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    Whisk Affair » Recipes » Sweets & desserts » Bread Halwa

    Published: Jan 31, 2022 | Last Updated On: Feb 1, 2022 by Neha Mathur

    Bread Halwa

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    Jump to Recipe

    Bread Halwa is a delicious Indian sweet or dessert made using bread slices and a handful of ingredients. Bread slices are deep-fried in ghee and then cooked in sugar syrup until the consistency of halwa is reached. Here is how to make it.

    Here are some more halwa recipes that you may like – Lauki Ka Halwa, Rajgira Halwa, Carrot Halwa, Suji Ka Halwa, Besan Ka Halwa, Aate Ka Halwa.

    Bread halwa served in a bowl.
    Jump to:
    • About This Recipe
    • Ingredients
    • How To Make Bread Halwa (With Water)
    • How To Make Bread Halwa (With Milk)
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Serving Suggestions
    • Storage Suggestions
    • You Might Also Like
    • Recipe Card

    About This Recipe

    Bread Halwa is an Indian dessert made using white bread slices, ghee, sugar, cardamom powder, and dried nuts.

    It is particularly popular in Hyderabadi cuisine and is made for all the festivals and special occasions.

    Deep-fried slices of bread cooked in sugar syrup give this halwa a melt-in-mouth texture and the nuts perfectly balance the softness with their crunch.

    Bread ka halwa comes together in under 20 minutes using simple ingredients. This recipe is a great way to use leftover bread slices. You can also make this sweet dish when you have unexpected guests at home.

    This halwa can be made in two ways – with milk and with water. I have mentioned both the methods in the post below. My favorite is the one cooked in the water though.

    You can easily scale this delicious bread halwa recipe if making it for a crowd.

    Ingredients

    Bread halwa ingredients.

    Bread – White milk bread or sweet white bread slices are the best to make this halwa. I don’t prefer using brown bread or other hard bread to make it.

    You can also use sweet buns and call it bun halwa.

    Ghee – This halwa is cooked in ghee. Do not replace it with oil, it won’t taste good.

    Nuts – I have used cashew nuts and almonds, but you can add other nuts like pistachios, walnuts, etc.

    Sugar – Granulated white sugar is used to sweeten the halwa. You can replace sugar with powdered jaggery if you wish to.

    Cardamom Powder – Use it to flavor the halwa.

    You can add some saffron strands to make the halwa more flavorful.

    How To Make Bread Halwa (With Water)

    Cut the brown edges of 6 white bread slices using a sharp serrated knife and cut the slices into 4 pieces.

    Ends of the bread removed and bread cut into small pieces.
    Bread ready for frying.

    Heat 2 cups of ghee for frying in a shallow pan over medium heat.

    Ghee heating in a pan.

    Once the ghee is hot, deep fry the bread pieces in batches until golden brown.

    Bread pieces added to hot ghee.

    Keep flipping the pieces using tongs while frying so that they fry evenly on all the sides.

    Drain on a plate and set aside.

    Note – Do not over fry the bread otherwise the halwa will not taste good. Keep in consideration that bread will keep browning a little from the residual heat.

    Tip – Strain the leftover ghee using a fine-mesh strainer and use it to make other sweets.

    Fried bread pieces.
    Drained on a plate.

    Heat 1 tablespoon ghee in a pan over medium heat.

    Ghee heating in a pan.

    Add 10-12 almonds (coarsely crushed) and 10-12 cashew nuts (coarsely crushed) and fry until golden brown. Keep stirring frequently while frying.

    Almonds and cashew nuts added to the pan.
    Browned nuts.

    Add ½ cup granulated sugar and 1 cup water to the pan.

    Sugar and water added to the pan.

    Cook until sugar is dissolved.

    Reduce the heat to low and cook for 5 minutes.

    Ready sugar syrup.

    Now add the fried bread pieces to the pan and cook for 8-10 minutes.

    Fried bread added to the pan.

    Keep mashing the halwa with the back of a ladle.

    Bread softening in the syrup.
    Mashed bread.

    Once the halwa is cooked, add ½ teaspoon cardamom powder and mix well.

    Cardamom powder added to the pan.

    Garnish with more slivered nuts and serve hot.

    Ready bread halwa.

    How To Make Bread Halwa (With Milk)

    To make bread halwa using milk, just replace water with whole milk (full-fat milk) and keep the rest of the recipe the same.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    How to make healthier bread halwa?

    To make the halwa healthier, brush the bread pieces with little ghee and toast them until brown and crispy instead of deep-frying.

    Serving Suggestions

    Bread Halwa can be served as a dessert after your weekend meals or even festive meals.

    You can also serve it as a snack whenever hunger strikes and you are cravings for something sweet.

    Storage Suggestions

    You can store the halwa in the fridge in an airtight container for about 3 to 4 days.

    Reheat in the microwave or in a small pan and serve it hot or warm.

    You Might Also Like

    • Aloo ka Halwa (Potato Halwa)
    • Moong Dal Halwa
    • Beetroot Halwa
    • Panjiri

    Recipe Card

    Loved this recipe?Click here to leave a review and give us a five star rating ★★★★★
    Bread Halwa is a delicious Indian sweet or dessert made using bread. Bread slices are deep-fried in ghee and then cooked in sugar syrup until the consistency of halwa is reached. Here is how to make it.

    Bread Halwa Recipe

    Bread Halwa is a delicious Indian sweet or dessert made using bread. Bread slices are deep-fried in ghee and then cooked in a sugar syrup until the consistency of halwa is reached. Here is how to make it.
    4.75 from 4 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: Indian
    Diet: Vegetarian
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes
    Servings: 6 people
    Calories: 186kcal
    Author: Neha Mathur

    Ingredients 

    • 6 white bread slices
    • 1 tablespoon ghee (plus 2 cups for frying)
    • 10-12 almonds (coarsely crushed)
    • 10-12 cashew nuts (coarsely crushed)
    • ½ cup granulated sugar
    • 1 cup water
    • ½ teaspoon cardamom powder
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    Instructions

    • Cut the brown ends of bread slices using a sharp serrated knife and cut the slices into 4 pieces.
    • Heat 2 cups of ghee for frying in a shallow pan over medium heat.
    • Once the ghee is hot, deep fry the bread pieces in batches until golden brown.
    • Keep flipping the pieces using tongs while frying so that they fry evenly on all the sides.
    • Drain on a plate and set aside.
    • Note – Do not over fry the bread otherwise the halwa will not taste good. Keep in consideration that bread will keep browning a little from the residual heat.
    • Tip – Strain the leftover ghee using a fine-mesh strainer and use it to make other sweets.
    • Heat ghee in a pan over medium heat.
    • Add almonds and cashew nuts (coarsely crushed) and fry until golden brown. Keep stirring frequently while frying.
    • Add sugar and water to the pan.
    • Cook until sugar is dissolved.
    • Reduce the heat to low and cook for 5 minutes.
    • Now add the fried bread pieces to the pan and cook for 8-10 minutes.
    • Keep mashing the halwa with the back of a ladle.
    • Once the halwa is cooked, add cardamom powder and mix well.
    • Garnish with more slivered nuts and serve hot.

    Video

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RgmL1nicx0

    Notes

    To make bread halwa using milk, just replace water with whole (full-fat) milk and keep the rest of the recipe the same.
    To make the halwa healthier, brush the bread pieces with little ghee and toast them until brown and crispy instead of deep-frying.
    If the halwa looks dry, splash some milk and cook.
    You can also add crumbled khoya once the halwa is almost ready.
    You can easily scale the recipe if making it for a crowd.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 186kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 148mg | Potassium: 81mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 46mg | Iron: 1mg
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Angela

      May 05, 2020 at 6:38 am

      5 stars
      This was really awesome !!! I added a pinch of salt to the syrup but the taste was mindblowing! Thank you for the recipe

      Reply
      • Neha Mathur

        May 06, 2020 at 3:52 am

        Happy to hear 🙂

        Reply

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