Traditional Christmas Sweets in India
Discover the rich heritage of traditional Christmas sweets in India. Explore recipes, history, and the delightful flavors that make the festive season special.
The joyous season of Christmas is fast approaching–a time to celebrate togetherness and the birth of Jesus. It is a time of gratitude and hope, marked by the festive decorations, nativity scenes that remind us of the humble beginnings of Jesus, sweets, and the warmth of family gatherings. Preparing and exchanging sweets with loved ones is a cherished tradition during this favourite time of the year, spreading joy and reflecting on this year’s blessings. Platters of sweet treats are lovingly shared with family, friends, and neighbours. Christmas is a time for giving and cherishing connections made and so the act of sharing sweets extends beyond close circles and reaching out to the less fortunate as well. The act of exchanging sweet platters carries a deeper meaning—it is about sharing happiness, fostering bonds, and being grateful for all the blessings this year.
Nevreo
A tradition followed up to date is families coming together to prepare sweets and share these sweet platters with family and friends and one of the star items featured on this platter is Nevreos. This delightful sweet is made using refined flour with a stuffing of grated coconut, jaggery, and nuts like almonds with a hint of cardamom for added flavour. Alternatively, the stuffing can be prepared with rava, coconut, and sugar. The preparation of Nevreo is as delightful as the sweet itself, with everyone in the family coming together to knead, fill, and fold the dough and deep dry it in oil until golden brown.
Bebinca
Bebinca is another famous sweet prepared during the festive season that follows the art of slow cooking and is famously known as the queen of Goan desserts. This delicious treat is made from simple ingredients—coconut milk, eggs, sugar, and flour—and set in intricately fine layers of seven or more (it can go up to 16 layers). Each layer is cooked individually and set, traditionally over firewood, lending it a smoky richness. Many Goan families still cherish and honour the tradition of preparing this sweet dish the old-fashioned way, over firewood.
Kulkul
A Christmas platter is incomplete without Kulkuls. Traditionally a group activity, it is a crunchy delight where the whole family, young and old, comes together to prepare it. They are small pieces of fried dough curls made from flour, sugar, and coconut milk and deep-fried until golden brown. It gets its shape of a curl using the back of a fork and is enjoyed plain or coated with sugar syrup for an added layer of sweetness. It is the perfect sweet for sharing with loved ones.
Dodol
A popular sweet in the Southern states of India, Dodol is a sweet and rich confection made using rice flour, jaggery, and coconut milk. Nuts like almonds or cashews are added to the mixture to lend the sticky sweet a bit of crunch. It is a labour-intensive sweet made in large batches that requires continual stirring of the ingredients over low heat until it reaches a thick sticky consistency and then set and cut into small slices for distribution. The result is a dark, chewy, and glossy treat that melts right in your mouth.
Avalosunda
These round-shaped sweets are popular in Kerala. The roasted treat is prepared using jaggery, rice flour, and grated coconut, and flavoured with cardamom. Occasionally, these treats are also garnished with roasted sesame seeds and make for a great way to provide warmth to the body during the cold months of winter.
Achappam
Another Kerala favourite, Achappam, better known as rose cookies, is a crisp delight prepared with rice flour, eggs, coconut milk, and sugar. The batter is prepared while a flower-shaped iron mould is immersed in the oil to heat and placed in the batter and back into the oil for deep frying until golden brown and crunchy. Be sure to place only 3/4th of the mould in the oil so as to achieve the perfect rose-shaped cookie.
Ariselu (Arisa)
South Indian festivals, especially Christmas, are incomplete without the disc-shaped, crunchy sweet known as Ariselu or Arisa. This traditional sweet treat is prepared using simple ingredients like rice flour, jaggery, sesame seeds, and cardamom, and deep-fried in oil. It helps to improve digestive health, boost immunity, and prevent constipation in addition to being a beloved Christmas specialty.
Bolinhas
Influenced by the Portuguese, Bolinhas are coconut cookies from Goa enjoyed during Christmas and even daily during teatime. It is prepared with rava, grated coconut, eggs, and sugar.Small rounds and baked until golden brown shape for dough is suitable. Cardamom is added to the batter to bring out the flavour. It presents itself with a hard exterior but maintains a soft and crumbly texture on the inside.
The joy of sharing these sweets with family, neighbours and loved ones captures the true spirit of Christmas—a time of gratitude, togetherness, and sharing joy. Visit the best sweet shops in Panjim to pick up some of the seasonal Christmas specials.