5 Ghee Sweets to Make for Raksha Bandhan This Year
Ask any halwai why his ladoos taste better than what most people manage at home, and the answer is rarely the recipe — it's the ghee. Specifically, it's usually white ghee, made from buffalo milk, not the golden cow ghee most households keep for daily rotis and dal.
Buffalo milk carries almost double the fat of cow milk, which is exactly why its ghee turns out denser, richer, and better suited to sweets that need that heavy, melt-in-the-mouth quality. Our Buffalo Ghee vs Cow Ghee comparison goes deeper into why halwais have leaned on white ghee for generations — but the short version is: if you're making mithai this Raksha Bandhan, buffalo ghee is the one to reach for.
Here are five sweets worth making this year, all built around Pure Desi Buffalo Ghee.
1. Besan Ladoo
The one every household gets asked to make around Rakhi, mostly because it holds up for days without turning stale.
Ingredients (makes ~15 ladoos): 2 cups besan, 3/4 cup A2Farm Pure Desi Buffalo Ghee, 3/4 cup powdered sugar, 1/4 tsp cardamom powder, chopped almonds/pistachios (optional).
Method: Heat the ghee in a heavy kadhai on low flame. Add the besan and roast continuously for 15–18 minutes until deep golden and nutty-smelling. Cool for 8–10 minutes, mix in powdered sugar and cardamom, then roll into ladoos while still warm.
2. Gajar Ka Halwa
Technically a winter sweet, but worth making regardless of season if you can get decent gajar.
Ingredients (serves 6): 1 kg red carrots (grated), 1 litre full-fat milk, 1/2 cup sugar, 4 tbsp A2Farm Pure Desi Buffalo Ghee, 1/4 cup khoya (optional), chopped cashews and raisins.
Method: Cook grated carrots in milk on medium flame, stirring often, until the milk reduces almost completely (35–40 minutes). Add sugar and cook until thick. Fry cashews and raisins in ghee separately and mix in along with khoya. Cook 3–4 minutes more before serving warm.
3. Moong Dal Halwa
The one that separates a confident cook from a beginner — mostly because of how much ghee and patience it needs.
Ingredients (serves 6): 1 cup yellow moong dal (soaked, coarsely ground), 1/2 cup A2Farm Pure Desi Buffalo Ghee, 3/4 cup sugar, 2 cups warm milk, 1/4 tsp cardamom powder, saffron strands, chopped almonds.
Method: Roast the ground moong dal in ghee on low-medium flame for 25–30 minutes until golden and fragrant. Slowly add warm milk, stirring to avoid lumps. Cook until absorbed, then add sugar, cardamom, and saffron. Cook until glossy and releasing ghee at the edges. Garnish with almonds.
4. Rajasthani Churma Ladoo
A Rajasthani household staple that holds up unusually well when shipped or carried to a sibling in another city — a practical choice for Rakhi specifically.
Ingredients (makes ~12 ladoos): 2 cups wheat flour, 1/2 cup A2Farm Pure Desi Buffalo Ghee (plus extra for binding), 3/4 cup grated jaggery, 2 tbsp semolina, 1/4 tsp cardamom powder, a pinch of edible camphor (optional).
Method: Mix flour, semolina and a little ghee into a stiff dough, shape into discs, and roast or fry until golden. Cool and crumble into churma. Melt jaggery into a syrup, mix into the churma with remaining ghee and cardamom, and bind into ladoos while warm.
5. Suji Halwa — Quick Rava Sheera
For the year you're short on time but still want something homemade on the table before the rakhi is tied.
Ingredients (serves 4): 1 cup semolina, 1/2 cup A2Farm Pure Desi Buffalo Ghee, 3/4 cup sugar, 2.5 cups water, crushed cardamom, chopped nuts.
Method: Roast semolina in ghee on low flame until light golden (6–8 minutes). Boil water, sugar and cardamom separately, then slowly pour into the roasted semolina, stirring to avoid lumps. Cook until it pulls away from the pan. Garnish and serve warm.
Why Buffalo Ghee Specifically for Rakhi Sweets
Buffalo milk's higher fat content gives the ghee a denser texture and a bolder, more pronounced flavour — exactly what these sweets are built around. Cow ghee isn't wrong here, but it's built for a different job (daily rotis, dal, light cooking); Pure Desi Buffalo Ghee is the one that gets you closer to the halwai-style richness these recipes are chasing.
If you'd rather gift the ghee itself than the finished sweets, our Rakhi Gift Hampers guide has options built around this same jar. For more everyday ghee recipes, see our Indian Recipes Using Ghee roundup.
Raksha Bandhan 2026 falls on Friday, August 28 — check the exact Rakhi muhurat timing on Drik Panchang if it matters for your ritual.
Get A2Farm's Pure Desi Buffalo Ghee before Raksha Bandhan and give these five sweets the richness they're supposed to have.
FAQs
1. Can I use cow ghee instead of buffalo ghee for these recipes?
Yes, but the sweets will turn out lighter and less rich. Buffalo ghee's higher fat content gives halwai-style mithai its dense, indulgent texture.
2. Which of these sweets can be made a day in advance?
Besan ladoo and churma ladoo both keep well for several days at room temperature.
3. How long does moong dal halwa take to make?
Roasting the dal alone takes 25–30 minutes on low flame — plan for close to an hour total.
4. Can churma ladoo be shipped to a sibling in another city?
Yes — it holds up well during transit and doesn't need refrigeration.
5. Why does the besan need to be roasted so long for ladoos?
Under-roasted besan leaves a raw aftertaste. The deep golden colour and nutty smell are the real indicators, not the clock.
6. Is buffalo ghee heavier to digest than cow ghee?
Generally yes — buffalo ghee is denser and richer, suiting occasional festive sweets better than daily cooking.
7. Can I reduce the sugar in these recipes?
Yes, sugar can be adjusted to taste without affecting texture much, since ghee does most of the textural work.
8. How should I store these sweets?
An airtight container at room temperature works for 4–5 days; refrigeration extends shelf life further.
9. Can I make suji halwa without cardamom?
Yes, it can be skipped or replaced with a pinch of nutmeg.
10. Is Rajasthani churma ladoo the same as regular churma?
Broadly yes — churma ladoo is churma bound into individual ladoos, making it easier to gift or pack.