I’m sharing a healthier version of one of my favorite desserts! This is a honey-sweetened recipe for gajar halwa.
I’m giving you two options with this dessert – you can either make this recipe into a halwa (pudding) or into a fudge (mithai).
Gajar Halwa is typically made with grated carrots, ghee, milk, nuts, and sugar. You can find my Punjabi father approved version of gajrela here – but for those interested in a tasty, but healthier, paleo-friendly version, this recipe is for you. I have included directions for my non-paleo readers who might want to make this dish as well (see notes below).
This carrot fudge is made with five simple ingredients: grated carrots, ghee (or coconut oil if you are vegan), coconut milk, cardamom, and honey. You can also garnish this dessert with chopped nuts or raisins. I love the look of green pistachios with orange halwa, but cashews or almonds work too.
If it’s cold outside, I prefer to eat warm halwa, carrot pudding, instead of the fudge. Here’s what that looks like:
When all the milk has evaporated, you’ll notice that the mixture looks pretty oily. Don’t worry — it’ll congeal. Not sure if that makes you feel any better but it’ll be delicious. If you’re making pudding you can remove some of this oil but if you’re making fudge, you’ll need it to hold your bars together.
Love the flavor of gajar halwa? Try my gajar halwa carrot cake recipe next!
Oh and if you love this dessert (which you will) then be sure to check out my Paleo Indian eCookbook: South Asian Persuasion! It has 100+ Paleo Indian Recipes.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons ghee
- 1 tablespoon pistachios for garnish or use ¼ cup pistachios if making halwa
- 2 ½ cups grated carrots
- 1 13.5 ounce can full-fat unsweetened coconut milk
- ½ - 1 teaspoon cardamom powder freshly ground is best
- 2 tablespoons honey
- Golden raisins optional for garnish
- Pistachios or sliced almonds optional for garnish
Instructions
- Melt ghee in a pan over low-medium heat, then add pistachios and stir until all of the nuts are coated with ghee.
- If you are making mithai (carrot fudge), remove the pistachios from the pan and set aside. If you are making halwa (carrot pudding) remove only a few of the pistachios to save for garnish.
- Add grated carrots and sauté in ghee for about 10 minutes, then add coconut milk.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Stir often to avoid burning.
- After about 20 minutes, add cardamom powder. Mix well and then stir in the honey. Continue stirring until all of the milk has evaporated.
- Eat as a pudding or if you are making carrot fudge, spread the pudding mixture onto a greased plate, garnish and let it cool in the fridge. After a couple of hours, cut into squares.
Notes
- For my non-paleo readers, just replace the coconut milk with 2 cups of whole milk and instead of honey, add ¾ cup of sugar (or however much you want), or find my instant pot recipe here.
Frank P says
I used Light Coconut Milk instead of Full Fat and it turned out Awesome!
My Heart Beets says
Frank, that’s great to hear! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
K Spritzer says
Good but needs more honey or sugar. I doubled it (but don’t double the ghee because it will be too oily. I made it as fudge in an 8“ x 8“ pan. Doubled, it served 8. It was the dessert to an Indian themed dinner, and goes well with a glass of Port.
Mary Lou says
Hi Ashley, I know little about Indian food, so am glad to have found your site. I volunteer at a community garden here in Oregon and we have something every year called “Carrot Harvest Day.” We make a celebration out of harvesting our carrots. We also eat carrot soup, salads, cakes, etc. Great day for the kids as well as adults. The food we raise throughout our growing season goes to food banks, and volunteers can take home fresh, delicious veggies and fruits too. It is organic and we teach gardening as well as food prep. You can even eat lunch if you are working here as a volunteer. I do a lot of baking and doing interesting, unusual, and tasty stuff with our vegetables and fruits. I wanted to do something different than my carrot bars or pie. I have been comparing recipes for Carrot Fudge and yours sounds easier, so I plan on trying it. I thought I would do a test batch, hopefully this coming weekend, and a completely vegan version as well for our vegan eaters. Thanks and I will make a note to come back to your site and let you know how people reacted.
My Heart Beets says
Hi Mary, I’m so glad you found my site too! And oh my gosh I love that you guys have a carrot harvest day at your community garden – that sounds like such a blast and so helpful and educational too! I’d love to hear how this goes!
Karen M. Chapman says
Hi,
I’m always on the lookout for vegan versions of Indian sweets as I have a lactose intolerant boss. Would you know what I could substitute for almond milk? I doubt we get that here.
maria says
I made this but didn’t add pistachios or honey. It still tasted delicious!
My Heart Beets says
Maria, I’m so glad you liked it!
Sam H says
Have you ever used coconut powder (not flour) instead of coconut milk?
My Heart Beets says
nope, not sure what that is? like coconut milk powder?
kala says
Hello Ashley,
Your site is excellent. You have put in a lot of hard work and it shows. I would like to share the knowledge that according to ayurved the Indian medical system, honey should not be heated. It forms a coating on the food pipe and will not come off, kind of like plastic. I read somewhere that the max temp for honey should be 100 F.
Thanks a lot,
Kala.
Uma says
hi ,Please don’t cook the Honey. Adding honey to hot food will also cooks the honey. Cooked honey is poisonous in Ayurveda.
Deepa says
Hi,
Can I substitute butter for the ghee? Will it still set to make the ‘fudge’?
thanks
My Heart Beets says
Hi Deepa, yes you can use butter! Let me know how this turns out for you 🙂