Made using chickpea flour, ghee, and lots of dry nuts and fruits, Besan Halwa is a traditional, rich North Indian sweet dish favorite for celebrations, festivals, and pujas. It’s easy to make, comes together in 25 minutes, and makes for a delicious dessert (vegetarian, gluten-free).

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About Besan Halwa
Besan Halwa (Indian Chickpea Flour Pudding) is a delicious Punjabi sweet dish prepared using chickpea flour (besan, gram flour), ghee, sugar, and dried nuts and fruits.
It is a thick and creamy sweet dish made for weddings, special occasions, pujas, and festive occasions like Holi and Diwali.
Like other Indian besan sweets like besan ladoo, besan burfi, Mysore pak, etc., this chickpea flour halwa recipe is also a classic.
This delicious besan ka halwa comes together in under 25 minutes using a handful of ingredients. It is a great sweet dish to make when you want something super delicious and quick.
Some recipes ask for making sugar syrup separately, but my recipe to make this besan ka sheera is super simple and one-pot. Do try!
This besan halwa recipe is vegetarian and gluten-free. You can easily double or triple it too.
Halwa makes for an amazing dessert after your weekend meals. Try some other halwa recipes too
- Lauki Ka Halwa
- Moong Dal Halwa
- Sooji Halwa
- Bread Halwa
- Beetroot Halwa
- Atta Halwa
- Carrot Halwa
- Aloo Halwa
- Rajgira Halwa
Ingredients


To make this besan halwa recipe, you will need a few basic ingredients like besan flour (gram flour, chickpea flour), ghee, granulated white sugar, milk, water, and cardamom powder. All the ingredients are available at any Indian grocery store.
Use whole milk (full-fat milk) for the best results. Having said that, you can use skim milk and low-fat milk too.
Make the halwa only in ghee and not oil.
White granulated sugar can be replaced with brown sugar or coconut sugar.
Do not forget to add cardamom powder, which adds a unique flavor. You can crush and add green cardamom seeds if you do not have cardamom powder.
Finish off the halwa with some almond and pistachio slivers. You can also add cashews and raisins to it.
To make besan ka halwa recipe even more indulgent and give it a royal touch, add 15-20 saffron strands soaked in 1 tablespoon milk for 30 minutes.
How To Make Besan Halwa
Heat ½ cup ghee in a heavy bottom pan at medium heat.

Once the ghee is melted, add ¾ cup chickpea flour and roast until it turns dark brown and aromatic (10-12 mins), stirring continuously to avoid the flour from burning at the bottom of the pan.
Note – The color of the final halwa will depend on how well you have roasted the flour. You want the flour to be dark golden brown but not burn it. It goes from perfectly browned to burnt in a few seconds. So keep a close eye while roasting it.



Once the chickpea flour is browned well, add 1 cup water and ½ cup milk to the pan and mix well. Cook until the liquid is absorbed by the flour, stirring continuously.


Now add ½ cup of granulated white sugar and 1 teaspoon cardamom powder to the pan and mix well.

Cook for 5-6 minutes until the ghee starts to separate from the sides of the pan. Stir continuously while cooking.
Once done, garnish with almond and pistachio slivers and serve hot.

Frequently Asked Questions
To make the halwa vegan, replace ghee with coconut oil and dairy milk with any plant-based milk like coconut milk, oat milk, soy milk, almond milk, etc.
Pro Tips By Neha
Try to make besan ka halwa only in ghee, and do not reduce the amount of ghee.
Fry the besan on medium heat. If you fry on high heat, the besan might get burned.
Ensure to fry the besan until it turns dark brown and a nutty aroma starts. If not fried properly, the besan will taste raw.
You can replace water with milk for a richer halwa. You can also use half water and half milk.
Add some whole wheat flour or sooji (semolina) to the besan mixture to make different variations of besan ka halwa.
Serving Suggestions
Serve besan halwa warm or at room temperature. Garnish it with dry fruits, nuts, and dried rose petals.
It is a great dessert for festivals, special occasions, or get-togethers.
Besan halwa is also considered a great dish to eat during pregnancy and for growing kids and is said to be a sure-shot remedy to comfort the severest cold.
You can make it a little thinner by adding more milk if you plan to serve it as a medicine for a cold or sore throat.
Storage Suggestions
Besan ka halwa tastes best when made fresh. But if you still have leftovers, refrigerate the halwa for 2-3 days in an airtight container.
Reheat it in a pan or microwave until nice and warm. If you feel it has become thick after refrigerating, add milk or water and adjust the consistency.
You can also freeze this delicious Indian dessert for up to 2 months. Once ready to eat, thaw it overnight in the fridge or over the counter for a few hours. Heat in a microwave and serve.
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Recipe Card

Besan Halwa Recipe (Indian Chickpea Flour Dessert)
Ingredients
- ½ cup ghee
- ¾ cup chickpea flour (besan, gram flour)
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup whole milk (full-fat milk)
- ½ cup granulated white sugar
- 1 teaspoon cardamom powder
- almond and pistachio slivers for garnishing
Instructions
- Heat ghee in a heavy-bottom pan at medium heat.
- Once the ghee is melted, add chickpea flour and roast until it turns dark brown and aromatic (10-12 mins), stirring continuously to avoid the flour from burning at the bottom of the pan.
- Note – The color of the final halwa will depend on how well you have roasted the flour. You want the flour to be dark brown in color but not burn it. It goes from perfectly browned to burnt in a few seconds. So keep a close eye while roasting it.
- Once the chickpea flour is browned well, add water and milk to the pan and mix well. Cook until the liquid is absorbed by the flour, stirring continuously.
- Now add sugar and cardamom powder to the pan and mix well.
- Cook for 5-6 minutes until the ghee starts to separate from the sides of the pan. Stir continuously while cooking.
- Once done, garnish with almond and pistachio slivers and serve hot.
vedica bhardwaj
hi neha! this is me vedica bhardwaj…. a restaurant owner in Boston and i must say that this is the perfect place for me to get ideas for the beautiful cum auspicious indian specialities for celebrating them across the western world! thanks and a warm hearted congratulations for your effort come in bright colours…. People like you are admired!
cheers to future!
Neha Mathur
Happy to hear this Vedica 🙂
AJMUL ALI
Yes I tried your recipe seriously it’s too tasty one of my girlfriend came from U. s. A and she Never tried any Indian food but she love this halwa thank you so much
Neha Mathur
Good to know this 🙂
Rahul
Tried many other besan Ka halwa recipes but I can this one was the best among all.
I didn’t used 1/2 cup water as you mentioned that it will come up with richer taste with milk only.
Thank you for the recipe. It was the best desert I’ve ever made.
Neha Mathur
So glad to read this 🙂
AARZOO
My mom used to make Besan ka halwa for my dad as his comfort food. She passed away a few months ago. I have only a few of her recipes but didn’t have one for the halwa. I followed your recipe and kept my mom’s voice in my head to make sure I don’t overdo the heat or stirring. It turned out good and my dad loved it. Thank you so much for helping me try and recreate such a beloved recipe and remember her.
Neha Mathur
It is so good to hear this 🙂
Arshad
I have not tried the recipe but I want to make sure that the amount of Besan is 1/2 cup and Ghee is 1/2 cup, Sugar is 1/2 cup, Milk is 1/2 cup.
Thanks.
Neha Mathur
Yes, it’s the right amount.
Priyanka Sinha
I tried your recipe and it came out really well!
Neha Mathur
Thnx for trying 🙂
Masna
Mine turned too dark in colour, but taste was good don’t know what did I do wrong
Neha Mathur
Hi Masna, the besan should be roasted just about dark brown for perfect colour. Over roasting will make the halwa dark in colour.
Mamta
my halwa turned out very good