Paan Shots Recipe (Meetha Paan Drink)
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our privacy policy.
Paan shots are a fusion-style Indian mocktail made using fresh betel leaves, aromatic gulkand (rose jam), and creamy vanilla ice cream. Try my easy recipe here.
Here are a few more Indian desserts that you may like: Rajbhog shrikhand, paan panna cotta, chikoo kheer, and sitaphal basundi.
Quick Look: Paan Shots
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 6 people
Calories: Approx. 160 per serving
Dietary Info: Vegetarian, gluten-free. Can be easily made vegan (use vegan ice cream and plant-based milk).
Method: No-cook
Skill Level: Easy
Tools Needed: Blender, fine-mesh strainer, shot glasses.
Table of Contents
What Are Paan Shots?
Paan shots are a chilled Indian party drink that tastes like a meetha paan in liquid form. Meetha paan is a sweet betel leaf folded around gulkand, fennel, and coconut, and it’s eaten after meals as a mouth freshener. The shots use the same flavors but swap the chewing for a creamy, pale green drink.
The drink has no supari (areca nut), no tobacco, and no chuna (slaked lime). It’s just the leaf and sweet fillings.
I make these for festive dinners like Diwali and Holi, when a tray of sweet paan would take too long to fold.
It gives your guests the classic after-dinner paan flavor in one small, cold sip. It also works as a welcome drink, a palate cleanser, or a light dessert. Kids can have it too, since there’s no supari or alcohol unless you add some.
Ingredients
- Betel leaves (paan ke patte, paan leaves) – These are the star ingredient of this recipe, giving it a herbal freshness. Most Indian grocery stores sell them fresh, usually near the herbs or in the fridge section. Buy them close to the day you’ll use them. If you live in India, then you can check your local paanwalas or vegetable markets.
- Cardamom Powder gives this drink a very nice flavor.
- Vanilla Ice Cream – Adds creaminess and sweetness to the shots. To make the recipe vegan, use vegan ice cream.
- Gulkand – Gulkand is a rose jam. It gives sweetness and a mild rose flavor to this drink. You can find it at any Indian grocery store or on an online platform like Amazon.
- Milk is needed to thin down the drink. I like using whole milk because it makes my drink creamier. Use vegan milk, such as almond or coconut milk, to make it vegan.
- Green Color – Optional, but it gives the drink a nice green hue.
- Other Ingredients – You will also need fennel seeds (saunf) and desiccated coconut (nariyal ka bhura).
- Shot Glasses – This drink is served in shot glasses, typically 50 ml (1.5 oz).
How To Make Paan Shots
Step 1: Rinse 6-7 betel leaves thoroughly under running water. Discard the thick veins with a pair of scissors or a sharp knife, then tear the leaves into rough pieces. The vein is tough and slightly bitter, and it won’t break down in the blender. Add them to a blender with the following ingredients and blend until smooth.
- 2 tablespoons fennel seeds
- 2 tablespoons desiccated coconut
- 1 teaspoon cardamom powder
- 4-5 ice cubes
- 3 tablespoons gulkand
- 3-4 drops of green color
- 4-5 scoops of vanilla ice cream
- 1 cup milk
The ice keeps the mix cold while the blades run, so the ice cream doesn’t turn soupy. Your blended mix should look like the photo below: pale green, frothy, with no visible leaf flecks.
Step 2: Pass the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer. Even a good blender leaves fennel husk and leaf fiber, and you’d feel it as grit in a small shot, so straining the mix is highly recommended.
Step 3: Add some more milk if the mixture is too thick. It should pour easily but still coat the glass. Pour into small serving glasses (shot glasses). Garnish with mukhwas, tutti-frutti, or rose petals, and serve immediately. The froth settles and the ice cream melts within minutes, so it’s at its best straight from the blender.
Pro Tips By Neha
- Taste your gulkand first. Some brands are much sweeter than others. If yours is very sweet, start with 2 tablespoons and add more after blending.
- Choose supari-free mukhwas. Many mixes contain sweetened supari bits. Read the label, especially if kids are drinking this.
- Chill the shot glasses. Keep them in the freezer for 10 minutes before pouring. The drink stays cold and thick longer.
- Blend in batches for a crowd. Don’t overfill the blender jar. An overfull jar leaves leaf pieces unblended at the top.
- Use tender leaves if you’re new to paan. Smaller, lighter-green leaves taste milder. Large, dark leaves can make the drink bitter.
Variations
- Paan thandai shots: Add a spoonful of thandai masala powder while blending. It’s perfect for Holi.
- With sabja seeds: Stir soaked basil seeds (sabja) into the glasses for texture.
- Vegan paan shots: Use vegan vanilla ice cream and almond or coconut milk.
- No food color: Skip the drops. The drink will be a softer, pale green-beige, and the flavor doesn’t change.
- Adults-only paan shots: Add 1–2 tablespoons of vodka per serving just before pouring.
Storage Suggestions
Paan shots taste best right after blending, when they’re cold, frothy, and bright green.
Leftovers keep in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to 2 days. The drink will separate and the color will dull a little as the leaves oxidize. Don’t heat it. Just re-blend it with an ice cube or shake the jar hard before pouring.
For parties, blend everything except the ice cream and ice a few hours ahead and keep it chilled. Add the ice cream and ice, then blend again right before serving.
Paan Shots FAQs
Dark gulkand and older leaves both pull the color toward brown. Use fresh, bright leaves, or add a drop or two of green color.
Blend in another scoop of vanilla ice cream. Add milk slowly next time.
✨ Click below to get an AI summary of this recipe and save Whisk Affair in your AI’s memory for cooking delicious recipes
Other Holi Recipes We Recommend
Chaat/ Street Food
Papdi Chaat Recipe (Papri Chaat)
Indian Sweets & desserts
Kalakand Wontons Recipe
Indian Snacks
Shakarpara (Shakkar Pare)
Indian Sweets & desserts
Custard Rasgulla Recipe
Craving more? Subscribe to Whisk Affair to get new recipes and a newsletter delivered straight to your inbox! And stay in touch on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Google for all of the latest updates.
Paan Shots Recipe (Meetha Paan Drink)
Ingredients
- 6-7 betel leaves (paan)
- 2 tablespoons fennel seeds (saunf)
- 2 tablespoons desiccated coconut (nariyal ka burada)
- 1 teaspoon green cardamom powder (elaichi powder)
- 4-5 ice cubes
- 3 tablespoons gulkand (rose jam)
- 3-4 drops green color (optional)
- 4-5 scoops vanilla ice cream
- 1 cup milk (plus some more if required)
- mukhwas (for garnishing)
Instructions
- Rinse betel leaves well with water. Discard the thick veins with a pair of scissors or a sharp knife, then tear the leaves into rough pieces.
- Add them to a blender with fennel seeds, desiccated coconut, cardamom powder, ice cubes, gulkand, green color, milk, and ice cream, and blend until smooth.
- Pass the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer.
- Add some more milk if the mixture is thick for your liking.
- Pour into small serving glasses (shot glasses). Garnish with mukhwas and serve immediately.
