Badam Halwa is a classic rich and luscious Indian dessert made with just 4 main ingredients of almonds, milk, sugar, ghee, and laced with cardamom and saffron. This Badam Halwa is put together quickly in less than 25 minutes using almond flour. It’s the ideal dessert for any celebration or festival!
Many Indians prefer halwa as a dessert, especially on cold or rainy days. There are numerous varieties made all over the country. We use semolina, wheat flour, lentils, vegetables, fruit, and even nuts to make halwa. You can try a few of my halwa recipes – Carrot Halwa, Besan Halwa, Sooji halwa.
Badam is the Hindi word for almond, and halwa is a type of pudding. Almonds are traditionally used to make badam halwa, which is made by soaking them in water, blanching them, making a paste, and then making the halwa.
This recipe I’m sharing today is an easy-peasy version made with blanched almond flour. I call this a shortcut recipe 🙂 as it is fuss-free and so quick, similar to my Badam Katli with almond flour!
Table of Contents
Watch How to Make Badam Halwa with Almond Flour
Why You’ll Love This Badam Halwa
- It’s the ideal dessert for festivals like Diwali and Holi, get-togethers and parties.
- It is simple to prepare and requires minimal ingredients.
- It has a rich and luscious texture and delectable flavor.
- This recipe requires very little effort.
- It is a gluten-free dessert and can easily be tweaked to make vegan and keto.
- It is excellent for making it ahead
- Most importantly, it is kid-approved!
Ingredients to Make Badam Halwa
- Milk: I like to use full-fat cow’s milk for this recipe. You can also make it with plant-based milk, like almond or coconut, if you are vegan.
- Saffron: Saffron boosts the color and flavor of the halwa. I love to use good-quality Spanish or Persian saffron. Add crushed saffron strands to warm milk. Set it aside for 5 minutes for the flavor and color to develop.
- Ghee: A generous amount of ghee improves the taste and mouthfeel of the halwa. I strongly advise against reducing the amount of ghee in this recipe.
- Almond flour: You must use fresh, good-quality almond flour. I usually buy mine from Costco. You can also find it online on Amazon.
- Sugar: This recipe calls for granulated white sugar. If you prefer less sweet, you can adjust the quantity accordingly.
- Cardamom powder: I grind cardamom to make my own powder. It just takes a few minutes to crush the cardamom in a mortar and pestle.
- Nuts: I love to add slivered almonds and pistachios for garnish, but you could add raisins if you like.
How To Make Almond Flour Halwa
Just follow these step-by-step instructions to make the most amazing melt-in-mouth halwa.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of milk in a small pan on medium heat. Once it’s hot (no need to boil it), add a pinch of crushed saffron strands to it. Remove the pan from heat and set it aside for 5 minutes for the flavor and color to develop.
- In a heavy bottom pot, heat ghee. Heat it on medium flame.
- Then reduce to low heat. Next, add almond flour and saute till the raw smell of the almond flour disappears, and the almond flour starts to turn golden in color. Stir continuously to avoid burning. In total, it will take about 10 minutes.
- Now add milk and mix continuously so that there are no lumps. Cook for 5-6 minutes till the almond flour soaks all the milk.
- Add sugar, saffron milk, cardamom powder and stir. Halwa loosens and then sauté to thicken it again.
- Cook till the halwa thickens and it easily leaves the sides of the pan. Stir continuously till you get a pudding-like consistency.
- Almond Halwa thickens as it cools. Once you have the right consistency, take it out in a serving bowl.
- Serve the badam ka halwa warm, garnished with slivered pistachios or almonds.
Tips
- Use almond flour that is extremely fine and blanched, not almond meal.
- Use generous amounts of homemade ghee or store-bought ghee.
- Use a low-medium heat setting to prevent the halwa from burning.
- To ensure that the halwa is cooked through, cook it until it begins to leave away from the pan’s sides.
- For the best aroma, use freshly ground cardamom powder. Store-bought cardamom powders do not have the same aroma as freshly ground.
- No saffron in the kitchen – no problem! Simply use a pinch of turmeric powder, or you can even skip it completely.
How To Serve?
When serving badam halwa, it is best when it is at warm. You can also serve it at room temperature. This halwa is usually served in a dessert bowl.
You can serve the halwa on a dessert plate in the shape of a bowl. Fill up the halwa in a bowl, press it to set, and then flip it over onto a serving plate to serve it in the shape of a bowl.
Sprinkle some slivered almonds, pistachios and rose petals for garnish. You can also drizzle some ghee on top for the aroma.
How to store?
When stored in an airtight box, it keeps good for up to a week in the refrigerator. Just before serving, heat for about 30 seconds in the microwave.
This halwa freezes well. For up to 1 month, badam halwa remains fresh in a freezer-safe container. When ready to eat, defrost and reheat until hot.
Common Questions
It is not ideal, but you can use almond meal. The almond meal is produced from raw, unpeeled almonds, and is coarser as compared to almond flour. The main difference you will find is that your halwa will have a dark brownish color.
Yes, you can! You must soak the almonds in hot water for about 30-45 minutes. Peel the almonds and pulverize the almonds to make a fine paste. The only disadvantage with using whole almonds is that you have to plan ahead to allow sufficient time for the almonds to soak. It will also take longer to sauté the almond paste in the initial recipe steps.
More Almond Flour Recipes You Will Love
- Chocolate Ladoo (Chocolate Almond Truffles)
- Coconut Almond Ladoo
- Badam Milk
- Gluten-free Almond Flour Brownies
- Gluten-free Almond Flour Pumpkin Muffins
- Almond Flour Banana Muffins
- 10+ Best Halwa Recipes
Badam Halwa with Almond Flour
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Whole Milk
- 1 pinch Saffron (Kesar)
- 1/3 cup Ghee, divided, melted
- 1 cup Almond Flour
- 1 cup Whole Milk
- 1/2 cup Granulated White Sugar, use 75 grams for a less sweeter halwa
- 1/4 teaspoon Cardamom powder (Elaichi)
- 2 tablespoon Almonds or Pistachios , slivered, to garnish
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon milk in a small pan on medium heat. You can also microwave the milk for 30 seconds. Once milk is hot (no need to boil it), add crushed saffron strands to it. Remove pan from heat and set it aside for 10 minutes until the flavor and color develops.
Stovetop Method
- In a heavy bottom pot, heat ghee on medium flame.
- Reduce to low heat. Add almond flour and sauté till the raw smell of the almond flour disappears and the almond flour starts to turn golden in color. Stir continuously to avoid burning. Total it will take about 10 minutes.
- Now add milk and mix continuously so that there are no lumps. Cook for another 5-6 minutes till the almond flour soaks all the milk.
- Add sugar, saffron milk, cardamom powder and stir well. Halwa loosens and then saute to thicken it again.
- Cook till the halwa thickens and ghee leaves sides of the pan in about 6-7 minutes.
- Almond Flour Halwa thickens as it cools. Once you have the right consistency take it out in a serving bowl. Do not leave in the pan as it can overcook and get chewy.
- Serve badam halwa warm, garnished with slivered pistachios or almonds.
Video
Notes
- Use almond flour for this recipe. Almond meal is not as fine, and won’t make a smooth halwa.
- For melt in the mouth halwa, the right amount of ghee is important. Hence I suggest to use the amounts mentioned in the recipe.
can you please add x1/2 and x1/4 to the recipe card
Hi Nisha – Sorry, we don’t have that option with the current recipe plugin.
Tried this recipe today. It was perfect! I loved that it was not too sweet like some other desserts, just the right sweet and consistency. Thank you for this super recipe!
Hi – Glad to hear that the recipe turned out well for you and that you enjoyed it! You’re welcome and happy cooking!
Thank you…This recipe and your instructions are perfect… Badam Halwa came out so good . Everyone loved it. Thanks again
Hi Roopa – So good to hear that. Thank you for sharing it 🙂
WOW! This was absolutely delicious! Tasted like a cross between candy and mithai. LOVED IT! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Happy to hear you enjoyed it, Aisha!
Any substitute for sugar?
Hello – I have not tried this halwa without sugar, but you can try with replacing jaggery if you prefer.