cup sugar, 4 cups water, 2 cardamom pods.

How to make it: Boil the milk and add lemon juice to curdle it. Strain through cloth, rinse and hang 30 minutes. Knead the cheese for 8 minutes until smooth and roll into 12 balls. Boil the sugar and water, add the balls, cover and cook 15 minutes. Cool in the syrup.

Creamy Rice Kheer With Cardamom

Kheer is the comforting rice pudding that shows up at nearly every Indian celebration. Rice cooks slowly in milk until thick and creamy, then gets sweetened and flavored with cardamom, saffron and nuts. It is simple, warm and full of love. Many families offer kheer during Diwali prayers before sharing it. Do you eat rice pudding hot or cold? It is one of the most comforting Diwali sweets of all.

You will need: 1/4 cup basmati rice, 4 cups whole milk, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cardamom, pinch of saffron, 2 tablespoons chopped almonds and pistachios, 1 tablespoon raisins.

How to make it: Rinse and soak the rice 20 minutes. Bring the milk to a boil, add the rice and simmer on low, stirring often, for 40 minutes until thick. Stir in sugar, cardamom, saffron, nuts and raisins. Cook 5 minutes more.

Semiya Payasam From South India

In South India, the festival sweet of choice is often payasam. This version uses thin vermicelli noodles toasted in ghee and cooked in milk with sugar and cardamom. Cashews and raisins fried golden in ghee go on top. It comes together in 20 minutes, which makes it one of the fastest Diwali sweets in this list. Have you ever tried noodles in a dessert?

You will need: 1 cup thin vermicelli, 2 tablespoons ghee, 4 cups milk, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cardamom, 10 cashews, 1 tablespoon raisins.

How to make it: Fry the cashews and raisins in ghee and set aside. Toast the vermicelli in the same pan until golden. Add the milk and simmer 10 minutes until soft. Stir in sugar and cardamom. Top with the cashews and raisins.

Gajar Halwa, the Carrot Pudding of Winter

When red winter carrots arrive in North Indian markets, every home starts making gajar halwa. Grated carrots are cooked slowly in milk until soft and creamy, then finished with ghee, sugar and nuts. It tastes like a warm hug and fills the house with a sweet smell. Serve it warm with a scoop of ice cream. Would you have guessed carrots could taste this good?

You will need: 4 cups grated carrots, 3 cups whole milk, 1/2 cup sugar, 3 tablespoons ghee, 1/2 teaspoon cardamom, 1/4 cup chopped nuts.

How to make it: Cook the carrots in milk on medium heat, stirring often, for about 40 minutes until the milk is absorbed. Add the ghee and sugar and cook 10 minutes more. Stir in the cardamom and nuts.

Golden Mysore Pak

Mysore pak is a rich sweet from the city of Mysore made with gram flour, sugar and a lot of ghee. When it is done right, it has a porous, melt in your mouth texture and a toasty, nutty flavor. It takes some quick stirring, so have everything ready before you start. This is one of those Diwali sweets that older relatives judge closely. Are you brave enough to try it?

You will need: 1 cup gram flour, 1 1/2 cups sugar, 1/2 cup water, 1 1/2 cups warm ghee.

How to make it: Sift the gram flour. Heat the sugar and water to a one thread syrup. Add the flour slowly, stirring to avoid lumps. Add the warm ghee a few spoons at a time while stirring. When it froths and leaves the sides, pour into a greased tray. Cut while warm.

Coconut Barfi in 20 Minutes

This snowy white sweet needs only coconut, milk, sugar and a little cardamom. It is soft and chewy with a lovely coconut flavor, and it is perfect for beginners. Many families make these Diwali sweets because it is quick and loved by children. Press it into a tray, cut into squares and decorate with a pistachio sliver. Who in your family has the biggest sweet tooth?

You will need: 2 cups desiccated coconut, 1 cup milk, 3/4 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon ghee, 1/4 teaspoon cardamom.

How to make it: Cook the coconut, milk and sugar in a nonstick pan, stirring, for about 15 minutes until thick. Add the ghee and cardamom and stir until it holds together. Spread in a greased tray, cool and cut into squares.

Motichoor Ladoo From the Sweet Shop

Walk into any sweet shop before Diwali and you will see towers of bright orange ladoos. Motichoor ladoo are made from tiny pearls of fried gram flour batter soaked in syrup and pressed into balls. A shortcut version uses boondi from the store. They are must have Diwali sweets for prayers and gifts. Poll time: A) motichoor ladoo, B) besan ladoo, C) coconut ladoo or D) all three please?

You will need: 2 cups gram flour, water, pinch of orange color, oil for frying, 1 1/2 cups sugar, 3/4 cup water, cardamom, 1 tablespoon melon seeds.

How to make it: Make a thin batter and press it through a slotted spoon into hot oil to make tiny pearls. Fry briefly and drain. Make a one thread sugar syrup with cardamom. Mix in the pearls and melon seeds, rest 15 minutes and shape into balls with greased hands.

Milk Barfi Like the Sweet Shop Makes

Plain milk barfi, sometimes called khoya barfi, is the simplest sweet in an Indian sweet shop window and one of the best. It is creamy, mildly sweet and flavored with cardamom. Once you master it, you can add chocolate, rose or saffron layers. It keeps well for a week, which makes it perfect for sharing with neighbors during Diwali week. What flavor would you add?

You will need: 2 cups milk powder, 1/2 cup heavy cream, 1/2 cup sugar, 3 tablespoons ghee, 1/2 teaspoon cardamom, sliced almonds.

How to make it: Warm the ghee and cream in a pan. Add the milk powder and sugar and stir over low heat until it forms a soft dough, about 8 minutes. Add the cardamom. Press into a tray, top with almonds, cool and cut.

Build a Diwali Sweets Platter for Guests

Most families do not make every sweet from scratch, and that is perfectly fine. A beautiful platter mixes one or two homemade treats with store bought favorites, dried fruits and nuts. Decorate with marigold petals and a few diyas for a true festival look. Sharing sweets with neighbors is one of the oldest Diwali traditions. Who will you share your Diwali sweets with this year?

You will need: 2 or 3 homemade sweets from this list, a box of mixed mithai, dates, dried apricots, almonds, cashews, pistachios, marigold flowers, small candles.

How to make it: Choose a large tray. Place the biggest sweets first in rows or circles. Fill the gaps with dried fruits and nuts. Scatter marigold petals around the edges. Keep in a cool place and serve within 3 days.