Diwali is incomplete without sweets, but this year let’s make it both healthy and festive. Swap refined sugar and maida with fiber-rich millets — ancient grains like ragi, foxtail millet, and barnyard millet that offer a natural sweetness and earthy flavor.
Millets are:
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🌾 Gluten-free
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💪 Packed with iron, calcium, and antioxidants
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🌍 Environment-friendly and sustainable
Here are 5 easy and tasty millet sweet recipes you can make at home this Diwali!
🥮 1. Foxtail Millet Ladoo (Thinai Ladoo)
Prep Time: 15 mins | Cook Time: 10 mins | Serves: 10 ladoos
Ingredients:
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1 cup foxtail millet flour
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¾ cup powdered jaggery
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2 tbsp ghee
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2 tbsp chopped nuts
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½ tsp cardamom powder
Instructions:
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Dry roast millet flour on low flame until aromatic.
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Add ghee and roast till golden.
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Mix in jaggery, cardamom, and nuts.
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Shape into ladoos while warm.
SEO Tip: Add image alt tag — “Foxtail Millet Ladoo for Diwali”
🍧 2. Ragi Halwa (Finger Millet Halwa)
A rich, fudgy dessert full of iron and energy.
Ingredients:
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½ cup ragi flour
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2 cups milk or almond milk
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½ cup jaggery syrup
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2 tbsp ghee
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Cardamom & nuts
Instructions:
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Roast ragi flour in ghee until fragrant.
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Add milk slowly, stir to avoid lumps.
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Add jaggery syrup and cook till thick.
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Garnish with nuts.
Pro Tip: For vegan version — use coconut oil and coconut milk.
🍶 3. Barnyard Millet Kheer (Sanwa Kheer)
Creamy, comforting, and perfect for festive meals.
Ingredients:
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¼ cup barnyard millet
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3 cups milk
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¼ cup jaggery or sugar
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¼ tsp cardamom
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Nuts & raisins
Instructions:
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Soak millet for 15 minutes.
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Cook in milk until soft.
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Add jaggery and cardamom.
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Garnish with fried nuts.
Serving Suggestion: Serve chilled for a pudding-like texture.
🍰 4. Little Millet Coconut Barfi
Sweet, nutty, and naturally gluten-free.
Ingredients:
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1 cup cooked little millet (samai)
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½ cup grated coconut
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¾ cup jaggery
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2 tbsp ghee
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Cardamom & chopped nuts
Instructions:
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Boil jaggery with water, strain impurities.
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Add cooked millet and coconut.
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Stir till mixture leaves sides of pan.
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Spread on plate, cut into barfis.
Storage Tip: Lasts 3–4 days in airtight container.
🍯 5. Kodo Millet Payasam
A silky dessert with the aroma of coconut milk and cardamom.
Ingredients:
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¼ cup kodo millet
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2 cups coconut milk
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¼ cup jaggery syrup
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Cashews roasted in ghee
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A pinch of saffron (optional)
Instructions:
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Cook millet till soft.
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Add jaggery syrup and simmer.
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Mix in coconut milk, saffron, and cardamom.
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Top with roasted nuts.
🌼 Why You’ll Love Millet Sweets This Diwali
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✅ Healthy twist on traditional Indian sweets
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✅ Natural sweetness from jaggery, no refined sugar
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✅ Ideal for diabetics (low GI)
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✅ Supports sustainable farming
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✅ Deliciously different yet familiar in taste
🎇 Final Thoughts — Light Up Your Health This Diwali
This festive season, give your loved ones the gift of wellness and flavor. These millet-based Diwali sweets not only taste divine but also keep your celebrations light and wholesome.
✨ Celebrate Diwali with health, happiness, and the goodness of millets! ✨