4 Homemade Diwali Sweets for a Memorable Celebration

Sharing delicious treats and snacks with our loved ones, neighbours, and friends is a time-honoured Indian practice that has been making us happy for countless centuries. 

As we all know, food plays a significant role in Diwali celebrations. We eagerly anticipate this time of year, envisioning the happiness of reuniting with loved ones, enjoying vibrant fireworks displays, and, of course, relishing the sweetness of tradition. It's the time when we prepare a variety of dishes, whether sweet or savoury, to share with our dear ones. 

At the heart of these celebrations are the sweets. They might be a small part of the celebration, but they represent happiness, love, and good fortune. To make your Diwali preparations easy and to ensure your special dishes earn lots of compliments, we've put together simple, mouthwatering, and melt-in-your-mouth homemade sweet recipes for you. 

These recipes aren't just about ingredients; they're about creating memories, cherishing traditions, and adding that extra touch of sweetness to your Diwali celebrations. So, join Two Brothers Organic Farms on this heartwarming journey as we explore four delightful Diwali sweet recipes.

4 Delicious Diwali Sweet Recipes 

Step into the world of Diwali, the Festival of Lights, with these 4 delectable Diwali sweet recipes. These delightful treats are more than just sweets; they are bites of pure happiness. 

As we approach this joyous season, these recipes will infuse your celebrations with a burst of festive flavours and the warmth of tradition. Join us on this mouthwatering journey to make your Diwali truly special.

1. Mawa Peda

Let's kick off our sweet journey with the first delightful treat on the list, Mawa Peda. Made from dried milk (khoya), these sweets are delectable surprises that are always present during religious and auspicious occasions. They're the kind of traditional sweets you share with loved ones, extending your warm wishes for their good fortune and luck. 

This recipe can make around 12 pieces. 

Ingredients

• 200 to 205 grams grated khoya
• ½ cup Sugarcane Jaggery (Granular)(125 grams)
• ½ teaspoon cardamom powder
• 2 to 3 tablespoons milk.
• Slivered cashews for garnish.

Preparing Khoya Mixture

1. Grate 200 to 205 grams of khoya, measuring up to 1 cup of tightly packed grated khoya.
2. Place grated khoya in a thick-bottomed pan, adding ½ cup sugar and ½ teaspoon cardamom powder.
3. Mix well on low heat while adding 2 to 3 tablespoons of milk.

Cooking Peda Mixture

1. Continue stirring until the mixture liquifies and the sugar melts.
2. Simmer on low heat, stirring continuously to avoid browning or sticking.
3. Cook until the mixture of peda thickens. When you make such Diwali sweets, remember to knead the mixture well until it pulls away from the pan sides, and changes colour.

Cooling Doodh Peda Mixture

• Pour the mixture onto a steel plate and let it cool.
• Take portions and shape them into small-to-medium balls.
• Top each peda with slivered pistachios or almonds.
• Flatten and shape using a peda maker or flat-bottomed bowl.

Serving and Storage

• Serve them with love! If you like, you can top them with more nuts. Leave them at room temperature for a few hours before serving.

Pro Tip: If your peda doesn't stay in shape or feels sticky, no worries! Just put the mixture back in the pot, heat it on low for an extra 2 to 3 minutes while stirring, and then do the pouring, cooling, shaping, and stamping thing all over again. Now, enjoy these delicious Diwali sweets and even serve them to your guests!

2. Besan Laddoo

Moving on to our second treat, we have Besan Laddoo. These are traditional sweet balls made of ghee and flour in the Northern part of India during festivals. This delicacy is a staple sweet dish. 

But remember, there are lots of ways to make these laddoos, and across India, you'll find various versions. Some include kesar strands, while others also put nuts and pistachios in the Diwali sweets.  

Ingredients 

• ½ cup  A2 Ghee
• 2 cup besan/gram flour, coarse
• 1 cup jaggery
• 4 pods cardamom / elachi
• 2 tbsp melon seeds
• 2 tbsp cashew / kaju, chopped

You can make approximately 12 ladoos with this quantity measure. 

Process

1. Heat ½ cup ghee in a large kadai, add 2 cups besan, and roast on low flame until combined well with ghee. Use coarse besan for a grainy texture. 
2. Continue roasting on low flame; if dry, add a tbsp more of ghee. After about 20 minutes, the besan will start releasing ghee. 
3. Roast until besan turns golden brown and grainy, for approximately 30 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and allow it to cool slightly. 
4. Dry roast 2 tbsp melon seeds and 2 tbsp cashew until nuts turn crunchy; add them to the roasted besan-ghee mixture. 
5. In a blender, blend 1 cup sugar and 4 cardamom pods to a fine powder.  
6. Once the besan is slightly warm, add the powdered sugar and mix well, ensuring thorough combining. Do not add sugar if the mixture is hot. 
7. Prepare ball-sized ladoos of these Diwali sweets, adjusting sugar as needed. 

Serve the Best Ladoos from Two Brothers

Enjoy besan ladoo for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container. Have them with your tea or as a dessert after your lunch or dinner. Serve them to your guests as they show up during the festivities to exchange good wishes.

In case you do not have time to make this recipe or are in a hurry at the last-minute celebration preparation, Two Brothers have your back. Check out our Ladoo Combo sweets for Diwali gifts. It is the perfect Diwali sweets gift with 3 different types of laddoo varieties- sattu, gondh, and til gur-helping you keep the joy of the festivities alive.

3. Boondi

Next on our list is Boondi. Boondi is a crispy Indian snack, about the size of a water droplet, made from gram flour and a blend of spices. It's a crucial ingredient in dishes like boondi raita and various snacks. 

In addition to gram flour, this Diwali sweets recipe for boondi uses rice flour, giving it extra crispiness and a delightful bright yellow colour.

Ingredients

• 1 cup Besan Flour
• 2 tablespoons Rice flour
• 1/2 teaspoon Red Chilli Powder (Lal Mirch)
• 1/8 teaspoon Baking Soda (Sodium Bicarbonate)
• Jaggery - 2 cups
• Cooking Oil-as per requirement
• Salt - as per taste
• Water as per requirement 

Process 

1. To make this recipe of Diwali sweets, mix gram flour, rice flour, red chilli powder, baking soda, jaggery, and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Gradually add water until the batter is medium-thick, similar to dosa batter. Ensure the batter is smooth without any lumps and has a moderate consistency.
2. Cover the batter with a muslin cloth.
3. Let it set at room temperature for 10 minutes.
4. Heat oil in a pan for deep frying. Once the oil is hot, hold a perforated spoon (a big round spoon with multiple small holes) slightly above the pan. Pour 2-3 tablespoons of batter on it, tapping the edge to allow droplets of batter to fall into the hot oil. Repeat until the pan has enough droplets. Ensure they stay submerged in oil and you can easily stir them. 
5. Stir them using a spatula and fry over medium flame until they become crisp and attain a bright yellow colour. Avoid over-frying, as browning indicates overcooking.
6. Use another perforated spoon to take them out, drain the excess oil, and transfer them to a plate. If possible, spread kitchen absorbent paper on the plate to soak up any remaining excess oil.
7. Wipe the perforated spoon clean and repeat the process for the remaining batter.
8. Make sugar syrup by boiling 2 cups of jaggery in water. 
9. Then add the boondi to the syrup and let it boil until the boondi soaks up almost all the syrup.
10. Let it cool at room temperature and you can even refrigerate it before serving

Serving

You can enjoy it as a standalone snack, include it in snack mixtures and chevda, or use it in raita. Its unique combination of sweet and tangy flavours makes boondi a sought-after snack. 

You can use this snack along with savoury and sweet dishes to serve your guests. It is a flexible sweet dish that complements every Indian cuisine. Lastly, it makes a simple yet amazing dessert option!  

You can use this snack along with savoury and sweet dishes to serve your guests. It is a flexible sweet dish that complements every Indian cuisine. Lastly, it makes a simple yet amazing dessert option! 

Tips and Variations

For a lump-free batter, create a thick paste of gram flour by adding a small amount of water and stirring vigorously (similar to beating). Gradually add more water while stirring until you get a smooth batter. 

Ensure the oil is properly heated for crispy and healthy Diwali sweets like Boondi.  To test, drop a few drops of batter into the oil. If it rises to the surface immediately, the oil is ready.

Serving Ideas

You can use boondi as a base ingredient in various preparations, such as snack mixtures and chevda (chivda). Skip the sugar syrup and sprinkle some chat masala on it for a light, spicy, and chatpata snack.

4. Gulkand Gulab Jamun

As we reach the last item on our delightful list of Diwali sweets, we present the mouthwatering Gulkand Gulab Jamun. These tasty treats are made with Gulab Jamun dough and infused with Gulkand, which is a sweet rose petal preserve. It's like adding a hint of sweet, flowery magic to your favourite Gulab Jamun.

As Diwali inches nearer, your worries about “where can I buy Diwali sweets?” also grow bigger. If you are one of these people wondering where you can find the perfect sweets or if the sweets you buy online follow the dietary restrictions your loved one has, worry no more. 

With Two Brothers Gulkand you can make your regular gulab jamuns extra special. With our high-quality Gulkand, you can elevate your sweet treats to a whole new level.

  Now, let's delve into the ingredients and the recipe: 

Ingredients

• 200 gm Gulab jamun mix
• 3 tablespoon Gulkand
• 4 cups Coconut Sap Sugar
• 1 Cardamom
• 1 Pinch Saffron
• Ghee – to grease hands
• Oil – to deep fry

Process 

1. Place the Gulab Jamun mix in a bowl.
2. Gradually add water and gently mix with your fingertips until a smooth, crack-free dough forms. Set aside for 10 minutes.
3. After 10 minutes, gently knead the dough a few times.
4. Grease your hands with ghee or oil.
5. Divide the dough into equal-sized balls. The number of balls can vary based on your size preference.
6. Take a small amount of Two Brother Gulkand and place it in the center of each dough ball.
7. Carefully cover the gulkand from all sides, ensuring it remains sealed well within the dough.

Preparing the Syrup

In a saucepan, combine 4 cups of water, sugar, powdered cardamom, and saffron. Boil for 15 minutes to make the syrup for this edition of the Diwali sweets.  

• Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. The oil should be hot enough to raise a pinch of dough without smoking.
• Gently add a few gulab jamuns at a time and fry, turning them to ensure even colour.
• Remove from the oil and drain on a paper towel.
•  Place the fried jamuns in the prepared sugar syrup.

• Allow them to soak for 3 hours to achieve the desired sweetness and softness.
• Ensure both the syrup and fried jamuns are not too hot or cold for effective soaking.
• Enjoy these delightful gulkand-stuffed Diwali sweets as a sweet treat during the festive occasion of Diwali!

Serve 

You can serve this gulab jamun just as it is, or you can also serve it in syrup or even ice cream! Make and blend new recipes to make Diwali more fun. See more recipes that you can make with this blog.

Serve it hot with edible silver and rose garnishing. It looks delicious and mouth-watering. Such a scene really represents the festive mood that you share with your loved ones.

The scented sugar syrup and the sweet taste of the Gulkand leave a beautiful and subtle aftertaste. After a delicious and heavy Diwali meal, top off your Diwali celebrations with these easy-to-make sweet balls of Khoya-Gulab Jamun!

FAQs: 4 Homemade Diwali Sweets for a Memorable Celebration

What are traditional Diwali sweets and why are they significant?

These sweets include laddoos, karanji & shankarpali. They hold cultural and religious significance, symbolising prosperity, joy, and the sharing of happiness during the Festival of Lights.

How can I make sugar-free or healthier versions of traditional Diwali sweets?

To make sugar-free or healthier Diwali sweets, substitute sugar with jaggery, a natural sweetener. Two Brothers' website suggests using a blend of gulkand and Sugarcane jaggery, to enhance sweetness and nutritional value in traditional recipes, promoting a healthier approach to festive treats.

Are there any gluten-free Diwali sweet options?

Yes, you can make many Diwali sweets that have no gluten by using alternative flour like Chickpea flour (besan),Rajgira or Kuttu flour. Alter the recipes of traditional treats like laddoos and barfis to cater to a gluten-free diet.

Can I prepare these sweets in advance and store them? How long do they last?

Yes, you can prepare Diwali sweets in advance and store them. The storage duration varies by sweet. Ladoos and barfis can last 1-2 weeks if kept in airtight containers in a cool, dry place. However, always check specific recipes for precise storage instructions.

What are some creative ways to present or gift these homemade Diwali sweets?

To present or gift homemade Diwali sweets creatively, consider using organic ingredients from Two Brothers. You can make an array of sweets with these ingredients. You can create a Diwali treasure chest with all the sweets. Or you can make personalised jars or even give your loved ones a box of sweets along with crackers as a Diwali gift. Avail our assorted sweets in attractive boxes, the Deepavali Millet Faral Hamper and Deepavali Grand Laddoo Box, which enhance the festive spirit. 

Conclusion

In conclusion, these homemade Diwali sweets are more than just delicious treats; they're a way to create and cherish memories while adding a touch of sweetness to your celebrations.

Let's wrap up our journey through the world of Diwali sweets, brought to you by Two Brothers Organic Farms. These delightful creations, like laddoos and Khapli Ghee Shankarpali, are not just treats – they're a taste of joy, love, and prosperity. Add a dash of sweetness to your festivities, and make this Diwali a truly unforgettable and heartwarming experience with these four delicious sweets. Happy Diwali!