The need and desire for warm foods increase every single day as the weather cools down. It’s no secret that Indian cuisine is known for the wide variety of foods for each season, not just the main course dishes but also the desserts.
India has a rich variety of winter sweets that not only pack a delicious flavour but also keep you warm during the winter season, thanks to the ingredients that are used while preparing them. From the beloved gajar halwa to the underrated panjiri, there’s something for everyone and all of these sweets taste like heaven.
Gajar Halwa
When we talk about traditional Indian winter sweets, nothing else tops the mind other than gajar halwa or gajrela. This is a quintessential Indian dessert that showcases the delectable harmony between carrots and milk.
Fresh winter carrots are grated and then slow-cooked in milk, ghee, and sugar. It requires constant stirring, but the final product is worth the effort.
Chikki
This iconic Indian sweet snack is something everyone might have enjoyed since childhood. It also has nostalgia attached to it and these brittles continue to provide the warmth and goodness of jaggery and peanuts. It’s a perfect snack that you can have anywhere or whenever you’re on the go.
Til Laddoo
This is another popular Indian sweet that is prepared by using white til (white sesame seeds) and jaggery, especially during December and the Sankranthi festival in early January. This dessert packs a lot of nutrients, along with warming you up during the winter season.
It also has some other ingredients, such as khoya, jaggery, and saffron, which make the laddoo even richer and tastier.
Lapsi
A popular Haryana and Rajasthan speciality, this dessert is essentially a type of halwa. Originally, this halwa required only three ingredients to prepare. Yes, you heard that right—only three ingredients: wheat flour, ghee, and gur.
You can always add nuts to the halwa to add some flavour and crunch to the dessert but as traditionally prepared, it is best enjoyed plain without any additions.
Although it is technically classified as a halwa, it has a runnier and thinner consistency than most halwas. It is also creamier and softer, resembling porridge.
Gond Laddoo
Another laddoo on the list and this one packs the same delicious flavours and goodness. These laddoos are known for their energy-boosting abilities. They are crunchy and quite addictive.
Gond, an edible gum, is the star ingredient of these laddoos, which are first fried and then crushed to incorporate them. It also includes a lot of nuts like pistachios, almonds, and cashews, spices like cinnamon and cardamom, as well as dry fruits like raisins.
Gur Halwa
A comforting dessert that many people might have enjoyed since childhood. This straightforward sweet packs the warmth and goodness of jaggery. It is traditionally prepared in desi ghee along with sooji or semolina, which only enhances the flavour and texture of this halwa.
It’s a must-have during the winter months, as it warms your body while also serving as a proper dessert to relish. Serve the halwa with chopped nuts of your choice for an even richer experience.
Panjiri
To end our list, we bring one of the most loved desserts or winter snacks in North India. Panjiri is essentially a mixture of common Indian cuisine ingredients like sugar, makhana (fox nuts), wheat flour, ghee, gond, sonth (dry ginger powder), and many nuts and dry fruits like raisins, almonds, cashews, and pistachios, along with seeds like watermelon, melon, and pumpkin.
Panjiri is a complete package that incorporates the most delicious and nutritious ingredients in one single dish. Thanks to that, it is a great immunity booster during the winter season, along with being a tasty dessert or snack as well.