Badam Halwa or Almond halwa is a classic Indian dessert made with just 4 ingredients almond flour, milk, sugar, ghee and flavored with cardamom and saffron. This badam ka halwa (almond pudding) can be made in less than 30 mins and is rich, decadent, gluten-free, and extremely delicious! It makes the perfect dessert for celebrations and festivals.
I’m sharing how to make badam halwa with almond flour in the Instant Pot and on the stovetop.
Badam Halwa or almond halwa is our new favorite dessert! From birthdays to festivities, it's been our go-to halwa this year!
Ever since I found the Almond flour at Costco I have been making this almond halwa in the Instant Pot and it's so easy and convenient. Turns out absolutely delicious and tastes just like restaurant-style almond halwa.
If your family loves halwa as much as we do, try these other easy halwa recipes, Sooji Halwa and Gajar(Carrot)Halwa.
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About Badam Halwa
Badam Halwa is a classic, rich and delicious sweet Indian pudding made from almonds. It is very popular in South India and made for special occasions.
Badam is the Hindi word for almonds and halwa is a sweet Indian pudding made by cooking the main ingredient (almonds for this recipe) with milk, ghee, and sugar. Hence the name Badam ka Halwa (in Hindi), Almond Halwa, or Badam Sheera (in Marathi).
Traditionally badam halwa is made by first soaking the almonds in water, then peeling them, grinding them, and then cooking them with ghee, sugar, and milk (or water).
Due to this elaborate process, almond halwa is not made so often since it requires time and effort. But not anymore!!
I'm sharing a shortcut version, that is not only easy but super convenient as well to make badam halwa at home.
The trick here is to use balanced almond flour instead of raw almonds and make it in the Instant pot. You can make it on a stovetop too!
This easy badam halwa can be made ahead of time making it the perfect dessert to make for parties, potlucks, celebrations, and festivals like Diwali, Holi, Navratri, and Ganesh Chaturthi.
Let's see how to make badam halwa recipe using Instant Pot and Stovetop Methods.
Recipe Ingredients
Almond Flour - Use fresh and good-quality blanched almond flour for this recipe. I use almond flour from Costco but it is also available in many grocery stores and online too. Make sure it doesn’t have any rancid taste or smell.
Ghee - I prefer using homemade ghee but you can use store-bought too. If you are using store-bought, ensure its high quality for the best flavor as this halwa needs a generous amount of ghee.
Sugar - Use granulated white sugar. You can adjust the amount as per your taste.
Milk - I prefer whole milk (full fat) for this recipe as it makes the halwa even richer. But you can use the milk of your choice. Use plant-based milk or almond milk if you want to make it vegan.
Nuts - I have used raw almonds that I have soaked in hot water, peeled, and then roughly chopped to add to halwa. You can also add chopped cashews and golden raisins to it. They add a nice texture. In addition, I also garnish the halwa with some sliced almonds. Some chopped pistachios for garnishing would work too.
Saffron - This is optional but personally love it in Indian desserts and the pale yellow color it gives to the halwa. You can also use yellow food color if required.
Cardamom - Like most Indian desserts, this halwa is also flavored with green cardamom. I prefer using a combination of Cardamom powder and freshly coarsely crushed green cardamom seeds for the best flavor.
Please refer to the recipe card for exact measurements of ingredients.
How to Make Badam Halwa in Instant Pot (Step-by-Step Method)
Clean/sanitize the instant pot and all the parts thoroughly before making halwa.
1 - Soak saffron in warm milk. Warm the milk in the microwave for 1 min or on the stovetop. Mix it well and set it aside for the flavor and color to develop.
2 - Start the Instant Pot on saute mode (normal) and once it is hot add 2 tablespoons of ghee to it.
3 and 4 - Once the ghee is melted, add the almond flour and saute for 2-3 mins or till the raw smell of the almond flour disappears. Do not brown it. Keep stirring continuously to avoid the flour from burning.
5 - Press cancel and add milk (be careful since there will be a lot of steam coming once you add milk) and sugar.
6 - Mix until it is well combined. Deglaze the pot to make sure nothing is sticking at the bottom to avoid a BURN error.
7 - Close the Instant Pot with a vent in a sealing position. Cook on manual (or pressure cook)high pressure for 1 minute. Once the cooking is complete (pot beeps), do a manual steam release (quick release). Open the lid once the pin drops.
8 - Add chopped peeled almonds, cardamom powder, and the remaining 2 tablespoons of ghee.
9 - The halwa will still have some liquid left which is required to be cooked. Start Instant pot back on Saute. Mix until well combined.
10 - Cook until the halwa thickens and leaves the sides. It may take 5-10 mins, keep stirring continuously to prevent the halwa from sticking to the pot.
11 - Once the halwa has reached a thick pudding consistency, turn off the instant pot and add the freshly crushed cardamom seeds and mix to combine.
Don’t dry out the halwa completely since it will thicken as it cools. Take out the stainless steel pot and keep it aside. If you let it sit in the Instant pot, it will continue to cook and become hard and chewy with residual heat.
12 - Badam halwa is ready!! Garnish with sliced almonds and more saffron strands and serve warm or at room temperature.
Traditional Stovetop Method
In a heavy-bottomed pan, heat 2 tablespoons of ghee and allow it to melt.
Next, add the almond flour and saute for 4-5 mins or till the raw smell of the almond flour disappears. Do not brown it. Keep stirring continuously to avoid the flour from burning.
Now add the milk (mixed with saffron) slowly and mix continuously until there are no lumps.
Stir in sugar, chopped peeled almonds, and cardamom powder. Keep stirring. As soon as the sugar melts, the halwa will turn into a runny consistency.
Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of ghee and continue cooking until the halwa thickens and leaves the sides of the pan. Stir continuously.
Once the halwa reaches a thick pudding-like consistency, add the crushed cardamom seeds. Mix well.
The halwa thickens as it cooks so once you have the right consistency, turn off the heat and transfer the halwa to a serving bowl. If you leave it on the gas, it will get hard and chewy because of the residual heat.
Badam halwa is ready to be served!
Serving Suggestions
Badam halwa tastes best when served warm or at room temperature. Serve it garnished with sliced almonds or pistachios for dessert.
Storage Instructions
You can store badam halwa in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. The ghee tends to solidify when refrigerated so just before serving, heat almond halwa in the microwave for 30 seconds to get it back to a soft consistency.
You can also freeze badam halwa for up to a month in a freezer-safe container or ziplock bags. Thaw and reheat before serving.
Recipe Tips
I recommend using blanched almond flour only for this recipe. Almond meal may not give the same results since it's not as fine as flour.
Do not brown or burn the almond flour while roasting or else it will add burnt flavor to the halwa.
For that soft melt-in-mouth halwa, use the amount of ghee mentioned. Don't skimp on it since it adds a lot of flavors, and keeps halwa moist.
I prefer using whole milk for that creamy and rich halwa but you can also use a mix of water and milk too.
Saffron is optional and can be skipped. You can use a pinch of turmeric or yellow food color instead or chose not to add any of these. The halwa will still be delicious!
Don’t skip that freshly ground cardamom seeds at the end, they add to flavor and aroma and make it even more delicious!
I have tested this recipe using my Instant Pot 6 QT.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, an almond meal is made from raw unpeeled almonds while almond flour is made from blanched peeled almonds. Between the two, almond flour is lighter in color and finer in texture.
Yes, you can but I would recommend using almond flour for this recipe. Almond meal has a more coarse texture since its made with raw unpeeled almonds. The halwa color and texture will be different than badam halwa made with almond flour.
To make vegan badam halwa, replace milk with nondairy options like almond milk and ghee with neutral oil.
To make badam halwa with raw almonds, first, soak almonds in hot boiling water for 30-40 mins. Then peel and grind them to a fine slight coarse paste. Saute this almond paste in ghee in a heavy-bottomed pot on the stovetop. Cooking with almond paste takes more time than with flour so account for more time (soaking and cooking) with raw almonds.
More Indian Dessert Recipes
I hope you enjoy this Badam Halwa Recipe !! If you try this recipe, please rate it by clicking stars ⭐️ on the recipe card. Thank you ❤️! You can also follow me on Facebook and Instagram to see what’s cooking in my kitchen!!
Recipe Card
Badam Halwa
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup almond flour blanched
- 4 tablespoons ghee divided
- ½ cup granulated white sugar adjust to taste
- 1 pinch saffron strands
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom powder
- 1 cup milk
- 10 almonds skinned and chopped
- 4 green cardamom seeds coarsely crushed
- 1-2 tablespoons Sliced almonds for garnishing
Instructions
- Soak saffron in warm milk. Warm the milk in the microwave for 1 min or on the stovetop. Mix it well and set it aside for the flavor and color to develop.
Instant Pot Method
- Clean/sanitize the instant pot and all the parts thoroughly before making halwa.
- Start the Instant Pot on saute mode (normal) and once it is hot add 2 tablespoons of ghee to it.
- Once the ghee is melted, add the almond flour and saute for 2-3 mins or till the raw smell of the almond flour disappears. Do not brown it. Keep stirring continuously to avoid the flour from burning.
- Press cancel and add milk with saffron (be careful since there will be steam coming once you add milk) and sugar.
- Mix until it is well combined. Deglaze the pot to make sure nothing is sticking at the bottom to avoid the BURN error.
- Close the Instant Pot with a vent in a sealing position. Cook on manual (or pressure cook) high pressure for 1 minute. Once the cooking is complete (pot beeps), do a manual steam release (quick release) after 5 mins. Open the lid once the pin drops.
- Add chopped peeled almonds, cardamom powder, and the remaining 2 tablespoons of ghee. Mix until well combined.
- The halwa will still have some liquid left which is required to be cooked. Start Instant pot back on saute (normal).
- Cook until the halwa thickens and leaves the sides. It may take 5-10 mins, keep stirring continuously to prevent the halwa from sticking to the pot.
- Once the halwa has reached a thick pudding consistency, turn off the instant pot and add the freshly crushed cardamom seeds and mix to combine.
- Don’t dry out the halwa completely since it will thicken as it cools. Take out the stainless steel pot and keep it aside. If you let it sit in the Instant pot, it will continue to cook and halwa will become hard and chewy with residual heat.
- Badam halwa is ready!! Garnish with sliced almonds and more saffron strands and serve warm or at room temperature.
StoveTop Method
- In a heavy-bottomed pan, heat 2 tablespoons of ghee and allow it to melt.
- Next, add the almond flour and saute for 4-5 mins or till the raw smell of the almond flour disappears. Do not brown it. Keep stirring continuously to avoid the flour from burning.
- Now add the milk (mixed with saffron) slowly and mix continuously until there are no lumps.
- Stir in sugar, chopped peeled almonds, and cardamom powder and keep stirring. As soon as the sugar melts, the halwa will turn into a runny consistency.
- Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of ghee and continue cooking until the halwa thickens and leaves the sides of the pan. Stir continuously.
- Once the halwa reaches a thick pudding-like consistency, add the crushed cardamom seeds. Mix well.
- The halwa thickens as it cooks so once you have the right consistency, turn off the heat and transfer the halwa to a serving bowl. If you leave it on the gas, it will get hard and chewy because of the residual heat.
- Badam halwa is ready to be served! Garnish with sliced almonds and more saffron strands and serve warm or at room temperature.
It was easy and tasted delicious. Thank you for the recipe.
So glad to hear that. Thank you so much, Prachi!