Best Badam Halwa Recipe | Easy Almond Halwa

Best, simple, and easy Badam Halwa sweet recipe (Indian almond halwa pudding dessert)

5 from 12 votes

Best Badam Halwa Recipe | Easy Almond Halwa

Badam Halwa is a popular Indian sweet recipe that is rich and melts in the mouth with aromatic flavor. This halwa is made using almonds (badam), ghee(clarified butter), milk, and sugar and flavored with cardamom and saffron(kesar). Almond halwa dessert can be prepared in less than 30 minutes.

Prep Time5

Cook Time25

Total Time30

Course: Desserts, sweets

Cuisine: Indian

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian

Servings:

Calories: 293kcal

Author: Kushi

Equipment

Pot
Pan
Mixie or Blender

Ingredients

1 cup Almonds Badam
¼ cup Ghee
1 cup Milk
½ cup Water
8 to 10 Saffron strands Kesar
½ cup Sugar For more, sweeter version add an additional 1 or 2 tbsp.
½ teaspoon Cardamom powder

Instructions

Traditional badam halwa with almonds (stovetop)

Soak the almonds in water for 8 hours, preferably overnight. Peel the skin of whole almonds by pinching them between your fingers.
1 cup Almonds
Grind the peeled almonds to a coarse powder. I have not added any water or milk while grinding.
In a pot, add milk, water, and saffron strands and bring it to a boil on medium flame.
1 cup Milk, ½ cup Water, 8 to 10 Saffron strands
In another pan, add ghee and ground almond and saute on a medium flame until it becomes light golden and fragrant. It will take about 7 to 9 minutes.
¼ cup Ghee
Add the boiling saffron milk to the above mixture.
Continuously stir until most of the liquid evaporates, and the mixture thickens.
Add sugar and continue to stir. The mixture may become runny but will start to thicken again.
½ cup Sugar
Add cardamom powder and mix.
½ teaspoon Cardamom powder
Once it thickens to the desired consistency or when ghee leaves the sides of the pan, switch off the flame.

Badam halwa instant pot with almond flour

Press the SAUTE mode of your instant pot. Add 2 tablespoon ghee and almond flour and saute for 1 minute.
Add milk, water, saffron, and sugar, and using a whisk, mix until everything is combined. See that no almond flour is sticking to the bottom.
Close the lid with the pressure valve in the sealing position and pressure cook on LOW for 2 minutes. Release any pressure manually.
The halwa will look watery. Please turn on the SAUTE mode, add 2 tablespoon ghee, and stir it continuously until it reaches the desired consistency.
The halwa thickens as it cools down, so do not wait for it to turn too thick. SAUTE until ghee leaves the sides of the pan. This may take about 6 to 8 minutes. Add cardamom powder, mix, and turn off your IP.
Transfer the halwa to the serving bowl immediately. Garnish it with more almonds and saffron if needed.

Video

Notes

To make this halwa vegan, use coconut oil or neutral oil and dairy-free milk like almond, coconut, or simply water.
Milk is used to make the halwa rich and creamy. For a milder version, you can use only water.
½ cup sugar works perfectly for 1 cup of almonds. If you like it very sweet, add an additional 1 or 2 tbsp.
We love a little coarse texture and thus ground the almonds to a coarse powder. For a smooth halwa consistency, grind it to a smooth paste or use almond flour.
Halwa thickens as it cools down, so don't wait for it to become super thick. When ghee leaves the side of the pan, you can switch off the flame.
You can use cashews instead of badam to make kaju halwa.
Want to make instant badam halwa with almonds? Then, almonds can be soaked in hot boiling water for 30 minutes to 1 hour and peeled instead of soaking overnight.

Serving suggestions

Badam Halwa tastes the best when served warm. You can serve it as prasad with sweet poha (panchakajjaya), the morning or evening snack with upma, or as an after-meal dessert.

Make ahead, store.

You can make almond pudding ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Halwa thickens as it cools down. Warm it in a microwave or pan just before serving. For a longer shelf life, store it in the freezer.

Nutrition