Quick, easy, and delicious Diwali Recipes for a bright and joyous festival of lights! Enjoy this festive collection that includes traditional and contemporary recipes for snacks, sweets, and popular drinks. Most of these recipes are easy to plan ahead and come together in 30 minutes or less.
Whether you're planning a cozy dinner or hosting your family and friends, these recipes will add a ton of flavor to your festivities and Diwali parties.

Diwali is the most popular festival in the Hindu community across India. Typically, it is celebrated for 3 to 5 days in fall (autumn) depending on the region.
Diwali marks the beginning of the Hindu new year. It signifies the triumph of good over evil, humility over pride, knowledge over ignorance, and light over darkness. These are the reasons we call it the festival of lights, since it symbolizes hope.
While each home has its own rituals, my family always celebrates Diwali by lighting diyas (tea-lights), cooking and exchanging indulgent sweets and snacks, and lighting fireworks.
Since food is such an integral part of Diwali, the preparations start weeks in advance. Today, I'm excited to share some of my family's most cherished, special Diwali recipes.
All these sweet and savory recipes are vegetarian since that's what we eat during the 5 days of celebrations. I hope you enjoy them as much as we do!
Diwali Party Menu: If you're looking for menu ideas and how to plan a diwali party, check out this detailed post that includes sample menus: Indian Dinner Party Menu
On behalf of the Spice Cravings team, I wish you a Happy & Prosperous Diwali!
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What is Diwali?
Diwali is short for Deepavali, meaning "Row of Lights" in Sanskrit. This festival of lights is based on the lunar calendar and falls in either late October or early November, on a new moon night.
This year Diwali falls on November 4th, 2021 in the US.
What are the 5 days of Diwali? We observe the five days as follows:
- Dhanteras (day 1)
- Chotti Diwali (day 2)
- Laskshmi Puja -Diwali Day (day 3)
- Govardhan Puja (day 4)
- Bhai Dooj + Vishkarma Day (day 5)
The celebrations may differ regionally though.
Fun Facts about Diwali
Here are some interesting facts about Diwali:
Fun Fact: Approximately 15% of the world's population celebrates Diwali
- More than 1 billion people around the globe celebrate Diwali.
- It's an official holiday in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore, Trinidad and Tobago, Myanmar and Fiji, just to name a few.
- Hindus, Jains and Sikh community also celebrate Diwali, each having a different significance of this festival.
Diwali Sweets Recipes
Check out some popular traditional Diwali recipes made simple, and doable even on weeknights:
Besan Ladoo
Coconut Ladoo (Nariyal Ladoo)
Rava Laddu (Rava Ladoo)
Easy Kalakand Recipe
Indian Milk Cake Recipe
Easy Rasmalai Recipe
Badam Halwa (Almond Pudding)
Instant Pot Moong Dal Halwa (Indian Lentil Pudding)
Suji Halwa | Sooji Halwa
Baked Gujiya
Gajar ki Burfi | Carrot Burfi (Carrot Fudge)
Kulfi Ice Cream (No-Churn Indian Ice Cream)
Mango Cheesecake in Instant Pot (Gluten-Free Cheesecake)
Easy Kheer (Rice Pudding) Recipe
Snacks Recipes
Diwali food would be incomplete without some crowd-pleasing savory snacks. These special dishes add a whole lot of flavor to Diwali celebrations.
Samosa Recipe - Air Fryer, Fried & Baked
Samosa Chaat
Dahi Bhalla (Dahi Vada)
Pinwheel Samosa
Samosa Stuffed Jalapeno Poppers
Samosa Chaat Phyllo Cups
Paneer Tikka- Air fryer| Oven| Grill
Bombay Potatoes - Instant Pot/ Air Fryer/ Oven
Cheese Straws
Drinks
Enjoy these popular drinks including a crowd-pleasing Indian cocktail recipe!
Mango Lassi
Nimbu Pani / Shikanji (Indian Lemonade)
Jaljeera - Cumin Spiced Indian Lemonade
Jal Jeera Mojito | Indian Spiced Mojito Cocktail
Popular Indian Recipes Collections on the Blog
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