12 Easy Diwali Sweets with Dry Fruits, Seeds & Makhana

Nothing says Diwali like a plate of homemade sweets. These 12 recipes use simple ingredients like dry fruits, seeds and makhana, and most are ready in under 45 minutes. They're great for your own celebrations and for festive gift boxes.

1. Kaju Katli

You'll need: 1 cup cashews, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 cup water, 1 tsp ghee, a pinch of cardamom.

1. Grind the cashews to a fine powder in short pulses so they don't turn oily.
2. Boil the sugar and water to a one-string syrup.
3. Add the cashew powder and stir on low heat until it forms a soft dough that leaves the pan.
4. Add the ghee and cardamom, knead while warm, roll thin and cut into diamonds.

2. Badam Barfi

You'll need: 1 cup almonds (blanched and peeled), 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup milk, 2 tbsp ghee, a few saffron strands.

1. Grind the almonds with milk into a coarse paste.
2. Cook the paste with the sugar on low heat, stirring continuously.
3. Add the ghee and saffron once it thickens and comes together.
4. Spread on a greased tray, cool and cut into squares.

3. Dry Fruit Laddoo (No Sugar)

You'll need: 1 cup seedless dates, 1/4 cup each of almonds, cashews and pistachios, 2 tbsp raisins, 1 tsp ghee.

1. Chop the nuts and lightly roast them in ghee.
2. Blend the dates into a sticky paste.
3. Mix the nuts and raisins into the dates and shape into laddoos.

4. Dates & Nut Roll

You'll need: 1.5 cups seedless dates, 1/2 cup mixed nuts, 1 tbsp ghee, 2 tbsp desiccated coconut or poppy seeds.

1. Cook the dates in ghee until soft and mashable.
2. Stir in the chopped nuts and cool slightly.
3. Shape into a log, roll in coconut or poppy seeds, chill and slice.

5. White Til Laddoo

You'll need: 1 cup white sesame seeds, 3/4 cup grated jaggery, 2 tbsp ghee, 1/4 tsp cardamom.

1. Dry-roast the sesame until golden.
2. Melt the jaggery with ghee and 1 tbsp water until it bubbles.
3. Mix in the sesame and cardamom and shape laddoos with greased palms while warm.

6. Black Sesame Chikki

You'll need: 1 cup black sesame seeds, 3/4 cup jaggery, 1 tsp ghee.

1. Roast the sesame for 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Cook the jaggery with ghee until a drop in cold water snaps.
3. Stir in the sesame, spread thin and cut while warm.

7. Makhana Kheer

You'll need: 1.5 cups makhana, 1 litre milk, 1/3 cup sugar, 1 tbsp ghee, cardamom, saffron and chopped nuts.

1. Roast the makhana in ghee and crush half of it.
2. Simmer the milk for 15 minutes, then add all the makhana and cook for 10 minutes.
3. Add the sugar, cardamom and saffron, and garnish with nuts.

8. Makhana Dry Fruit Laddoo

You'll need: 1 cup makhana, 1/2 cup mixed nuts, 1/2 cup jaggery powder, 3 tbsp ghee.

1. Roast the makhana and nuts in ghee until crisp, then grind coarsely.
2. Mix in the jaggery powder and the remaining warm ghee.
3. Shape into laddoos.

9. Kaju Pista Roll

You'll need: 1 cup cashews, 1/2 cup pistachios, 3/4 cup sugar, a few drops of rose water.

1. Make a cashew dough the same way as kaju katli (recipe 1).
2. Make a smaller pistachio dough with the remaining sugar.
3. Roll the cashew dough flat, place a pistachio log in the centre, roll it up and slice.

10. Anjeer Barfi

You'll need: 1 cup dried figs, 1/2 cup chopped almonds and cashews, 1 tbsp ghee.

1. Soak the figs in warm water for 30 minutes and blend into a paste.
2. Cook the paste in ghee until thick.
3. Stir in the nuts, set on a tray and cut into pieces.

11. Pumpkin Seed & Sunflower Seed Brittle

You'll need: 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds, 1/2 cup sunflower seeds, 3/4 cup jaggery, 1 tsp ghee.

1. Lightly toast the seeds.
2. Cook the jaggery with ghee to the hard-crack stage.
3. Stir in the seeds, spread thin and break into pieces once cool.

12. Coconut Cashew Laddoo

You'll need: 2 cups desiccated coconut, 1/2 cup chopped cashews, 3/4 cup condensed milk, 1 tbsp ghee, cardamom.

1. Roast the coconut in ghee for 2 minutes.
2. Add the condensed milk, cashews and cardamom and cook until it binds.
3. Cool slightly and shape into laddoos.

Tips for Diwali Gifting

Store your sweets in airtight boxes. Nut- and jaggery-based sweets usually keep for 7 to 10 days, while milk-based ones like kheer should be refrigerated and eaten within 2 days. Pair a box of homemade sweets with a pack of premium dry fruits for a thoughtful festive gift.

All ingredients are packed fresh and delivered across South India.

Shop dry fruits, seeds and makhana at Jagan Dry Fruits