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25 Indian Sweets to Make at Home

admin · October 20, 2026 · 8 min read

Indian sweets, known as mithai, are at the heart of festivals, weddings, and everyday celebrations. This collection of 25 Indian sweets recipes brings favorites from across the country into your kitchen, from creamy milk puddings to golden fried treats and festive ladoo.

Each recipe has a short description, the key ingredients, and a few simple steps. Many rely on ghee, milk, and sugar syrup, and several are traditionally made for specific festivals. Grouped by type, they make a great starting point for home cooks new to mithai.

Milk and Chenna Based Sweets

Soft, creamy sweets built on milk, reduced milk, or fresh cheese called chenna.

1. Kheer

A classic rice pudding simmered slowly with milk and cardamom.

Key ingredients: 1/2 cup rice, 4 cups milk, 1/3 cup sugar, 1/2 tsp cardamom, chopped nuts

  1. Simmer the rice and milk gently, stirring often.
  2. Cook for 30 to 40 minutes, until thick and creamy.
  3. Stir in the sugar and cardamom.
  4. Garnish with nuts and serve warm or chilled.

2. Rasmalai

Soft cheese discs soaked in sweetened, saffron-scented milk.

Key ingredients: Fresh chenna from 4 cups milk, 2 cups milk for soaking, 1/2 cup sugar, saffron, cardamom

  1. Knead the chenna, shape into small discs, and cook briefly in light sugar syrup.
  2. Simmer the soaking milk with sugar, saffron, and cardamom until slightly thick.
  3. Gently add the discs to the warm milk.
  4. Chill for a few hours before serving.

3. Kalakand

A soft milk fudge with a grainy, melt-in-the-mouth texture.

Key ingredients: Fresh chenna, 1 can sweetened condensed milk, 1/4 tsp cardamom, chopped pistachios

  1. Cook the chenna and condensed milk in a pan, stirring constantly.
  2. Cook until thick and the mixture leaves the sides.
  3. Stir in the cardamom and spread in a lined tray.
  4. Top with pistachios, cool, and cut into squares.

4. Rabri

Thickened, reduced milk layered with cream and nuts.

Key ingredients: 1 liter full-fat milk, 1/3 cup sugar, 1/2 tsp cardamom, almonds and pistachios

  1. Simmer the milk on low, stirring and collecting the cream layers.
  2. Continue until the milk reduces by half.
  3. Stir in the sugar and cardamom.
  4. Garnish with nuts and chill.

5. Shrikhand

A smooth dessert of strained yogurt, sweetened and spiced.

Key ingredients: 2 cups thick yogurt, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, pinch of saffron, cardamom, nuts

  1. Strain the yogurt through cloth for a few hours until thick.
  2. Whisk in the sugar, saffron, and cardamom until smooth.
  3. Fold in chopped nuts.
  4. Chill before serving.

6. Kulfi

A dense, traditional frozen dessert made from reduced milk.

Key ingredients: 1 liter milk, 1/3 cup sugar, 1/2 tsp cardamom, chopped pistachios

  1. Simmer the milk until reduced and thick.
  2. Stir in the sugar, cardamom, and nuts.
  3. Pour into molds.
  4. Freeze for at least 6 hours.

7. Sandesh

A delicate Bengali sweet made from fresh chenna.

Key ingredients: Fresh chenna from 4 cups milk, 1/3 cup powdered sugar, 1/4 tsp cardamom

  1. Knead the chenna until smooth.
  2. Cook gently with the sugar for a few minutes.
  3. Stir in the cardamom and cool slightly.
  4. Shape into small rounds or press into molds.

8. Rasgulla

Spongy chenna balls cooked in light sugar syrup.

Key ingredients: Fresh chenna from 4 cups milk, 1 cup sugar, 4 cups water, cardamom

  1. Knead the chenna and roll into smooth balls.
  2. Bring the sugar and water to a boil.
  3. Add the balls and simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes until they swell.
  4. Cool in the syrup before serving.

9. Peda

Soft milk fudge rounds flavored with cardamom.

Key ingredients: 1 1/2 cups milk powder, 1 can sweetened condensed milk, 2 tbsp ghee, 1/4 tsp cardamom

  1. Cook the milk powder, condensed milk, and ghee in a pan, stirring.
  2. Cook until it forms a soft dough.
  3. Stir in the cardamom and cool slightly.
  4. Shape into rounds and press a nut on top.

Fried Sweets and Halwa

Golden, syrup-soaked treats and warm, spoonable halwa. Fry carefully and keep children away from hot oil.

10. Gulab Jamun

Soft fried milk-solid balls soaked in rose-scented syrup.

Key ingredients: 1 cup milk powder, 1/4 cup flour, 2 tbsp ghee, milk to bind, 1 1/2 cups sugar, 1 1/2 cups water, rose water

  1. Make a soft dough and roll smooth balls.
  2. Fry gently on low heat until golden brown.
  3. Simmer the sugar and water into a syrup and add rose water.
  4. Soak the warm balls in the syrup for a few hours.

11. Jalebi

Crisp, spiral-shaped treats dipped in sugar syrup.

Key ingredients: 1 cup flour, 2 tbsp yogurt, water, 1 1/2 cups sugar, 1 cup water, pinch of saffron

  1. Make a batter and let it rest for a few hours to ferment slightly.
  2. Prepare a sugar syrup with saffron.
  3. Pipe spirals into hot oil and fry until crisp.
  4. Dip the hot jalebi briefly in the syrup.

12. Balushahi

Flaky, glazed fried pastries similar to a glazed doughnut.

Key ingredients: 2 cups flour, 1/2 cup ghee, 1/4 cup yogurt, pinch of baking soda, 1 1/2 cups sugar, water

  1. Make a soft dough and shape into rounds with a dent in the center.
  2. Fry on low heat until golden and flaky.
  3. Prepare a one-string sugar syrup.
  4. Dip the fried pastries in the syrup and let them set.

13. Malpua

Soft, fried pancakes soaked in syrup.

Key ingredients: 1 cup flour, 1/4 cup semolina, 1 cup milk, 2 tbsp sugar, 1 1/2 cups sugar syrup, cardamom

  1. Whisk a smooth batter and rest it for 30 minutes.
  2. Fry small rounds in ghee until golden.
  3. Prepare a cardamom sugar syrup.
  4. Dip the malpua in the syrup and serve warm.

14. Suji Halwa

A warm semolina pudding roasted in ghee.

Key ingredients: 1 cup semolina, 1/2 cup ghee, 3/4 cup sugar, 2 1/2 cups water, cardamom, nuts

  1. Roast the semolina in the ghee until golden and fragrant.
  2. Carefully add the hot water and sugar.
  3. Stir until thick and the ghee separates.
  4. Add cardamom and nuts and serve warm.

15. Gajar ka Halwa

A rich carrot pudding slow-cooked in milk and ghee.

Key ingredients: 4 cups grated carrots, 3 cups milk, 1/2 cup sugar, 3 tbsp ghee, cardamom, nuts

  1. Cook the carrots in the milk until the milk is absorbed.
  2. Add the ghee and sugar and cook, stirring.
  3. Continue until thick and glossy.
  4. Stir in cardamom and nuts.

16. Mysore Pak

A rich South Indian fudge of gram flour, ghee, and sugar.

Key ingredients: 1 cup gram flour, 1 cup ghee, 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup water

  1. Make a sugar syrup with the water.
  2. Add the gram flour and hot ghee gradually, stirring constantly.
  3. Cook until it thickens and turns porous.
  4. Pour into a tray and cut into pieces while warm.

17. Shakkarpara

Crisp, lightly sweet fried bites.

Key ingredients: 2 cups flour, 2 tbsp ghee, water, 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup water for syrup

  1. Make a firm dough, roll it out, and cut into diamonds.
  2. Fry until golden and crisp.
  3. Prepare a thick sugar syrup.
  4. Toss the fried pieces in the syrup and let them dry.

Ladoo, Barfi, and Festive Treats

Shaped sweets and fudges that appear at nearly every celebration.

18. Besan Ladoo

Round sweets of roasted gram flour and ghee.

Key ingredients: 2 cups gram flour, 3/4 cup ghee, 3/4 cup powdered sugar, cardamom

  1. Roast the gram flour in the ghee on low heat until golden and fragrant.
  2. Cool slightly, then mix in the sugar and cardamom.
  3. Roll into balls while still warm.
  4. Let them set before serving.

19. Coconut Ladoo

Quick, soft sweets of coconut and condensed milk.

Key ingredients: 2 cups desiccated coconut, 1 can sweetened condensed milk, 1/4 tsp cardamom

  1. Cook the coconut and condensed milk in a pan for 5 to 7 minutes.
  2. Stir in the cardamom.
  3. Cool slightly and roll into balls.
  4. Roll in extra coconut.

20. Boondi Ladoo

Sweet balls made from tiny fried gram flour pearls.

Key ingredients: 1 1/2 cups gram flour, water, oil for frying, 1 1/4 cups sugar, 3/4 cup water, cardamom

  1. Make a batter and drop it through a slotted spoon into hot oil to form boondi.
  2. Soak the fried boondi in a cardamom sugar syrup.
  3. Let it absorb the syrup for a few minutes.
  4. Shape into balls while warm.

21. Motichoor Ladoo

A finer, softer version of boondi ladoo with very small pearls.

Key ingredients: 1 1/2 cups gram flour, water, oil, 1 1/4 cups sugar, saffron, cardamom

  1. Make a thin batter and fry very small boondi.
  2. Prepare a saffron sugar syrup.
  3. Soak the boondi until soft, then lightly mash.
  4. Shape into smooth balls.

22. Kaju Barfi

A smooth cashew fudge cut into diamonds.

Key ingredients: 1 1/2 cups cashews, 3/4 cup sugar, 1/3 cup water, cardamom

  1. Grind the cashews into a fine powder.
  2. Make a sugar syrup, then stir in the cashew powder.
  3. Cook until it forms a soft dough.
  4. Roll out, cool, and cut into diamonds.

23. Coconut Barfi

A chewy coconut fudge that sets into neat squares.

Key ingredients: 2 cups desiccated coconut, 1 cup milk, 3/4 cup sugar, cardamom

  1. Cook the coconut, milk, and sugar in a pan, stirring.
  2. Cook until thick and the mixture leaves the sides.
  3. Press into a lined tray.
  4. Cool and cut into squares.

24. Modak

Steamed rice-flour dumplings with a coconut and jaggery filling, popular during Ganesh Chaturthi.

Key ingredients: 1 cup rice flour, 1 cup water, 1 cup grated coconut, 3/4 cup jaggery, cardamom

  1. Cook the coconut and jaggery into a soft filling.
  2. Make a soft rice-flour dough with hot water.
  3. Shape into cups, add filling, and seal into peaks.
  4. Steam for 10 to 12 minutes.

25. Peanut Chikki

A crunchy brittle of peanuts and jaggery.

Key ingredients: 1 cup roasted peanuts, 3/4 cup jaggery, 1 tbsp ghee

  1. Melt the jaggery with the ghee until it reaches a hard stage.
  2. Stir in the peanuts quickly.
  3. Pour onto a greased surface and roll flat.
  4. Cut into pieces before it fully hardens.

Tips for Making Indian Sweets

  • Use ghee where called for. It gives mithai its characteristic rich flavor and aroma.
  • Watch sugar syrup stages. Many recipes need a specific syrup consistency, so cook it attentively.
  • Keep the heat low. Milk-based sweets and roasted flours burn easily, so cook gently and stir often.
  • Add cardamom and saffron. These classic flavors are what make many Indian sweets taste authentic.

Final Thoughts

Making mithai at home is a rewarding way to celebrate festivals and share something special with family and friends. Start with an easier recipe like coconut ladoo or kheer, then work up to syrup-soaked and milk-based classics. With these 25 Indian sweets recipes, you have a whole box of mithai to explore.

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