In South Asian homes, mithai is never background, it’s the centerpiece of celebration. Silver-wrapped laddoos at Diwali, midnight halwa at weddings, barfi slipped into school tiffins. Sweets are how we say celebrate, sometimes sorry, and always together.
This season, we’re remixing the mithai dabba. Think carrot halwa reborn as a gym snack, chickpea blondies with a chikki soul, and saffron kheer that balances nostalgia with wellness. This is The Weekly Chai dessert remix, festive, fun, and designed to fuel you well past the last diya.
Table of Contents
Carrot Halwa Bars: Festive meets Fitness
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 30 mins
Yields: 9 bars
🥄 Ingredients
2 cups grated carrots
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
6 Medjool dates, pitted and chopped
¼ cup maple syrup
1 tsp cardamom powder
½ tsp cinnamon
1 cup rolled oats
½ cup almond flour
Pinch of salt
Optional: chopped pistachios or raisins
👩🏽🍳 Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking dish with parchment.
In a saucepan, simmer carrots with coconut milk and dates for 10-12 minutes until thickened.
Stir in maple syrup, cardamom, cinnamon, and salt. Remove from heat.
Fold in oats and almond flour, then press evenly into baking dish.
Top with pistachios (optional). Bake 20-25 minutes until edges are golden.
Cool, slice, and serve.
Chocolate Chip Tahini Cake: Besan Laddoo’s Modern Muse
Prep Time: 10 mins
Bake Time: 30 mins
Yields: 1 loaf / 8 slices
🥄 Ingredients
½ cup tahini
⅓ cup maple syrup
2 eggs or flax eggs (2 tbsp flax + 6 tbsp water)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup almond flour
¼ cup chickpea flour
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
½ cup dark chocolate chips or chunks
👩🏽🍳 Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease or line a loaf pan.
Whisk tahini, maple syrup, eggs, and vanilla.
Stir in almond flour, chickpea flour, baking soda, and salt.
Fold in chocolate chips and pour into pan.
Smooth top, bake 28-32 mins until center is set.
Cool completely before slicing.
Chickpea Blondies: Chikki, Reimagined
Prep Time: 5 mins
Bake Time: 25 mins
Yields: 12 blondies
🥄 Ingredients
1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
⅓ cup nut butter (almond or peanut)
¼ cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp cinnamon
⅓ cup dark chocolate chips
👩🏽🍳 Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a square pan.
Blend all ingredients (except chocolate chips) in a food processor until smooth.
Fold in chocolate chips and spread evenly in pan.
Bake 20-25 mins until edges are golden.
Cool, slice, and enjoy. Store in fridge up to 5 days.
Kessar Kheer: Nostalgia, Stirred
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 35 mins
Serves: 4
🥄 Ingredients
½ cup short-grain rice (or brown rice)
1 ½ cups unsweetened coconut milk
1 cup almond milk
6 dates, chopped
A few strands saffron, soaked in 1 tbsp warm almond milk
½ tsp cardamom powder
1 tsp rose water (optional)
Toppings: toasted nuts, pomegranate, edible flowers
👩🏽🍳 Instructions
Rinse and soak rice for 15–20 mins. Cook with 2 cups water until soft.
Stir in coconut milk, almond milk, dates, and saffron milk. Simmer 15–20 mins.
Add cardamom and rose water; cook until creamy.
Serve warm or chilled, topped with nuts or fruit.
Whether you’re stirring kheer for dadi, slipping blondies into a cousin’s lunchbox, or sneaking a halwa bar with midnight chai, these recipes are more than sweets. They’re offerings of care, tokens of continuity, and sparks of joy that outlast the festival lights.
Because festivals aren’t just about lights and laddoos, they’re about joy that nourishes, nostalgia that surprises, and desserts that keep the party alive long after the last diya fades.
Loved this? There’s more brewing every week at The Weekly Chai.